Given this book's best-seller status & reviews, I was especially expecting to enjoy the historical elements. The Middle Ages as depicted in this book seemed stereotypic as in other books & movies with a completely unbelievable princess story. ( )

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Miriam Houmout has many secrets. After living ten years as a mute man raising her only son in the small village, Duns. She becomes apprentice to the local smithy, Salvius, as her young son, Christian, works with the other young boys helping Benedict the weaver. She's kept her secret close to her heart and only one person has ever known her true identity, her deceased friend Nell. No one knows who actually killed Nell, but everyone assumes it was one of the men working there during the harvest. But when the weaver's home burns to the ground with Christian and four other boys inside, all of the men scream for justice. This book tells of their journey to London and all of the difficulties they endured. When secrets are revealed, everyone's world is forever changed.

This was a very engrossing novel. We tend to forget how women were treated in medieval times. They were never allowed to know or do any of the things Miriam had accomplished. A woman hunter was unheard of, as was a woman that could read and write. This was an excellently written novel, with such vivid details that the story just comes to life. If you like historical fiction and want to learn more about the medieval era, then this is definitely a book you'll love! ( )

Set in medieval England, Sinful Folk follows Mear, a nun named Miriam disguised as a mute, old man. In Mear’s small village, five boys burned to death in a house fire, including Mear’s son, Christian. The fire was not an accident. The door was roped shut and the murderer has not been discovered. Mear and some village men decide to make the long trek to London to demand justice for their deaths, hauling the boys’ dead bodies in a cart behind them. Mear is going on the journey to discover her son’s killer, whom she believes may be one of her companions.

The historical detail and quality story-telling in this book was a surprise. I would categorize it as a historical thriller, though it’s not a swashbuckling, sword-fighting type of story. Sinful Folk is agonizingly suspenseful. It’s a slow burn, full of unreliable stories and questionable characters. It never lagged, never meandered, and I was riveted.

Along this journey we learn Mear’s backstory, why she is disguised, how she came to have a son, and why she can’t reveal her identity to any of her companions, even though she trusts many them with her life. The lives of these men are harsh. The winter is brutal and meat is scarce. It’s painfully cold and the men are filthy and tortured with agonizing hunger. Every character is selfish, starving, and angry in their grief. The writing was above par, and the pacing was intense. I looked forward to reading this story every time I cracked the spine, and towards the end I eschewed chores, phones, and schedules to get to the end.

I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads because I enjoyed the entire book, not just the ending, or the middle, as is so often the case. I was full of anticipation to read it as it reached its close. The author’s attention to detail only enhanced the mystery of Mear’s story.

Sinful Folk is a hidden gem. I don’t give out 5 stars on Goodreads readily, and this book deserves the praise. ( )

1377 five boys are locked in a barn, burned to death and their grieving parents accuse Jews of this tragedy. The fathers decide to not bury the dead but to take them for the King to decide.
But the villagers each carry their own secrets and during their journey their secrets unravel and they learn surprising things from each other.

The story is told by Mear, a mute pretending to be a man, who lives with her son Christian on a remote village. Bit by bit we get to know more about this courageous woman, we learn how she became to live as a man on this village and how she met with the father of her son.

It’s a dark world and this is not a romanticized version of the fourteenth century. It wasn’t easy living after the Black Death.

My only complain is that I wish it was told better if were in the present time or in Mear’s past. It didn’t take long to figure where you are but still. ( )

**Disclaimer: The author provided a free ARC of this book for review purposes.

While I expected “Sinful Folk” a story steeped in history and detailed description, to be a slow read, it sucked me in from the first page and held me until the very end. This story takes you way back to the middle ages, and the author shows enviable writing skill in keeping the pace fast-moving and engaging. The protagonist, Mear, is fascinating and Hayes skillfully plots a suspenseful and mesmerizing tale full of rich and vital characters. The mystery is laid out immediately; why did these boys die in the fire and who caused it and why is this woman pretending to be a man? Instead of solving the mystery in a linear way, Hayes takes the reader on a journey that reveals more questions with every page.

I’m impressed that he was able to believably convey what it meant for a woman to live, love, and survive during this time. Hayes successfully conveys the danger and uncertainty and burns those emotions into the reader’s heart. I definitely recommend “Sinful Folk.”

Full review to come at www.onfictionwriting.com
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