Library Goldmine

Finally hit paydirt at the library yesterday. Found a veritable treasure trove of books. Some I've hunted for at the UBS, fruitlessly. In no particular order they are:

1. Falconer's Crusade by Ian Morson- Set in the late 1200's in Oxford England featuring the equivalent of a professor as a sleuth. Cross between Ellis Peters & Candace Robb. Very readable & not history lite. Finished this last night.

2.A Plague on Both Your Houses & A Bone of Contention by Susanna Gregory- Books 1 & 2 of the Matthew Bartholomew series, set in 1300's Oxford as opposed to Morson's series. I've read another book by Gregory further along in the series. They are well rounded & historically detailed, while capturing your interest quickly. I've looked for these for a long time.

3. The Queen's Man by Sharon Kay Penman- The first in a mystery series set in 1193
featuring one Justin de Quincy, an educated man, but without familial ties to boost him along. Borrowed solely on Penman's reputation.

4.Something Rich and Strange written by Patrica McKillip and illustrated by Brian Froud- Found in science fiction section. Borrowed because of McKillip's fantastic reputation & Froud's beautiful line drawings. Appears to be an illustrated novella length fairy tale.

5.Banewreaker by Jacqueline Carey- Fantasy. She wrote the Kushiel trilogy, which I dearly love. I've read that this one is slow to build momentum, but it is one of a group, so we'll see.

6.The Bookman's Wake by John Dunning- A mystery. Second in a series, first title (Booked to Die) unavailable. Features antiquarian bookseller & former policeman Cliff Janeway as the sleuth.

As Mentioned above, I read Falconer's Crusade last night. Writing style is similar to Ellis Peters, but more historically detailed. Falconer, a professor, has a new student who may have witnessed a gruesome murder while wandering lost in Oxford. Political, religious & racial themes. Very good, especially if you're a history buff.