The Hour of the Fox

I read a LOT of historical mysteries, and Cassandra Clark's The Hour of the Fox stands out from the usual fare. To give a brief overview: This novel is set during the War of the Roses at the time of Henry Bolingbroke's triumph over Richard II. Everyone is plotting on behalf of one side or the other—sometimes both. A young nun has been found murdered and Brother Chandler and his friend Arnold Archer, the London Coroner, attempt to solve the puzzle of her death, which, it becomes increasingly clear, has been ordered by someone high up among the nobility.

The central mystery works well, but it's other aspects of the novel that really make it stand out.
• Chandler isn't a heroic figure—he's in the midst of the plotting like everyone else.
• Chandler and Arthur's relationship has genuine points of strain; their disagreements are significant and not just plot devices.
• Some chapters, the only ones written in first person, are in the voice of a maid working in a household near Chandler. Seeing him through her eyes makes his character even more complicated and interesting.
• Chaucer lives across the street!
• With no heavy-handedness, Clark very aptly depicts the danger Henry's rise to power presented for the Lollards.

Given all this, I am very much hoping this book will be the start of a series. I've read volumes in some of Clark's other series and have found them enjoyable, but The Hour of the Fox takes things up several notches in terms of characterization and effective ambiguity.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.