Unhallowed Ground

The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon, Book 4

By: Mel Starr

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

Thomas atte Bridge, a man no one likes, is found hanging from a tree near Cowleys Corner. All assume he has taken his own life, but Master Hugh and Kate find evidence that this may not be so.

Many of the town had been harmed by Thomas, and Hugh is not eager to send one of them to the gallows. Then he discovers that the priest John Kellet, atte Bridge’s partner in crime in A Corpse at St. Andrew’s Chapel, was covertly in Bampton at the time atte Bridge died.

Master Hugh is convinced that Kellet has murdered atte Bridge - one rogue slaughtering another. He sets out for Exeter, where Kellet now works. But there he discovers that the priest is an emaciated skeleton of a man, who mourns the folly of his past life. Hugh must return to Bampton and discover which of his friends has murdered his enemy.

©2013 Mel Starr (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Delightful series

This series is interesting, peaceful listening. The characters are vivid, the writing style evocative of the historical period, the plot interesting without inflicting disturbing violence or gruesome descriptions. I have enjoyed all 4 I’ve read so far.

Very interesting tho not best in the series so far

Historically fascinating to see various new facets of 14th century life. However, this tale is slow & pedantic [even at 1.1 speed]. Even with a less than satisfying ending it's yet good enough, that I shall now begin Book 5

Great Series

I love the Steven Sailor series about Rome, Sub Rosa, so it was great to find a series set in medieval England. The books keeps your attention, the reader is excellent, with his expressiveness and different voices he uses.
Well written series!

Interesting, I would like to see a glossary added.

So many terms are archaic. Dictionaries cannot help where one is unsure of the spelling due to the local accent.

Well done as always

I’ve enjoyed this series tremendously. It is historically accurate and the characters are interesting. This story does end on a melancholy and perhaps ambiguous note which some listeners have not enjoyed as much, but life, even in medieval times (or perhaps particularly in medieval times!) does not always work out as we expect and how the characters in this story cope with such ambiguity gives us an insight into who they really are.

Just okay

Slow moving and lifeless. I think the story of these characters has been sufficiently told

Not quite as good...

I’d like to say I don’t care for the narrator for this series in particular, I like his voice, but it makes the main character seem so old. Overall the stories are good but not quite as engaging as I’d like...

Nothing really happens

Great book for going to sleep to. The narrator adds an ancient voice to what should be a young character. It’s a tired plot if you have listened to the others. And you will experience rising irritation at his obsession with food

A good read

I love the way Hugh de Singleton poses himself with ethical questions as he goes about his business. Just as anyone might today. He questions his conscience. He justifies his decisions and actions with quotes from the bible. Truly he is a good man. He does justly and loves mercy which is a good way to go forward.

Great series

I'm doing a review for the whole series as I've left it so long since I started listening to them.

I would highly recommend this series and in fact I have done so to a number of people already. Very impressed with the writing, the research that seems to have been done and the historical accuracy is excellent.

Nice characters, good pace, interesting stories. Really interesting to see the ability of surgeons then and the ways Hugh deducts things.

Not the best of the series

These books are quite enjoyable but I just couldn’t care about who killed whom and why. The narrator is a little one note and makes all the characters sound elderly, which is a shame and detracts from my enjoy