The Bloody City: A Mediaeval Mystery (Book 2)

By C.B. Hanley

1217: Lincoln is not a safe place to be. A French army has captured the city, and the terrified citizens huddle in the rubble of their homes as the castle, the last remaining loyal stronghold in the region, is besieged. Edwin Weaver finds himself riding into grave danger after his lord volunteers him for a perilous mission: he must infiltrate the city, identify the traitors who are helping the enemy, and return to pass on the intelligence. The last man who attempted such a thing was captured by the French, his head hacked off and catapulted over the castle wall as a warning. The city is awash with violence and blood, and Edwin is pushed to the limit as he has to decide what he is prepared to do to protect others. He might be willing to lay down his own life, but would he, could he, kill?

The second book in C.B. Hanley’s popular Mediaeval Mystery series, following Sins of the Father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Mystery Press
• Release date: Oct 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780752497440

C.B. Hanley

C.B. HANLEY holds a PhD in Medieval Studies specialising in warfare in the 12th and 13th centuries and its portrayal in contemporary vernacular literature. She has published an academic book and a number of scholarly articles on the period, and continues to write non-fiction history as well as novels. Between her first degree and PhD she spent some time working as a historical interpreter, which gave her a practical grounding in medieval life to add to her theoretical studies, which is very useful in adding background colour to her novels. She is also a freelance copy editor and proof-reader.

Reviews for The Bloody City

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a historical novel set during the little known Siege and Battle of Lincoln in 1217, when forces loyal to the boy King Henry III conquered the city, which had fallen to the invading French, who had been invited into the country by many of the barons opposed to King John. After John's sudden death the previous October, many of the barons had gone back over to the new King's side, but others had continued to side with the French, led by Prince Louis (later Louis VIII). The English royalist forces were led by the then regent, the legendary William the Marshal, at this time some 70 years old. The central character in the novel, however, is young Edwin Weaver, who serves in the household of William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey. Edwin is sent on a spying mission into Lincoln that forms the backbone of the plot, which is slow moving throughout much of the novel. The action speeds up in the last quarter, with the siege finally being broken, and the victorious English forces looting the town, on the dubious grounds that the townspeople must have surrendered to the French too easily and therefore deserved to be despoiled. The moral issues, and the horror and bloodshed of the siege and its lifting are well described. A good novel, and Edwin is an attractive character. Annoyingly, however, I realised part way through that this is the second of a trilogy, so I will go back and read the first one The Sins of the Father.