When a prominent citizen is murdered, former Captain of the Guard Owen Archer is persuaded out of retirement to investigate in this gripping medieval mystery. 1374. When a member of one of York’s most prominent families is found dead in the woods, his throat torn out, rumours spread like wildfire that wolves are running loose throughout the city. Persuaded to investigate by the victim’s father, … investigate by the victim’s father, Owen Archer is convinced that a human killer is responsible. But before he can gather sufficient evidence to prove his case, a second body is discovered, stabbed to death. Is there a connection? What secrets are contained within the victim’s household? And what does apprentice healer Alisoun know that she’s not telling?
Teaming up with Geoffrey Chaucer, who is in York on a secret mission on behalf of Prince Edward, Owen’s enquiries will draw him headlong into a deadly conspiracy.
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A Conspiracy of Wolves is the 11th and latest installment in Candace Robb’s Owen Archer mystery series, and what an exciting read it is!
This is my first Owen Archer read and while I missed some backstory, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. Thankfully the author drops in little bits of his history so you aren’t too lost. But I’m excited now to start at the beginning of the series and work my way through them. Owen is a fabulous character and I’m anxious to learn more of him.
In A Conspiracy of Wolves Owen is asked to investigate the savage murder of a member of the town’s most prominent family. Was it another wolf attack or something more sinister? With an exciting and well-paced plot, an intriguing mystery (which concluded much differently than I expected), and appealing characters I was very much entertained and look forward to going back ad reading the series with the first book. And I’m excited for the next adventure with Owen! And hopefully Alisoun will return, she was great.
Highly recommended!
My thoughts
I haven’t read any of Robb’s previous novels (mea culpa) but Conspiracy of Wolves works as a standalone. Robb uses backstory well. She’s specific enough that I understood the context of references to the past, but vague enough that she doesn’t give away the solution to a previous series’ title.
I liked Owen Archer & company enough that I’ll seek out previous books in this series. There were so many things to enjoy! Here’s a few:
1. The relevance
Ever heard the saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same”? This ran through my mind several times as I read.
Each time a character referenced the power of wealthy people to escape justice, I nodded my head. Yes, that still happens.
Each time a character expressed fear over pregnancy and childbirth, I nodded again. Yes, modern medicine has helped lessen the risk of childbearing . . . if one has access to it. Not everyone does. Lucie, Archer’s wife, Alisoun, and Magda, all gifted healers, know the dangers of pregnancy. Each time a pregnancy is mentioned (and it’s a reoccurring motif), it’s with trepidation. The healers make great use of their limited resources, all the while knowing their efforts might be too little, too late.
This theme hit me especially hard because of the high maternal death rate in my home state. Recent news reports have shown that a high percentage of women live more than two hours from a hospital and adequate healthcare during their pregnancies. Horrible, but true. It made the characters’ fears feel relevant and real for me, despite the differences in our time periods.
2. The historical research
Robb knows this time period. Her words immersed me in 14th century York, its culture, and its people. She brought it to life in rich detail. I was in awe of her ability to re-create a world of the past without bogging down the story with unnecessary facts or drawing undue attention to her methods. (Great historical fiction writers are rockstars, in my opinion.)
3. Relatable characters
I sympathized and cheered for them. (Well, some of them!) While the time period helps shape their worldviews, these characters’ personalities and relationships show that human nature hasn’t changed.
4. Chaucer
All the characters were great to meet. But having Geoffrey Chaucer (yes, that Chaucer!) as a character was too much fun for me as a literature major. All that gossipy, clever curiosity in his creative mind: it’s delicious fun to see Robb bring the famed author to life and use him in the story. Anyone who’s read The Canterbury Tales will love this.
5. And more . . .
Well-developed series characters who continually reveal new sides of their personalities. Conflicting agendas and suspicions. Tense atmosphere with a delightfully creepy edge. Evocative descriptions. A realistic, rich mystery.
A must-read for fans of historical mysteries.
Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from Severn House and Netgalley.