A historical mystery with the word plague in the title and a cover featuring a painting by Bruegel the Elder—who could resist? Plague Land is a great read on multiple levels: a solid mystery, a detailed depiction of life in rural England in the mid-1300s, and also a study of the role of Plague in reshaping the political and social order of the time.

For the first third or so of this novel, I thought I was reading something pretty good, but not necessarily great. Later in my reading, I realized that Plague Land was the first thing I reached for when I unexpectedly awoke at 6 a.m. On a Saturday. It takes a special novel to trump an extra few hours of sleep on the weekend.

The narrator and central character, Oswald de Lacy, a third son destined for life as a monk, is called home as lord of the manor after his father and two older brothers are struck down by Plague. Not long after his return home, a murder is uncovered. Oswald, an agnostic who nonetheless was comfortable with his life in the monastery, is already having enough trouble stepping into his unexpected new role. Then the local priest starts stirring up the community claiming the murder is the work of cynocephalae, demon-possessed, dog-headed men.

At first Oswald is something of a cypher. He tells his story, but shares little of his inner life, so while readers are engaged by events, they feel at arm’s distance from him. But slowly Oswald’s actions begin to speak for him, and as readers learn more about his world-view he becomes increasingly interesting.

Though the plot is less complex, this novel reminds me (in a good way) of Eco’s The Name of the Rose. A young postulant who remains innocent of the “ways of the world” is troubled by the new view of humanity he’s gaining. His mentor, in this case the apothecary at the monastery where Oswald’s been living, tries to interpret the world for him, simultaneously protecting and enlightening him.

I bought this book for the cover, and I have no regrets. Sykes’ blend of puzzle, history, and analysis makes for fascinating reading. ( )

Only a chapter in..... my partner really enjoyed the first half - it's a momentous time when the death of half the population finally tipped the economic balance away from the tight control of the Norman owning class and people were finally able to make some choices about where and how they lived. No wonder then that it was a savage time - just can't sit down to read it as fiction just at the moment. The Kingdom and Peoples of Kent by Stuart Brookes dealt with the archaeological evidence up to about 800AD - 500 years before this is set - what I would like to be reading is more of the same. What a long sweep of time, and how little evidence we really have of it!

Good summer/beach read for plague enthusiasts (of which I count myself). ( )

Since childhood, Oswald de Lacy has lived in a remote monastery, but is called to return to his family home in Kent on the death of his father and two older brothers from the plague; he is now the lord of Somershill Manor, but he's finding it difficult to settle into his new role. When two young women are murdered in rapid succession, suspicion falls on the local village prostitute, while the village priest claims the deeds were committed by dog-headed beasts. When another murder is committed, Oswald himself is suspected of the crime and imprisoned. Will he be able to find the truth in time?

I was looking forward to this book, as a historical whodunit is one of my favourite genres, but unfortunately I found the characters and the plot rather formulaic and predictable, and was able to correctly identify the culprit within the first 100 pages. I gave up about a third of the way in as the story simply didn't hold my interest, despite of the interesting time period.

This is the first volume in a trilogy focusing on Oswald de Lacy, but needless to say I won't be reading any of the others. ( )

This pushes all my buttons - medieval, murder, plague - I expected to thoroughly enjoy this! But 37 pages in I'm already weary of the stereotypes. I've got too many other books vying for my attention right now. Maybe sometime later I might pick it up and give it another try.