Pages: 260
FIRST PLACE, MIDWEST BOOK AWARDS
A murder at the war…
“I was just thinking that the Society for Creative Anachronism is actually very much like the old Norse myth of Valhalla: You can fight all day, get killed any number of times, and still be in great shape for the feast that night!”
…until one of the fighters, Thorstane Shieldbreaker, is genuinely murdered, when the fun turns to deadly seriousness as Lord Stefan von Helle and Lady Katherine of Tretower struggle to solve the crime. Was it one of their own SCA members, a mundane outsider, or Lady Katherine herself?
The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is having a lovely re-enactment of a Medieval war…until one of the participants is actually murdered. It is up to Detective Peter Brichter and his wife Kori (whose SCA names are Lord Stefan von Helle and Lady Katherine of Tretower) to solve the crime!
The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a group of enthusiasts who research and selectively re-create the Middle Ages for knowledge and for fun. At their events, they wear historical clothing and call each other by medieval-style character names. Once a year, they meet to display their handiwork and stage a mock medieval war.
In Murder at the War, policeman Peter Brichter (known in the SCA as Stefan von Helle) and his wife, Kori (known as Katherine of Tretower) go to the war for the fun. But the revelry turns deadly serious when a known troublemaker, Thorstane Shieldbreaker, is actually murdered. The local police, anxious to find the culprit, turn their attention to Peter and Kori as suspects once they find the two have quarreled with Thorstane. It is up to Lord Stefan and Lady Katherine, with their knowledge of the SCA, to clear their names and solve the crime.
The Society for Creative Anachronism is an odd mixture of pedantic realism and idealistic fantasy, full of complex individuals who have succeeded in living a dream without losing their hold on reality. Such a subculture provides a gold mine of unique and colorful characters, motivations, and methods for crime, and Pulver has made brilliant use of her material. With clarity and compassion, she follows her characters to the solution of a most unusual murder mystery. —Diana L. Paxson, originator of the Society for Creative Anachronism and author of Brisingamen and the Westria series
The war of the title, taking place on a farm in Pennsylvania, is attended by thousands of members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, whose dedication to medieval custom and costume is annually unloosed in this recreation of medieval battle and ceremony. … The rub of current times against the mores of centuries past gives rise to a pleasant friction. —Publisher’s Weekly
Pulver adds a fresh American luster to the traditional mystery. —Elizabeth Peters
…highly recommended for those who like some zany fun mixed with murder. —Library Journal
