The Good Knight (The Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries Book 1)

It's a seriously good book! Suspenseful and well written. Good historical details and captivating characters. I was thrilled to see that it's only the first of a 5 book series. So I have just started book 2 and I'm half way through that one as well! Gareth and Gwen are addictive! I carried my Kindle around with me everywhere!

I loved this book. The characters were so interesting and multi-faceted. I was surprised at the end about the twist in the story. The fact it was based on historical facts made it even more interesting. Will definitely want to read the next book.

I began by reading the After Cilmeri and Last Pendragon series, and saved these for last, as I was not sure I was into murder mysteries. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong! I am even more attached to these characters than the After Cilmeri group. The story is gripping, and the outcomes are not always predictable. The addition of a little romance into the mix flavors this story with just the right amount of angst and satisfaction. Another book that's hard to put down.

While trying to find Brother Cadfiel mysteries on the store, I was directed to these mysteries. While the time period is the same, this series of stories is quite different. The story moved too quickly at times to be believable. I would prefer less movement and more development of the story. I will probably try to find other stories in the series just to see how the relationship between the two main characters develops.

Take a pleasant romp through medieval Wales with Gwen and Gareth. The pair complicate things with their unacknowledged romantic interest but the best part is still the investigative process that leads them from mystery to solution. They save the day and the kingdom. Verisimilitude is the key to enjoying this book. This is a good selection for some light reading.

This is a good quick read in historical fiction and I enjoyed reading it. I will be reading the others in this series, too. It was not as detailed as Sharon Kay Penman books which I adore, but I did look forward to sitting down to read this book to see what happens next. It has just enough romance and historical details to make it a good vacation read!

This offering reunites Gareth and Gwen after 3 years apart. both have become spies for the Crown Prince and their paths cross again as they search for a killer within the royal seat and various powerful entities vie for the King's attention. An enjoyable continuation of the two lovers journey.

Gareth and Gwen books have become a reward I give myself for getting housework done: vacuum and read two chapters. Dust=one chapter. Oh, forget the house: as many chapters as I want! Love these books!

An entertaining tale. Not historically pure, but you don't lose sight of the time or place. I wouldn't classify it as a romance because the mystery is unquestionably the driving force.

Characters are well drawn even if the heroine vacillates a bit. I enjoyed the story and will keep it around to read again.

I don't normally read mysteries, but I enjoyed this one. It was quite involved with plenty of political machinations going on. I plan to read the rest of the series, because as good as it was, I'm willing to bet the rest of this series will be well worth the read! This book could easily be read on its own, but I want to see what comes next.

A very interesting historical story filled with so many historical facts concerning Wales in the 1100's. The fighting between the ruling classes in Wales and the Irish Kings has a rich history in the United Kingdom. What peace their is now is due to the many years of upheaval and fighting in the early years.

The writing was slightly hard to follow and the characters' names were unpronounceable. The story seemed to skip some components that might have made the story a bit more comprehensive, but in all it was an okay read.

I absolutely love this author. If you like period romantic mysteries, this is for you. I started out w/ Book 1 of the Gareth & Gwen series and immediately bought the next one. I will be buying the 3rd soon. Love the romance and they work together as a Sherlock Holmes couple solving mysteries in their kingdom. Can't say enough on how much I enjoyed these!

. . . lie in wait for the reader of this 'medieval' mystery. Can we trust Cadwalladr? Clear answer there. Should we suspect Hywel's intentions and ambitions? Possibly. Plans within plans. Feints within feints. Good plot, good characters. Interesting historical background ties it together, if somewhat loosely. All in all, fun light entertainment.

I really love Sara's writing, especially her After Cilmieri series. This book was free by the same author and I am considering getting more in the series. (That says a lot because there are so many great free books for Kindle!)

I ordered this book because it was free, and began to read with skepticism. I just want to say, "thank you Ms. Woodbury." I enjoyed the story, loved the historical context, which accurately placed us in the time without bogging down. The mystery was interesting, the characters enjoyable and the adventure just fun. I'll just have to break down and pay for the next ones!!

If you love Knights and Ladies, adventure and mystery you will love this book. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. It is well written with a story line that keeps you reading and wanting more. Enjoyable from start to finish.

Very fast paced, very well written. started maybe a little slow for me but then boom you were hooked and reading as fast as the story was moving. Good plots, different suspects, the book kept you changing your mind as to who the bad guy was. overall I give it five stars for keeping me wanting to know what was next. couldn't put the book down. Good writing by the Author.

A fun read -- good story, well told. Was very intriqued to read the author’s notes at the end that the book was based on real-life happenings in the 12th century. I looked up a current map of Wales and found the regions mentioned in the story. I also looked up how to pronounce Welsh names so that I could begin saying them (in my head) correctly.

What a fun whodunnit and set in 12th century Wales at that! The two set off to find the answers and even if they don't care for what they find, the chase is on! There is romance and intrigue and plenty of plucky damsels to win the day. If you love historical fiction and mystery, you will love this one.

Excellent!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. It was a fascinating story with amazing characters. The author knows this period in history and draws the reader into the action. A really good read, and I will absolutely read more by this author.

This lovely story takes place in Wales in the days of yore. It is a mystery, a love story (sort of) and a history lesson. I would have liked more history about the medieval days in Wales.
But don't let that stop you - it lead me to find some more history elsewhere. Very enjoyable book and series

Excellent!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. It was a fascinating story with amazing characters. The author knows this period in history and draws the reader into the action. A really good read, and I will absolutely read more by this author.

This lovely story takes place in Wales in the days of yore. It is a mystery, a love story (sort of) and a history lesson. I would have liked more history about the medieval days in Wales.
But don't let that stop you - it lead me to find some more history elsewhere. Very enjoyable book and series

The setting is unusual for a detective novel and I found it engaging. (Similar in tone to the Japanese period detective novels of Laura Joh Rowland.). Intrigue and subterfuge, with a surprising twist at the end.

I love historical fiction and this book told a story I had never heard before. I really enjoyed it a lot. Now I have a new historical story to research. One of the things this author brought to my mind was the difficult balance the leaders had to think about with every choice. I have a whole new way to look at things I never hade before.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I am an avid reader, and I love mysteries. I have read many mysteries, and I am good at figuring out who did it. I had this one figured out early on, but I still enjoyed it. I would read others in the series.

I love a good historical novel. Unfortunately, this isn't one.

This story got off to a less than stellar start by introducing the two main characters (Gwen and Gareth) in a style that I find annoying, even when I'm reading a series out of order. ("Her heart beat a little faster as she drank him in. Five years ago,...", "she stood in front of him as beautiful as ever...", "They'd fallen in love ... but now hadn't spoken for five years", etc.). The first couple of chapters practically shouted RECAP, so much so that I thought I'd accidentally picked up a book in the middle of a series, and was shocked, on double-checking, that it was book one. There is a prequel, published later, but it is apparently just about Gwen, not Gwen and Gareth together.

Then, having beaten us over the head with backstory, there was very little else that explored the relationship between the two characters. Each of them did go into action to rescue the other from their difficulties, but the interactions between them were mostly focused on solving the murders.

So much for romance. The mystery wasn't very compelling either, with bodies piling up for no good reason, and no suspense between them. The whole thing felt rushed, as if the author was just concerned with getting through the mechanics of the plot with little concern for character development and even less for atmosphere and historical detail.

The lack of attention to the setting and cultural context was, for me, the biggest disappointment. There wasn't enough detail in this novel to distinguish 12th-century Wales (except for the jaw-breaking names) from practically any other setting in northern Europe in a thousand-year span, and, as other reviewers have pointed out, the attitudes and word choices were sometimes jarringly modern. It is difficult to find the right balance between speech patterns that reflect a different era while still being comprehensible for modern readers, but this has a few too many real clunkers. (A character was "smarmy". Ick.)

But the anachronism that bothered me the most was Gwen's reaction when Cadwaladr said she was carrying Hywel's child. So she's smart enough to recognize that being pregnant with a prince's child is the best guarantee of her safety in a nasty situation. Fine. And it is true that the Welsh treated bastards much more humanely than the rest of medieval Europe did. But did that humane treatment extend to the bastard's mother? Cadwaladr had just called her, if not exactly a whore, at least a woman of loose morals, in front of the man she wanted to marry. Where was her sense of outrage? Or shock, worry, embarrassment, etc.? Maybe the Welsh really did have different attitudes, but there wasn't enough there to account for it.

All that said, it wasn't bad. It just wasn't as good as I'd hoped for, given the author's bio and the 5-start reviews. It might be adequate to hook a YA reader into an interest in historical fiction. But it wasn't for me.

The maturity level of the writing is below what I require for retaining interest. It should meet the needs of perhaps a young adult reader interested in "medieval" life. I did manage to finish the book, so three stars for "effort."

Great story line, different from what I am used to, which made a nice change of pace. Love murder mysteries and this was set in medieval times. author handled that time period very well. Liked all her characters. Even the bad guys. Wasn't any boring bits either.

Good story telling. Interesting characters. The story is based on historical events - which made it especially interesting. It's a good adventure and love story with a clash between good and evil in it. I enjoyed it.

Good story line twisting around the historical truth. The characters are likable and loathsome. A quick read but entertaining and providing a happy ending for our heroine plus a nice thread onto the next story, mingled with mischief & mayhem. A recommended read.

This book is a wonderful blend of mystery and romance set in 12th century Wales. Many of the characters are based on real people. The plot takes unexpected turns which makes one want to read late into the night. It is a book fans of both historical and mystery novels will enjoy.