Product Description

A shocking murder complicated by religious intolerance fuels one man's search for truth as well as his own soul. When a young boy is killed on Good Friday, is the assumption correct that a Christian has been murdered by Jews? This is the situation that Lord Godwin faces as he seeks a solution to the "Murder on Good Friday."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1090310 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 311 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Sara Conway's first novel, Murder on Good Friday, introduces her Lord Godwin Medieval Mystery series, set in 13th-century Hexham, England. Godwin, the town bailiff, investigates the murder of a young boy whose body bears crucifixtype puncture wounds. Hysterical townspeople immediately suspect Hexham's Jews, and Godwin must protect them while he sniffs out the murderer.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Author
"Murder on Good Friday" draws on actual thirteenth-century events: accusations of ritual murder. In various towns throughout England, Jews were accused of murder in the suspicious deaths of young Christian boys. Skeptical royal justices often dismissed these charges, but, on occasion, Jews were found guilty and unjustly put to death. In some cases, the child murder victims were even venerated as saints, considered martyrs by their fellow Christians.

A mythology grew up where it was believed that Jews annually murdered a Christian boy by ritually crucifying him. Not unlike the mentality and hysteria that fueled the later witch trials, this phenomenon spread from England throughout the Continent and accusations continued well into the modern period. Today, in England's Lincoln Cathedral, one can still visit the tiny sarcophagus of little Saint Hugh. The Catholic Church no longer venerates him, but his tomb is a powerful testament to the fear and hatred of Jews, past and present.

About the Author
SARA CONWAY teaches ancient and medieval history at Edmonds Community College in Edmonds, Washington. She has earned undergraduated and advanced degrees in history from the University of Washington and lives in rural Kingston, Washiogton. "Murder on Good Friday" is her first book.

Customer Reviews

Not as good as some medieval mysteries
It's obvious to the reader that the author has probably read every other medieval mystery in existence..there are bits in here from Ellis Peters, P.C. Doherty, Bernard Knight, Michael Jecks, etc. Unfortunately, the first 3/4 of the book is standard fare that we've read before...except that it is a bit slow moving and boring here, with somewhat wooden characters. What saves this novel is the final rush to an exciting ending.

an exciting read
I am an avid reader of historical mysteries, esp of mysteries set in the middle ages. So I was quite ecstatic to find a new historical mystery series set in 13th century England. "Murder On A Good Friday" by Sara Conway is a well researched and well written mystery set in the small northern town of Hexham, and features the detecting skills of the bailiff of Hexham, Lord Goodwin, and his cousin by marriage, Lady Constance of Broadweal Manor.

The novel opens with the discovery of a young child's body a few days after Good Friday. Alfred, the unfortunate victim, had been first strangled and then mutilated: his palms bear puncture wounds, as if nails had been driven through them. Horror and panic strikes the town, and in the grip of fear and superstition, the Christian townspeople turn on the small Jewish community that resides in Hexham. Lord Goodwin, the bailiff, does not believe his Jewish friends are at all responsible for the crime, and has a hard time preventing the rabid townsmen from taking revenge. His task is not made easier when one of the newly arrived brothers from the nearby priory of St. Andrews claims that he has had a vision: Alfred is a martyr to the Christian faith because he was slain by the enemies of Christ. Alfred seeks vengeance. The Jews must be punished. Goodwin realises that it is only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose. Will he be able to discover who murdered Alfred before it is too late?

"Murder On A Good Friday" is a really riveting read. Sara Conway maintained the level of tension and suspense throughout the novel. With each succeeding chapter you wonder if Goodwin will be successful in preventing the lynching of the Jews to take place, and if will discover who perpetrated such a foul deed. Conway also did a brilliant job in bringing the small, sleepy town of Hexham to life, and in portraying the various relationships the inhabitants had with each other -- the Jews with the Christians, Goodwin with his constables and the townspeople, and the priory with the town. Unfortuantely, the denouncement of the mystery left a little to be desired: key bits of information were only revealed at the very end, and certain incidents and discoveries took place 'offstage.' However this was an exciting and compelling read, and I enjoyed the novel very much.

Not as good as some medieval mysteries
It's obvious to the reader that the author has probably read every other medieval mystery in existence..there are bits in here from Ellis Peters, P.C. Doherty, Bernard Knight, Michael Jecks, etc. Unfortunately, the first 3/4 of the book is standard fare that we've read before...except that it is a bit slow moving and boring here, with somewhat wooden characters. What saves this novel is the final rush to an exciting ending.