Blood Runs Thicker
- Downloads：2104
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-10 09:50:57
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Hawkswood
- ISBN：0749027150
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
‘A series that started well and grows stronger all the time。 Both characterisation and historical detail are impeccable and the plot is intriguing and cleverly interwoven' Mystery People
August 1144。 Osbern de Lench is known far and wide as a hard master， whose temper is perpetually frayed。 After riding to survey his land and the incoming harvest from the top of the nearby hill， his horse returns to the hall riderless and the lifeless body of the lord is found soon after。
Was it the work of thieves， or something closer to home？ With an heir who is cast in the same hot-tempered mould， sworn enemies for neighbours， and something amiss in the relationship between Osbern and his wife， undersheriff Hugh Bradecote， the wily Serjeant Catchpoll and apprentice Walkelin have suspects aplenty。
‘Ms Hawkswood clearly knows her stuff， both as a historian and a crafter of mysteries' Historical Novels Society
August 1144。 Osbern de Lench is known far and wide as a hard master， whose temper is perpetually frayed。 After riding to survey his land and the incoming harvest from the top of the nearby hill， his horse returns to the hall riderless and the lifeless body of the lord is found soon after。
Was it the work of thieves， or something closer to home？ With an heir who is cast in the same hot-tempered mould， sworn enemies for neighbours， and something amiss in the relationship between Osbern and his wife， undersheriff Hugh Bradecote， the wily Serjeant Catchpoll and apprentice Walkelin have suspects aplenty。
‘Ms Hawkswood clearly knows her stuff， both as a historian and a crafter of mysteries' Historical Novels Society
Reviews
Kathy
，
I like the team， Bradecote & Catchpoll， the setting and time （1100's） and the puzzling set of circumstances to carefully examine layer by layer until finally coming to the truth of the murder。 A lot of fog to cut through as well as a good deal of blood to let in the doing， I like the team， Bradecote & Catchpoll， the setting and time （1100's） and the puzzling set of circumstances to carefully examine layer by layer until finally coming to the truth of the murder。 A lot of fog to cut through as well as a good deal of blood to let in the doing， 。。。more
Judith Cranswick
，
Set in 1144 during the dark days of the feudal system， the body of the Lord of the Manor， Osbern de Lench is discovered near the top of the hill where he rides every day at noon。 His death appears to be mourned by no one。 He was a hard task master with a vicious temper which he was always quick to take out not only on the peasants subject to his authority but the wife he despised and his two sons。 Even his neighbours had become sworn enemies。 When Hugh Bradecote， Undersheriff of Worcestershire a Set in 1144 during the dark days of the feudal system， the body of the Lord of the Manor， Osbern de Lench is discovered near the top of the hill where he rides every day at noon。 His death appears to be mourned by no one。 He was a hard task master with a vicious temper which he was always quick to take out not only on the peasants subject to his authority but the wife he despised and his two sons。 Even his neighbours had become sworn enemies。 When Hugh Bradecote， Undersheriff of Worcestershire and his men arrive to find the killer， they have suspects aplenty to choose from。 As evocative of the period as Ellis Peters Cadfael novels， the harsh conditions of the peasants as they struggle to bring in the harvest and the powerlessness positions that the women find themselves in are deftly handled。 Though they accept their status， they refuse to be bowed down by it。 It is an indication of the strength of Hawkswood’s talent for characterisation， that none are daunted by their situation。 In the main， the men are determined and there is a definite feisty streak in the women。 From the major players in the story – Hugh Bradecote， the fair-minded Undersheriff of Worcestershire; wily Serjeant Catchpoll and his enthusiastic young apprentice Walkelin to Baldwin the eldest son of Osbern de Leche， much like his irascible， hot-tempered father; his autistic stepbrother Hamo and young Hild who is suddenly thrust into the role of Healer when her mentor is murdered – each character is truly memorable。 There are many twists and turns in the plot of this medieval police procedural as the investigators try to unravel the clues from the red herrings in this tangled web of treachery， duplicitous characters and downright malice。 ‘Blood Runs Thicker’ is the eight Bradecote and Catchpole mystery though it is the first of Hawkswood’s mediaeval series that I have read。 It will not be the last。 Stylishly written， fast-paced this is a great read that kept me turning the pages long into the night。 It’s one of the best novels I’ve read in some time。 I loved it and heartily recommend it。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Blood Runs Thicker is another enthralling medieval mystery from the pen of Sarah Hawkswood。The year is 1144 and the people of rural Worcestershire are busily collecting in the year's harvest， before the weather closes in。 Irascible landowner Osbern de Lench takes his customary daily ride to the top of a hill， from which he can view his lands。 When his horse returns to the manor riderless， his steward and workers begin to search for their master。 It's not long before they come across his body， wh Blood Runs Thicker is another enthralling medieval mystery from the pen of Sarah Hawkswood。The year is 1144 and the people of rural Worcestershire are busily collecting in the year's harvest， before the weather closes in。 Irascible landowner Osbern de Lench takes his customary daily ride to the top of a hill， from which he can view his lands。 When his horse returns to the manor riderless， his steward and workers begin to search for their master。 It's not long before they come across his body， which has been stripped of its outer clothing and unceremoniously dumped in nearby forest。 De Lench's eldest son and heir， Baldwin de Lench， who takes after his father in temperament， is quick to point the finger at his half-brother， younger son Hamo。 Enter Undersheriff of Worcester， Hugh Bradecote， Sergeant Catchpoll （what a wonderfully appropriate name！） and sergeanting Apprentice Walkelin， who arrive in Lench just in time to prevent a summary execution。 Potential suspects abound - neither of the deceased's sons seem to mourn their father's death， his wife has sought comfort from his regular beatings in the arms of another man and there are long-standing animosities with neighbouring landowners。 This is a complex mystery for our trio of medieval detectives to solve， as it seems nobody is willing to tell them the truth。 A second murder， of a much-respected villager， leads them closer to the terrible truth。Once again， Sarah Hawkswood creates a convincing medieval setting， with a varied cast of new and recurring characters。 It's quite an accomplishment that she makes the concerns， motivations and behaviour of these 12th century people both familiar and stimulating to a modern crime-reading audience。 As with her previous title， River of Sins， Hawkswood weaves a deliciously multi-layered plot， with plenty of villainous behaviour， complex motives and hidden relationships。 The central trio of Bradecote， Catchpoll and Walkelin have a great dynamic of mutual support and respect with frequent injections of wry humour。I'd highly recommend Blood Runs Thicker to readers who enjoy well-researched historical fiction， complex police procedural crime novels or both。 For those lovers of Ellis Peters' excellent Brother Cadfael series who are yet to discover Sarah Hawkswood's work， you're in for a treat！My thanks to author Sarah Hawkswood， publisher Allison & Busby and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title。 。。。more
Paula
，
Great characters。 Good， period writing and vocabulary。I love the main characters in each of these books。 The stories fit the period with language， settings， places， travel， attitudes and mores。 Th writing is engaging and moves ahead well。 The themes are tough to reconcile as a 21st。 Century reader but the reality of the times they are written about。 Sometimes I wish women were more prominent in the series and yet understand that they Were not considered as important at the time。 I rue the sad an Great characters。 Good， period writing and vocabulary。I love the main characters in each of these books。 The stories fit the period with language， settings， places， travel， attitudes and mores。 Th writing is engaging and moves ahead well。 The themes are tough to reconcile as a 21st。 Century reader but the reality of the times they are written about。 Sometimes I wish women were more prominent in the series and yet understand that they Were not considered as important at the time。 I rue the sad and violent nature of the cases covered and yet， the stories reflect all the probability of these stories as they may have occurred。 MS Hawks wood is a wordsmith for sure just as she claims！ I will continue to read each book in the series as they become available。 I recommend them all as a true depiction of th era they cover。 Oh and there are some truly funny laugh at loud moment's that Catch poll， walk skin and Brad forte provide for us all。 Great， three dimensional characters make these stories a treat tor read。 。。。more
Claire
，
I received Blood Runs Thicker as part of a NetGallery giveaway。In 12th century England， the hot-tempered lord Osbern de Lench is found murdered during his daily trip to peruse his holdings。 A bevy of suspects in the village and surrounding areas soon become apparent: his two squabbling sons， his miserable widow， his surly steward， and two rival landowners who had bad blood with the late de Lench。 While no one truly mourns the man， undersheriff Bradecote and his two lieutenants， Catchpoll and Wal I received Blood Runs Thicker as part of a NetGallery giveaway。In 12th century England， the hot-tempered lord Osbern de Lench is found murdered during his daily trip to peruse his holdings。 A bevy of suspects in the village and surrounding areas soon become apparent: his two squabbling sons， his miserable widow， his surly steward， and two rival landowners who had bad blood with the late de Lench。 While no one truly mourns the man， undersheriff Bradecote and his two lieutenants， Catchpoll and Walkelin， must unravel the twisted web of relationships and secrets to uncover the true murderer。This was a solid mystery。 I had a bit of trouble visualizing the geography of the area and crime scene--a map would have been useful--so much of the postulating from that direction was a little lost on me。 I liked the medieval setting， though ultimately I don't think it was integral to the mystery itself--it's more about secrets and rumors that can befall families and their surrounding communities。。 I liked the trio of Bradecote， Catchpoll， and Walkelin， and found their dynamics fun and well-developed。 A solid entry in what seems like a cool series。 。。。more
Geoff
，
Why do I really like this series of books？ First: the era （England in 'the Anarchy'） is one that I find fascinating。Second: unlike the single sleuth or the two 'buddy' investigators， Hawkswood gives us three which creates an interesting dynamic。 （And serjeanting apprentice Wakelin really should be named， although that might be a bit unwieldy。 Perhaps that's why it is now 'A Medieval Mystery' rather than a 'Bradcote and Catchpoll Mystery'。）Yes， this review is more of a plug for the entire series Why do I really like this series of books？ First: the era （England in 'the Anarchy'） is one that I find fascinating。Second: unlike the single sleuth or the two 'buddy' investigators， Hawkswood gives us three which creates an interesting dynamic。 （And serjeanting apprentice Wakelin really should be named， although that might be a bit unwieldy。 Perhaps that's why it is now 'A Medieval Mystery' rather than a 'Bradcote and Catchpoll Mystery'。）Yes， this review is more of a plug for the entire series rather than specifically about Blood Runs Thicker but on this book。。。 number eight in the series maintains the standard set in earlier volumes。 。。。more
Charlotte Pawson
，
A new instalment in the investigations of Undersheriff Hugh Bradcote and his Sergeant Catchpoll with apprentice Walkelin with much to learn。 Called to Lench where the killing of Lord Osbern de Lench seems straightforward。 His son Baldwin believes his stepbrother Hamo is the culprit not many would disagree as he was regarded locally as strange。 Used to investigations in town Bradcote and Catchpoll have all the rituals and vagrancies of local manor life where a Lord is answerable to no one。 There A new instalment in the investigations of Undersheriff Hugh Bradcote and his Sergeant Catchpoll with apprentice Walkelin with much to learn。 Called to Lench where the killing of Lord Osbern de Lench seems straightforward。 His son Baldwin believes his stepbrother Hamo is the culprit not many would disagree as he was regarded locally as strange。 Used to investigations in town Bradcote and Catchpoll have all the rituals and vagrancies of local manor life where a Lord is answerable to no one。 There are many who hated Lord Osbern and the investigation will take many twists and turns when his past is looked into。 There is a great rapport between Bradcote and Catchpoll who have their own way of deciding who’s boss。 You will be taken back to a time where life was short and very unfair for the majority of workers and through their investigation Bradcote will show his caring side to those less fortunate。 An exciting mystery will have you wanting more of this team。I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Annarella
，
Another excellent story in this excellent series。It's engrossing and entertaining， good character development and vivid background as usual。The solid mystery， full of twists and turns， kept me guessing and I thoroughly enjoyed it。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine Another excellent story in this excellent series。It's engrossing and entertaining， good character development and vivid background as usual。The solid mystery， full of twists and turns， kept me guessing and I thoroughly enjoyed it。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Jack Mckeever
，
You can find my full review of this excellent， gripping medieval whodunnit here: https://worldbookhistory。blog/2021/03。。。。 You can find my full review of this excellent， gripping medieval whodunnit here: https://worldbookhistory。blog/2021/03。。。。 。。。more
Becca
，
I thoroughly enjoyed this book！ I believe that this is number 8 in the series， and I am not sure how they have passed me by so far！ If you are a newcomer to the series， like me， then do not worry。 This installment reads perfectly well as a standalone。 I do， however， now want to go back to the start to see how some of these characters developed。 I have always enjoyed historical fiction， but my reading has tended to be limited to the stories of those in and around the Tudor court。 Although this st I thoroughly enjoyed this book！ I believe that this is number 8 in the series， and I am not sure how they have passed me by so far！ If you are a newcomer to the series， like me， then do not worry。 This installment reads perfectly well as a standalone。 I do， however， now want to go back to the start to see how some of these characters developed。 I have always enjoyed historical fiction， but my reading has tended to be limited to the stories of those in and around the Tudor court。 Although this story is not set in a palace， there are scandals and gossip aplenty！ 。。。more
ELzabeth Livingstone
，
ExcellentNever fails to capture the imagination of the reader and feeling they know who the villain is。 The author， as in previous adventures of the fabulous trio kept the reader guessing until the end！
Sue F
，
Sarah Hawkswood has written a thoroughly engaging historical mystery， set in England in the 1100s。 Lord Osbern de Lench has been found dead， and it’s obvious from the knife wounds that he has been murdered。 But who did it？ A number of possibilities present themselves， both close-at-hand， among his family， and farther away， in neighboring manors， because he was a harsh， even brutal， man - given to easy anger and easy violence。 Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote and Serjeant Catchpoll， and their apprenti Sarah Hawkswood has written a thoroughly engaging historical mystery， set in England in the 1100s。 Lord Osbern de Lench has been found dead， and it’s obvious from the knife wounds that he has been murdered。 But who did it？ A number of possibilities present themselves， both close-at-hand， among his family， and farther away， in neighboring manors， because he was a harsh， even brutal， man - given to easy anger and easy violence。 Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote and Serjeant Catchpoll， and their apprentice Walkelin， are sent to figure things out， and we get to follow along as they find clues， interview suspects， work out alibis， and gradually piece together the puzzle。 The interactions among the three are among the most enjoyable moments in the book， especially when Catchpoll and Walkelin pretend to be cowed underlings to enhance Bradecote’s stature with Osbern’s heir， Baldwin， who is cut from the same abusive cloth as his father。 I also really enjoyed Hawkswood’s descriptions of village life， such as when the young healer， Hild， describes the treatment for Bradecote’s own knife wound near the end of the book: “bind [it] tight with a mash of garlic and leek upon the wound， and moss over that for the first days， then honey once there [is] sign of it joining”。 Whew！ Or the overwhelming concern on the part of everyone， from lord to priest to villager， about the weather， and its impact on the harvest， and whether the harvest would be good enough to last through the coming year without famine。 And finally， I found the hints of the changes that came with the Norman invasion less than a century earlier （e。g。 people speaking “foreign”） to be intriguing and felt they added to the realistic atmosphere。 If I have any issues with Blood Runs Thicker， it’s the almost uniformly bleak situation of the women in the story， except for Bradecote’s wife， Christina， and maybe the young healer。 And， even for Christina， there are hints of abuse in her past as well。 I do understand that the lives of most women then may have been that difficult， or close to it。 And I wouldn’t want the author to be Pollyanna-ish about it。 But in the end， I am reading for pleasure， and the almost unrelenting bleakness cast a small shadow across my enjoyment。 This can be a problem with historical mysteries in general， not just this one – how to handle things when modern-day sensibilities differ from the mores of the time。 But in the end， this is still a very enjoyable mystery， and I’m glad to have discovered a new （to me） author with seven previous books in the series to read – oh happy day！Please note that I tend to try to fight star-flation a little bit， and so I give very few five-star ratings。 So my four-star rating for this book is a definite “read” recommendation。 And I’d like to offer my thanks to the publisher， Allison & Busby， and to NetGalley for the advance review copy。 。。。more
Cathy
，
Sarah Hawkswood’s Bradecote and Catchpoll historical mystery series set in medieval Worcestershire has been around for some time but it’s one I only discovered recently when I read River of Sins， the seventh in the series。 That made me keen to read more。Readers new to the series can be reassured that Blood Runs Thicker can definitely be enjoyed without having read any of the previous books， the occasional references to earlier events and the back stories of the leading characters， including some Sarah Hawkswood’s Bradecote and Catchpoll historical mystery series set in medieval Worcestershire has been around for some time but it’s one I only discovered recently when I read River of Sins， the seventh in the series。 That made me keen to read more。Readers new to the series can be reassured that Blood Runs Thicker can definitely be enjoyed without having read any of the previous books， the occasional references to earlier events and the back stories of the leading characters， including some personal tragedies and longstanding enmities， being subtly introduced。It was a pleasure to be reunited with Hugh Bradecote， Undersheriff of Worcestershire， and Serjeant Catchpoll。 Also， enthusiastic young Walkelin， Catchpoll’s apprentice， ever eager to prove his abilities and showing early signs of a keen intelligence。 Bradecote and Catchpoll make an effective team each contributing something different。 Bradecote has the status to ensure they get access to those they need to speak to whilst Catchpoll possesses the detective nous and a rather intimidating gaze。 Once again， they deploy their equivalent of a ‘good cop， bad cop’ strategy or perhaps more accurately ‘toff cop， common cop’。 At one point， as they plan how to go about questioning the villagers of Lench， Catchpoll proposes， “Do you come the high and mighty and let me act the willing vessel into which they pours their remembering？” In fact， Catchpoll exhibits a touching pride in the signs of Bradecote’s developing investigative instincts。 Observing Bradecote’s questioning of a suspect， ‘Catchpoll very nearly sighed with pleasure。 This was just how serjeanting worked。’In my review of River of Sins I noted that it had all the features of a police procedural but transported to medieval Worcestershire。 The same is true of Blood Runs Thicker。 Like their modern day counterparts， Bradecote and Catchpoll visit crime scenes in the search for clues and physical evidence， closely examine the body of the victim to establish the cause of death， interview witnesses and explore possible motives。What they refuse to do is accept without question the accusation by Osbern’s son， Baldwin， now the new Lord of Lench， that his half-brother， Hamo， is responsible for their father’s death。 Whilst Baldwin has inherited the short temper and high-handed nature of his father， Hamo is a gentler character albeit with a rather single-minded and literal way of thinking， often showing little emotion。 Today we would probably recognize Hamo as being on the autistic spectrum but it’s not surprising that the villagers of Lench find it strange and unsettling。Bradecote and Catchpoll begin their search for suspects with the neighbouring lords of the manors， Raoul Parler and Walter Pipard， both of whom Osbern was widely known to have fallen out with。 As Bradecote observes， “in dangerous times… petty rivalries hid beneath greater ones”。 These greater ones include the constantly shifting loyalties of English nobles between Empress Maude and King Stephen， the warring rivals for the English throne。As before， alongside what turns out to be a particularly complex mystery that had me a little baffled at some points， the author creates a vivid sense of what daily life for the inhabitants of an 11th century manor house and estate must have been like。 Above all， the profound desire of everyone for a successful harvest to stave off hunger in the months to come。 The latter is a concern Hugh Bradecote shares for his own estate。 His wife， Christina， just wants Hugh back safely。Blood Runs Thicker is another well-crafted historical mystery involving love， betrayal and family secrets。 Fans of the series will be pleased to learn a further instalment is promised for later this year。 。。。more
David Prestidge
，
This is the eighth book in a very popular series set in 12th century Worcestershire。 I am a latecomer to the party， but I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book River of Sins， Now， Under-Sheriff Hugh Bradecote and his grizzled ally Serjeant Catchpoll - along with apprentice lad Walkelin - investigate the murder of an irascible and little-loved nobleman， Osbern de Lench。The late man had a habit of sitting on his horse atop a small hill near his house and gazing at his land。 It was said that doing s This is the eighth book in a very popular series set in 12th century Worcestershire。 I am a latecomer to the party， but I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book River of Sins， Now， Under-Sheriff Hugh Bradecote and his grizzled ally Serjeant Catchpoll - along with apprentice lad Walkelin - investigate the murder of an irascible and little-loved nobleman， Osbern de Lench。The late man had a habit of sitting on his horse atop a small hill near his house and gazing at his land。 It was said that doing so calmed him down when he was in one of his more wrathful moods。 On the fateful day the horse comes back alone and a search party finds de Lench stabbed to death。 His family was certainly not a happy one。 Baldwin， his son by his first wife （who died in a mysterious riding accident） has the same choleric temper as his father。 There is a second son - the result of de Lench marrying again， but Hamo is very different from his half brother。 He is studious and solitary and probably has what we now call Asperger's Syndrome。Incidentally， there are three real-life villages near Worcester which rejoice under the names Church Lench， Ab Lench and Rous Lench， but I believe Osbern de Lench exists only in Sarah Hawkwood's vivid and blessed imagination。 Back to the novel， and Bradecote & Catchpoll learn that de Lench had 'history' with other local landowners， but was this enough to link any of them to his death？ And was Fulk， the family Steward providing home comforts to Lady de Lench， a woman not unused to being roughly dealt with by her husband？ The seemingly pointless murder of Mother Winflaed， a harmless woman who ministers to the villagers with her herbal knowledge - and also delivers its babies - only adds to the confusion。The ingredients that make up the chemistry between the three investigators is cleverly worked。 Young Walkelin is callow， but clever and inquisitive， while Catchpoll's world-wearness is an excellent counter balance to Bradecote's more lofty idealism。By no means is this a preachy or political novel， but Sarah Hawkswood has some pertinent points to make - via Hugh Bradecote - about the treatment and role of women， and the very real perils of childbirth。 As a man of advanced years I can find much to moan about in current society， but modern obstetrics （at least in the western world） is something for which we should all be eternally grateful。I am very much an amateur book reviewer， and there are probably hundreds of us who love to read， and are grateful for publishers and publicists who trust us to deal fairly with the books they send us。 One of the downsides is that there is always a To Be Read pile， with deadlines to meet， and little chance to sit back and read purely for pleasure。 I am determined， however， to find time to catch up with the previous books in this series。 If they are all as good as this one， then my time will not be wasted This novel is thoroughly immersive and the blend of classic whodunnit， gritty historical detail and a sense of a glorious landscape now all but vanished is utterly beguiling。 Blood Runs Thicker is published by Allison & Busby， and is available now。 。。。more
John Mccormick
，
My thanks to the Author publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review。This is the eighth book in this series but i was not aware of this and the book read perfectly as a standalone story。 Well written and with a real feel and atmosphere of the setting and time。 Quality engaging characters an absorbing intriguing read from start to finish， but not the greatest mystery I have ever read with little in the way of shock surprising twists。Reco My thanks to the Author publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review。This is the eighth book in this series but i was not aware of this and the book read perfectly as a standalone story。 Well written and with a real feel and atmosphere of the setting and time。 Quality engaging characters an absorbing intriguing read from start to finish， but not the greatest mystery I have ever read with little in the way of shock surprising twists。Recommended。 。。。more
Diane
，
Yet another Bradecote & Catchpoll winner from Sarah Hawkswood。 These just get better and better。 High literature they ain't but what they are is a good， entertaining read。 Catchpoll and Bradecote bounce off each other so very well， and Wakelin is a good counterpoint to both。 His character is developing so well that this series could actually now be called Bradecote， Catchpoll & Wakelin。 However， if I have one criticism to make， it is that while we see something of Bradecote's home life， a peek i Yet another Bradecote & Catchpoll winner from Sarah Hawkswood。 These just get better and better。 High literature they ain't but what they are is a good， entertaining read。 Catchpoll and Bradecote bounce off each other so very well， and Wakelin is a good counterpoint to both。 His character is developing so well that this series could actually now be called Bradecote， Catchpoll & Wakelin。 However， if I have one criticism to make， it is that while we see something of Bradecote's home life， a peek into Catchpoll and Wakelin's domestic situations would be most welcome， and would round off the books nicely。 It is almost as though they are less important that Bradecote， but there is no reason why this should be so since they do quite as much of the detective work as does the Lord Bradecote。This storyline was quite standard fayre for the period that these books are set in - feudal Lords riding rough-shod over their underlings and taking exactly what they want， with no recourse for their unfortunate victims。 Terrible to think that this was life for the majority in those days， and for women worst of all， since not even being a noblewoman was proof against this tyranny。 Nevertheless， our three lawmen treat all with an even hand - whether high or low-born - and ease the oppression， if only temporarily。 The story was well-paced and even though I guessed the perpetrator relatively early on， this was not due to poor plotting but more to behavioural analysis and just pure instinct on my part。 There was a nice bit of suspense at the end， but it was over quite quickly， and not drawn out to the point where one begins to think 'just get on with it， already！' I avidly await the next book in this series， to see where the trio's exploits will take them next。 I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley in return for an honest， unbiased review。 。。。more
M。J。
，
A Blood Runs Thicker is the first book I've read by Sarah Hawkswood。I confess， I struggled a little with the 'ye olde wordy' language and speech but soon became accustomed to it， and could settle into the mystery。The story quickly gathers pace， and I was drawn into the mystery。 The characters are well-sketched， and the interactions between Bradecote， Catchpoll and Wakelin lighten the narrative。And the resolution of the mystery is deliciously complex and thoroughly enjoyable。 I'll certainly be re A Blood Runs Thicker is the first book I've read by Sarah Hawkswood。I confess， I struggled a little with the 'ye olde wordy' language and speech but soon became accustomed to it， and could settle into the mystery。The story quickly gathers pace， and I was drawn into the mystery。 The characters are well-sketched， and the interactions between Bradecote， Catchpoll and Wakelin lighten the narrative。And the resolution of the mystery is deliciously complex and thoroughly enjoyable。 I'll certainly be reading more of this series。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy。 。。。more
Judy Lesley
，
As much as I prowl around the corridors of Amazon searching for medieval mysteries I cannot figure out how I've missed this series by Sarah Hawkswood。 This is a prime example of putting a story in a specific time period and getting it all correct。 The writing never accidently （or on purpose） jumps from 1144 into the present with jarring missteps。 The characters in this story are well written and the solution to the crime of who killed Osben de Lench is a good puzzle for readers to try to solve。 As much as I prowl around the corridors of Amazon searching for medieval mysteries I cannot figure out how I've missed this series by Sarah Hawkswood。 This is a prime example of putting a story in a specific time period and getting it all correct。 The writing never accidently （or on purpose） jumps from 1144 into the present with jarring missteps。 The characters in this story are well written and the solution to the crime of who killed Osben de Lench is a good puzzle for readers to try to solve。 After seven previous books the main characters are well formed and represent the type of person the author presents them to be in a realistic way。 I have to say that I am much impressed。The formula for this story reminds me very much of a police procedural in medieval times。 Hugh Bradecote， Undersheriff of Worcestershire， his Serjeant Catchpoll and Walkelin the serjeanting apprentice arrive in Lench tasked with finding who killed the lord of the manor and left him stripped of all but his underclothes。 How de Lench died is apparent， why is another matter。This was a real test for my solving skills and I never was positive about the culprit until all was revealed。 I have already put the first book in this series on my Paperwhite and can only hope the first will satisfy as much as this eighth one did。 Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an e-galley of this novel。 。。。more
Angela McCollister
，
Advanced Reader Copy provided by Netgalley:I really enjoyed this medieval mystery， even though I haven't read the previous books in the series。 I love that it was set during the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maude as I have read other books about this and it was nice to read little tidbits of the greater world related to the civil war in this more insular story。 The camaraderie between the undersheriff and his sergeant was great and I really liked their characters。 The mystery itsel Advanced Reader Copy provided by Netgalley:I really enjoyed this medieval mystery， even though I haven't read the previous books in the series。 I love that it was set during the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maude as I have read other books about this and it was nice to read little tidbits of the greater world related to the civil war in this more insular story。 The camaraderie between the undersheriff and his sergeant was great and I really liked their characters。 The mystery itself was complex enough to hold my interest since the deceased had many enemies so the list of suspects was long。 I would definitely recommend this book to mystery and history fans。 。。。more
Kathleen
，
My 8th outing with Bradcote and Catchpoll #BloodRunsThicker and what a mystery！ I'm not positive I can go back and enumerate the list of suspects， which seriously ebbs and flows！ From the publisher:"Osbern de Lench is known far and wide as a hard master。 With an heir who is cast in the same hot-tempered mould， sworn enemies for neighbours， undersheriff Hugh Bradecote， the wily Serjeant Catchpoll and apprentice Walkelin have suspects aplenty。" Always an exciting tale is in store， for this place i My 8th outing with Bradcote and Catchpoll #BloodRunsThicker and what a mystery！ I'm not positive I can go back and enumerate the list of suspects， which seriously ebbs and flows！ From the publisher:"Osbern de Lench is known far and wide as a hard master。 With an heir who is cast in the same hot-tempered mould， sworn enemies for neighbours， undersheriff Hugh Bradecote， the wily Serjeant Catchpoll and apprentice Walkelin have suspects aplenty。" Always an exciting tale is in store， for this place in time ，with an author who is very well versed in Medieval history。 The author's narratives are sensitive to women's very understated but real roles in this society， as well as their sometimes powerlessness。 Bradcote， as well as his two henchman， work so well together and attempt to empower those without legal status in Society。 Hamo， the second son was an especially interesting character with his odd quirks， but he and others such as the Healer， her assistant and a beggar or two were well tolerated by the trio。 The Welsh Marches at this time were in anarchy between two Normans and hierarchy was very fluid and lawlessness abounded。A Powerful read！！ 。。。more
Anne Szlachcic
，
This a welcome return to the Medieval world of this entertaining Author 。Obnoxious local lord， Osbern de Lench ， has taken his regular trip around his estate 。。。。。。。。。 but only hishorse returns 。。。。 a search takes place and he is soon found ， dead 。The Sherriff despatches his best team of investigators - Hugh Bradecote， the undersheriff， Catchpoll， the serjeant & young Walkelin， the serjeanting apprentice。 They soon find a troubled environment of sibling rivalry ， adultery ， violence against wom This a welcome return to the Medieval world of this entertaining Author 。Obnoxious local lord， Osbern de Lench ， has taken his regular trip around his estate 。。。。。。。。。 but only hishorse returns 。。。。 a search takes place and he is soon found ， dead 。The Sherriff despatches his best team of investigators - Hugh Bradecote， the undersheriff， Catchpoll， the serjeant & young Walkelin， the serjeanting apprentice。 They soon find a troubled environment of sibling rivalry ， adultery ， violence against women and neighbours' feuds - it appears that no one regrets the death of Osbern 。Our trio are hard pressed to find the murderer/murderers with many threads to untangle if they are to succeed and solve the case 。。This a plot full of twists and turns ， set in an era whose mores are different to our own 。 The Author draws a masterful picture that draws the reader in 。。。。。。。。。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own 。。。more
Nadishka Aloysius
，
This is my second Bradcote and Catchpoll mystery。 A very interesting and intriguing case， the clues scattered were not too obvious and I am sure amateur sleuths with their nose in the book would not solve it too easily！ I particularly like the observations about the status of women and although the two protagonists are men， Bradcote's character is turning out to be quite sensitive。 I also liked the character of Hamo。 It was interesting to see how a person who is psychologically different （most p This is my second Bradcote and Catchpoll mystery。 A very interesting and intriguing case， the clues scattered were not too obvious and I am sure amateur sleuths with their nose in the book would not solve it too easily！ I particularly like the observations about the status of women and although the two protagonists are men， Bradcote's character is turning out to be quite sensitive。 I also liked the character of Hamo。 It was interesting to see how a person who is psychologically different （most probably on the autism spectrum） may have fit into that society。 Of course， Hamo is the second son of a land owner and has the advantages others do not have。。。 but it was nice to see that included。 The respect afforded to the Healer was also notable。 I did not double check whether the concoctions used were authentic， but it was believable。 A good read on many levels。 。。。more
Brenda
，
As a Historical Fiction fan I am always looking out for something unique。。。and found it here。 The story takes place in 1144 England laden with shady characters， murder， life and hardships of the time。 Really like the cover， too。 This is the eighth in the series but only my second。 Awful villainous master Osbern de Lench rides to his hill which overlooks his vast lands and relishes in taking it all in， as is his daily habit。 But one day his horse returns to the hall without its master attached wh As a Historical Fiction fan I am always looking out for something unique。。。and found it here。 The story takes place in 1144 England laden with shady characters， murder， life and hardships of the time。 Really like the cover， too。 This is the eighth in the series but only my second。 Awful villainous master Osbern de Lench rides to his hill which overlooks his vast lands and relishes in taking it all in， as is his daily habit。 But one day his horse returns to the hall without its master attached which of course raises questions。 Not long after the corpse is found。 Most people aren't exactly full of grief but the death must be investigated。 Three men undertook this task。。。Hugh Bradecote， Catchpoll and Walkelin。 Along the way， we see a lot of ill treatment of others by de Lech's progeny。 We also see how badly women were treated then without any recourse。 The story was interesting through to the end， including the resolution。Historical Fiction readers ought to seek out this book。 The historical details and vernacular are so well done！ I also enjoyed the vivid descriptions （could practically envision myself there） and twists。My sincere thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fascinating and enthralling early copy。 。。。more
Jean-Luc
，
"Blood runs thicker" by Sarah Hawkswood is a stunning Medieval whodunit that takes place in Worcestershire & its surroundings in 1144。It's harvest time and a rather obnoxious local lord， Osbern de Lench is found dead and an investigation team is despatched by the sheriff to the site of the murder in order to figure out who killed Osbern。 They are Hugh Bradecote， the undersheriff， Catchpoll， the serjeant & young Walkelin， the serjeanting apprentice。 Unfortunately our trio will find themselves imm "Blood runs thicker" by Sarah Hawkswood is a stunning Medieval whodunit that takes place in Worcestershire & its surroundings in 1144。It's harvest time and a rather obnoxious local lord， Osbern de Lench is found dead and an investigation team is despatched by the sheriff to the site of the murder in order to figure out who killed Osbern。 They are Hugh Bradecote， the undersheriff， Catchpoll， the serjeant & young Walkelin， the serjeanting apprentice。 Unfortunately our trio will find themselves immersed right away in a very troubled environment where sibling rivalry， simmering hate， adultery， neighbor feuds and violence against women are rife and trying to untangle all the threads that might lead to the murderer or murderers will not be that easy。。。。。Tightly plotted， full of twists & menaces， with very well drawn characters， this accomplished murder mystery is also a magnificent firework of Medieval English language and delicious historical details。 It's definitely a winner！Many thanks to Netgalley and Allison&Busby for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel prior to its release date 。。。more
Jill
，
An historical murder mystery set in the Worcestershire of 1144。 Osbern de Lench， a most unpopular lord， is known to ride to the top of the nearest hill daily to survey his land。 When his horse returns rider less one day and his body is found soon after， it is up to Hugh Brandecote， undersheriff and Sergeant Catchpoll to find the murderer。 My first novel by Sarah Hawkswood， this is the eigth book in the Brandecote and Catchpoll Investigation series。 It is not necessary to have read the other nove An historical murder mystery set in the Worcestershire of 1144。 Osbern de Lench， a most unpopular lord， is known to ride to the top of the nearest hill daily to survey his land。 When his horse returns rider less one day and his body is found soon after， it is up to Hugh Brandecote， undersheriff and Sergeant Catchpoll to find the murderer。 My first novel by Sarah Hawkswood， this is the eigth book in the Brandecote and Catchpoll Investigation series。 It is not necessary to have read the other novels to enjoy this one， and enjoy it I did。The plot is nicely paced throughout， with enough twists and turns to keep the reader’s interest。 I found all the characters to be well-rounded。 The author includes enough historical detail to gently paint the scene of twelfth-century England， whilst avoiding the pitfalls that so many historical novels fall into of providing too much contextual information which invariably then overwhelms the characters and plot。 Hawkswood’s dialogue is also believable – neither too modern nor to prosaic。Sarah Hawkswood is a fine author and I would whole heartedly recommend this novel to all readers of historical fiction。 My thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cheryl
，
I did enjoy this book very much。 The characters of Hugh Bradecote， the under sheriff and Serjeant Catchpoll work well together。 They really play off one another。 Not only is there a murder to solve but the author gives a real flavour of what it was like to live at this time。 Set in 1144， the Lord of the Manor was all powerful， the people’s lives depended so much on his rulings and temperament。 There was also the superstitions， the way religion played a great part in their lives and how reliant t I did enjoy this book very much。 The characters of Hugh Bradecote， the under sheriff and Serjeant Catchpoll work well together。 They really play off one another。 Not only is there a murder to solve but the author gives a real flavour of what it was like to live at this time。 Set in 1144， the Lord of the Manor was all powerful， the people’s lives depended so much on his rulings and temperament。 There was also the superstitions， the way religion played a great part in their lives and how reliant they were on the weather to be able to provide food for the coming year。 I liked the way that Bradecote and Catchpoll went about their investigation， testing out their theories and questioning suspects。 This will keep you reading until the end， with a number of different turns as new information is revealed。 I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Blood Runs Thicker
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Blood Runs Thicker&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Blood Runs Thicker&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0