Searcher of the Dead: A Bess Ellyott Mystery

Nancy Herriman

Mar 2018 · A Bess Ellyott Mystery Book 1 · Crooked Lane Books

About this ebook

Join widowed herbalist Bess Ellyott as she navigates the dark side of Elizabethan London in this kick-off to a stunningly atmospheric historical mystery series.

“A treat for fans of all things Tudor. This is the book Agatha Christie would have written if she had worn a farthingale.” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author of the Veronica Speedwell mysteries

Living amid the cultural flowering, religious strife, and political storms of Tudor England, Bess Ellyott is an herbalist, a widow, and a hunted woman. She fled London after her husband was brutally murdered, but the bucolic town in the countryside where she lands will offer her no solace. She still doesn’t know who killed her husband, but she knows one thing: The murderer is still out there. This becomes all too clear when Bess’s brother-in-law, a prosperous merchant, is himself found dead—dangling from a tree, an apparent suicide.

But Bess doesn’t believe that for a moment, and nor do her neighbors. Competition is cutthroat in the 17th century, and word around the town holds that the dead man is a victim of rival merchants scheming to corner the wool market. Bess, though, is convinced the killer is out to destroy her family.

Town constable Christopher Harwoode will cross members of his own family to help Bess find the killer—whose next target may very well be Queen Elizabeth I—in this unshakably gripping, devilishly unpredictable series debut that will delight fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory.

Ratings and reviews

Searcher of the Dead by Nancy Herriman is the first book A Bess Ellyott Mystery series that is set in the late sixteenth century (1593). Elizabeth “Bess” Ellyott is a widow, herbalist and healer who moved from London to Wiltshire one year ago after the death of her husband. Only Bess and her servant, Joan know that Martin Ellyott was murdered, and Bess hopes that the killer has not followed her to her new home. Bess returns home to where she lives with her brother, Robert Marshall, after attending to a sick child. Waiting for Bess is her sister, Dorothie who is very distraught. Dorothie’s husband, Fulke Crofton failed to return home that evening after his journey to the nearby town of Devizes. She feels that Fulke has come to harm and wants them out searching immediately. Since dark is approaching, they convince her to wait until the morn. The next day Fulke is found suspended from a tree and the coroner’s jury quickly rules the death a suicide. In the dark of night, Bess examines the body to confirm that Fulke was murdered. But she will need tangible proof to get the coroner’s decision reversed. Constable Christopher “Kit” Harwoode joins Bess in the search for the truth. The pair ask discreet questions in their quest to uncover Fulke’s killer. Could it be the person lurking in the old priory? Is Fulke’s murder related to Martin’s? Travel back in time to when Queen Elizabeth I was reigning to pursue a killer in Searcher of the Dead. Searcher of the Dead is an Elizabethan mystery. Nancy Herriman captured the era with her descriptions of the clothing, housing, people’s attitudes and superstitions, how the characters spoke, and the way of life. The author included many interesting historical details that will fascinate readers. Priest holes, fines for not attending church every week, and Queen Elizabeth’s torturer-Richard Topcliffe and his cruel tactics are just a few of the interesting tidbits. The historical details overwhelm all else at times (heavy handed is the best way to describe it). I found the Searcher of the Dead to have a very slow pace thanks to the writing style and amount of detail included. The writing was stilted. I can understand the dialogue being awkward due to the way people spoke in the sixteenth century. However, the rest of the book needed a less formal writing style (it lacked an ease). It needed to be written in a way that would draw the readers in and keep them engaged (instead of drifting off to sleep until my dog started licking my face). The lack of action does not help matters either. The mystery of Fulke’s murder was compelling, and it contained some good clues along with misdirection. Many readers will be surprised by the identity of the person who committed the reprehensible act. I wish the author had not repeated the same details so many times throughout the book (Bess is obstinate and the details of the case for example). There is a romance blossoming between Bess and Kit that I am sure will progress in future books (they do make a good couple). I was satisfied with how the author wrapped up the storylines at the end of the book. Searcher of the Dead will appeal to those who are fascinated with the Elizabethan era.

What a great historical mystery by author Nancy Herriman. Searcher of the Dead is the first installment in The Bess Ellyott Mystery Series. The story starts out in London but quickly moves to Wiltshire, England and takes place around the year 1593 during the Tudor Period. This book was loaded with things that I love (some of those will also reveal how big of a nerd I am but that’s ok). Searcher of the Dead was full of things in history that I didn’t know before. When I come across a word or topic I’m not familiar with I like to look up more information. Some things I learned about in this book: searchers of the dead, plagues during this time period, town waites, hautbois, shawms, Abraham-men, Felo-de-se and non compos mentis (which I may suffer from periodically…I will let you look that one up). I have always loved reading books set during this time period. Nancy Herriman’s descriptive writing brings the story to life, especially the town of Wiltshire and its surroundings. The main character was Bess Ellyott, an herbalist/healer. She is new to the town of Wiltshire and finds people are automatically suspicious of her because of that. Bess was definitely my favorite character. Her backstory was heartbreaking but even though she had a hard past she still persevered. I admire that in any human being but I especially admire that trait in a woman. What a strong character! I enjoyed the interaction between Bess and the constable, Kit Harwoode. Kit doesn’t quite know how to handle a woman like Bess. I felt the mystery itself was original and creative. The author had me guessing whodunit until the end. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me. I hope there are many more Bess Ellyott Mysteries to come. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves historical mysteries and stories from England’s Tudor Period. Thank you Nancy Herriman, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read.

About the author

Nancy Herriman retired from an engineering career to take up the pen. She hasn’t looked back. Her work has won the RWA Daphne du Maurier award. When not writing, she enjoys singing, gabbing about writing, and eating dark chocolate. She currently lives in Central Ohio. This is her first Bess Ellyott mystery.