The Charter of Oswy and Leoflede - A Fenland Mystery Set in the Twelfth Century

Another excellently crafted medieval mystery, linked to the previous tales by the Tilneye family and their fictional home of Marshmeade. Diane Carlton Smith writes characters that are totally believable and her descriptions of the settings and day to day life take one into 1190 in a way that leaves you thinking you are there with them all. A clever plot means it’s very hard to solve until the final twist and a gratifying low key romance leads to a satisfying conclusion. Can’t get enough of these books, very much recommend.

We are in the final decade of the twelfth century, in the market town of Wisbech, a place dominated by its Norman castle, and split by two rivers: the smaller, the Wysbeck is little more than a gentle stream, and can be crossed on stepping stones; the larger, the Welle Stream is more significant, and can only be crossed at high tide by ferry.In the 124 years since England was conquered by the Normans, the old native tongue of the Saxons has become a foreign language, in both written and spoken forms. Sir John of Tilneye, a young man who was schooled in the old language by monks when just a boy, is called upon to translate an old manuscript which appears to be at the centre of a criminal conspiracy. Ostensibly, it is dull and tedious stuff relating transfers of land and property in the days before the Normans came. Someone, however, is convinced that it contains a clue to something extremely valuable.Wisbech is neither more nor less lawless than other towns in the area, but when a series of fires and break-ins follow one after the other, the Bishop of Ely’s seneschal Sir Nicholas Drenge is determined to discover what is going on. Each of the incidents seems connected to a fatal fire which destroyed a house in the town. Its owner, Aelfric, who perished in the blaze, was Saxon nobility, but like most of his countrymen, all he had left was his memories. His lands and riches had long been appropriated by the descendants of the 7000 men who landed at Pevensey on 28th September 1066. So why burn down his house? What was he hiding? Drenge and his men-at-arms eventually catch the man who they think is the killer, but when he is murdered while in their custody, the mystery deepens.Insofar as this is just a detective novel, Drenge is the principle character. No genius, perhaps, but steady and unwavering as he slowly unpicks the knot of lies, legends and loose connections that surround the mystery of Aelfric’s death. Diane Calton Smith gives us some fairly innocent romancing between Sir John and Rose de Hueste, the old man’s granddaughter, but above all she describes a place that is, literally, buried beneath the feet of townsfolk of modern Wisbech. The two rivers have traded identities to an extent. The inoffensive Wysbeck is now the deep and powerful tidal River Nene, while The Welle Stream – thanks to major 17thC drainage – shrank to being a canal in the 1800s, but was eventually filled in and is now a dual carriageway. As for the castle, it still carries the name, but is now merely a dilapidated Georgian house which no-one is quite sure what to do with.Calton Smith weaves her plot this way and that, and doesn’t surrender the answers until the final pages. This is superior story-telling, and a magical glimpse into a world long since gone; that world created echoes, however, and if you listen attentively, they can still be heard. The Charter of Oswy and Leoflede is published by New Generation and is available now.

Beautifully written book, moving with ease from well scripted details of medieval Fenland to well drawn characters that keep you guessing until the end.

Ms. Calton-Smith goes from strength to strength. She makes history fun and interesting, so much so one can almost feel the mud stuck to ones shoes as her characters cross the Wisbeck at the ford. An interseting and enjoyable "Who dunnit". I would highly reccomend this read to anyone.

I like the new collection of characters, who you can love, like or hate, they are so well crafted. Having failed once again to work out ‘who dunnit,’ I am not surprised at the continued appeal of Diane’s books. I look forward to her next book.