Plague Land, S. D. Sykes
Plague Land, S. D. Sykes
2 Rating(s)
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Plague Land

Author: S. D. Sykes

Narrator: Shaun Grindell

Unabridged: 11 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/15/2015

Synopsis

In this chilling historical mystery, young girls go missing from a medieval English village, and Lord Oswald de Lacy must find the killer before tragedy strikes again.Oswald de Lacy was never meant to be the Lord of Somershill Manor. Dispatched to a monastery at the age of seven, sent back at seventeen when his father and two older brothers are killed by the plague, Oswald has no experience of running an estate. He finds the years of pestilence and neglect have changed the old place dramatically, not to mention the attitude of the surviving peasants.Yet some things never change. Oswald's mother remains the powerful matriarch of the family, and his sister Clemence simmers in the background, dangerous and unmarried.Before he can do anything, Oswald is confronted by the shocking death of a young woman, Alison Starvecrow. The ambitious village priest claims that Alison was killed by a band of demonic dog-headed men. Oswald is certain this is nonsense, but proving it—by finding the real murderer—is quite a different matter. Every step he takes seems to lead Oswald deeper into a dark maze of political intrigue, family secrets, and violent strife.And then the body of another girl is found.Sarah Sykes brilliantly evokes the landscape and people of medieval Kent in this thrillingly suspenseful debut.

About S. D. Sykes

S. D. Sykes received an MA degree in writing from Sheffield Hallam University in South Yorkshire, England. She attended the novel-writing course at the Curtis Brown creative writing school, where she was inspired to write Plague Land. She lives in England.

About Shaun Grindell

Shaun Grindell, actor and Earphones Award–winning narrator, was born and raised in Southampton, England. His training includes the Calland School of Speech and Drama and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in London. He has been seen on stage in London and Las Vegas.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Barbara on October 08, 2021

Oswald de Lacy, sent to live in a monastery when he was 7-years-old, returns home to become Lord of Somerhill Manor after his father and brothers succumb to the plague. It's the mid-1300s, and being head of the plague-afflicted manor isn't easy. Many of the estate's rent-paying tenants died and their......more

Goodreads review by Emma on July 25, 2017

The field of medieval mystery-solving historical fiction is generally speaking bogged down with the mediocre. Obviously there are exceptions to this- CJ Sansom, Mel Starr, Susannah Gregory. And this story is the start of a new series that is definitely better than the average. Set just after the Blac......more

Goodreads review by Retired Reader on November 04, 2017

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but it seemed rather incomplete. Some characters and situations could have been taken further or explained more fully. It is not as much about the plague as it is about a community in the aftermath of the disease. Contains vivid descriptions of life in the 14th c......more

Quotes

“It’s no fun reading a medieval mystery if it isn’t steeped in filth, squalor, and pestilence. S. D. Sykes gets right to the point in Plauge Land, which serves it all up in vivid detail.” New York Times Book Review

“There’s a nice, cliche-free sharpness to Sykes’ writing…that suggests a medieval Raymond Chandler at work.” The Independent (London)

“Provides everything a reader would want in a historical mystery: a gripping plot, vivid language, living and breathing characters, and an immersive depiction of the past.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Thrilling plot twists and layered characters abound in this rich tale of murder and mystery in fourteenth-century Kent.” Library Journal (starred review)

“Immerses the reader in the filth and ignorance of medieval Kent, presents a puzzling mystery, and introduces a hero who grows in stature as his problems increase.” Kirkus Reviews

“Plague Land is a fascinating historical crime novel about a world turned upside down, inhabited by a rich cast of characters. A terrific debut and a wonderful start to a brand-new series.” Antonia Hodgson, author of The Devil in the Marshalsea

“There are plot twists aplenty…Plague Land is a quest to rebuild identity in an apocalyptic world, a theme that makes this new medieval series one I will be sure to follow.” Martine Bailey, author of An Appetite for Violets

“Plague Land is a gripping historical crime thriller, an engaging coming-of-age story, and a richly textured evocation of fourteenth century Kent. I was totally hooked.” Jake Woodhouse, author of The Amsterdam Quartet

Awards

  • CrimeReads Pick
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