The Christmas Wassail

Starred review from May 20, 2013
Sedley’s 22nd Roger the Chapman mystery (after 2012’s The Tintern Treasure), one of her best, perfectly blends action, detection, and period color. Although 1483 has been a tumultuous year for England with the ascension of Richard III to the throne (and the fate of the princes in the Tower unresolved), Roger is hoping for a bit of a break over Christmas, a wish that goes unfulfilled. Instead of quiet relaxation with family and friends, the occasional operative for Richard has a series of murders to solve. The violence begins with the stabbing death of an alderman, who utters the name “Dee” before expiring, a possible clue to the identity of his killer. When Roger tells the authorities of the dying man’s declaration, Sir George Marvell, a well-respected war hero who was at the victim’s side along with Roger, denies it was a name. Things play out in surprising ways, leaving the investigator in a moral quandary about not only others’ actions but also his own.

July 1, 2013
Even the Christmas season of 1483 can't slow down Roger the Chapman's propensity for problem-solving. Roger is at home with his family in Bristol working to make the 12 days of the holiday festive. The children are particularly pleased with a small troupe of mummers, and Roger is enjoying all the extra food and drink, when a prominent citizen is found murdered and mutilated. The man was a friend of Sir George Marvell, a wealthy war hero disliked by almost everyone, including his own family. After saving Marvell from an assault by an Irish slave trader, Roger is surprised to hear Marvell write off the incident as a case of mistaken identity. When Marvell vanishes, a determined search reveals nothing until Roger and Marvell's grandson James discover his mutilated body in his former home outside Bristol. Roger and James follow the trail of a young man who had paid court to Marvell's wealthy older sister, only to be beaten and chased out of the area. Certain that he's seeking revenge, they do their best to track him down. In the meantime, Roger is attacked several times by someone who thinks he knows too much. Roger's determination to find the killer reaches a white-hot pitch after a young family friend to whom he's given his old cloak is murdered--mistaken for him? Not much nourishment for puzzle-solvers who want to compete with Roger. But Sedley (The Tintern Treasure, 2012, etc.) does provide a most interesting look at historical Christmas customs, many of which survive to this day.

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