My Friday Post: The King’s Justice by E M Powell

Published on by Margaret

On Fridays I often join in with two book memes:

Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires. 

This week I’m featuring The King’s Justice by E M Powell one of my TBRs. It’s the first in her Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series, set during the reign of Henry II. Aelred Barling is a senior clerk to the justices of King Henry II, and Hugo Stanton, his assistant are sent to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York.

The City of York, 12 June 1176

Pit or punishment: Hugo Stanton couldn’t tell which excited the folk of these hot, crammed streets more.

Three men accused of vicious murder but who would not confess. Innocent, they’d claimed to King Henry’s travelling justices, sitting in the court in the high keep of the city’s castle.

The men were to be judged by water: lowered into a pit of water if they sank they were innocent, if they floated they were guilty and strung up on the gallows to die.

Also on a Friday The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Page 56:

‘The glow of the setting sun fell on his face. A glorious evening, one for lying in the long grass with his lost, beautiful love. Not standing facing a circle of angry, shouting people, people who wanted to take a man’s life. And wanted to take it now.

10 thoughts on “My Friday Post: The King’s Justice by E M Powell”

  1. I feel like as a Medievalist this would be the perfect book for me! I’m definitely going to have a closer look at it, thanks for sharing! I hope you have a lovely weekend and do drop by my Friday post if you have the time! – Juli @ A Universe in Words

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    1. My knowledge of the medieval period is limited, so I don’t know how true to the facts this book is, but E M Powell includes a bibliography in which she recommends a number of books. If you do read it I’d love to know what you think of it.

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  2. I always enjoy a good historical novel, Margaret. And this is a period of history that I don’t know quite as much about, so it’d be interesting to learn more. I’ll be keen to know what you think of it.

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  5. A medieval mystery! Fun! The practice of judging someone by whether they sink or float . . . I am glad we don’t practice that anymore. I hope you are enjoying The King’s Justice. Have a great weekend, Margaret.

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