It the time of King Henry VIII, it helps to be a wealthy landowner in the King's good graces. Nicholas Peverell is such a man and is even more fortunate in just having married his beloved Jane, worthy detecting companion from previous volumes of this crime series. A cold February season of Candlemas is enlivened by the newlyweds entertaining their old friend, the local bishop. Yet their extensive Sussex estate looks less benign when the bishop's body is found dumped in marshes near the sea. For not only was the man murdered, but it looked like witches have mutilated his body. Cool-headed Nicholas now has to pursue killers amongst a confusing cast of jealous priests in the Cathedral and vicious wreckers and pirates along the sea shore. At the same time he needs to stop the impetuous local Sheriff from locking up every elderly poor woman as a witch and try to come to terms with his new wife's desire to retain some independence.
Death at Candlemas is a rich multi-layered mystery that covers the harsh
lives of the poor as well as the privileges of the rich. Particularly interesting
is the exploration of a rapidly changing society as the town and countryside
tries to come to terms with the new religious regime in which the old Prior
is the new Bishop, and priests are permitted to marry. The book also struggles
hard with the perennial challenge of historical fiction -how to make very different
social values sympathetic -or even comprehensible - to the modern reader. Collier
therefore is to be congratulated for making Lady Jane Peverell both a convincing
Tudor woman and a delightful modern heroine. I really enjoyed getting to know
these people and look forward to reading more of the series.
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Susan Rowland
Earlier books featuring Nicholas Peverell are Day of Wrath and Reluctant
Spy