Hill of Bones

The Medieval Murderers #7

by Karen Maitland, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight

Bath Abbey, 1199. The monks' peaceful existence is turned upside down when the Abbey's unpopular prior is found dead on Solsbury Hill. But when Sir Symon Cole and his wife, Gwenllian, arrive to investigate, they soon discover hear whisperings that prior has met with divine punishment.

For it is said that on Solsbury Hill, only those who are pure in heart can survive a night when the moon is full.

Determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the prior's death, Gwenllian launches a daring investigation that puts her in great danger and Sir Symon accepts a challenge to visit the hill at night.

Sacred treasures. Dangerous secrets. Plots against church, crown and government. Solsbury Hill continues to be the scene of murder, theft and conspiracy throughout the ages. But what will today's archaeologists make of the mysteries uncovered on this haunted site?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Historical Mystery, Audiobook, Medieval, Fiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

About the author

Karen Maitland, who also writes as KJ Maitland, has a doctorate in psycholinguists and lives in the beautiful county of Devon, close to Dartmoor where Agatha Christie had her writing retreat and Sir Arthur Colon Doyle wrote 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', one of Karen’s favourite childhood books.

Writing as KJ Maitland, 'A Plague of Serpents,' the final historical thriller in her Jacobean quartet, is now out in pb. Set in the aftermath of the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605, Daniel Pursglove is ordered to infiltrate the 'Serpents', a desperate band of Catholics plotting the death of the King, or face his own execution. The 1st book in the series -'The Drowned City', the 2nd - 'Traitor in the Ice', and the 3rd - 'Rivers of Treason', are all published by Headline.

Her first stand alone medieval thriller was 'Company of Liars', was set at the time of the Black Death in 1348. This was followed by The Owl Killers', 'The Gallows Curse', 'Falcons of Fire and Ice', 'The Vanishing Witch', 'The Raven's Head,' 'The Plague Charmer' and 'A Gathering of Ghosts', Her medieval novels are written under the name of Karen Maitland and are published by Penguin and Headline.

Karen is also one of six historical crime writers known as the Medieval Murderers – Philip Gooden, Susannah Gregory, Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight and Ian Morson – who together write joint murder-mystery novel, including 'The Sacred Stone', 'Hill of Bones' and 'The First Murder', 'The False Virgin' and 'The Deadliest Sin' published by Simon & Schuster.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Opening: Geraint watched the lizard basking in the sun on the tiled floor.

#21 TBR Busting 2013

Had rather run out of steam on this series but lo! and behold Maitland writes a segment, and I can't let that go unsavoured...

They keep running up that hill!

Prologue by Philip Gooden - excellent Arthurian episode
Act 1 Bath Abbey September 1199: Susan Gregory - for such a usually entertaining author, this was strangely lacklustre.
Act 2 September 1204: Bernard Knight - A missing pyx is at the centre of a sturdy crime story.
Act 3 Brean, Somerset, Good Friday, 1453: Karen Maitland - A shipwreck with subsequent beachcombing under the rule of the 'milksop' King Henry VI results in Messianic fervour.
Act 4 by Philip Gooden: Thespians playing 'A House Divided' at the Bear Inn, Bath. Here is an author I would like to investigate further; Nick Revill is a member of the King's Men.
Act 5 by Ian Morson
Epilogue by ♥ Bernard Knight: Summer 2010.

4* The Tainted Relic
4* The Sword of Shame
3* House of Shadows
3* The Lost Prophecies
2* King Arthur's Bones
#6 MISSING FILE
3* Hill of Bones

[Kevin Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book that gets a solid, solid, solid 4 stars. This is a collection of stories, each written by a different author known collectively as The Medieval Murderers. I was attracted when I noticed that Karen Maitland is one of them. I have been a fan of hers for a while and loved Company of Liars.

Each story in the book occurs in the same area of Bath and specifically involves a nearby feature known as Solisbury Hill since Roman times. Although some characters appear in more than one story, each story is framed in a slightly different time period with different main characters.

It is a treat to read and very well done. The best news is that this is the seventh (latest) in a series. So there is more to discover . . .

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories were all good, as with the others in this series, but when a place, rather than an object, is the link between the stories, I felt that the continuity suffered slightly. The final wrap-up just didn't tie everything up as well as the previous books.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the way all the stories fitted together but were so different. A real celebration of the art of storytelling.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Medieval Murderers is a collaboration of mystery writers Karen Maitland, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Philip Gooden, and Ian Morson, and in this particular book the group has decided to tackle the myths and haunted nature of Solsbury Hill. What the result of all of this is is a linked collection of short stories related to murder mysteries and the like, and that is an appealing matter. Some of the stories are better than others, some of them are more murderous than others, but all of them are united by a shared appreciation of place. This allows the authors to work not only to discuss their own particular time period of greatest interest but also to choose to take the hints of previous writers as part of the inspiration for their own writing. The end result is a humorous one, in part, as the authors seek to turn their own separate offerings into a coherent and interesting whole and generally succeed at doing so. This book is a lot more enjoyable, I have to say, than any other works by Bernard Knight I have yet to read, indicating that he may go down easier in small doses. Some writers are like that, you know.

This particular book is about 400 pages long and it consists of a prologue, epilogue, and five acts. The prologue discusses how to young brothers from Somerset joined King Arthur's forces for the battle at Mount Badon and some of the dramatic events of that journey. After that comes a story about how two people are ordered by King John to investigate the murder of an unpopular religious figure in hopes that they would fail to do so. After this there is a look at someone who fled from a shipwreck only to find themselves caught up in a dangerous plot. This particular plot, as it happens, involves a struggle between brothers and a burning desire for revenge. The fourth act then includes a mystery of an old man's bad book of poetry that happens to be a treasury map and the intrigues that occur when the King's Men travel to Bath. The fifth act discusses a plot that involves treasure hunting, the estranged wife of King George IV, and murder, as well as radical politics. Finally, the epilogue supplies a brief but humorous investigation of Solsbury Hill and what it uncovers.

One of the most interesting ties that all of these stories have together is Solsbury Hill itself and its reputation as being a haunted place, something that is referred to in several of the stories in this collection. Yet the stories themselves do not give any reason why it is that the hill should be haunted. We see plenty of people doing bad things on Solsbury Hill, and see plenty of treasure hunts there as well as historical investigations of the possibility that the place was the Badon Hill of Arthurian lore. But we do not see any actual haunting taking place except within the fevered imagination of some of the characters. Of course, the fact that the authors appear to be more or less rationalistic contemporary mystery writers suggests that it would be beyond their capabilities to write a story that had genuinely spooky elements to it. The mysteries that interest the writers are generally of the same sort of things, with religious people being hypocrites, people interested in magic being charlatans, and the like. This book is a cynical collection of mysteries where people behave cynically, which is a fitting testament of our own decadent times.

[Octavian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book if you're a fan of the idyllic medieval setting. A comfortable collection of stories which all tie together to that same foreboding hill. Well written and easy to read even for myself as a non-native English speaker.

The stories are intriguing and take you on a ride through many different time periods, where the actions of one story might hold consequences in the next. The stories are based off of real events, people, rumours, or just things of that period, and they do a great job of taking you on a ride through the times, vividly describing beautiful imagery sweetened just enough to remove the signature grittiness of the times (never TMI regarding bedpans, terrible illnesses or whatever. Call me immature but I really think it's fitting to skip such details in historical mystery).

Rating it a slightly generous 4 stars because I'm a big fan of the setting and also not a very experienced reader, so the stories were delightful and interesting enough to keep me turning pages. Veteran readers might think the book to be otherwise dull — I think it's innocuous at worst, and very satisfying at best. Only real complaint is that the story beats got repetitive at times, but it's to be expected when we're talking about multiple short stories always drawing it back to the same spot.

[Hailstones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who would have thought that near Bath, famously sung about by Peter Gabriel following a spiritual experience atop it, Solsbury Hill could accommodate so much diversity in its history. It's all fiction but it would make any budding archeologist under-graduate smart with confusion if it were true but I imagine this is exactly an example of a location that would offer such dilemmas. If one period in time used the hill for something, why would others throughout the ages not do the same?
This wonderful book is one whereby a number of different, and dare I say brilliant authors, offer a story about the same place, this being Solsbury Hill.
The eras and timelines begin with King Arthur's battles and move through the ages from there. I struggled with the start of each story because I felt I had just 'got my teeth' into the last one before the next one would begin, but it didn't take long to enjoy the new story.
It has urged me to want to get the others in this series as indeed I will.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for anyone who likes historical mysteries. Several well-known authors in the field, (Michael Jecks, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Philip Gooden, and Simon Beaufort) combine their talents as The Medieval Murderers. The book is actually a number of somewhat interconnected short stories by the authors, covering various murders and crimes that occur around Solsbury Hill and the town of Bath, from King Arthur's time to Shakespeare's. While the individual authors have different writing styles, I didn't find it jarring and the book was a quick, fun read. There are several other books in the series (Hill of Bones is one of the later ones), which I have not read, but will be reading when the opportunity arises.

[Mark Higginbottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series ....the Medieval Murders!The authors are all collectively just so damn good at putting you right there in the period....the smells,the everyday people,Kings or Earls,Dukes or Duchess's....and it's not just that it's the actual stories and plots themselves....they are always fascinating!I just can't get enough of them,I can read them constantly!The thread running through this collection of short stories is Solsbury Hill in Bath and all the many events it could have seen over the centuries involving hidden treasure,corpses buried,the site maybe of King Arthur's famous battle....oh I could go on forever but I highly recommend this book and the series to anyone with even a passing interest in history because quite simply...they are ace!!

[Linda Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of short stories with a central theme, this time a hill outside Bath. The first story is about the Battle of Badon, as the hill was called in Arthur's time. With various stops along the way we end up in modern times. All the stories deal with murder, as you would expect, but I won't say any more in case I give the game away.

[Kally Sheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I love this collection and the individual authors’ works, this particular collaboration is rather disappointing; the stories are slow in progress and the thread of continuity is thin, the connection between the stories is not engaging unless you are in to historical background and evolution of a locale.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light weight read and quite fun. No doubt enhanced by the proximity of Solsbury Hill (to our home) which serves as the unifying theme.

[Jan Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book, good in parts - written by committee and it shows.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tedious

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

First two sections were good, but I didn't enjoy the rest of the book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the stories linked together through location and other small details.

[Angela Incigneri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my style. Sorry. Not a time that interests me

[Michael Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hill of Bones is the first book in the Medieval Murderers' series that I have read. I thought it was a clever concept to have a number of interlinked stories by different authors set chronologically throughout the centuries. Each was independent but had a common theme and background set in the area of Solsbury Hill near Bath. Each author with his or her different style held my interest and they covered different periods of history giving us a flavour of each. I enjoyed it and will read more in the series and would commend Hill of Bones to others.

[Alison C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entry in the series of related stories told by some of Britian's best-known historical mystery writers, Hill of Bones contains tales by Karen Maitland, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Philip Gooden and Ian Morson. The premise of these books is to take a particular item and follow it through time, specifically through the Middle Ages, with a preface setting up the article to be followed and a brief coda bringing the item into the 21st Century. Hill of Bones is slightly different in that it really explores a specific place (Solsbury Hill, not far from the ancient Roman city of Bath) rather than a single object; in this case, there are several objects that find their way to the hill. And, of course, there are several murders related to those objects - the group of authors do call themselves The Medieval Murderers, after all! It's not necessary to be familiar with earlier books in this series, or indeed to be familiar with the characters created by each of these authors and appearing in their own series of mysteries; I enjoy the medieval setting and the fact that each story tends to contain a fair amount of humour in addition to the mystery plot, and would recommend the book especially for lovers of historical mysteries.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the world of the Medieval Murderers and I must say that I found their style of story telling very much to my liking. The intertwining narratives , told in very different voices by different writers, blend together really nicely, so much so, you forget that the book is written by five different authors.

I'm pleased to learn that I have a goodly back catalogue to go at and will most certainly be in the company of The Medieval Murderers again before too long.

Oh yes ...and Karen Maitland writes a story in this one, which for me is even more of an incentive ...

[Lana Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most multi-author collections, some portions are better than others, but overall, some wonderful historical short stories (or novellas) combined around the theme of a location marked by multiple murders. The final segment does a good job of wrapping up this collection. I have read multiple Medieval Murders mysteries, and this is very much in the same vein, although I was disappointed by the absence of Michael Jeck in this collection.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't realized there was such a big group of people doing medieval murder mysteries. Any any rate, a host of those authors have combined to create this book (and others) authored as 'the medieval murders'. I liked the idea, I thought it was OK, but I don't think i'm all that excited to go read others in this series.

[Thomas S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently read this one along with "The Tainted Relic". One of many work sby the Medieval Murderers, a group of English mystery writers who package a set of murder novellas over different periods of time around a central object -- in this case a hill outisde Bath that was the scene of a great battle between the Celts and the Saxons.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10 The authors' styles of writing all compliment each other, so you do not feel you are reading a new writer's work with each new tale. It is also very interesting to find the link from one tale to the next. I also liked the historical reference notes at the end of the relevant stories. I would read another Medieval Murderers Mystery.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ended up being a series of stories which had the same setting, spanning 600 years. I didn't find it that interesting, because the characters is what I find the most interesting. Each story esentially became a short story, and I prefer longer more involved stories.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a much better collection of stories than the last book I read by the Medieval Murderers. There seemed to be a lot more humour although perhaps the link between the stories was a little less strong than in previous books. Recommended to the normal crew.

[Moonyeen Blakey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love mediaeval history, so I began this book with enthusiasm. I enjoyed the start but gradually my interest waned. Some chapters gripped but others were too plodding and one sent me to sleep!

[Philippa Sevigny]

This one interests me to see how they deal with pre-Georgian Bath. There's more to the city than crescents and circuses.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the format of short stories that intertwine and cover great distances of history. Definitely going to be reading the other books in the series.

[Irishmaddoc · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish it. It's a series of short stories linked by a location. Not what I was looking for and didn't really enjoy it.