The Foxes of Warwick

Domesday #9

by Edward Marston

Henry Beaumont keeps a renowned pack of quick, brave and ruthless at the kill. Yet one December hunt, the dogs uncover more than a fox in the woodlands-brushing aside dead leaves, Beaumont finds the crushed body of Martin Reynard, a former member of his own household. Enraged, Henry swears to find the killer, though he is not trained in investigation. Before long his hot head and rudimentary skills lead him to arrest a man of questionable guilt.

Luckily, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret are in the area to settle a land dispute and are available to lend their expertise. Upon close consideration of the circumstances leading up to the grisly murder, the two Domesday Commissioners begin a full-scale investigation designed to bring the true murderer to justice, whoever he may be. Full of the impeccable historical detail for which Edward Marston is known, The Foxes of Warwick is a gripping mystery sure to fascinate both longtime fans and readers new to the Domesday series.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Medieval, Crime, Historical Mystery, British Literature

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston

Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.


Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal

Reviews

[Charley Robson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read from Mr Marston!

I will admit to liking this one a little bit less than The Wildcats of Exeter. On one front, this was because of the slight uptick in Unexpectedly Grim elements. a minor character's traumatic and rather unnecessary rape, in particular, was glossed over at high speed as part of the final reveals, which I found rather went against the generally even-handed and fair tone of the book and our protagonists. While I enjoy the series for its strange mix of 'Cosy Mystery' atmosphere and historical fiction grittiness, I could have done a bit less with the slightly less than narratively essential descriptions of torture. On the other, I found the ending less contrived, but also a little less enjoyable - the final chapters felt a little rushed, in places, and I feel a few elements and scenes where the characters repeat things to each other that we already know could have been streamlined to keep up the pace.

However, I do think Foxes enjoys a stronger plot than Wildcats, and the secondary cast of allies, villains, ne'er'do'wells and vagabonds is a delight. I hope Brother Benedict makes an appearance in later books, in particular. I was also pretty impressed by the author's ongoing commitment to giving voices and depth to female characters, even when they're not 100% involved in the centre of the story as they were in Wildcats (barring, perhaps, the unhappy incident hidden in the spoiler).

All in all, another really enjoyable installment to the series. I look forward to the next one.

[Mark Higginbottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are just wonderful.They are so fascinating and gripping I cannot put them down,I wish there were hundreds in the series.I have read them all up to this one and know I am coming to the end soon which saddens me!Any fans of Bernard Knight or Bernard Cornwell will love these.You really feel like you are in that time with all the characters,sights and sounds.Edward Marston is probably one of my favourite writers ever.His writing style is just so easy to read and so enjoyable.I actually found this one in the series one of the most enjoyable,I seemed to just fly through it.I won't spoil the whole plot ,suffice to say it concerns a murder and a blacksmith is suspected.Anyone that loves medieval history will love this series of books,they are terrific!

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Largely very easy to read. I bought this in a bargain bookshop on a multi-buy, so wasn't holding out much hope for the quality. The story worked for me, though, in a gentle, unchallenging way; this isn't going to change your life but may fill a few hours in a better way than what's on your TV. There was a mystery and I didn't foresee the ending. Some of the dialogue was quite starchy to read, but I guess this reflects the formality of interactions between the educated and landed classes of the time.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1999, 'The Foxes of Warwick' is a medieval murder mystery in the 'Domesday' series. Like many of the series from the same author, the characters characters have a way of speaking in short clipped sentences which make for fast reading. The setting makes for a very enjoyable tale, although the various red herrings were a little too obvious. Fun, quick to read and undemanding.

[Stephen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book that continues a great series

This is another brilliantly crafted story that continues a great series. This plot follows the royal commission on another mission to solve a murder whilst presiding over more disputes related to the domesday book.

[Ma'lis Wendt · Rating 3 out of 5]

King William's commissioners, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, arrive at Warwick for another set of hearings on land disputes. Once again there has been a recent murder of the reeve of one of the major landholders. I found this complex mystery fascinating with a surprise ending.

[Maeghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best so far of the series....

This is an excellent series, with charming and compelling characters. This installment is the best of the lot so far. Many twists and turns right up until the end.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story especially as it was set in and around my home town.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the last book in the series. This is an engaging story with a twist at the end.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical detail. Interesting twists in plot.

[ANDREW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read

[Ayyorama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable domesday mystery. Flows easily. Good story, keeps you guessing till the end. A quick read.

[John McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy and pleasant read.

Following in the way of the previous books in this series it is entertaining, an easy read and has a twist at the end. This series is consistently good.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating clarification: 3.5 stars

My favorite of the series thus far. I loved Huna, the dwarf & his bear, Boio and Asmoth.
The medieval claim of sanctuary was employed here to good effect.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, a fun and easy Marston read. Really enjoyed the mystery here and had a satisfying ending, definitely one of his best I’ve read so far.

[Marian Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Edward Marston but this did nothing for me. Maybe because I read it out of sequence, i just couldn’t get my head around any of the characters and found it all a bit tedious.

[Maria Thermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic adventure in icy cold Warwickshire awaits the Royal Commissioners Gervase and his friend Ralph, not to mention their two substitute monkish commissioners, when they ride to Warwick in order to settle several disputes over land-boundaries that arose out of the compilation of the Domesday Book and William the Conqueror's new system of taxation.

Upon arrival they find that one of the key witnesses to one of the disputes has been murdered and a local blacksmith, who clearly couldn't have committed the crime when the Henry of Beaumont, Warwick castle's man in charge, said he did. So Ralph and Gervase, and the endearingly eccentric monk Brother Benedict, set out to clear the blacksmith's name and safe him from certain death by hanging.

All the characters are a delight, especially the old peddler who performs his "miracles" and outwits all the church authorities who try to thwart the good man. The inclusion of the dwarf and his dancing bear as a "red herring" was truly inspired and utterly charming to read.

This is a wonderful read, an insightful look into the state of marriage and our relationships with those that are supposed to serve us. I didn't want the adventure to end somehow, fearing that now I won't ever know what becomes of the blacksmith and the brave young woman who comes to his aid.

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume IX of the Domesday Books. Yet again, Gervase and Ralph are joined by two new members of the commission --- the soldier Philippe Trouville, and the archdeacon Theobald. Yet again, a murder precedes them (and another murder soon follows suit). The blacksmith, Boio, is arrested for the crime, though he claims to have an alibi. Was it the hulking, mentally slow smithy who crushed his victim, or a performing bear in the area, or perhaps a large, sullen poacher? Gervase and Ralph work to find the truth, for they think Boio innocent. Meanwhile, Golde works behind the scenes (yet again) to unravel a bit more of the secrets their host and fellow commissioners seem to have.

This is a good murder mystery with a neat twist at the end that I certainly did not guess (Marston is very skilled at placing red herrings). Having read nine volumes, however, I must say that I do find each book in the series to be made more or less from the same mold, and the mystery is unfortunately given much more attention than the history. There are no little touches that make 1086 come alive; indeed, with very few changes, this could be set in a remote but modern English village.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to take a break from Marston, I think. While I still like all the historical bits in this series about the Domesday commissioners, the stories are starting to blend together.

This story surrounds the imprisonment of a local blacksmith who stands accused of murdering a former employee of the sheriff of Warwick. The sheriff refuses to countenance the possibility that the smith is not guilty, preferring to torture a confession out of it. Gervase and Ralph do some investigating and with Golde's help, they find several pieces of the puzzle that don't fit. Then the blacksmith escapes and one of the other commissioners takes off with the sheriff in the hunt for him.

A bit of a twist at the end, and a couple of new fun characters that might continue appearing in other books. But I think I'll take a break for awhile in any case.

[Booknblues · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone who follows my reading knows that I love Edward Marston's Domesday Books and have been working my way through this series. I appreciated The Foxes of Warwick as much as the others. We are missing a few members of the commission but some interesting new members are included. Of course Ralph and Gervase are present as well as Ralph's wife Golde.

This one proved less straight forward than some of the others and with the red herrings thrown in actually fooled me and I was surprised by the conclusion. I look forward to reading book 10 of the series.

[Cece · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the library does not have the full series, and I am not moved to invest in them-I hope to fill out the ones I missed someday. These are a good change of pace.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this series of novels by Edward Marston. The Foxes of Warwick kept me guessing right until the end.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Medieval settings are interesting especially the mysteries as the sleuths must rely on their own mental abilities rather than the forensic means of modern times. Here, the protagonists must thwart one of their own group who is a new member of the commissioners and thus basically unknown.