3.5★ The second book in the Danish historical fiction mystery series by Martin Jensen. It feels a bit strange to read a translated book set in England but this series is set in the time of King Cnut (Canute) when England was ruled by a Dane. The tensions between the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings are even more evident in this second book of the series. While that part of the story was interesting, I found the dispute between the two monasteries even more fascinating. I look forward to reading more of this series. ( )

The date is 1018 and the England of King Cnut. Winston and Halfdan have arrived at the monastery at Brixworth, on their way to Peterborough. But when they are woken during the night to be shown a dead monk, they are asked to investigate. Is the first clue given to them that the monk's hand had been cut off.
This re-read was an interesting and enjoyable mystery. ( )

The writing is confusing - how did the names fit into the murder? And I really dislike the main character. Inside 3 pages, he "pouted", "sulked" and then he "raged" at being "left out" of a meeting. To say nothing of leering at EVERY woman he comes across and kissing a 12 year old girl. He's disgusting.

I wasn't expecting great literature, obviously, but this wasn't even good fluff. Perhaps it's better in the original Danish. ( )

This is the follow up to this Danish author's novel The King's Hounds set early in the reign of King Canute in the early 11th century (he came to the throne on 30 November 1016, a thousand years ago last week). I didn't enjoy this one as much as its predecessor. While the central characters ex-monk Winston the illustrator and the half Saxon, half-Danish dispossessed thane Halfdan, are still interesting, I thought they came across a bit less vividly here. The plot engaged me less, though the denouement, centred around an earlier incident of revenge and betrayal, was quite good. Perhaps more seriously, for me at any rate, the dialogue was too just modern and anachronistic, with references to "you guys" and monks eating lunch in the middle of the day and dinner in the evening; I am not clear if this is a problem with the Danish original or the (American) English translation. So, a bit disappointing. I will probably read the third novel at the some point, but feel no great rush. ( )

Book received through GoodReads giveaway program for an honest review. Thanks for the book!

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. Halfdan and Winston are just the right blend of humorous, serious, and dedication that I love. I especially enjoyed Halfdan. He's a down to earth kinda guy that likes his earthy pleasures, has a strong sense of honor, and is loyal to those he feels deserves it. I was kept enthralled by his, and Winston's and Alfrida's, intelligent approach to the murder/mystery and their teamwork to solve the mystery.

The time period the author chose to write about also was fascinating. This is a often forgotten time period when it comes to historical fiction. To find a murder/mystery set there was something else on top of that rarity. The author brought the time period to life in his descriptions of the setting and his presentation of the volatile politics of the period. That era of England's history was such a stew-pot of Dane, Saxon, and Angle strife that that alone kept me enthralled on top of the rest of the story.

The murder/mystery part of the story was a bit of a letdown, though. I was kept guessing for the most part on the whodunit; I couldn't predict the murderer until it was revealed. So that was a plus. But the investigation itself left much to be desired. A lot of the clues and such relied on hearsay and "eyewitness" testimony. There were a few random physical clues incorporated into the investigation. But if this case would have been put through an actual court, methinks it would have been dismissed due to lack of evidence.

The characters and setting were good in this book. But the mystery really was a letdown. I definitely wouldn't recommend this novel if you're looking for a vastly engaging mystery. However, if you're looking for a good story with entertaining characters set in a time period you'll have a hard time finding somewhere else, give this book a look. ( )