First published February 4, 2020

When the body of a young man is found stuffed into the tomb of a medieval knight, Parish Constable Daniel Haze is tasked with investigating his first solo murder case.

Suspicion instantly falls on the only stranger to arrive in the village of Birch Hill just before the crime took place, but the American captain proves to be an unexpected asset. A former soldier and a skilled surgeon, Jason Redmond is not only willing to assist Haze with the investigation but will risk his own safety to apprehend the killer.

With no suspects, no motive, and few leads to follow, Redmond and Haze must solve the crime before one of them becomes the murderer’s next victim.

My Thoughts:

Murder in the Crypt by Irina Shapiro is the first installment of Shapiro’s, Redmond and Haze Mysteries and the first book I have read by this author. The premise of the story grabbed my attention from the very first pages- which is a bonus! -and held my attention to the end. How the mystery of who murdered the young man found in the tomb of a medieval knight unfolded with twisty turns, startling-yet not all too surprising in this world- discoveries of clues that lead to the lengths a person would go to cover up something they did in their own life is brilliantly told in this story.

The Parish Constable Daniel Haze and Jason Redmond, an American captain from the Civil War, teamed up to solve this case and no stone was left upturned with these two. What a promising start for a partnership in solving cases and their background stories was intriguing to read about.

I love historical mysteries and I don’t read enough of them like I used to. This book was a great start to get back into them and I’m looking forward to read the next book in this series!

Stephanie