Review ~ False Rumours by Danae Penn

Nichol Press
2017
A Belina Lansac Murder Mystery #1
My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

There's something endlessly fascinating about the disappearance of the two young Plantagenet princes in the tower and there continues to be much speculation surrounding this mystery. The question of just who was responsible has been the subject of rumour, gossip and innuendo for the last 500 years.

False Rumours gives us a refreshingly different look at the mystery and offers a credible explanation for the disappearance of the two young boys. 

In the summer of 1483, twenty-two year old Belina Lansac is living in the small French town of Condom, selling medallions and statues in the Cathedral shop to the pilgrims who stop there en route to the shrine of St. James the Apostle at Santiago de Compostela. When Belina’s detective husband is called away on a secret mission, Belina gets involved in a mystery surrounding the death of an unusual pilgrim. Using considerable skill as an investigator, Belina tries to piece together the clues, all of which seems further complicated by the arrival of Phillipe Barvaux, an ambitious and unscrupulous lawyer, who has his own furtive reasons for being in Condom. 

Belina is a feisty and determined heroine, filled with a great sense of purpose, and as she gets pulled further and further into the mystery surrounding the death of the pilgrim, so a story starts to emerge which will have far reaching repercussions. The complexity of the investigation is a real challenge for Belina, however, she is more than a match for those unscrupulous individuals who try to thwart her at every opportunity and as she starts to uncover the many layers of the case, so the medieval world of Condom starts to come alive. Every part of story feels wonderfully authentic, from the pilgrims who arrive footsore and weary, to the townsfolk who go about their lives in the shadow of the great Cathedral. 

The author writes with skilful observation, bringing all the vibrant atmosphere of the medieval world to glorious life, whilst at the same time keeping the complexities of the mystery right at the heart of the story. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Belina Lansac in the lovely old town of Condom and hope to meet up with her again soon in further murder mystery investigations.

More about the Author and Belina Lansac can be found by clicking here 

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