INTO THE WOODSA leper’s daughter is found in the well of a dying hamlet and the only suspect has fled into Feckenham Forest. But the sun is setting and Warwickshire’s sheriff is hunting his new Crowner. That sends Sir Faucon de Ramis and Brother Edmund, his prickly clerk, racing for a nearby abbey only to meet the man he least wishes to see at the abbey gates. Before long, Faucon finds himself … himself riding into the dark at Sir Alain’s side as they hunt for yet another lost innocent.
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“Lost Innocents” Earns 5+/5 Pleas for Justice…Brilliantly Engaging!
I am an eager fan of all sorts of detective mysteries, from female to male leads, straightforward to a touch of magic, and from now to way in the past. My current favorites are those set in medieval times realistically portraying its rich diverse environment and characters, religious elements, societal references to culture, customs, and mores, and plenty of engaging good vs. evil dynamics. Denise Domning’s third book in her Servant of the Crown series checks all the boxes as a true favorite of my 2021 list with her engaging sensory-filling descriptions of the twelfth-century countryside, villages, and abbey along with commoners, knights, and religious figures, dialogue that mirrors the cadence and language befitting the era and personalities, and including gender and class prejudices, religious life, and treatment of the diseased all seeming to be well-researched. Sir Faucon’s role as Keeper of the Pleas in Warwickshire is newly sanctioned by the king, but has taken it upon himself to determine more exact and complete perimeters of his job going beyond charging murder and collecting fines for the crown; he actively seeks further details to bring the killer to justice. But, like any hero, there is the sidekick, and Domning provides the most infuriating in Brother Edmund, the clerk who puts to paper the details, statements, and judgements along with keeping Sir Faucon abreast of traditions, practices, and mandates of his responsibilities. His manner, more than enough reason for his demotion to serve Faucon and not the bishop himself, is abrupt, often ill-advised and intrusive, and one Faucon has difficulty tolerating, but slowly through their continued companionship, there is a dynamic that is becoming useful and important to both men. The addition of Alf to the group, a former soldier, was well-conceived and adds much to the partnership.
The murder mystery on which the main story focuses is quite clever, compelling, and complete, and although there is a lot going on with many characters from previous books or new ones introduced and a few side stories just as engaging, it is easy to read, emotional, and concluding with wrongs righted. Sir Faucon, Crowner of the shire, is called upon by Odger the Bailiff of Wike to look into the death of a young girl who has been pulled from the village’s well. Having honed his detective prowess over the past to three weeks, Faucon easily determined the event not to be suicide or an accident, but murder…a crime that unfolds into much more with tales of greed, power, and vengeance. Faucon’s fair manner, attention to details, and success uncovering the truth of a crime has put him in good standing with the commoners, but unfortunately, in opposition to the shire’s sheriff, Sir Alain. More troubling is Alain takes great exception to Faucon usurping some of his traditional responsibilities and perks, and when Alain is implicated in a murder, previously explored in the second book, Faucon’s life is now in jeopardy. Enlisting Alf to join the group increases Faucon’s chances to stay alive. Well in the periphery and touched on in the previous books, there is one who is on a self-proclaimed religious mission. Another innocent girl has been stolen away destined, with mortal assistance, to be joined with Him in heaven, and although Faucon is aware something is amiss since discovering another young lass’s body days ago, there is always another “hue and cry” to grab his attention….til it becomes personal and perilous. Brilliant!!