Book 1 in the gripping Oswald de Lacy series,which can be read as a standalone,from'the medieval CJ Sansom'(Jeffery Deaver)England,1350: the Black Death has changed the country forever,taking master and servant alike.Young Oswald de Lacey was never meant to be Lord of Somershill Manor,but when his father and older brothers die of the Plague,he must return home from the monastery and assume responsibility for an estate ravaged by pestilence.Almost immediately Oswald is confronted with the vicious murder of a young woman,Alison Starvecrow. The village priest claims it is the work of demonic dog-headed men,a theory Oswald rejects as nonsense. But proving this - by finding the real killer - only leads Oswald deeper into a maze of political intrigue,family secrets and violent strife. And then the body of another girl is found...'Sykes has really reset the bar for medieval mysteries'Medievalists
Publisher: Hodder & StoughtonISBN: 9781444785784Number of pages: 352Weight: 250 gDimensions: 197 x 129 x 23 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
The medieval CJ SansomSykes's damp,depopulated,miasmic Middle Ages is well evoked,making this an impressive debut with at least one sequel on the way.A novel full of suspense and intrigue that will have you gripped.There's a nice,cliché-free sharpness to Sykes'writing...that suggests a medieval Raymond Chandler at work,and there are no phonycelebrations of the peasantry or earth-mothers thrusting herbalconcoctions down grateful throats. Plenty of action and interestingcharacters,without intervention of the libertarian modern consciencethat so often wrecks the medieval historical novel.PLAGUE LAND is a fascinating historical crime novel about a worldturned upside down,inhabited by a rich cast of characters. A terrific debut and a wonderful start to a brand-new series.Sykes has really reset the bar for medievalmysteries...every clue brings with it unexpectedtwists and turns. When you think you know who the killer is,you'reslapped with yet another surprise.Sykes's debut provides everything a reader would want in a historicalmystery: a gripping plot,vivid language,living and breathingcharacters,and an immersive depiction of the past.
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