The Harlot's Tale

Starred review from November 18, 2013
During the hot summer of 1645, Hezekiah Ward, a fanatical preacher, stirs up the public by proclaiming the high temperatures a divine punishment for local sinfulness, in Thomas’s superior second whodunit set in 17th-century York (after 2013’s The Midwife’s Tale). The violent rhetoric is disturbing enough to midwife Bridget Hodgson, who is even more upset when Ward’s words apparently lead to bloodshed. A man and a woman are savagely slaughtered in a brothel, with their killer seemingly inspired by a biblical passage about fornicators being killed to stop a plague. Their deaths are but the first of many, and Bridget believes that someone has taken the preacher’s words to heart and is seeking to save the city by killing prostitutes. Besides making his heroine a plausible sleuth, Thomas conveys the challenges of midwifery without clumsy exposition. Agent: Josh Getzler, Hannigan Salky Getzler.

December 15, 2013
The people of York are already suffering from the sweltering summer of 1645 when, suddenly, a serial killer adds to their woes. It's been a year since York fell into Puritan hands. While the civil war rages on in other places, the godly are trying to make York into a model city. Wealthy gentlewoman and midwife Bridget Hodgson and her assistant, Martha Hawkins, go about their business and keep quiet, although neither approves of Puritan rule. Encouraged by her success in helping to solve a murder the year before (The Midwife's Tale, 2013), Bridget's politically powerful, Puritan brother-in-law calls on her skills when a prostitute and her client are found brutally butchered with Bible verses in hand. Hezekiah Ward has recently arrived in York, and his fiery sermons reviling sinners have earned him a fanatical following, among them his wife, their son, Praise-God, and a number of dangerous former Puritan soldiers. So there's no dearth of suspects for the murder, including one uncomfortably close to home. Bridget often gets help from her nephew, Will, whose physical disability has always placed him below his brother Joseph in his father's affections. As a soldier, Joseph has often killed, and he's fanatical about ridding York of sinners--exactly the profile that makes him an obvious suspect. As the killings continue, Bridget does everything in her power to discover the killer from among far too many candidates. The second adventure for Thomas' midwife uses a mystery with plenty of twists, turns and suspects to illuminate a difficult period in British history.

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December 15, 2013
Thomas brings readers to the England of 1645, a country torn by civil war. The city of York, now in Puritan hands, is suffering from a severe heat wave. The ruling Puritans are sure that it is a sign from God, punishing the citizens for their evil ways. They respond by clamping down still further on drunks, prostitutes, and those who utilize their services. This is not sufficient for someone. When a prostitute and her customer are found brutally stabbed, Edward, one of the city's governors, asks his sister-in-law, midwife Bridget Hodgson, and her assistant, Martha Hawkins, to assist with the investigation. There is no shortage of suspects. As the bodies continue to pile up, Hezekiah Ward, a fire-and-brimstone preacher newly arrived in York; his son, named Praise-God; and their fanatic followers appear to be involved. Edward's son Joseph is also concerned with ridding the city of sin. His brother, Will, who drinks a bit too much, assists Bridget and Martha as they uncover decadent behavior in high places while evading the killer. Historical-mystery readers will enjoy this well-plotted story featuring an assortment of strong women.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)