A Roger the Chapman Mystery - Summer,1482. An English army invades Scotland in order to put King James the Thirds renegade younger brother, the Duke of Albany, on the Scottish throne. Albany insists his old acquaintance, Roger the Chapman, be a member of his personal bodyguard. But during the march northwards, a series of sinister events, centred around the cult figure of the mythical Green Man, makes Roger question Albanys true motive for requesting his presence . . .
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
At the outset of Sedley's rewarding 17th mystery to feature Roger the Chapman (after 2007's The Three Kings of Cologne), Roger joins an English army set to invade Scotland in the summer of 1482. The duke of Albany, whose older brother, James III of England, plans to put him on the Scottish throne, enlists Roger as a member of his personal bodyguard. On the march north, uncanny events connected to the cult of the legendary Green Man make Roger wonder why Albany wanted him in this role. When the army reaches Edinburgh, Roger discovers he must clear one of Albany's friends of murder. Sedley provides vivid vignettes of domestic life in the late Middle Ages, covering the social spectrum from the mighty Plantagenets to the most deprived agrarian serfs and foot soldiers. The meticulous, well-paced plot builds to a real surprise at the end. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Sedley’s latest Roger the Chapman mystery is robust, bawdy, and chock-full of authentic fifteenth-century period detail. It’s 1482, and the English king is determined to win back a northern border town recently lost to Scotland and claim the Scottish throne for his brother, the Duke of Albany. He appoints the Duke of Gloucester to lead an invasion into Scotland to teach the stubborn northerners a lesson. The Duke of Gloucester is Roger the Chapman’s patron and commands Roger to accompany the army as bodyguard to Albany. Roger is reluctant to leave his home and family, and he can’t imagine why he’s needed to guard Albany. Then he and Albany are attacked on the way to Scotland, and one of Albany’s friends is murdered, and there’s unrest among Albany’s men, leaving Roger in the middle. Although the plot is a bit contrived and meandering, Roger is a strong enough character to carry the book. Not the best in the series, but still a must for fans of English history-mysteries. --Emily Melton
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
very disappointing,
By
This review is from: The Green Man (Roger the Chapman Mysteries) (Hardcover)
What a disappointment! This has to be the weakest entry in what had been an enjoyable series of mysteries featuring Roger the Chapman. The political situation in the summer of 1482, when the story takes place, is presented at the start of the book by that most hackneyed of literary conventions - a traveling stranger in the pub expositing at great detail in the most boring manner imaginable. I felt like I was back in school, listening to my high school teacher drone on. And on. . . and on . . .
There is no literary tension whatsoever - the reason Roger is made part of the English expedition to Scotland was obvious from the very beginning, even to me, thus making the "big reveal" at the end a total ho-hum. The "mystery" Roger investigates doesn't show up until the last quarter of the book, and then consists of simply a few pages in which he talks to a few characters. The rest of the time is merely a description of Roger passively accompanying the Duke of Albany, and where he sleeps and what he eats. Since Roger is hardly given to deep thoughts, and there is no character development at all (we already know he is a big guy, who is very nosy and likes to eat), the complete lack of action makes for a pretty boring read. In addition to the huge holes in the plot (i.e., Roger accepting a drink from the same people he already suspected had drugged him), the editing is incredibly sloppy. The statement (on p. 207) that, "The groom, John Tullo, was absent, presumably sleeping in the stables . . ." is followed closely (p. 208) by "James Tullo just snored; he had fallen asleep." And no, John does not have a brother named James. It seems that these books are being produced much more quickly than the earlier (and much, much better) ones. It seems that quality has been sacrificed to quantity, which is a shame for those of us who enjoy good historical mysteries.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hardly Rates One Star,
By
This review is from: The Green Man (Roger the Chapman Mysteries) (Hardcover)
What has happened to Sedley's most enjoyable series of Roger the Chapman? I would not give this entry even one star. Mainly, the reader must slog through far too much historical background, with the word RESEARCH slowing us down page after page, not to mention a "plot" with barely any investigation, no forward movement, and certainly no tension.
Roger, as a previous reviewer points out, is portrayed as blind to Albany's murderous intentions when they are so obvious to the reader. This is unworthy. For me, the most startling and off-putting element of this book is the way the Green Man theme is presented. Here is an image from antiquity whose birth-and-renewal meaning (one of many) is degraded by the shallowness of the characters who are so-called believers. The descriptions of "retching" clearly tie to the familiar portrayal of leaves sprouting from the Green Man's mouth - unappealing and not even remotely accurate. For an appealing guide to this figure, try the fairly recent (2001) Pitkin Guide titled The Green Man - www.britguides.com - an easy to read booklet lavishly illustrated, and with reference to Roslin chapel. Please, Kate Sedley, better next time?
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Green Man,
This review is from: The Green Man (Roger the Chapman Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I was disappointed in this book. It lacked Sedley's usual humour and the mystery was so predictable that I felt cheated after spending the time to read the book.
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