When we visited south Somerset in mid-August, we had half a day in the lovely market town of Sherborne, just over the border in Dorset. My purpose was to photograph the small monastic gateway
It made quite an atmospheric entrance to the lovely Abbey precinct, luckily bathed in sunlight when we were there. After a look around the Abbey itself, I spotted the Abbey shop. On the shelves were four paperbacks, written by the same author - Rosie Lear. I have long realised that I am a sucker for 'series' and, true to form, I bought all four. Another short break in North Yorkshire enabled me to read the first two in the Matthias Barton mysteries.
June 2018 and October 2018
These relatively brief novels are set in the mid-1430s; Henry VI is being persuaded to take a more active role in running the country, to no good effect. The war in France is not going well; Henry V's younger brother, the Duke of Bedford, has just died. Henry had appointed him overseer in France. Links between England and France occur in both novels, more so in the second story. There is also a town v. gown aspect (so regularly delineated in the Matthew Bartholomew stories of Susanna Gregory); this time though it is rather town v. cowl.
There is no great depth to the tales, but that is not meant as a criticism. The characters are quite well fleshed out - the two main ones, Matthias Barton, a young man trying to set up a small school in Milborne Port, and Sir Tobias Delaware, the King's Coroner for the area - a commanding man who had served in the King's army against the French, are well supported by their respective servants. Thrown into the melting plot are the Abbot Bradford of Sherborne, Father Samuel and a variety of unsavoury characters. Sherborne itself is lovingly described and those living in the area should particularly enjoy the series. Killings there are a-plenty; a burgeoning love story is on the cards; the distinctions of class are clearly drawn; the sounds and smells of medieval town life are well defined. All in all, I cantered enjoyably through the plots, pleased that I had succumbed in the little abbey shop. I look forward to reading the next two in the series. I read that there is already a fifth tale in the offing.
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