The Good Knight (The Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries)

Once in a while an author comes along with a captivating story and engaging characters - Sarah Woodbury is one such author. I fell in love with this wonderful mystery and the characters that populate it, particularly Gwen, Gareth and Hywel, from the very first pages. Sarah Woodbury has brought to life the essence of 12th century Wales with its complicated politics and convoluted family connections that had such a resounding influence on the history of the Wales of old. Woven into the tapestry of twelveth century Wales is the murder mystery of who killed King Anarawd whilst he was on his way to his wedding to Elen, daughter of Owain, King of Gwynedd (it should be noted: the premise of the story is based on historical facts with a bit of fiction thrown in). Enter Gareth and Gwen - both had been sweet on each, but the romance was essentially stopped by Gwen's father because Gareth had no prospects - who begin investigating his murder under the auspices of Prince Hywel, the son of King Owain. Along the way bodies mount up and Gareth himself is accused of the murder, leaving Gwen and Hywel to find evidence that someone else committed the murder of King Anarawd; the journey will lead Gwen in particular to unexpected places and allies before she is again reunited with Gareth. Overall, Sarah Woodbury has done a fabulous job of creating her characters - Gwen and Gareth leap of the pages, so vibrant and alive and unforgettable, as indeed all her characters are. The plot was well thought out and made logical sense and the ending was a complete and unexpected surprise. As for the romance between Gareth and Gwen, reignited once more when they meet shortly after the death of King Anarawd, it was told sweetly and without it overwhelming the murder mystery. My new favourite author: Sarah Woodbury and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories.

This was a deviation from my usual reading material in that it is neither Young Adult nor Fantasy. Nonetheless, it was free for Kindle and had “knight” in the title. I decided to give it a shot and what I got was certainly worth the read! The plot: This is a mystery set in medieval Wales with enough twists to keep me guessing. There’s a dash of romance, a good dose of action, and enough historical fact to make it authentic, but not overwhelming. Despite this being a little different from my normal literary fare, it was a good read and a reminder of why I used to love mystery. The characters: Gwen is a bard’s daughter who is also a spy for the king’s youngest son, Hwyll. She was a strong heroine who has her head on straight and her feet firmly on the ground and is clever to boot. I did like her and the side romance between her and Gareth was sweet, but not prominent enough to distract from the main story—the murder mystery. There is this one part where Gareth is called a “good knight,” thus giving the story its name. He is one of those loyal, steadfast characters with a past he’d rather be without. He is also in the confidences of Hwyll, who gave him a sort of second chance after a conflict drove him to be a mercenary seven years before. I thought Gareth was a likeable individual overall and I did my fair share of worrying about him as the story progressed. I’m not going to tell you about the other characters because this is a mystery after all and we wouldn’t want to spoil anything. I’ll just say that Ms. Woodbury did a good job of showing the mindset of the era and didn’t sugar coat anyone. I thought this was an excellent story and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction or even just mystery.

I was not sure what to expect from this book. Historical mysteries set in the Middle Ages are so hit and miss. While following the numerous characters and the various storylines was tricky at first, everything came together to form a coherent tale. My only quibble is that in the first half of the book, Gareth ponders Hywel's movements during his solo trip through the mountains as if we, the readers, knew Hywel had been somewhere around during the ambush of Anarawd (not a spoiler). I went back and reread several passages and could find no antecedent reference to Hywel in that context, so it was confusing. However, as noted, during the first part of the book, quite a number of events are briefly, but not fully, discussed even though they really have nothing to do with the story, except to, for example, demonstrate that mystery solving is nothing unusual for Gwen. However, the whole thing pulls together to form a satisfying mystery and compelling adventure. It also made me want to explore Wales. I will definitely continue reading the series. Addendum: While I had quibbles about confusion at first, the story, as a whole, is worthy of more than the average 4.1 stars it now rates on Amazon. I would highly recommend this book. Further, I would strongly encourage people to read the first sections without over-worrying about the confusing parts. It all makes sense in the end, actually, long before the end. I finished the book and rated it 5 stars, because of how much I liked it and how satisfying I found the resolution. I have now read all of the Gareth and Gwen novels and fully recommend them. Since last book came out in May, I believe, with great hope, that the series is not over. I have also read the Last Pendragon Saga and the Lion in Winter series and really enjoyed them as well. I will be starting the After Time series next. My main quibble with the various series is that the same names are used: Gareth, Geraint, Gawain, Owain, Hywel, etc. Sunce I read very quickly and move from one novel to the next (with intermissions for Netflix binge watching), so I find myself envying later characters with the attributes of the previous characters of the same name. It can be very disconcerting. Otherwise, I have enjoyed all of the books very much. On to the next! Finally, for clarification, this is the first full novel in the series of Gareth and Gwen. There is, however, a novella, The Bard's Daughter, that goes through the period of time around when Gwen first met Gareth and her father was accused of a murder, which is obliquely referenced in a Good Knight. Reading it first, will put things in order of occurrence, more fully develop the characters of Meilyr and Gwalchmai, and make the first parts of The Good Knight a little less confusing.

This book languished in my TBR pile for four years and now I'm kicking myself. I think I was put off the subtitle which makes it sound like a child's reading book. This was actually a well written and well researched medieval murder mystery. There is a side theme involving a sweet romance but it was the twists and turns of the plot that kept me reading into the early hours, plus I enjoyed learning the history of places that I have been to myself.

This was the first time that I chanced upon reading a historical thriller with romance, inheritance drama, and battles. Learning about the history of Wales and Danes is so interesting. The author takes the reader on a journey from one castle to another, through land and sea, infusing heroism, bravery, politics, saving honour, and romance. A delightful read! Can't want to read the rest of the Gareth and Gwen series.

Twists and turns nothing as I expected Very enjoyable read not my usual historical romance definitely held my interest !!

This is a mixture of who-dunnit and adventure set in 12th century Wales. It managed to keep my interest to the end although there was not much suspense in the mystery or disclosing of clues.The characters are rather superficial and the setting was confusing without a map (my Kindle version didn't have one). The language was too modern and some expressions jarred, but otherwise easy to read. However, it was worth reading and will read the next one, above all for the historical authenticity.

Old world intrigue, death and the complications of the old ways that kings to ruled and the life endured by the masses. Enjoyed the story, will read more ....