5 STAR REVIEW: THE CANTERBURY MURDERS by E.M. Powell

Stanton & Barling: Book 3
Publication Date: November 12, 2020

A fire-ravaged cathedral. An ungodly murder.

Easter, 1177. Canterbury Cathedral, home to the tomb of martyr Saint Thomas Becket, bears the wounds of a terrible fire. Benedict, prior of the great church, leads its rebuilding. But horror interrupts the work. One of the stonemasons is found viciously murdered, the dead man’s face disfigured by a shocking wound.

When King’s clerk Aelred Barling and his assistant, Hugo Stanton, arrive on pilgrimage to the tomb, the prior orders them to investigate the unholy crime.

But the killer soon claims another victim–and another. As turmoil embroils the congregation, the pair of sleuths face urgent pressure to find a connection between the killings.

With panic on the rise, can Barling and Stanton catch the culprit before evil prevails again—and stop it before it comes for them?

THE CANTERBURY MURDERS is the third book in E.M. Powell’s Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. Combining intricate plots, shocking twists and a winning–if unlikely–pair of investigators, this series is perfect for fans of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael or C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake.

For me, there is nothing quite like a good murder mystery to keep one guessing the entire time and making the reader have little panic attacks while home alone. It makes being home that much more interesting!

Murder mysteries are fun to read, and this book didn’t disappoint in the slightest—fast-paced, funny banter between the characters, and just excellent writing. The author draws the reader in from the first page. Her writing style reminds me of Nora Roberts. Her books always draw me in as well. I thought of her writing style within the first few pages.

The is the third book in the series. I feel that one doesn’t need to read the other books in the series in order to understand the plot. I was able to follow along quite well. 

What I liked about this book was that it had a Sherlock Holmes feel to it. I love those books as well. I was also reminded of The Davinci Code as well, with all of the Catholic references. 

If the reader enjoys fantastic murder mysteries, then I highly recommend this book.

E.M. Powell’s historical thriller and medieval mystery Fifth Knight and Stanton & Barling novels have been #1 Amazon and Bild bestsellers.

The third Stanton & Barling mystery, THE CANTERBURY MURDERS, will be released in November 2020.

Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State), she lives in northwest England with her husband, daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog.

E.M. Powell is represented by Josh Getzler at HG Literary.

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