The Good Knight (The Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries) Paperback – September 23, 2011

I am quite a fan of historical mysteries, especially when centuries in the past, British Isles as the setting, and filled with descriptive language and rich medieval characters. Case in point: Sarah Woodbury’s “The Good Knight” from her Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mysteries. It is 1143 Wales, and the arranged marriage between one king’s daughter to an allied royal is in question; the groom is murdered. Sir Gareth is asked to investigate by the victim’s brother, but circumstantial evidence points to him as the traitor, so Gwen, a woman from Gareth’s past, is entreated to help uncover the answers. The conspiracy is complex, and the Gareth & Gwen team brings up their past connection. Woodbury’s writing style includes a descriptive flair and engaging dialogue that illustrates well the medieval era, but it’s easy to read with court intrigue and multiple murders to solve. The cast of characters along with understanding the language may be daunting, but they are addressed at the beginning of the story as well as introduced well in context. I found the many dramatic elements from murders and kidnappings to political treachery and Danish invasions totally thrilling, the characters varied and entertaining with a strong female lead, and the final reveal was satisfying. Although I am not familiar with the historical truths, I don’t read this genre as non-fiction. Woodbury’s book had the feel of accuracy with events, lifestyle, and society distinctions associated with medieval times. I want more!

and I'm very pleased and surprised. Woodbury writes a good story.Woodbury is obviously well versed in Welsh history, culture, and the story's setting -- and it's refreshing to have a lords and ladies story told realistically (as far as I can tell) from a non-royal and non English point of view. The characters and their situations are believable and interesting -- even sometimes annoying. Better, the story was interesting and well plotted. I look forward to reading more of her work!

Once in a while an author comes along with a captivating story and engaging characters - Sarah Woodbury is one such author. I fell in love with this wonderful mystery and the characters that populate it, particularly Gwen, Gareth and Hywel, from the very first pages. Sarah Woodbury has brought to life the essence of 12th century Wales with its complicated politics and convoluted family connections that had such a resounding influence on the history of the Wales of old. Woven into the tapestry of twelveth century Wales is the murder mystery of who killed King Anarawd whilst he was on his way to his wedding to Elen, daughter of Owain, King of Gwynedd (it should be noted: the premise of the story is based on historical facts with a bit of fiction thrown in). Enter Gareth and Gwen - both had been sweet on each, but the romance was essentially stopped by Gwen's father because Gareth had no prospects - who begin investigating his murder under the auspices of Prince Hywel, the son of King Owain. Along the way bodies mount up and Gareth himself is accused of the murder, leaving Gwen and Hywel to find evidence that someone else committed the murder of King Anarawd; the journey will lead Gwen in particular to unexpected places and allies before she is again reunited with Gareth. Overall, Sarah Woodbury has done a fabulous job of creating her characters - Gwen and Gareth leap of the pages, so vibrant and alive and unforgettable, as indeed all her characters are. The plot was well thought out and made logical sense and the ending was a complete and unexpected surprise. As for the romance between Gareth and Gwen, reignited once more when they meet shortly after the death of King Anarawd, it was told sweetly and without it overwhelming the murder mystery. My new favourite author: Sarah Woodbury and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories.

This book is not as bad as some reviewers have described it. If you are a history geek like myself, this book takes place in Wales during what would have been the time Stephen and Maud were duking it out for the English throne. They were cousins (those gossipy monks also hinted lovers) and after years of fighting, Maud should have inherited but lost the throne to Stephen with the proviso that her son would take the throne after him. This left Wales to get its act together. In Ireland, the Danes are on the throne and mercenaries for hire. Gwen and Gareth are commoners heading toward a relationship when he loses his position, because he was asked to do something he could not stomach by the King's younger brother. I don't remember that much about Wales geography, but I am assuming that these Kings are actually sharing the present day Wales. The king has given his daughter to the neighboring King and he is killed on the way to the wedding. Gareth sees it when he was riding by and went to summon help knowing one man could not have stopped this.Gwen's father was the king's Bard and also taught one of the Princes. He was being raised in a castle alone and so the King told him to teach them both to give the boy some company. She was taught along with the king's second illegitimate son who grew to care for her. Her mother died giving birth to her brother that she then raised as her own. Her education stopped and her father turned down all offers for her hand to have someone to take care of them. She has made her peace with not having a husband or a family of her own and was a spy for the Prince in her travels. Gareth was knighted and worked for the same Prince and they meet again. Gwen's father wanted to ride with the king, but his horse went lame and he refused to go until such time that they could find what he considered a suitable mount. He planned to make his son the new Court Bard.I refute two things I saw in other reviews: This is not medieval CSI and the education level of a Prince Gwen obtained and the tracking abilities Gareth had are not enough to make this novel read like CSI. This was the Dark ages, but we lost a great deal of knowledge that was available then. This is a historical novel because anything set in the past dealing with historical figures qualifies for that name. Second, this book could use a good editor, but it was not poorly written. I enjoyed it and would read on if the author reduced the price. I do not think Ms. Woodbury writes at the price point she is trying to sell these stories for. This is a good medieval mystery although not a love story, because it is the first in a series. There is no formal relationship between Gareth and Gwynedd. The story continues past the ending of this mystery, but there is an ending with no cliffhangers. I enjoyed the piece, learned a few things about Wales in the 1100's and found this a good read.