Murder in the Crypt

 Murder in the Crypt (2020) by Irina Shapiro

Captain Jason Redmond, has come to England to claim his inheritance--which comes with a country estate and the unaccustomed title of "Lord." He and his ward, Micah, have come from America where they both served in the Union Army during the Civil War (as surgeon and drummer boy, respectively), and where they both survived as prisoners of war in the Andersonville prison. Micah's father and brother weren't so lucky. So, Redmond promised the dying man that he'd take care of the boy until he could reunite him with his sister, Mary. Only Mary was nowhere to be found at the family's burned-out home when the war was over and they were released from prison. Redmond set an inquiry agent on the trail to find out if she is alive or dead.

Redmond's parents are also gone--killed in a train accident. So, when word comes that Redmond's grandfather had died back in England, leaving him as the heir, he and Micah travel to set his affairs in order with plans to return to the States. But the very night that they arrive in Birch Hill, a young man's body is found stuffed in the tomb of a medieval knight within the crypt of the local church. Since there had never been a murder until these outsiders arrived, the local constable comes calling to ask Redmond to give an account of himself. Constable Daniel Haze immediately realizes his mistake and when he learns that the new lord of the manor was a surgeon in the States, he asks him to examine the body. It isn't long before Redmond is settling into the ancestral home and helping his new friend Constable Haze track down a ruthless killer--a killer who won't hesitate to kill their own kin or the strange new lord if anyone gets in their way.

The clues lead the two men to believe that the young man, Alexander MacDougal, had ties to Chadwick Manor, another home of landed gentry in the area. But they still don't know why he was killed. Did he know secrets about the family? Was it blackmail? Or is there a greater tie?

This is Shapiro's first attempt at a historical mystery and she does quite well with it. Her previous work apparently involved time travel, so she's quite comfortable writing about other time periods. She gives us some very appealing recurring characters in Redmond, Micah, and Daniel, as well as the Dodsons (butler and cook that Redmond has inherited along with the estate) and the Talbots (the Reverend and his daughter, Katherine). Shapiro also handles her maiden mystery plot quite nicely. Plenty of suspects and a whacking good motive. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and look forward to future installments. ★★★ and 1/2.

First line: The waning light of a summer afternoon enveloped the valley in a golden haze.

Last line: A new case was about to begin.
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Deaths =  7 (two train accident; one stabbed; four natural; one hit by a carriage; one shot)