Murder at the War
The war of the title, taking place on a farm in Pennsylvania, is attended by thousands of members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, whose dedication to medieval custom and costume is annually unloosed in this recreation of medieval battle and ceremony. In period dressincluding full armor for the menwith names to match, SCA members speak in chivalrous tongue as King William leads the Midrealm (Midwestern) contingent in carefully regulated battle against King Oswin of the East. Also fighting are those in the Dark Horde, a group of independents who, like mercenaries, hire out to whichever side makes the best offer. But this year the fun comes to an abrupt end when Lord Torstane Shieldbreaker, a querulous and unpopular Horde member, is found near death from a real stab wound. Local modern-day cops suspect Lady Katherine of Tretower, first on the scene and most recent victim of Thorstane's unpleasantness. But Lord Stefan von Helle, her husband and a cop himself in the "mundane" world, solves the murder by figuring out the grammatical intent of Thorstane's last words. While the mystery itself is less than compelling, this first novel's characters are distinctive and its trappings certainly unique. The rub of current times against the mores of centuries past gives rise to a pleasant friction.Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.