From Publishers Weekly During the bitterly icy January of 1474， in the English river port of Bristol， Roger the Chapman falls desperately ill with the ague. In his third absorbing appearance， after The Plymouth Cloak ， Roger is taken in and nursed by weaver's widow Margaret Walker and her fiesty daughter Lillis. While recuperating， he learns that a handsome young rakehell had been hanged for murdering Margaret's father， although several months later the alleged victim had wandered home， injured， ill and slightly amnesiac， and subsequently died. Many townspeople， doubting the older man's probity and suspecting his family of criminal activity， are harassing Margaret and Lillis. Roger， who has forsaken monastery life for the carefree existence of an intinerant peddler， believes God has placed him in Bristol to untangle the affair. The paths of his investigation lead him to Irish slavers who raid the English coast; the Lollards， whose "heretical" religious reform movement foreshadows Henry VIII's break with Rome; Welsh tin miners living in the dense forest; and wealthy Bristol burghers. An attempt on Roger's life comes before he resolves the mystery--and finds himself happily wed. Rich detail and a satisfyingly concluded plot make this series a continuing pleasure. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal YA?This is the third in a series of historical mysteries set in 15th-century England during the Wars of the Roses. Young Roger The Chapman， a peddler， becomes seriously ill while traveling near Bristol. He is nursed back to health by a widowed wool spinner and her outspoken daughter. In return for their kindness， Roger agrees to look into the mysterious death of a family member. His investigations take him into many corners of Bristol society and allow readers a realistic glimpse of life in a thriving merchant city at that time. An interesting subplot concerns a group of Lollards who are preaching their heretical religious beliefs among the people in Gloucester. A nicely paced mystery with a fascinating assortment of characters.?Penny Stevens， Fairfax County Public Library， VACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews