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The Canterbury Murders

A Stanton and Barling Mystery, Book 3

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About this listen

A fire-ravaged cathedral. An ungodly murder.

Easter, 1177. Canterbury Cathedral, home to the tomb of martyr Saint Thomas Becket, bears the wounds of a terrible fire. Benedict, prior of the great church, leads its rebuilding. But horror interrupts the work. One of the stonemasons is found viciously murdered, the dead man’s face disfigured by a shocking wound.

When the king’s clerk Aelred Barling and his assistant Hugo Stanton arrive on pilgrimage to the tomb, the prior orders them to investigate the unholy crime.

But the killer soon claims another victim - and another. As turmoil embroils the congregation, the pair of sleuths face urgent pressure to find a connection between the killings.

With panic on the rise, can Barling and Stanton catch the culprit before evil prevails again - and stop it before it comes for them?

The Canterbury Murders is the third book in E.M. Powell’s Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. Combining intricate plots, shocking twists, and a winning - if unlikely - pair of investigators, this series is perfect for fans of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael or C.J. Sansom’s Shardlake.

©2020 E.M. Powell (P)2020 E.M. Powell Crime Detective Historical Murder Mystery Private Investigators Thriller & Suspense Fiction Exciting Scary
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Not quite as good as the previous two books. The story and the relationship between the two protagonists are both a little tedious and strained at times. On the plus side there are plenty of red herrings, a well developed sub plot and I didn't spot the solution or the twist at the end until they were revealed (a rare occurrence for me but one I enjoy immensely)!!

Good read

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The story itself had many twists. Just when I thought ‘I bet it was …’, it turned out not to be and someone else came under suspicion. Once I’d got into it, I listened to it at every opportunity.
The narration was excellent, with many different voices and accents performed by the one narrator.

Twists and turns throughout

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A third thrilling and intriguing story of these most unlikely friends. Weaving historical fact with beautifully drawn fiction. I hope there's more to come from these two!

Gripping mmedieval mystery!

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I have listen to all 6 and thought thay where very good the story lines were brilliant when is more coming out please let me know.

Wonderful book

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This is the third book in this enjoyable series and, for me, the best so far. Being set in Canterbury, the book allowed the author to give us more characters than her previous books in the series, set in a rural village and remote monastery respectively. I was gripped and interested all the way through and eagerly await Barling and Stanton's next adventure. If I'm nitpicking, there are some glaring errors in accuracy. In twelve century Canterbury pilgrims and others would certainly not be lodged in private rooms, and inns would certainly not contain corridors on the upper floors. This came CENTURIES later. Some of the dialogue was also decidedly 21st century. However if you can overlook this it's a cracking good story, very well performed by the narrator.

A third outing for Barling and Stanton.

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