The Harper's Quine (Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery)

The author avoids two of the pitfalls endemic in historical detective fiction: she avoids anachronisms both historical and psychological, and she stages a final scene that arises naturally out of events and has not been manufactured to present the solution. These are mediaeval people quite at home in a world of hierarchy and faith. Servants and churchmen, musicians and men-at-arms all cheerfully play their individual roles: there are no crypto-feminists here, and no out-of-time egalitarians. No hint yet of the Reformation, although the Renaissance has certainly come. The day is punctuated with church bells and the middens are smelly. Music and food, dress and weaponry, all add to create a vivid and convincing setting. We understand that this may be the first of a new series. If so it is to be welcomed, and we will look forward to more adventures of Gilbert Cunningham, Pierre Mason and his daughter Alys. Perhaps Pat McIntosh will do for 15th century Glasgow what Ellis Peters did for 12th century Shrewsbury.

A final note: do not be put off by the language. The Scots dialect is light and most unfamiliar words are explained in context. (That Pierre Mason is a foreigner allows some translations to be made naturally.) And the swear-words are magic! {When the characters speak good standard English, you may be sure they are actually speaking Latin.)