The Devil's Monk: A Constable Thomas Potts mystery

Folks in Worcestershire are a superstitious lot in 1829 and when a woman’s dead body is found clothed in men’s apparel, the locals blame the Devil’s Monk. haven’t people reported seeing a man in white robes floating about the field where the body was found? It’s the Devil’s Monk, folks are sure of it. Not constable Thomas Potts. He doesn’t believe any of that nonsense, he’s looking for an all too human killer. The woman’s identity is still a mystery when another body is found and Potts finds himself fighting both a killer and a town full of hysterical, superstitious locals about to take the law into their own hands.

This is a cleverly plotted historical mystery that combines the murder storyline with a hint of the supernatural

Thomas Potts is a Constable in a small parish in Redditch, Worcestershire.  It is the late 1820s and he struggles to maintain law and order in his area.  The battered body of a young woman is found by someone living rough and Tom needs to investigate what appears to be a murder of a particularly violent kind.  Unfortunately he doesn't have anything more than his own wits to guide him and his knowledge of the local populace.  In addition he is battling to deal with his separation from his wife, Amy and the local populace who are all to quick to think the worst of him.

This book has an interesting plot and I found Tom's investigation of the crime fascinating but there was too much bad language in it for my taste. It is possible to add historical accuracy to a story without putting a lot of swear words into the story.  This rather spoilt the book for me though it is well written with well drawn characters and an intriguing plot.

If you enjoy historical crime then you may want to start at the beginning of this series with The Reluctant Constable.  I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.

This historical mystery, which is set in the late 1820's, is filled with unexpected twists and turns. Not everything is what it seems.  It is well written and has an unexpected ending. Everything you want in a good mystery. 

Tom Potts is an excellent character. I must admit however, I'm not overly fond of his wife. I realise that relationships and interactions with husband and wife were a bit different then, but I just don't feel she's a very likeable character and doesn't seem to be a good fit for him. Other than that it was a fantastic read and I really enjoyed it. 

I recommend this book for those that love historical British mysteries. It was an enjoyable read and it has earned four stars from me.

July 1829, Worcestershire. Constable Thomas Potts, dealing with the possible break-up of his marriage, welcomes the distraction when a body is found in a haystack, the body of a woman dressed in men’s clothing. But terror strikes the village when people claim to have seen a white-shrouded figure in the vicinity of the haystack. The village has a legend, that of the Devil’s Monk who rises once in a while to wreak havoc, causing death and mayhem, and it seems that it has returned once again.
A second death soon follows and as panic starts to take hold, a suspect is arrested. But Potts is unsure that things are quite as straightforward as they seem. As he struggles with the fact that his wife might be lost to him forever, events take a surprising turn before the truth comes out.
This is the sixth book in the Thomas Potts series, but the first for me. Often a problem, jumping into a series midway, but it’s not really a problem here. Things are laid out pretty clearly and it’s only the emotional side of the marital problems that suffers for the new reader – I’m sure regular readers will get more out of it, but it left me a little cold. Things seemed to be rather black and white, especially at the end, but it’s possible that knowing the history of the characters would have given me a different opinion.
There’s a lot to like here with regards the rest of the book. The rationale behind why someone is dressed up as the Monk is very clever and there’s a couple of very clever touches that lead to the solution. The setting is well-crafted and the village is filled with characters with distinctive voices. Potts is a resourceful lead and his investigations move along in an entertaining way.
There are a couple of disappointments – the idea of the Monk isn’t expanded as much as one might expect from the cover blurb and one of the things that complicates the investigation seems to exist only to complicate the investigation, if you know what I mean.
Even so, it’s an interesting book, set in a period that I know little about, and I’ll keep an eye out for any future outings for Thomas.

Thomas Potts investigates the death and mutilation of a woman found on a haystack,by a vagrant, she was wearing men's clothes with no identification. He is told that the Devil's Monk killed her and when more deaths occur he must find the culprit and he also must endure his wife leaving him.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

A woman dressed in men’s garb is found lying near a haystack in Worcestershire, England, with nearly every bone in her body broken. The year is 1829, and Constable Thomas Potts is called on to discover who this stranger is and who would commit such an awful crime. A witness saw a suspect fleeing the scene dressed in flowing white robes, so the locals are convinced that it was the Devil’s Monk that killed the young woman. A second murder occurs, and the puzzle pieces as to how these two murders might be related are in the constable’s capable hands. The only clue seems to be white silk fabric pieces that have been hidden away. A good mystery is one that is difficult to put down – and I found this book to be a good mystery. There seemed to be very little to go on, yet the author kept me interested in the well-developed characters and what the common thread might be. I look forward to reading more by this author, who cleverly chose a female pseudonym for his six books in the Thomas Potts historical series.