A Choir of Crows

Set in 1374 shortly after the events of 2019’s A Conspiracy of Wolves, Robb’s solid 12th Owen Archer mystery finds the future of the English royal family uncertain. Edward III and his heir, Prince Edward, are in poor physical and mental health, and the next in the line of succession, Prince Richard, is only a child. Owen, now the captain of bailiffs for the city of York, is serving as Prince Edward’s “eyes and ears in the North.” Meanwhile, a monk arrives at Owen’s house with “a fair young woman” disguised as a male pilgrim. The woman, whose name and background are unknown to the monk, is accused of fatally stabbing a vicar in the churchyard and of climbing up the chapter-house stairs to the roof and pushing another man to his death. Owen investigates, concerned that the deaths might pose a risk to the realm. Owen’s worries that his children may have the pestilence add some emotional depth. Robb once again effectively blends crime with the politics of 14th-century England. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary. (July)