Without a Trace (The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon)

The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon #12

by Melvin R. Starr, Jayme Mattler (Director), Steven Crossley (Reading)

Lady Philippa, the wife of Sir Aymer, a knight of the realm, disappears while traveling from her husband's manor to Bampton. She and her maid are traveling in an enclosed wagon, while her husband and his grooms and a squire are mounted.

When the party arrives at Bampton Castle neither the lady nor her maid are within the enclosed wagon--they have simply vanished. As the disappearance may have happened while the travelers were on Lord Gilbert's lands, his surgeon and bailiff, Hugh de Singleton, is assigned to discover what has happened to the lady. Has she been taken? Has she fled her husband?

A few days later her husband receives a ransom demand, and Hugh is named to deliver the money. Why him? The ransom is paid, but the lady is not returned. Can Hugh help find her, or is it already too late?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Medieval, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Historical

1 pages, MP3 CD

First published September 20, 2019

About the author

Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and eight grandchildren.

Reviews

[English · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent latest installment in the continuing Hugh de Singleton series. This book focuses on the disappearance of a noblewoman rather than a murder, and I think there is more of an emphasis on procedure and investigation in this one.

The mystery has plenty of twists and turns, false starts and red herrings. Hugh- now Sir Hugh, follows a false trail and the wrong lead, which leads him to another potential mystery. In a sense, this proves he is only human and not everything is easy for him to solve.

As with the other novels in this series, there's usually an operation or two for Hugh to perform; this time he performs one on a horse as well. The details about Medieval life and society are also well done. In this case, they relate a lot to marriage and religion, as well as a moral dilemma towards the end.

There is a rather interesting scene in which Hugh sees some of his acquaintances using an early form a magnifying glass and decides he must have one (even though he does not struggle with his eyesight): the Medieval equivalent of needing the latest gadget or iPad.

Hugh's family also come into this one quite a lot, with his clever wife Kate, their children and her father. Readers should be warned, though, there are some tragic scenes that tug at the heart strings in this book as Hugh and his loved ones struggle with illness and a loss in the family.

It would probably have been possible for Hugh to solve this mystery quicker, and the book was rather more slow paced then some of the others, but it has everything that dedicated readers of this series have come to love. There's no political intrigue, sex or graphic violence, as you find in other mystery series, but some people appreciate that.
I thought it was a good installment, and look forward to the next one.

Although this book was released a week ago, I was sent a copy by the Publisher in August as I have reviewed titles for them in the past. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Shoshana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book this is. I have never read a book by Mel Starr before, but I am going to rectify that omission as soon as possible. I enjoyed “Without a Trace” very much, and did not find it to be difficult to understand the various strands of the series. This is an historical mystery, taking place in 1373, in the later part of the reign of Edward III.

The series protagonist is a doctor, Hugh de Singleton, who is the bailiff for a baron, Lord Gilbert Talbot. This gives him a strong backer for his investigations. In this book, a lady disappears in weird circumstances. She is on the road in a covered wagon, with her own husband and his men all around her. But she and her maid are found to be missing with no one seeing what happened. Did she run off with a lover, or was she kidnapped for ransom? It falls to Hugh de Singleton to investigate.

I don’t like spoilers, so I will not give any. This is a very intricate and convoluted story, and when it is all explained (I didn’t see it coming), hangs together perfectly. This is the twelfth chronicle of Hugh de Singleton which means I have eleven more to which to look forward, plus any new ones to come.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Without a Trace by Melvin R. Starr
The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon #12

Coming into this series on book twelve may not have been the best idea. I never really became invested in Hugh, his family or any of the characters. The story was told from Hugh’s viewpoint and felt a bit stodgy to me with him telling what happens but without any oomph. It may be that if I had read the previous eleven books I would feel differently. This is a reminder to myself not to pick up series so far along. The book description is sufficient to indicate what the story will be about. There are a few medical issues Hugh the surgeon has to deal with, some family interaction is mentioned and then there was the sleuthing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Hudson (Fiction) for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars

[Diane Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not his best.

I enjoyed this book, as I do all of his. I am now fully invested in our hero and his lovely family and friends. The books have a similar and familiar vibe to them which is comforting and happiness to be a part of. I liked that this story had a disappearance involved, instead of the typical murder mystery to solve. I do think that Hugh could have pursued some different avenues a little sooner, so that makes me wonder if the author is trying to drag his books out a little bit??? Anyways ... Always a good read from this wonderful author, even if he did make me tear up a little this time as well...

I bought this book myself, and for me!!! Hooray!

[Amy McElroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is twelfth in a series which I had not read before. The story covers the travels of Sir Hugh as he attempts the discover the fate of Lady Philippa.

There are a few lovable characters in this book and I enjoyed getting to know them. There are numerous additional characters who I assume are present in the rest of the series.

The book provides insight in to how gangs and criminals operated in medieval times.

Overall I found this an easy read and quite enjoyable. I would consider reading more of the series.

[Gary McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read the first twelve books in the series. As of now, 2025, there are seventeen books in the series, with more likely to be released by the author in the future. There are certain trends I have noticed. Most noteworthy is the desire of the author to point out how death is just around the corner for people living in this period. Lately, a minor character has died in every book. And as Hugh travels, descriptions of partially empty villages fill the books. This is a reminder of the number of times plague visited England. All this adds to the reality of the environment the author has created. For many, this is the primary reason we read historical fiction. Sure, we like a good mystery, but in reality, we are reading to escape to a time and place we can never see.

The mystery of this book is rather thin, and most will guess the outcome early in the book. We are told the wife was abused by her husband and seemed to have been kidnapped with no one seeing what happened. The crime is solved quickly and in a questionable method in the last chapter. The quick solution was a little too unrealistic and unsatisfying for me. And there was the distraction of the magnifying glass, of which I’m not sure why it was needed. Perhaps to add a few more pages to the story. In the meantime, we see Hugh bring to justice another group responsible for yet another kidnapping. A kidnapping of which everyone knew the guilty parties, so not much of a mystery.

All this doesn’t mean it is a bod book; it simply means the mystery isn’t the important part of reading a Hugh de Singleton book. There is one little irritation that bothers me and that is how many times Hugh or others use the word, “perhaps.” I thought modern authors used text scanners that show word usage to detect these issues.

[J.J. Rusz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugh de Singleton is back in “Without a Trace,” the twelfth novel in Mel Starr’s fine series about a medieval surgeon with a gift for solving mysteries. This time around, a noblewoman and her serving woman disappear from their wagon on a short journey and a ransom is demanded from Sir Aymer, her unlikable husband. Sir Hugh is asked to investigate the matter.

Sir High narrates all the tales in the series, which partially explains their deliberate pace. Hugh worries about the state of the kingdom, describes just about every meal he eats, and, best of all, provides insight into family life in fourteenth-century England. The personal sections are predictably the most moving.

Here, Hugh's kidnapping investigation involves an ever-widening circle of suspects, but its resolution is not entirely surprising—if you read the evidence carefully. But that’s what mystery tales are all about.

[sabagrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Questions, questions, questions ... I've come to dread the pages and pages of questions that the detective asks him/herself. Repeatedly. Stupidly. As if the reader were unable to know him/herself the evidence, the puzzles, the traces, the suspicions - we are mystery readers, aren't we? We need not be reminded of mysteries.

This one is an unusually un-bloody case. The 1 murder is a bit of an afterthought: not really necessary, and not for Hugh to investigate. The surfeit of questions may also be due to the fact that the mystery as a whole lacks in substance, so that it needs to be stretched thin over the required number of pages.

Maybe at some point in the future I will feel like returning to this series. For now, it has run its course.

I regularly add 1 star for an author who knows when to end a series, and subtract 1/2 star from authors who keep flogging the poor dead horse.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 12 in this historical fiction series. Set in 14 th century medieval England. Lady Phillipa and her maid disappear .
Sir Hugh de Singleton, who is Bailiff and surgeon is asked to try to find these women.
I have really enjoyed the series. Most of my other ratings have been between a four and a five star but I think I have series fatigue. I thought this one had a lot of filler . I didn’t feel invested in outcome of this book, there were times I was mixing up some of the characters and and lost some of the thread,. One part of the book I always enjoy is when Hugh returns home and we learn more of what’s happening within his own community, including his family.

I’ll definitely return to the series but for now I think I’ll take a break

[Mairi Chong · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this historical mystery, the wife of a knight, along with her maid, appears kidnapped from a coach in which they are travelling. The coachman, both deaf and with cataracts, offers no explanation. So it falls to surgeon and bailiff, Hugh de Singleton, to discover what has happened to the women.
This is the second of Starr’s books that I have read and I was pleased by the gentle steady pace of the story and the medieval details offered. This is not an especially complicated plot and there are no twists or clever tricks to awe the reader but for a quiet Sunday afternoon read, this is perfect fodder. Highly recommend.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love for this series just gets firmer and firmer. Hugh is a deeply relative character considering his time and place and that is credit to Mel Starr for making him so. Great mystery, wonderful addition to the series.

I wish I could inspire more readers to try this extraordinary little known series. It checks all the boxes! Yes, there is vocabulary from the period but a glossary is provided and the little known words rarely need stopping the narrative to look up.

This one is not just for history geeks but for mystery fans everywhere.

[Gamgee_potaytoes · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always Hugh De Singleton never disappoints. The twists and turns in this book kept me guessing at who the kidnapper was and who was involved. In the end I was not disappointed with the villains of the story. This instalment was a bitter sweet as there was a happy ending just not the one I wanted. Lady Philippa was found and wasn't forced to go back to her abusive husband but neither was she able to go off with the man she loved. The man she loved was then forced to walk every day by her new home in hopes to see a glimpse of her.

[Maurice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A knight's lady has been kidnapped and it becomes Hugh's job to find her. A mystery of the middle ages, not unlike many of the others, except perhaps that the resolution of this one is rather too self-evident. Why does a young student frequently sit on a log, staring across the river at an orchard?
Why did no one see the lady being taken away from a cart on the road, not even the driver of the cart who pretends to be deaf? The lady has provided the knight with no heirs, how does that fit into this picture?

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good fun and an easy read. (Sir) Hugh de Singleton tends to think a great deal about the meaning of life in a Mediaeval world, sometimes he relies too much on faith (were they all like that... what with nasty rules, lords and priests, I don't think so). Sir Hugh is also quite determined and when he is asked to investigate a dissapearence he dives right in there.
It's a good read which throws a number of possible red herrings your way... and some unresolved ones also... deliberate?

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The excellent historical detail, character development, and rich settings of Mr. Starr's writing transports me every time to medieval times. Sometimes, the characters are just a tad too forward thinking, but generally not. The only complaint I had with this book is that I had halfway figured out where the lady had gone, but thought surely if that were it, Hugh de Singleton would have, too. So I was rather let down by the "quick, wrap it up" feel of the last chapter.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the Hugh de Singleton series but this book was disappointing. I kept falling asleep as reading it which is never a good recommendation for a book. Perhaps the reason I kept falling asleep was because I was pretty certain that I knew the outcome. And I did. I had skipped over the preceding book because it was not yet available on Audible but I don't think that contributed it to my feelings about this book. I hope it did not is I plan to read that book shortly.

[Patricia Gulley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of skimming in this one, too many descriptions of back and forth journeys that led to nothing and religious fearing. And almost all of the books have maps, but then goes on to name several places not on the map. Where was Epwell, Burford, Witney, Alvescot, Black Bourton and Crowley corner? And was Stephenton Abbey, the place of Jane Austen? That would have been an interesting bit for the Afterward.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm doing a review for the whole series as I've left it so long since I started listening to them.

I would highly recommend this series and in fact I have done so to a number of people already. Very impressed with the writing, the research that seems to have been done and the historical accuracy is excellent.

Nice characters, good pace, interesting stories. Really interesting to see the ability of surgeons then and the ways Hugh deducts things.

[Mary MacKintosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in awhile the answer to a mystery cannot be found. When a lady and her maid disappear without a trace while traveling, we’ll guarded, between two estates, can the bailiff /surgeon figure out what happened?

[Sandy Carruthers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up to his usual high standard.

Very readable, nice style of writing, I look forward to the next book. Perhaps with recipes and cooking and taste notes.

[Gregory McEwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read

As always, I’ve enjoyed another of Mel Starr’s novels. I have to say this one kept me guessing at the outcome, as to who did the bad deed. Very suspenseful read.

[Charmaine Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing

I have read all 12 books. Have found them all interesting.
The use of the old words and the way they speak those words are interesting.
Can't wait for the next book 😀

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always, always great books!

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted Kate to say Enough is enough!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all the Mel Starr books, but this one I felt kept repeating phrases and ideas just circled a bit too much.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this historical mystery, a fun way to learn with the author having researched to period well.

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of twists in this one and not quite so many times that Hugh is stupid.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK. Predictable. Repetitive in places.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorites from the Hugh de Singleton series.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I already wrote a few lines to review this audio book. I did not enjoy it much, mainly used it to fall asleep to. Thought from the ratings and reviews that I would enjoy it more.