Season of the Raven (A Servant of the Crown Mystery Book 1)

I just happened upon this book and I really enjoyed it! I loved the characters and the interaction among them-particularly the monk and the knight! Please, please write more for these characters!!!! Kathleen

I will look forward to the sequel after following along with Falcon and Edmund as they worked their way through unraveling the mystery of the miller's murder. AH, and the ending, was most interesting.

Too many details not relevant to story i.e., color of clothing, hunting party & when & what they last hunted for
Repetitive - how many times did reader need to know why the crowner was given Blacklea. Poorly written, too convoluted

Too many details not relevant to story i.e., color of clothing, hunting party & when & what they last hunted for
Repetitive - how many times did reader need to know why the crowner was given Blacklea. Poorly written, too convoluted

A MILLER FOUND UNDER HIS WHEEL

It’s 1194 and Sir Faucon de Ramis, the shire’s newly appointed Keeper of the Pleas, must do his duty and make an official declaration of the cause of a miller’s death.

Saddled with a clerk who names Faucon his ‘penance, the shire’s first Crowner must thread the tangled relationships between the sheriff, the village of Priors Holston and the priory that once ruled it. As a simple task takes a turn to the political, what seems obvious isn’t and what appears safe turns out to be more dangerous than he could imagine

It really hurts me to give this book only a four because it is such a delight to read. But i would be remiss if I scored it higher. I am a demanding reader. Authors expect us to pay money for their books. Therefore I think they owe us perfection. Domning comes pretty close.

It is a compelling story from the very beginning. I found myself wanting to know motives immediately. What was driving these people? Well, having met Rannulf previously I already knew that he could not bear to be separated from his beloved wife. More power to him. May more men feel that way.

All of the characters are well developed, even the most minor. There is some interesting tidbit about each one. Even ones I think I would dislike forever turn out to have redeeming features. Ones whose side I thought I would be on turn out to have dark sides. One walks off and I really hope that one comes back.

Domning does her research. I really appreciate that in a writer of historical fiction. My own academic training is in the history of the pre-Reformation period. I once read a novel set in the 1950s. I think I read this book in the late 80s. I have long since forgotten the name of the author or the novel but she had her heroine sauntering in JFK airport. While this may disclose my age to the discerning reader, this detail incensed me. For one thing, memorial names are not given to something during a person's lifetime and for another, in the 1950s that airport was known as Idlewild Airport. So in a story set in the 1950s to call the airport JK is an historical anachronism.

I mention all this because Domning is guilty of an anachronism and I don't forgive those in historical fiction. She mentions a capuchin on page 2 or 3. They did not exist in 1194. It did not exist until Matteo De Bascio invented it in the sixteenth century. [...]

Had she not made this one mistake, I would have so given this book a 5. I really wanted to. But all my teachers always graded me down for my mistakes.

I haven't enjoyed an English historical novel this much since Ellis Peter's Cadfel series. It is written with some gentleness, human foibles are not a cause for drama or angst - just part of what must be taken into account. There are friendly people, who are pleasant to meet - and those who are plotting and disdainful. It feels balanced and the author doesn't seem to mind touting the old fashioned virtues of honesty, loyalty, hard work and kindness. The writing is smooth, the plot complex - and the laws, culture, lifestyles and mores are woven deftly into the tale. I don't know if I will follow this series however. I am bitterly disappointed that the author uses the common and degrading ploy of ritual child murder ( very young girls) to open and close this first book- with the explicit promise that there will be more to come. She is choosing to frame her series - at least in the beginning - as the hunt for a demented serial killer. We are drowning in a sea of writers who seem to feel they must offer up death, mutilation, torture, and rape of children or women to be relevant. This novel was a jewel - the girl child murders, with grisly description and mad mutterings and promises of more had, literally, nothing to do with the rest of the book. As a great historical cozy + police procedural it needed nothing more - and I feel the author has diminished herself and her new series by tacking on this appeal to more lurid and perhaps misogamist interests. So wanted to give this 5 stars...

This is definitely not 1 of Denise's romances, but an honest to goodness "whodunit". It's part CSI & Sherlock Holmes (although I sense a budding romance in later books) with a colorful cast of characters. It's 1 of the best books I've read in a long time. There was such an attention to detail in this book...the description of the living conditions, the way people dressed down to the fabric of their clothing, & the murder scene...I felt like I was actually there. I was pretty sure I had figured out "who", but was in for quite a surprise to find out the "why". This was definitely 1 of the most satisfying reads I've had in a long time & look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you Denise for letting me enjoy myself so thoroughly! This book is a must on anyone's list!

I ordered this book because I love murder mysteries set in medieval times. As I started reading I was struck by the amateurish style. Too much flowery prose and over-done description best describe Domning's style. Halfway through the book I came back to the store to check on publishing and author information. Then it all made sense. Domning self-publishes her historical fiction, which judging by their covers seem to be romance themed bodice-rippers. This is not my style at all. I should have done my research before I bought the book.
If you want a well-written medieval murder mystery, try those by C.J.Sansom, Margaret Frazer, Mel Starr, Susanna Gregory, or Ellis Peters.

The story requires to much effort to understand. The nonstandard word usage forces the reader to figure out what really was being said. The structure of some sentences made no sense at all. The story line was very good, it was the effort required to read it that was a turnoff. Still don't understand parts of the book upon completion. Would not read this type book again.

I think this should be established right from the start that this is not a romance it is a medieval whodunit. DD is one of the best descriptive medieval writers today she weaves a fantastic engrossing story which puts the reader right there. I have read all of her medieval romance books including the two referred to in this book through the Fitzhenry brothers Rannulf, Lord Graistan from Winter's Heat and Geoffrey from Autumn's Flame. Both fantastic medieval romances. Judging on my past reads I bought this book to be very disappointed that there is no romance whatsoever. I was certainly not expecting an out and out whodunit by this author. I will not be following the series as I have with every other series she has written. I was so looking forward to the release of this book to be horribly disappointed. DD's books to me are medieval romance not medieval whodunit.

This is a fast paced murder investigation in medieval times. I suppose you would call it a mystery, but then all murder investigations are a mystery needing solving.
The investigator is a knight given an opportunity to become the crown's employee to conduct inquests and collect fines to be paid. The book is full of information and description of life during this time and the laws and how they are carried out. I found it extremely interesting and educational as it was all wrapped in a good story.
I would recommend to readers of historical fiction.

Denise Domning is a truly gifted writer who, just as Mozart connected his notes and melodies, combines her words into an art so moving and beautiful, it's impossible to fathom how such images can be received from a printed page. Through Domning's gorgeous language and smooth as glass storytelling, I was incapable of reading anything else until I had completed this novel. And if that's not enough, Ms. Doming always researches so deeply into her subject matter that readers can't help but learn about fascinating but obscure laws and customs of the time. Read Denise Doming. Always read Denise Domning. She delivers every time.

What an absolutely wonderful reading experience this book was for me. I read lots and lots of mysteries, trying to choose historical pieces when possible. This is the first historical mystery written by Denise Domning, though not her first published novel. As evidenced by this book, I think she is quite an accomplished author. I absolutely loved the fact that she had her characters investigating almost the entire time span of this book. So often novels set in this time period (twelfth century England) get bogged down in details of what life was like. I am thrilled to say there was not one recounting of a chamber pot being emptied over pedestrians as they walked along the roadway, no privy or latrine descriptions, and no rats running across people as they tried to sleep. Mentioning those items isn't a bad thing, fixating on them happens all too often in some books and that can simply ruin that book for me.

I think it was very clever of Ms. Domning to allow the reader to learn the duties of The Keeper of the Pleas, coronaries, or crowner along with a twenty-four year old penniless second son just back from the crusades, Sir Faucon de Ramis. This way Brother Edmund, a Benedictine monk acting as legal scribe, can acquaint the reader as well as Sir Faucon with laws and rules of office without the information seeming to be pulled directly from research books. Brother Edmund and Sir Faucon are called very quickly to investigate the death of the miller in a nearby village and arrive just in time to keep the sheriff of the shire from declaring the death an accident. Upon close investigation it is shown to be much different than an accidental death and having far reaching consequences.

This is the first novel in a series and there is a story going on in the background which is not resolved, but will carry over into another book. This wasn't presented so much as a cliffhanger as a method for showing that Sir Faucon's work regarding what is happening in this small community is not entirely settled yet. This first novel was so impressive it makes me want to be sure I'm ready to read any future books which follow in this series.

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

I recently had the pleasure of being asked to read and review Denise Domning's new book 'Season of the Raven', the first book in her Season of the Crown Mystery Series.

My first introduction to Denise's writing was through her series 'The Graistan Chronicles', a medieval romance series which I thoroughly enjoyed .

Season of the Raven is set in the same time period, beginning at Michaelmas in the Year 1194. Whilst this first book solves one murder, Denise has used the book to set-up a continuing backstory which I imagine will continue through the series. To say more at this stage, would reveal too much for the new reader, suffice to say there is much to look forward to in this new series.

Season of the Raven introduces us to Sir Faucon de Ramis, a former Crusader who travels to the tiny village of Blacklea. He is to meet his Uncle, Bishop William of Hereford and is surprised to discover another relative, Lord Rannulf Graiston is also in attendance. Both Bishop William and Lord Graistan are characters from 'The Graistan Chronicles' and Denise has neatly tied this new series to the old with the appearance of much-loved characters from the past.

Sir Faucon discovers he has been named as the Keeper of the Pleas for the area surround Blacklea, which will provide him with an income, whilst allowing him to build a life of his own. It also lumbers him with an overbearing and bossy monk, Brother Edmund as his clerk.

From here the story moves quickly, as Sir Faucon finds himself called to the village of Priors Holston, where the local miller has been found dead. Initially it would appear the death of the alcoholic man was accidental, but as we soon find, there is much more to this death than meets the eye. As the story progresses, Sir Faucon finds himself wading into unknown waters, coming to terms with his new job, whilst trying to deal with his annoying, interfering and officious clerk.

Denise has written a wonderful story, She has a mastery of medieval times and brings the history to vivid life. Her creative prose is wonderful and brings the medieval period to the readers lap.

The characters are well-rounded, and as the relationship between Sir Faucon and Brother Edmund continues, we get a better understanding of each man and their reasons for what they do whilst investigating the residents of Priors Holston. I particularly enjoyed the evolution and it will be interesting to see how it pans out in future books.

I would highly recommend this book to lovers of books set in the medieval period, but equally, it is a great mystery for those who enjoy a solid murder with all the follow-up detective work required. This book was particularly entertaining in this regard, introducing us to a second monk, Brother Colin who is the Priory Herbalist and integral to discovering that the death was murder and not accidental. In a modern world where technology is so important in homicide cases, to read about using very basic methods of deduction was both interesting and well-written. I very much hope Brother Colin will make appearances in future books.

First the characters are too similar to those in the Crowner John mysteries. Maybe I am dense but I could not figure out how Faucon identified the real murderer. It just occurred to him? Then there is the unsolved mystery of the serial killing of young girls, told from the murderer’s viewpoint which is already too common in today’s crime fiction. Would be a better read if the writer had left it out. Would have given this a lower rating if I did not like Faucon and brother Edmund

This is an outstanding book! There are too few out there. You will feel that you have visited the Middle Ages after reading this very well researched mystery. The details will transport you to a handmade world where even used clothes are very valuable items to be kept under lock and key. The characters are well drawn, interesting, and engaging. Sir Faucon, the newly appointed Keeper of the Pleas, is a sort of corner. The young knight is a likable character and believable sleuth. His rigid and self important clerk Brother Edmund provides comic relief. The mystery is a twisty and absorbing whodunit. Highly recommended!

This is the first book in an enjoyable series that I plan to follow as new books come out. The characters are engaging and the setting is well described. The main challenge in my opinion is that the Crowner knight who is the lead character is almost omnicient and seems to know stuff that he couldn't possibly know based on the clues given.

If you like this series, or medieval mysteries in general, I recommend the Crowner John Mysteries by Bernard Knight. I can't remember if they are on Kindle Unlimited, but they are availbe for free ebook check-out through most public libraries.

Sir Faucon, a second son, is appointed by his uncle to be Crowner a new office for the shire.
He is immediately thrown into a case where a dead Miller seems to have been pinned under water by his mill wheel. Sir Faucon is suspicious of the circumstances & finds the man is a murder victim.
He must find the perpetrator, or perpetrators. A well told tale ensues

I was delighted to find this great book on Kindle Unlimited. I know that it won't be there long! I don't understand some of the mean reviews of this book, I challenge those who left them to to do half as good as the stunning job Ms. Domning has done. I was fascinated by the detail and research that went into this book. I would have given it many more stars than five!

It is in the year 1194......
A beautiful young child lies in a field of flowers with a ring of bright blue flowers woven as a crown on top of her soft brown hair. She looks like she is dreaming of some far off place where fairies play among the forests and hide amongst the ferns. But this is no dream that she will ever awaken from. For if one looks closer they will see the red line that cuts deep under her delicate chin. She was murdered.

Then a miller who is best known as a drunk and wife beater is found under the wheel of his mill and everyone thinks he has drowned or has he. It is up to Sir Faucon de Ramis, who has been made The Keeper of the Pleas, or as he is called, the Crowner. Will he find the millers murder or murders.

But what of the beautiful child that was brutally murdered, will Sir Faucon find her murder and is she the only one? And is the child-murder getting ready to strike again? Find out in the next book of the series.

Denise, I loved this book and I look forward to the next in this series.

Good characters, fast paced. I want to know a lot more about the main characters, to see their backstories; also more about all the suspects and the deceased so I can understand them more, perhaps empathize with why they acted as they did.

If you like mystery you will like Denise Domning's newest book and start of a series. Sir Faucon de Ramis is summoned to Blacklea by his uncle William the Bishop of Hereford. There he is surprised to be appointed the Keeper of the Pleas for the surrounding area. As a second son this is a great opportunity for Sir Faucon. He is to be assisted by an arrogant, opinionated, outspoken monk Brother Edmond. Within a day of his appointment the miller in one of the adjacent villages drowns, but it's really murder. Can Sir Faucon figure out who did it and why?

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Medieval sleuth. Very readable / interesting - the only downside was the occasional over-definition of location. Like the characters who are easily visualized. Look forward to the next two in the series.

The author has woven together the end of the Crusades and the return to life at home for all levels of society to make a delightful tale! Historical fiction lovers will be as pleased as I to have discovered this author.

I have nearly everything Denise Doming has written. This was the first I have read in a long time. This was good but you must pay close attention or become confused. I was expecting something like DD has written before, this was very different. But wonderful! A mystery! I want to know about the young girls found murdered. I recommend this story.

The characters are real and very much of their time but their emotional drives are timeless. This book and the mystery of the miller's murder is told in the language and perspective of the time which will fascinate historical buffs. A very enjoyable read.

I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Denise Domning's work. You know she does her research, so it's not only informative, but a great read. As a big fan of mystery I found the medieval setting entertaining and engaging. I look forward to learning more about the characters, life at that time, and the whether or not Sir Faucon de Ramis will not only solve the murders, but find his own life taking yet another twist and turn.

What a great look at investigative work in the 11th century. Sir crowner and his Monk are on the cutting edge of investigation in this delightful book. I couldn't put it down and I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Well, something like that. The Brothers are a bit more realistic, not as over-the-top simplistic as Ms Peter's. The Crowner is also more human, ready to learn, and, not least, actually pleased that he has gotten his job, and is determined to do it well. He is also not soured or cynical by a harsh, disapointed life, so we do not have to suffer multipel explanations about wrong choises.
I will read on.

A fascinating look into old England with strange customs and taxes and levies attached to every major event of life. Collection involves the Sheriff and clergy and heaven help the man caught dipping into the King’s revenues regardless of rank, with all the checks and balances in place. A fun read and well worth the time.