The Bone Fire (The Oswald de Lacy Medieval Murders)

The Bone Fire (The Oswald de Lacy Medieval Murders)

by SDSykes (Author)

Synopsis

The brand new Oswald de Lacy thriller, for fans of C.J. Sansom, Minette Walters and S.J. Parris.

'Living legends Andrew Taylor and Susanna Gregory; bestselling phenomena SJ Parris and CJ Sansom... a league of extraordinary resurrectionists. If you love their books, I invite you to visit fourteenth-century England, with SD Sykes ... Savour the company of young Oswald de Lacy, among the most appealing historical sleuths currently on the hunt.' A.J. Finn

'A fascinating glimpse of an almost forgotten period of history.' Andrew Taylor

'Sykes give it (plague) a life and character of its own - swift, remorseless and deadly' New York Times

***

1361. Plague has returned to England - thirteen years after the devastation of The Black Death.

As destruction advances towards his estate in Kent, Oswald de Lacy leads his family to the safety of a remote castle in the marshes - where his friend Godfrey is preparing a fortress to survive the coming disaster.

The rules are clear: once the de Lacys and other guests are inside the castle the portcullis will be lowered and no-one permitted to enter or leave until the Pestilence has passed.

And then a murderer strikes.

Oswald is confronted with a stark choice - leave and face the ravages of the plague, or stay and place his family at the mercy of a brutal killer. With word of his skills as an investigator preceding him, it falls to Oswald to unmask the murderer in their midst. Host, guest, or servant - everyone is a suspect in this poisoned refuge of secrets, deceit and malice.

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Quantity

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 320
Edition: First Edition, First Printing
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 25 Jul 2019

ISBN 10: 1473679990
ISBN 13: 9781473679993

Media Reviews
An intriguing and vivid addition to an increasingly interesting series, and a fascinating glimpse of an almost forgotten period of history. -- Andrew Taylor
Living legends Andrew Taylor and Susanna Gregory; bestselling phenomena SJ Parris and CJ Sansom... a league of extraordinary resurrectionists. If you love their books, I invite you to visit fourteenth-century England, with SD Sykes ... Savour the company of young Oswald de Lacy, among the most appealing historical sleuths currently on the hunt. -- A.J. Finn
Chilling and evocative. This book will have you gripped from the first page to the last -- Tracy Borman
If you love C.J. Sansom, you have to read S.D. Sykes. Her Oswald de Lacy series just gets better and better. The Bone Fire is a wonderfully claustrophobic and compelling mystery, filled with clever twists, fascinating characters and flashes of Sykes's sly wit. Utterly immersive, utterly gripping historical crime at its very, very best. -- Antonia Hodgson
An ingenious, twisty plot with memorable characters in an intriguing siege narrative -- Rebecca Mascull
Sykes' fourth is anchored in a grimly evocative first-person narrative reminiscent of Poe, and there's a whodunit to boot. * Kirkus *
Neatly done, crisply-paced historical... written with a fine sense of place and time * Shots Magazine *
Sykes effectively uses her diligent research in the service of a memorable plot. This outing reinforces her place in the historical mystery genre's top ranks. * Publishers Weekly *
The setting is fantastic [...] builds to a satisfyingly twisty climax * The Times *
SD Sykes proves that she is not only on top of her historical fiction game but is also a mistress of the detective genre * Historia Magazine *
Enjoyable 'locked castle' mystery * The Sunday Times *
Atmospheric, and well told * Choice Magazine *
As the number of victims rises, Oswald knows he faces a threat every bit as great as the plague that now besieges the castle walls * S Magazine *
An absolutely engrossing historical mystery * Booklist *
Praise for S D Sykes * - *
Sykes give it (plague) a life and character of its own - swift, remorseless and deadly * New York Times *
SD Sykes proves that she is not only on top of her historical fiction game but is also a mistress of the detective genre * Historia Magazine *
An ingenious, twisty plot with memorable characters in an intriguing siege narrative -- Rebecca Mascull
The setting is fantastic [...] builds to a satisfyingly twisty climax * The Times *
Sykes is a master at combining historical setting with mystery * The Times *
The medieval CJ Sansom -- Jeffery Deaver
The whodunnit aspect is neatly done, the family secrets and waspish relationships are intriguing, and humour and originality are abundant. * Daily Mail *
Sykes effectively uses her diligent research in the service of a memorable plot. This outing reinforces her place in the historical mystery genre's top ranks. * Publishers Weekly *
An absolutely engrossing historical mystery * Booklist *
Enjoyable 'locked castle' mystery * The Sunday Times *
Author Bio
SD Sykes lives in Kent with her husband. She is a graduate from Manchester University and has an MA in Writing from Sheffield Hallam. She attended the novel writing course at literary agents Curtis Brown where she was inspired to finish her first novel. She has also written for radio and has developed screenplays with Arts Council funding.