Book of Hugh

Hugh Singleton makes good use of his skills in this book. As a surgeon, he sews up a stab wound and straightens a broken nose. As an herbalist he relieves pain and insomnia. And as bailiff to Sir Gilbert of Brampton Castle, he hunts the murderer of two of Sir Gilbert's guests. Although Hugh is a straightforward, fast-working surgeon, in the matter of solving crimes, he tends to be cautious, slow, and suspicious of obvious answers.

Starr's book about Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff, have a unique voice. The stories are told in first person by Hugh. This style has grown in the series, it felt awkward in places in the earlier books but now fits like a well worn shoe. Hugh is an everyman more than a skilled detective. This everyman nature of Hugh combined with the well done use of the first person voice really sets these apart.

This book is a detailed study of Hugh of Flavigny and his chronicle, which is widely recognised as one of the most important narratives of a crucial period of European history, that is, the Investiture Contest.