A Trust Betrayed (Margaret Kerr of Perth)
Author of the acclaimed Owen Archer mystery series (The Nun's Tale; etc.) set in late 14th-century England, Robb introduces Dame Margaret Kerr in the alluring first of a new series placed in 13th-century Scotland. The spring of 1297 finds Margaret with her mother-in-law, Katherine, in Dunfermline. Roger Sinclair, Margaret's husband, has not been heard from since he set out for Edinburgh on business months earlier. Roger's cousin, Jack, leaves to find Roger, but instead returns home in a shroud, the victim of a brutal murder. After his funeral, Margaret determines to go to Edinburgh with her priest brother to search for her husband and to discover what she can about Jack's death, her only clue being a small weight clutched in Jack's dead hand. Margaret finds an Edinburgh occupied by English soldiers and clouded by political unrest. As she follows Roger's trail and seeks Jack's murderer, she uncovers truths that tear at her heart and cause her to question her beliefs and loyalties. Robb carefully unfolds her story, allowing the reader to become immersed in the day-to-day life of the characters. With meticulous attention to historical details, from the soup Margaret eats to her characters' plaid clothing and the language they speak (there's a helpful glossary), the author lovingly re-creates medieval Edinburgh. But like Katherine's altar cloth or Margaret's needlework, the story remains unfinished and readers can only wait patiently for the sequel.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.