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Pat Belsey

Yet again another great read in this series.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2023

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This series continues to entertain and keep you guessing. Great characters and plot lines. Right up there with masters of medieval murder mysteries.

Alexander J Warden

An easy read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2022

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Got the first book in the series from kindle unlimited to try. The concept of a Norman commission travelling round a post conquest England in order to rectify errors in the initial draft of the doomsday book fascinated me and I wasn’t disappointed. The books were an easy read with a fast moving, although with sometimes predictable plots, but non the less enjoyable. The main characters have developed as the series progressed so you can’t wait to see what the next development produces. Forward now into book 5 and Canterbury.

p manning

Book 4 of The Domesday series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2015

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Romulus and Remus are the lions of the north , fierce guardians of the castle of Ralph Delchard's friend Aubrey Maminot.
This is the fourth adventure in Edward Marston's Domesday series first published in 1996.
This time they are sent north to York on the kings business. Gervase Bret , the chancery clerk , and his colleague Ralph Delchard are accompanied by Canon Hubert and scribe Brother Simon as they sit in judgement on land disputes in Yorkshire.
On the way to York they stay at a manor house in Howden overnight and they are attacked by bandits and their sumpter horses are stolen. Despite this they journey on to York where they find that the lions under the control of their keeper Ludovico have recently mauled to death an intruder at the castle.
They begin to investigate local legal disputes aided by Tanchelm Of Ghent who has been sent by the king to help them.
When Tanchelm of Ghent is found strangled in the shire hall Ralph and Gervase determine to bring the killer to justice and discover more about their mysterious companion. With the dangerous lions within the castle walls and outlaw Olaf Evil Child at large outside they need all their resourcefulness to bring the killer to justice .
An excellent addition to the series by Edward Marston.

SylvAB

Gets better and better

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 December 2020

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Although strong characters enter the journey our band of commissioners- their own parts are memorable. Now Golde has joined the throng to add balance to the two clerics the battle hardied soldier and his able enquirer, they are undefeatable against the fraudsters, thieves and murderers in the path of reviewing what will be the Domesday book. Theirs are the tasks of righting the wrongs of powerful barons and castellans with the royal warrant at hand to mete out justice in whatever ways necessary

Wordflayer

Another gift!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 November 2022

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Once again, thoroughly enjoyed

K. J. Livesey

interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 April 2021

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i like this aurthor

karen wendy simpson

good read quick delivery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 April 2021

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good read

Ted G.

A very readable author.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 October 2021

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A great way to enjoy this period of history reading such a well written book. You feel as if you are present.

Top reviews from other countries

daniel james mceachren

On going series by this author

Reviewed in the United States on 19 July 2023

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Another book in this series about mysteries in anicent england

L. J. Roberts

Murder in the Middle Ages

Reviewed in the United States on 2 February 2010

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First Sentence: The two men were courting danger.

Soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret lead the King's commissioners to Yorkshire in their continuing task to settle land claims as part of the compilation of the Domesday Book. Ralph is looking forward to this particular location as the castle there is owned by his former comrade Aubrey Maminot, whose two captive lions recently mauled an intruder to the castle. It is also a painful visit for Ralph as it brings back memories of his part in the brutality he and his fellow Norman soldiers brought down upon the Saxons of this region.

Ralph and Gervase are implored by a young Saxon woman and her mother to render judgment against a nobleman of the area they claim stole the property and inheritance which should have been theirs and bring justice to the dispossessed, while discovering the identity of the lions' victim and learn what he sought within the castle.

I'll admit I love maps in books and was, therefore, delighted to find a number of them included in the opening pages of this book. I also love English history and so appreciate that not only dies Marston tell a thoroughly engrossing tale with a very good mystery, but teaches me more about the history of the period as well.

I love the characters Marston has created. Brother Simon, with his fear of women; Canon Hubert, a blend of piety and ego; Gervase, a man of intellect; Golde, the woman with whom Ralph loves; and Ralph, a warrior sick of war. Marston brings the characters to life and you know their personalities as well as, with each book, more of their background. But it's not just the primary characters; the secondary characters are fully dimensional.

Marston's historic research is very apparent. He incorporated documented events and historic characters seamlessly into the story. He doesn't clean up or sterilize life in the 11th Century; life was hard, particularly for women, and often unpleasant.

It was also a time when it almost no one could be trusted. That is a theme which runs through the series and certainly in this book. The plot contains a nice level of complexity without crossing into confusion, and has just the right level of twists and suspense as well as emotion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am a definite fan of this series. I shall keep going book-by-book.

THE LIONS OF THE NORTH (Hist Mys-Ralph Delchard/Gervase Bret-England-1086/Middle Ages) - VG
Marston, Edward - 4th in Domesday series
St. Martin's Press, 1996, US Hardcover - ISBN: 031214671X

Claudius II

Interesting Events

Reviewed in the United States on 27 February 2022

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The addition of the lions was an exotic touch. What I enjoy about the series thus far is that there are no "where did that come from?" In the plot.

Elizabeth

An enthralling mystery.

Reviewed in Canada on 19 July 2016

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These mysteries are about a little known time in English history,when The Conquerer had the Doomesday book put together so he could put some order into his new kingdom,and charge taxes.The characters are well developed. The action and the mystery were great. It seems well researched and I could not put it down.

Michael Burke

another good one

Reviewed in the United States on 9 January 2012

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Another interesting investigation for the Domesday Book Team. Ralph and Gervase, Knight and clerk, working together to right wrongs and solve murder and fraud. Our protagonists are again fighting against powerful forces to bring justice to downtrodden Saxons. African Lions are actually the first killers. Although out of place in Northern England they are not the real enemy. Read and enjoy.

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