The King’s Bishop

The King’s Bishop (1996) Candace Robb

Set in England in 1367

Sir William of Wyndesore’s page is found in the icy moat of Windsor Castle, and although the death doesn’t look natural, the page is hurriedly buried, even though many blame Ned Townley, Lancaster’s spy, who fought with him the night before.

Owen is sent on a mission as the king attempts to influence Pope Urban to get him to name William of Wykeham bishop. Thorsby opposes this because Wykeham aims to replace him as Chancellor, all of which makes a confusing muddle of the deaths.

of late Thoresby wondered whether as Archbishop he should look first to spiritual matters. Was that not what Pope Urban actually wished to bring about? Not a petty victory over Edward, but a reformed Church guided by saintly men dedicated to the cure of souls. That is what His Holiness sought.

But of course we also spend time with Lucie Wilton and Jasper and everyone else in York.

Gwen Thorpe believed that to complain of pain was to criticise God’s judgement. Even when she had almost died in childbirth last year she had suffered the pain with a white-lipped, white-knuckled silence that had so angered Magda Digby, the midwife had threatened to leave the birth chamber, for how was she to help if she did not know the condition of her patient.

There are many tiny things that endear these books to me.

Owen shook his head. “We shall not speak of such things while Gwenllian is suckling.”

Men had the oddest sense of order, Lucie thought.

“My—” Alice’s smile was unconvincing. “Is that meant as an insult?”

“An insult to have a husband?”

“Not to have one, and yet be a mother.”

“My dear Mistress Perrers, were I to throw insults at every woman who bore a bastard and every man who sired one, I should find that a consuming occupation.”

Although the mystery is ridiculous to try and lay out in a paragraph, because there were many characters with different agendas, it was still a good mystery, because that kind of complexity is found in life.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Diversion Books

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