A Murder of Crows

March 15, 2010
Set in 1592, Chisholm's fifth Sir Robert Carey mystery (after 2000's A Plague of Angels
) includes a couple of potentially interesting supporting characters, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare, but the playwrights come across as mere caricatures. Not much more developed are the two leads—Carey, the son of Anne Boleyn's sister, Mary, and thus cousin to Queen Elizabeth, and his sidekick, Sergeant Dodd, whose heavy dialect (“whit can ye dae to show us ye're no' one o' his kinship come tae trap us in ambush?”) can be tough to follow. Carey and Dodd seek legal representation to bring a case of unlawful imprisonment against the queen's vice chamberlain, look into the identity of an unclaimed corpse found in the Thames, and probe some shady land deals in Cornwall. Unfortunately, the multiple story lines fail to gel, and the plot drags for long stretches. Fans of Elizabethan historicals would do better with Rory Clements's Martyr
(2009).

March 15, 2010
The Deputy Warden of the English West Marsh and his trusted right-hand man are involved in dangerous and treasonous plots in 1592 London.

Sir Robert Carey's sidekick, Sergeant Dodd, seeks a lawyer to sue the evil and greedy Vice Chamberlain, Thomas Heneage, with whom Carey and Dodd have already tangled. He chooses the offbeat Mr. Enys, but the case is thwarted by higher-ups. Meanwhile, Carey's mother, an aristocrat who has no patience with the court even though her husband, Lord Chamberlain Hunsdon, is the powerful but illegitimate half-brother of Elizabeth I, arrives from Cornwall to pursue her own pleasures. And a mystery arises: What can a body washed up on the shore of the Thames and a priest who's been drawn and quartered have to do with a scheme to sell Cornish land at inflated prices? Carey and Dodd prowl the sordid and unhealthy streets of London, playing sly games with the likes of Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe while getting aid from London's King of Thieves. Dodd is anxious to return home to his wife, but when Carey takes off to visit the Queen, he's left on his own to sort out a tangled tale of unspeakable cruelty and treachery.

Carey's long-awaited fifth adventure (A Plague of Angels, 2000, etc.) may be too slow-moving and complex for some readers, but the lovingly presented historical details make it worth the slog.

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Starred review from May 1, 2010
In September 1592, Sergeant Doddstill smarting from the rough handling he received from Thomas Heneage in his last adventure ("A Plague of Angels") with his employer, Sir Robert Careyhires a lawyer to sue the Queen's Vice Chamberlain. Heneage fights back brutally, causing Carey's mother to come to London. At the same time, the duo try to identify a corpse found in the Thames. Throw in William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe as spies for various factions and political machinations from the lords of the realm, and this fast-moving tale becomes a winner. VERDICT A fun read for fans of Elizabethan mysteries.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
Chisholms fifth mystery starring Sir Robert Carey, deputy warren of the English West Marsh, is brimming with Elizabethan atmosphere and historical detail. This episode is more about Careys Sergeant Dodd, who seeks revenge for a mistreatment by the queens vice chamberlain, Thomas Henage, than it is about Carey himself. Dodd and Carey are in London wrapping up details from their earlier adventures and anxious to return to Carlisle, where the raiding season is about to begin. Careys father suggests that Dodd sue Henage, but no lawyer in London will take on such a powerful man. When a mysterious young lawyer appears and agrees to take the case, Carey and Dodd are afraid that he is a spy. Meanwhile, the balding poet William Shakespeare appears, and no one is sure what he is doing or for whom he is working. This very busy plot will delight historical fans who enjoy local color. Recommend Chisholms series to fans of Karen Harper and Simon Hawke.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)