The Abbot’s Agreement by Mel Starr (book review)

The Abbot’s Agreement (Book 7, The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon)

By Mel Starr

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre- Historical Fiction / Mystery

Published by- Lion Fiction

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 252

Age Group- Adult 

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-1-78264-109-4

Master Hugh and Arthur are on their way to Oxford, to buy a Bible when they discover the body of a young novice in the woods.  It is the body of a young novice, John.  He has been missing for four days from the nearby abbey.  This is not going to be an easy case to solve, because soon the aging Abbot has fallen down the stairs and Master Hugh has been accused of heresy by the prior.

Will he be able to solve the murder while still being accused of heresy? 

About the Author-

Mel Starr and his wife have seven grandchildren and two daughters.  Starr grew up in Michigan and taught history in the Michigan public school system for 39 years.  He knows a lot about medieval English medieval surgery.

My thoughts-

I have not read the first three books in this series.  (I hope to do so soon).  I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Unhallowed Ground, The Tainted Coin, Rest Not in Peace, and the latest book, The Abbot's Agreement.  I am not exactly sure what I enjoy so much about these books.  It could be that it is a mystery or perhaps the time period (late 1300's) or the way Mel Starr wrote the books.  I think it is all of the above.

The part of the book that I first noticed was the first-person point-of-view.  Some books do not flow very well when they are written that way, but this one really did.  This books flows so smoothly that when I read some of it aloud, I knew it would be a perfect audio book.

My favorite part of the book was the glossary, it has actually been my favorite in each book I have read in the series, was the glossary.  I enjoy reading and learning about the different words in this book.  This way I do not need to have a dictionary handy while reading.

The part I liked best about Hugh was his interest in the Bible and how he was willing to stand up for what was right when he was accused of heresy for speaking to Abbot Thurston.  Abbot Thurston thought he was going to purgatory when he died, but Hugh quoted from Colossians (where it discusses how Jesus makes us holy and blameless).  Hugh was being accused by the prior.  I am sure that was very difficult for him to do.

I think this is an excellent book and series.  Readers who enjoy mysteries and/or historical fiction will enjoy this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Abbot’s Agreement, by Mel Starr, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.