The Abbot’s Agreement: The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon, Book 7

Hugh and Arthur are traveling to Oxford when they notice some birds clustered around a particular area. They investigate and find a body of a novice from the local abbey. Once the body is returned to the abbey, the abbot hires Hugh to find out who killed the young man. Hugh thinks this is a fair bargain: A couple of days’ time in exchange for his very own Bible. Hugh doesn’t currently own an entire Bible, just certain portions of the New Testament. It turns out to be much longer than a couple of days and much more dangerous too. As Hugh investigates, he discovers a secret heretical brotherhood operating right under the abbot’s nose. However, before Hugh can uncover all involved, he himself is accused of heresy against the Catholic Church. This charge could easily lead to Hugh’s death. Hugh must avoid the hangman’s noose as well as find a murderer.I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and hope Mel Starr has many more mysteries to write as I don’t want this series to end! I find the medical aspect of the books fascinating, and I love Hugh’s dry wit as well as his inquisitive mind. I especially liked in this story how Hugh helped Abbot Thurston with his spiritual education by using Scripture to explain things and get the Abbot to rethink long-held notions. I also really like the character of Arthur as Hugh’s “Watson”. He brings common sense to the table, a sense of humor as well as his experiences of dealing with men in various situations. Also included in this installment is the first chapter of the next Hugh de Singleton mystery, Ashes to Ashes to whet readers’ appetites. I can’t wait for number eight!

Hugh Singleton, bailiff and surgeon, is off to Oxford to buy a bible. But on the road he finds a body. The dead man is a young novice monk and has clearly been murdered. The Abbott of Eynsham begs Hugh to investigate. In exchange the monks will make him a bible at no cost to him.High enters into this agreement little imagining the trouble it will bring him. Fortunately he has Authur, a brawny Watson, to accompany him and defend him as he conducts his inquiries. Arthur's readiness with fists and sword enlivens the story considerably.The medieval atmosphere is totally convincing and fun. We experience life inside a Benedictine monastery with its frequent calls to prayer, its hidden internal politics, its rituals around death, and its simple meals. We pick up village gossip at the local alehouse. We see how class distinctions dictate the way people dress and comport themselves. And we see evidence all around of the depredations caused by the pestilence.Mel Starr is a scholar of Medieval English, and cadence of the characters’ speech reflects this.I always love the scenes in these books where Hugh practices his surgical skills. In this story, too, he happens upon people with injuries to treat.Fans of this series should be pleased with The Abbot's Agreement. If you're new to the series, you can jump in at any point and be entertained, but it's even more satisfying to see how events unfold from the beginning.

The great thing about the Hugh de Singleton series of medieval mysteries is its authentic feel. Each of the books focuses on how people (all walks of life) lived in 14th Century England. Things are often pretty basic--food, drink, weather, health, money and love. With regard to the latter, romance was usually co-mingled with practical considerations that got back to money, health and family connections and class. And so it is in "The Abbot's Agreement", when surgeon and baliff Hugh de Singleton becomes involved in the murder of a novice monk committed somewhere a bit out of his usual turf of Brampton Castle.In the careful procedural that Hugh sets off on to solve the crime, the reader gets the full treatment of how monastic life was organized as well as what life was like in the village that was ancillary to an important religious institution. The investigation turns up more than one crime and culprit and delves into local politics as much as the culture of the time.Mel Starr delivers--for the most part--clever plots, but the real gift to readers is the well-researched and articulated history that is the context for all of these books. The characters, starting with Hugh de Singleton, are also multi-dimensional and credible. Let's hope that this series has a very long life.

I am a a huge fan of this series and anxiously wait for each new book. This one didn't disappoint.There is something "relaxing" for me when reading a book with no cell phones, internet, cars, trains, modern conveniences but all the mystery I love to wade through. The characters seem very real and the mystery is generally one with lots of twists and turns that leave me surprised at the end.Highly recommended. I also recommend that you read this series from the first book as the characters grow and there is often a reference to things that happened in the earlier books. It's not necessary to do this to enjoy any of the books, but I just like the natural progression of reading any series from the start.

I am giving this five stars because I enjoy the quite likeable protagonist and his wife, as well as the other recurring characters. There is enough humor to lighten the plot and I find the descriptions of medieval surgical practices fascinating. Although I read a ton of mysteries I am no judge of the intricacies of the plot so I'll pass on that and just say that if you like mysteries set in this time period without offensive language or gratuitous sex you will enjoy this series. I recommend that you start at the beginning and read them in order. The surgical incidents are a plus and seem to me to be well researched.

I love this series especially as I used to live in Bampton. This was a particularly good story, less descriptive of the meals eaten which was getting rather tedious in previous books. The gentle humour is wonderful, the stories give an excellent flavour of history, traditions and lifestyle. I’m off to read the next one now...

Interesting to read other reviews, some strongly "like" and some strongly "dislike". In this story interwoven with the murder investigation we see the dilemma of a man who reads the Bible -- before the Reformation -- and is aware of the conflict between the teaching of the Church and his own understanding of certain Bible verses. And when he tries to encourage the dying Abbot by quoting these Bible verses Hugh finds he is charged as a heretic for trusting the Bible, and suddenly his wife and child are under threat also.

I am really enjoying reading my way through the series of Hughs De Singletons Investgations. With this story he manages to solve a case without the help of his wife! Although as usual he leads us on a wild goose chase with his deductions, but gets there in the end.

I am half-way through this story at the moment and am enjoying it. The characters and plot are well written as were the previous 6 books in the series. I would recommend this to anyone who likes this period in history or indeed to anyone who would like a change from their normal type of novel. I now have to wait patiently for the next episode!!

Albert Campion meets Brother Athelstan might be a good description of this mediaeval romp. There is even a bit of Morse thrown in for good measure with the Oxford connection and the ability of the detective to get things spectacularly wrong.