Desolation by Keith Moray
Series: Ralph de Mandeville Mysteries #1
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction
The Black Rood of Scotland, stolen.
A coroner of York, murdered
An evil worse than plague itself, at large…
1361, York. As the country recovers from the war with France, and whispers that the pestilence has returned to England grow louder, fear is in the heart of every nobleman and commoner alike. Sir Ralph de Mandeville, ex-solider and newly appointed Justice of the Peace is sent to Langbarugh, just outside York, to investigate the murder of Coroner Sir Boderick de Whitby.
More deaths quickly follow, and while these are swiftly dealt with as plague victims, Sir Ralph and his two assistants Merek and Peter soon uncover something altogether more horrifying… A greater evil is at large in the northern wapentakes.
As panic escalates and the lines between plague and murder blur, Sir Ralph is thrust into a desperate race against time. Every shadow hides a potential killer, every cough could be a death knell. Can he unmask a murderer lurking in the terrifying shadow of the Black Death before they’re all consumed by a terror more sinister than any plague?
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my review
This is a darkly atmospheric and intelligent historical mystery that drops readers right into 14th-century England—a time when war, pestilence, and paranoia ruled the land. The Hundred Years’ War with France rages on, and the country reels under the return of the Black Death, a plague so devastating it claims one in five souls. Against this grim backdrop, the newly established Justices of the Peace struggle to enforce order in a world turned upside down.
When a string of deaths is dismissed as plague-related, few dare to question it—after all, who would want to examine a rotting corpse during such times? But the brutal murder of a coroner and the theft of one of Scotland’s most sacred relics suggest there’s something more sinister at work. Enter Ralph de Mandeville and his loyal assistants, tasked with uncovering the truth in a world clouded by fear, superstition, and greed.
Moray masterfully blends historical authenticity with the pace of a mystery. He doesn’t just tell a story—he immerses you in the muck and mire of the era, from the lingering stench of death to the shifting balance between faith and reason. The author’s deft inclusion of real historical context—the rise of the JPs, the economic fallout of the plague, the tension between science and superstition—adds weight without ever slowing the story.
The novel explores powerful themes: religion’s grip on the desperate, the dangers of ignorance and fear, and the fine line between divine judgment and human cruelty. There’s talk of necromancy, whispers of alchemy, and enough political scheming to keep even the most astute reader guessing.
While Desolation builds slowly, it’s deliberate and absorbing. The world feels lived-in, dangerous, and eerily familiar in its depiction of panic and prejudice during times of crisis. Moray’s writing draws you in gradually, until you realize you’re as entangled in the mystery as his characters are.
A thoroughly engaging beginning to a series that promises depth, danger, and historical intrigue in equal measure. Fans of medieval mysteries by Ellis Peters or C.J. Sansom will find much to love here.
meet the author
About Keith Moray
Keith is a retired GP, medical journalist and novelist, writing in several genres. As Keith Moray he writes historical crime fiction in the medieval era and in ancient Egypt, The Inspector Torquil McKinnon crime novels set on the Outer Hebridean island of West Uist, and as Clay More he writes westerns. Curiously, his medical background finds its way into most of his fiction writing.
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