The Colour of Shadows

Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery #5

by Toni Mount

When Seb Foxley discovers a child’s body in his workshop and another lad goes missing, our medieval sleuth is perplexed at every turn. His investigations take him across London Bridge to Bankside, where he becomes embroiled in the sinister shadows of the city’s underworld. Bankside is a labyrinth of depravity and crime where every harlot intends the downfall of respectable men and every scoundrel has a secret. In a netherworld unlike anything he’s experienced before, can Seb unravel the murky mysteries of The Mermaid Tavern, recover the stolen lad and restore him to his family?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Medieval

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2020

About the author

Toni Mount is a writer, teacher and speaker, specialising in ordinary lives and fascinating characters from history. She has an MA by Research from the University of Kent. Diplomas in European Humanities, Literature and Creative Writing and a first class honours degree from the Open University.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toni Mount is a brilliant author of fiction and nonfiction, writing both as if she personally experienced the 15th century. Ever since I stumbled upon The Colour of Poison, I have been utterly addicted to the Sebastian Foxley series. Therefore, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of The Colour of Shadows. Few books make me sit back and think, “I wish I could write this way,” but I found myself frequently jealous of Toni Mount’s skill and compassion while reading this one.

What sets this book, and in fact the entire series, apart from others? Many things, but I must begin with Sebastian himself. It has been a joy to watch Seb’s transformation from a timid, crippled scrivener to a young husband, father, and business owner. He has gained confidence and responsibility while holding on to his best qualities, his integrity, his faith, and his belief that most people watch for rainbows as they stroll homeward. Sebastian has remained scholarly yet innocent despite investigating murders, experiencing betrayal, and enduring the abuse of an ornery wife.

It is not only Sebastian’s character that is creatively and realistically painted. Emily, who has evolved in very different ways than her husband, is a harridan, but now and then I still feel sympathy for her. It was difficult to be a 15th century housewife, and Sebastian does always seem a bit distracted and at a loss regarding how to please his headstrong wife even if he remains sweetly devoted to her. While Seb can’t imagine uttering a cruel word, let alone raising a hand to Emily, Adam is not such a master of self-control. “You’re a shrew, Emily, not a wife. Seb is a saint to put up with you.” (I, for one, was applauding.)

We also see Jack and Kate growing up and struggling with typical coming of age issues, which Seb is just as hopeless with as his wife’s unhappiness. We are left hoping that Rose and Adam will fill the gap. Rose is a quiet presence in this book, hardworking and grateful for her place in the household, as well as far more devoted than Seb gives her credit for. Adam is a delightful addition to the household and just the sort of down-to-earth guy that Seb needs in his life. He is supportive and encouraging where Jude was irresponsible and demeaning. They are each so real and unique.

In addition to the development of her characters, Ms Mount’s creation of 15th century London is breathtaking. She seems to write about the daily life of the Foxley household as easily as I might keep a diary of what I do each day. Yet these details are so expertly woven into the story the reader never feels that they are enduring a dump of information solely included to impress them with the author’s knowledge. From the work required in the kitchen to the speaking patterns of the characters, the era is brought to life in a way few other authors have accomplished (CJ Sansom is the only comparable one that comes to mind).

A dark, disturbing tone is immediately set as The Colour of Shadows begins. We witness the abduction of a child from the London streets – in a crowd, in the light of day – it is every parent’s worst nightmare. And it turns out to be just one of several problems Sebastian must cope with. The reader feels him get beat up and run down in this story. We watch his heart break and feel as helpless as poor Rose and Adam to help him.

Sebastian is overwhelmed by hunting for a missing child, investigating a murder, and caring for a sick wife while attempting to also run his business. Old secrets rise to the surface, and Sebastian’s life is threatened on more than one occasion. But that all pales in comparison to a single whispered word that can never be taken back.

If you have enjoyed the Sebastian Foxley series, you will love this latest installment. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend you do. I dropped everything to binge on this book over the weekend, and I loved every minute of it. My only complaint is that I am always left desperately waiting for the next book!

[J.P. Reedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I had probably read as many medieval sleuthing novels as I wanted to...but then I discovered Toni Mount's SEBASTIAN FOXLEY series. Set in the 1470's, during the reign of Edward IV, they bring us Seb Foxley, a disabled scrivener and his family and associates. The book starts off on with a real dramatic and frightening hook--a child's body is discovered in Seb's workshop!
Toni Mount's knowledge of the 15th c is truly encyclopedic, and that brings an added sense of reality to the work. Every street, house, item of clothing, or mention of the politics of the day has the ring of reality about it. So too do the characters--no modern day people in 'fancy dress' here!
Recommend for mystery lovers and for any medieval or Wars of the Roses enthusiasts.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Colour of Shadows is the eighth book in Toni Mount’s popular Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery series. In this story, Seb Foxley, a city of London artist and manuscript illustrator, discovers a boy’s body in his workshop and is drawn into the hunt for the missing son of an acquaintance.

Using a sketch of the boy, Seb crosses London Bridge and walks down to Southwark, where he finds himself mixed up in the shadowy world of prostitution and murkier, more sinister crimes.

Despite being a respected local sleuth, Seb is somewhat retiring and naïve, and wanders into The Mermaid tavern having been told it was a place of ‘entertainment’ – he is expecting jugglers. The missing boy has been there, but Seb, and his faithful hound Gawain, barely escape with their lives.

This being my first Sebastian Foxley mystery, I found some of the characters rather flat because their personalities and backstories have been developed in previous novels. That being said, the author weaves in past events and key interpersonal details through dialogue. Seb’s wife is heavily pregnant in this story, and shrewish in the extreme but, we are told, she’s always been a ‘moody mare’ anyway. I would have liked to know more about why Seb is being pursued by an evil-minded nobleman, and what really leads to his arrest while his wife is in labour, but that did not spoil my overall enjoyment of the story, which can be read perfectly well as a stand-alone mystery.

What makes this novel stand out from many other historical mysteries is Mount’s knowledge of the epoch. Instead of focusing on the better-known players of the time, such as the future Richard III, who makes a very brief appearance, her novel is set at the hearthside of a modest family and in the workshop of a skilled artisan. The storyline involves servants, apprentices and journeymen, each of whom is more than a mere supporting character. As one reads about how a manuscript is being illustrated or how a toddler is being distracted by a rag ball, how the pottage is ladled out at mealtimes, one becomes totally immersed in both setting and period.

Well recommended for readers who enjoy a good whodunnit, and/or want to know more about fifteenth-century London. I shall go back now and start on Book 1.

Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds

[Pauline Calkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the eighth installment of this mystery series, we pay another visit to the London of 1479, the world of Sebastian Foxley, scrivener, artist, and sometime sleuth. Seb awakens on the morning of Palm Sunday only to discover the body of a boy in his workshop. Shortly thereafter, a neighbor beeseches Seb to find her son, a student at St. Paul’s song school, who has disappeared. The soft-hearted Seb agrees, and with the help of his stalwart cousin, Adam, learns that the two mysteries are connected, their investigation leading them across the river to nefarious underworld of Bankside and The Mermaid Tavern.

The naive Seb meets a series of characters sent from the The Mermaid to entice him there: a brazen harlot, the harlot feigning to be an innocent country girl, and finally, John/Eleanor. Rather than succumbing, Seb is shocked, but goes to the tavern on his own. Eventually he is rescued by Adam and Seb’s dog, Gawain. Following an adventure in the Lambeth Marshes they do rescue the boy and learn the identity of the dead child.

Seb is beset by other troubles during this investigation: a troublesome commission to copy an astrological book, the upsets caused by some fractious members of his household, and, hardest of all, the difficult pregnancy of his wife Em. Seb also becomes the target of an old enemy, Francis Lovell, who believes Seb is trying to blackmail him.

I must admit it took me some time to warm up to this series, but I now appreciate the picture of life among the common folk that the knowledgeable author can draw. Not only do we see the seedier side of London life, but we also see parents saving up to send their boys to school so that they can become lawyers. I also enjoy the collection of characters in Seb’s world—for the most part. The author says one of her favorite is young Jack the apprentice, but I still find him annoying. Though some Richardians will take strong exception, Francis Lovell is a delicious villain. As for Seb himself he may be a little too saintly, and his naïveté about his wife is breathtaking, but it was poignant when she made a final revelation to him. Parallels can be drawn between the Seb and his patron, Richard of Gloucester. Lovell said Richard “lives in a world of make-believe that one; thinks every man is to be trusted like a bloody saint.” The same can be said of the gentle, pious Seb.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satisfying transition to the storyline

These stories drove me to distraction because Seb cried constantly and another character was over the top unlikeable. Something had to give. And hurray it finally did with this book. The plot, the setting, the characterization were all well done. There were multiple plot lines interwoven, yet all resolved in the end. I really like her portrayal of Duke Richard. Looking forward to Seb 's next adventure.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read. Toni does it again. I find this book really hard to review without providing any spoilers, so I'll just leave it at that. Nothing disappointing about this book, a satisfactory ending, and there are many new threads opened up for several more mysteries to come which makes me very excited. I can't wait for the next book and to discover what's next for dear old Seb.

[Simone Wallnöfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been waiting for The Colour of Shadows very impatiently. The wait really was worth it, though. In my opinion, the best of the Foxley novels yet. The story is very engaging, there's no lack of suspense and surprises. The main characters evolve with every new book, by now they seem familiar as if I had known them personally in real life. As usual, Toni Mount's description of every-day-life and language just makes you fall into medieval London, it is almost as if you were there, in the middle of things.
I really hope that the next story of the Foxley family will be available very soon.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1479, and Richard III is still the Duke of Gloucester. Peace reigns throughout England as Edward IV continues his second reign as king, and for Sebastian Foxley and his household, life is hectic yet thrilling with new projects for his workshop and his family growing. But life has a way of changing rather quickly. When a young boy is found dead in Sebastian’s studio, and another goes missing, the investigation into both cases takes Foxley and those close to him into the nefarious underworld of Bankside and the mysterious The Mermaid Tavern. Can they shed some light into this dark world of shadows to uncover the truth in time to save a life? This is the premise of the latest Seb Foxley mystery by Toni Mount, “The Colour of Shadows.”

I would like to thank Toni Mount for sending a copy of this novel. I will be honest. This is my first Seb Foxley mystery ( I know, I am late to the party since this is the eighth book in the series), but after reading this book, I want to go back and read the series from the beginning.

Since this is my first Seb Foxley novel, I did struggle a bit, in the beginning, to figure out the relationships between these colorful characters. Mount does include elements of previous stories in the dialogue between certain characters that intrigued me. Once I did figure out who these characters were, I feel in love with every one of them.

The thing about the Seb Foxley mystery series is that the main characters are average English citizens in the 15th century, focusing heavily on the Wars of the Roses period. This is somewhat unusual since many novels about 15th century England tend to focus on the royal families of York, Lancaster, and Tudor. What Mount has does is simply remarkable by creating such complex and lovable characters. Seb and his wife Emily bickering back and forth in a loving matter while their young family continues to grow. Adam, Seb’s cousin and closest friend who is always there to lend a helping hand. The kind and hardworking Rose who works hard to maintain order in the Foxley household. Tom, the rebellious scamp who believes that everything in life should be given to him on a silver platter. Kate and Jack, the naive youngsters who want to grow up quickly. And of course, the lovable four-legged friend, Gawain, the dog, who is always ready for treats and adventures.

Mount’s worldbuilding is, in a word, stunning. The only person I could compare it to is C.J. Sansom and his Shardlake series. I was left mesmerized by how Mount brought her knowledge of the medieval world into this novel to create a believable story. From the typical family life of the Foxley family to the education system, and of course, the seedy and shady underworld of Bankside and The Mermaid Tavern, Mount made medieval London feel so real. The details are impeccably written that I forgot that I was reading a novel.

I did not want this novel to end. Since this was my first Seb Foxley book, I did not know what to expect, but I fell in love with this series and these characters. Mount is a master at making characters feel like real people. I honestly cannot wait to start reading this series from the very beginning to explore Seb Foxley’s world even further. If you want a sublime book to escape into the medieval world or if you are a fan of the Seb Foxley series, I highly recommend you read, “The Colour of Shadows” by Toni Mount. A truly imaginative work of art that you will not want to leave.

[Derby Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seb Foxley doing what he does best - solving mysteries in medieavl London.
Loved this book but so sad - can't wait for another one, maybe Seb will have happier times?

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Colour of Shadows
Book #8 in the Sebastian Foxley Medieval Murder Mystery series
By Toni Mount
Reviewed May 13, 2022


The prologue to this latest Seb Foxley mystery tells of a young boy who has been abducted and is being taken to a brothel that caters to the more jaded tastes of the lords and shire-knights who are in London for King Edward’s parliaments. Ugh! So not good!

With this in the background (for now), the story proper begins with Seb and his nephew Adam calling upon Crosby Place, Richard of Gloucester’s London residence. They have come to present a copy of Aesop’s Fables to the royal duke as well as introduce Adam to Seb’s patron. All right, I knew at this point I was going to like this installment.

Hey, I’m a Ricardian fangirl; I can’t help myself! Okay, enough silliness.

Once we’re back at the Foxley house, we find some things never change. Em is expecting their second child, but is it Seb’s...or Gabe’s? (Refer to book 7.) And if you were expecting motherhood to have mellowed Em, think again. She’s as shrewish and unpleasant as ever, and the fact that this pregnancy isn’t going as easy as the first is not helping matters.

Seb at least tries to please his un-pleasable wife, but she dislikes his gentle demeanor and artist’s temperament as these make him unmanly in her eyes, especially when she compares him to her ideal lover, Gabriel who by now is out to sea on another trade mission. (I liked it in the previous book when Adam tells her what she’s feeling isn’t love, but lust.)

Seb does his best to just get along, because this is the 15th century; you can’t just go file for a divorce. At least he’s not alone in his house, with assorted apprentices and workshop employees appreciate their master’s kindly nature. And when Em tries to throw him out, Adam rightly points out that this is Seb’s house, not Em’s.

The morning after a particularly stormy night (the atmospheric kind, not another of Em’s tantrums) Seb is inspecting the property, inside and out, checking for damage. What he finds is much worse – the body of a boy about 10 years old on the workshop floor. And upon closer inspection, it becomes obvious the boy did not die from natural causes.

Worse yet, it is learned that the son of one of Em’s good friends, Beatrice “Beattie” Thatcher, has gone missing. It’s obvious to the reader that the young lad being led away against his will in the prologue is none other than Beattie’s son, Will.

Throw into this mix young apprentice, Tom Bowen, who has become more and more brash of late and has finally overstepped his bounds so that even the usually even keeled Seb has enough and tosses the lad out with no letter of reference. Tom, of course, thinks he doesn’t need his master’s letter of recommendation and instead plots to make easy money by blackmailing one of those lords in town for the sitting of Parliament – Lord Francis Lovell.

This isn’t good for Seb as, sure enough, Lovell believes our good artist is behind things. Some readers will take exception to the man known as Richard III’s closest friend being painted as a villainous character, but this is fiction and writers are allowed artistic license, so villain he will be within these pages, and he makes a fine one at that.

As is the way with real life, there are happy times mixed with sad. Mysteries are solved, a family is ultimately reunited, Adam takes a shine to a young widow, and Seb suffers heart breaking loss. All in all, another great entry in this series.

[Dave Hammett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too

Too many plots, too long. A good story well told but I got tired. Pretty good idea of the end and where the next one is going.

[Rosie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5 star read

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story about Seb and his adventures! I was tired of how Emily treated him and almost wished he left her, but things have a way of working themselves out…