Brother's Blood

April 17, 2017
British author Hanley’s enjoyable fourth medieval whodunit (after 2015’s Whited Sepulchres) will appeal to Ellis Peters fans. In 1217, Edwin Weaver, an earl’s man, and Martin, a senior squire, are sent by their master to investigate the murder of a monk at Roche Abbey. Brother Alexander, the master of the lay brothers, has been stabbed in the back. Edwin learns that Alexander adopted a cloistered existence late in life, which raises the possibility that an enemy from his earlier days might have been responsible for the killing. The victim had to deal with the woman whom the abbey’s residents have dubbed “that witch in the woods,” which provides another potential lead. Edwin proves an astute sleuth, capable of picking up on subtle clues, as he tries to elicit evidence from the reticent brothers. Hanley does a good job of conjuring the claustrophobic atmosphere of Roche Abbey, though Edwin’s personal struggle over whether to accept the abbot’s invitation to stay at the abbey or remain in the earl’s service doesn’t generate much interest.