DNF'ing a book never gets any easier. I made it only about 5 chapters or so in this one, but for some reason I had a really hard time getting into it. I think the writing style just may not be for me. I also was not aware that this was book number 10 in a series, which was also tough because I feel like there is so much that I am probably missing out on. Plus, it was very slow, which also made it hard for me to stay hooked unfortunately.

Didn't realise this was part of a series, my mistake! Overall it was an engaging read quite different from modern thriller and mysteries. I loved the medieval atmosphere and will be looking to read more in this realm!

I enjoyed this medieaval cosy mystery veey much! I found it entertaining with compelling characters. The plot was good: I guessed about the conclusion early but was never completely sure till towards the end of the book! Many twists and turns make this book compelling and a page-turner!
I received a digital ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I was intrigued by the description of this book, the plot and characters fell a little flat. I was unaware that this was the tenth book in the series and luckily I don't believe I missed anything by not having read the previous novels. While a murder mystery set in medieval times certainly was interesting at times, things felt quite repetitive and the ending while not entirely obvious, wasn't particularly surprising or thrilling.

A Taste for Killing is a medieval murder mystery, full of small village intrigue reminiscent of an episode of Midsummer Murders (which I love).

The language used was medieval-esque and took some time to get used to; I also found the repetition of some actions a little annoying (alas, the characters seemed to be continuously talking about, or making, "pottage").

This was a largely plot driven book - I understand that there are previous books in the series which may have already developed the main characters.

There were some lovely twists and turns, but the reveal of the murderer - without posting spoilers - left me with some unanswered questions.

I'd rate this a 3.5 / 5. Having just read one of the Brother Athelstan Mysteries by Paul Doherty - which i loved - it was impossible not to compare the two, unfortunately to the detriment of this.

This was a wild ride that I was here for. I did not wanna put it down. When I fell asleep reading it I woke up the next morning and went on. Sometimes its hard to keep my attention but this book had it all. I am so grateful for this ARC. Thank you Sarah Hawkswood. Brilliant.

Although it seemed obvious who the culprit was, it took a lot of untangling to reach a satisfactory conclusion. This is a murder mystery with many layers and lots of historical colour. However I found the archaic language choppy and disorienting, which made concentration a constant challenge.

not really my type of thing... it was hard to get through and not very interesting + the quotation marks were pissing me off the whole book

I usually enjoy historical mysteries and was excited to read A Taste For Killing. However, I soon became tired of plodding through the excessive dialogue and lengthy sentences. Unfortunatley, the writing style was just not for me, I would have appreciated more descriptions of setting and character. The plot was very much driven by conversation. You may enjoy this if you're looking for an easy and predictable read.

I enjoyed reading this medieval murder mystery for its strong sense of time and place, and for the portrayals of the main recurrent characters. I particularly found the contrasting personalities and development of the three investigators to work well. This was especially the case with Bradecote, where his personal life being entwined effectively with the development of the mystery. I would have liked a little more interaction between Bradecote, Catchpoll, and Walkelin, just because I really enjoyed all their conversations and the balance that they found in their relationships.

While I guessed the identity of the killer pretty early on, the story did well for me in giving additional details and twists that kept me continuing to guess the full depth of the mystery until near the end.

This was a fun, absorbing read, and I look forward to more in the series.

I was lucky enough to receive an E-ARC on NetGalley. I couldn't discern from the book description that it was the 10th book in the series. I didn't do any extra research on the author - I went purely off the blurb on NetGalley. Fortunately because it was a mystery, I didn't feel like I had to read any of the previous books to get to know the setting and characters. Although it would have been much preferable to have known and learned more of the depth of the relationships from previous books. The plot was easy to follow but I didn't particularly enjoy the writing style or the dialogue heavy nature of the story. I will be honest, I glazed over a lot of the book because I felt compelled to finish it but would have rather DNF'D it. I don't plan on going back and reading any more books from this series.

If you enjoy predictable period mysteries or are already a fan of Sarah Hawkswood's series I am sure you will enjoy it! It just wasn't for me.

“I am Hugh Bradecote, undersheriff, sent by the lord Sheriff to discover who killed your husbands”
I really liked this book!!
It was a good mystery book with regency vibe that took me back in time where anything could happen in one household when money were involved (it still happened though).
I liked how the action and the investigation took place and , despite not having read the previous book in the series, I could read it easily without too many troubles !!
Getting to know the officers would definitely help in understanding their modus operandi but honestly the plot was good as it was so … nothing to complain about !!
I have to admit that the solution was a bit predictable but I still grew into it alongside the plot’s development and it was something I liked a lot !!
Overall I think it’s an enjoyable book that I’m glad I had the chance to read.
“Truth will make itself known”

I received this title from NetGalley and did not realize that it is the 10th book in the series. It is a cozy mystery novel set in medieval times, and cozy mysteries are not something I normally read although I do enjoy a good mystery. Like all good books within the genre I didn’t need to read the previous ones to become familiar with the cast of characters- I could easily pick up on the relationships of the existing cast without missing out on much.

The fact that it was set in a time period where there wasn’t nearly as much science behind investigation makes it interesting- there was no forensics team in medieval times, or a way to autopsy a body to determine the exact compounds within it. It means the story is very dialogue heavy as that is the primary means of investigation, so if you aren’t interested in the characters speaking- a lot- you won’t be interested in the story.

The plot itself is relatively simple- a man and his wife are poisoned, but he dies- who committed the murder in this unhappy marriage? The story mainly features male detectives and relies on the tropes of the time for women- which doesn’t necessarily detract from the overall narrative, but does make it slightly more predictable. I found it very repetitive at times; both in conversations being had and in word choice. Every time someone bows they say ‘obeisance’ and many people are deemed as looking ‘harassed’- I actually got tired of reading these phrases truth be told.

Overall, I won’t be reading anymore books from this series .The book felt slow and slightly repetitive, so unless you’re already a fan of this series or are very interested in this more niche genre, I would probably pass.

It is cold in Worcester in 1145 when Master Godfrey Bowyer is dead by poisoning. Is he the intended victim

in his miserable household? His wife, Blanche is a grieving widow but the maid is also distraught.

This is such a great atmospheric whodunnit that kept me hooked from page one. as the investigation by Serjeant

Catchpoll and Lord Bradecote gets underway.. They sift through clues, suspects, and many red herrings,

to a welcome result. An extremely enjoyable read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Allison & Busby for an advanced copy of this historical mystery.

One of the interesting things about the genre of mystery is that it can be told almost in anytime and literally anywhere. A crime is necessary, anything from a missing trinket to multiple murder and a person whose sole purpose is to investigate the crime, and see it to a conclusion. Add in interesting characters, make the setting real to both the reader and the people dwelling in it and you have a mystery story. Add in a good mix of historical accuracy as Sarah Hawkswood does in her book A Taste for Killing, the tenth book in the Bradecote and Catchpoll investigations and you will have a very enjoyable story.

January 1145 and a bow maker and his wife are given a dinner full of poison. The bow maker does not survive but his wife does, leading to what seems to be a simple investigations for th sheriff's men. Unfortunately murder is never simple and the victim was not a well liked man in the community, with suspects a plenty, including his own brother, the town bailiff and other powerful men, and women who would like this case to be closed. And more bodies are starting to appear.

A medieval set mystery full of history, with a good setting and interesting characters. Bradecote and Catchpoll are very strong characters, rich in backstory and have a very buddy buddy relationship that helps move the story along. The mystery is fair, and unfolds well, and never bogs down always moving along at a very good pace. I really enjoyed the setting and the use of language of the period, which I thought added a good touch to the writing.

Recommended for fans of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, as they are set about the same time and area. Also for readers of Edward Marston or the Michael Jecks mystery series, sheriffs solving crimes in medieval England. This is my first book by Sarah Hawkswood, but I plan to go back and read the others in the series.

A Taste For Killing is a medieval murder mystery- I was very intrigued by the summary I saw and was excited to read it. However, it's hard to get into along with being very repetitive instead of allowing the story to actually develop. Worldbuilding in any fiction novel runs the risk of having the reader not be able to connect to the characters or the story. While it is a necessary component, unfortunately, this book fell flat with worldbuilding and was difficult to immerse myself into fully. The main characters were interesting but characters cannot support an entire book, especially a mystery.

By reading other reviews I see some readers loved this book- if you are already a fan of this genre I would suggest a read and in general, my opinion may not represent that of the majority. However, I would suggest against this book if you are not a fan of the genre or if you need books that are fast-paced.

[actual rating: 2.75]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC!

I had quite a difficult time getting into this book- I found the writing to be a bit dense and difficult to really immerse yourself in. Nonetheless, I thought the setting and atmosphere drew me in and the book also benefited from its quite interesting characters.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was written well with a compelling storyline and engaging charcaters that were well developed. It was twisty and unpredictable and I couldn't out it down.

I loved reading this book! I found the writing to be very insightful and interesting. I was intrigued by the premise and I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

This was labeled as a “medieval mystery”, and the title harkened back to the first book in the beloved Brother Cadfael series, A MORBID TASTE FOR BONES, so I thought I would pick it up. What I was hoping for was a thoughtfully crafted mystery steeped in the minutiae of medieval life, with some deeper theme illuminating the nature of humanity.

What I got instead was a rehashing, over and over again, of the murder scene — of particular actions — of the same four or five characters having the same conversations. Nothing seemed to progress. I had the distinct impression that the town’s inhabitants were dolls, moving and speaking when the author needed them for a scene but otherwise completely static.

It’s perhaps unfair to compare this to the Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters, but Hawkswood invites the comparison by setting the series in the civil war between Stephen and Maud in the 1100s, not to mention the strong resemblance between Hugh Bradecote and Peters’ Hugh Beringar. Where Peters’ Shrewsbury is vibrant and populated, Hawkswood’s Worchester feels as if its streets are empty of life. This is the tenth book in this series — I have not read the others — and yet characters like Roger the Healer, who one would have expected to see in other books, and whose history would logically be known to Catchpoll and Bradecote, tell their life stories on page for the asking.

Overall, I found this book exasperating and dull. A medieval mystery does not have to do the same thing as Peters’ Brother Cadfael or Eco’s THE NAME OF THE ROSE. However, if the attempt is made to copy Peters, the skill in craft is necessary to pull it off. Hawkswood does not have that skill.

(I got around 30% of the way through the book and then read the ending. The ending, to my mind, left unresolved and unexamined a number of social and ethical questions. The quality of the town map in the front matter was bad; I have made better maps for my Dungeons and Dragons campaign.)