The Good Knight (The Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries Book 1)

Sarah Woodbury

Sep 2011 · The Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries Book 1 · The Morgan-Stanwood Publishing Group

About this ebook

When a king is murdered on the way to his wedding, Gareth & Gwen join forces in their first mystery together!

Five years after Gareth walked away from Gwen in disgrace, she encounters him in the aftermath of an ambush, standing over the body of a murdered king. Although it isn't exactly the reunion Gwen had dreamed of, she and Gareth join forces against the treachery and intrigue rife within the court of Gwynedd.

And once blame for the murder falls on Gareth himself, Gwen must continue her search for the truth alone, finding unlikely allies in foreign lands, and ultimately uncovering a conspiracy that will shake the foundations of Wales.

Complete Series reading order: The Good Knight, The Uninvited Guest, The Fourth Horseman, The Fallen Princess, The Unlikely Spy, The Lost Brother, The Renegade Merchant, The Unexpected Ally, The Worthy Soldier, The Favored Son, The Viking Prince, The Irish Bride, The Prince's Man, The Faithless Fool, The Honorable Traitor, The Admirable Physician. Also The Bard's Daughter (prequel novella).

Ratings and reviews

I've always loved historical fiction and stories that have strong, intelligent heroines that others would want to emulate. I didn't give it 5 stars was because the twist, the big reveal, felt so rushed. There wasn't any build up to it except for Gareth saying that he doesn't trust anyone. Plus, the subsequent events pretty much cemented the main suspect as the murderer (well he is, for that was his original intent). I also wished that an angle with Godfrid and/or Hywell with Gwen was explored by the author.

My enjoyment of this book was marred by the difficult to pronouce Welsh names. Some help with the pronunciations would have helped a great deal. They were like potholes in a road. And the expectation of a relationship between Gareth and Gwen was stretched far and then trivialised at the end. I realised their story grows through the series however I wanted more for them in this first book. I give it 3 stars for the political twists and turns, murder and mayhem is all on par with the time period.

This is a quick, light read. There is a lot of violence and plenty of twists and turns. However, surprisingly, given that the author is a lady, though there is a romance in the novel, the romance is not the core of the novel. The author has a good understanding of relationships, in general. The main character, Gareth, and his lover, Gwen, are separated through much of the novel, only really coming together at the end. The novel is more about war & politics than anything else. Interestingly, however, the author focuses on the individuals who often cause war rather than on the consequences of war. One may say, oddly enough, that this novel is about a war that never happens, though there is plenty of fighting, murder, and violence, throughout the novel. There are a few twists at the end. They are intriguing and leave the reader with a generally good feeling. I recommend this novel.

About the author

With two historian parents, Sarah couldn't help but develop an interest in the past. She went on to get more than enough education herself (in anthropology) and began writing fiction when the stories in her head overflowed and demanded she let them out. While her ancestry is Welsh, she only visited Wales for the first time while in college. She has been in love with the country, language, and people ever since. She even convinced her husband to give all four of their children Welsh names.

With over a million books sold, Sarah is the author of over forty novels, all set in medieval Wales.

She makes her home in Oregon.

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