Kregel Tour: “Unhallowed Ground” by Mel Starr

About the Book:

The fourth adventure of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon and detective, finds Hugh investigating what seems to be a suicide of one of the town’s scoundrels and his longtime enemy. Though at first reluctant to pursue a mystery that no one else sees, Hugh and and his new wife Kate set out from the town of Bampton only to follow the clues back in order to discover which of their friends committed the murder.

My Opinion:

I had the privilege of having read Mel Starr’s A Trail of Ink and as much as I enjoyed that one I’d have to say I’ve enjoyed Unhallowed Ground just as much or maybe more.  This is the fourth chronicle of a surgeon by the name of Hugh de Singleton who is living and working in the 1300’s and as one will start realizing as they read, you will be taken fully back into that time with the language as well as how operations are performed – I found the performance of the couching surgery for cataracts quite interesting.  The author has provided a glossary at the beginning so that unfamiliar terms can be understood at a glance but it’s not really hard to figure out what certain terms mean, although figuring out the holidays celebrated then does take some calculation.

This is written by de Singleton, it’s his journal of his daily life as he goes about his life being a bailiff, surgeon, newly married and soon-to-be father.  This book isn’t being written about him but rather by him so if you don’t want to read a book that is detailing events by the main character then you may want to pass this up. Yes we are told what he has for breakfast several times as well as other dining details, but I found it to be the mundane parts of the book that had me more relating to the characters.

Some parts really struck me, such as how Hugh de Singleton struggles with not believing everything the Church teaches or the current medical ideas of the day, such as back in the day Galen (I had to google this man) taught that a woman who was raped couldn’t become pregnant during said assault unless she was a willing participant – this mind set occurs in one of de Singleton’s cases that must be dealt with while he is investigating what most believe is a suicide when he believes otherwise.

The historical accounts are what draws me in, since I enjoy history this book really intrigued me as I read about certain beliefs, including those of the Church, that some physicians of the day were questioning but couldn’t say much out loud for fear of reprisals.  Hugh de Singleton mentions a few times how he fears that something he writes could be found by a Priest or Bishop but questions whether they’d concern themselves with him.  I almost forgot I was reading a book by a real, living author because I got so wrapped up in Hugh’s life in this book that he became almost real and it felt like I was truly reading his account.  A book to be truly enjoyed and savored.

**I was provided a copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.

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