None could go against the King and Queen of England, least of all Catrin. Not overtly, anyway.
Book 1 in The Welsh Guard Mysteries series. Wales was a perilous place in 1284. Defeated and taken over by the English, the Welsh were forced to work for their conquerors if they wanted a chance to feed themselves and their families. Catrin works as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Eleanor of England and, following the queen’s retinue, suddenly finds herself back home in Wales at Caernarfon Castle, where she grew up. There she has an unexpected encounter in Rhys, a former crusader and childhood friend of Catrin.
But can the two former friends trust each other after all this time and changing allegiances? With both of them working for the English, their reunion is awkward, as neither fully trusts the other to not have betrayed their own people for their new overlords. But as Caernarfon Castle is rocked by a murder, the two are forced to work together to get to the truth and prevent the English from placing the blame on a convenient Welsh scapegoat.
Crouchback is a richly detailed, atmospheric historical mystery. Set in a tumultuous time period right after the death of the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Crouchback is a murder mystery from the perspective of an oppressed people trying to come to terms with their new situation and maintain a precarious balance between submission and defiance. It is a tense and suspenseful tale, taking real historical events and bringing them to life through Catrin and Rhys and the many characters they encounter during their murder investigation.
Highly recommended for fans of historical mysteries, history buffs, readers with an interest in Welsh history and anyone who enjoys murder mysteries with high-stakes political intrigue, dangerous powerplays and divided loyalties all muddling the waters as a murderer stalks Caernarfon Castle, forcing former enemies and friends alike to work together and confront each other as the death count rises and the situation grows ever more desperate.
Historical mystery
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