Pat McIntosh is a huge favorite of mine and I got this as a birthday book..sigh..I had too many reviews for new book later I ever so happily finished last night! Love Gil Cunningham so much and this era..Shortly after this period my own Cunninghams moved into Ireland as overseers.My Cunningham cousins are in Tipperary by 1700.
It was possibly the best of the series, but then I think I always say that! Medieval is my favorite period and Scotland and Ireland the very tops! I love the parts written in Scots and Gaelic and have not a bit of trouble with them, of course.
Gil Cunningham and Alys and their immediate entourage travel from Glasgow to Perth to his kinsman's Dominican priory. A man named Pollock, a Corrodian whose living, called a corrody was paid by the King for unclear reasons has vanished. Not just vanished of course, but evaporated out of a locked and sealed room in a huge puff of fire and black smoke. The Devil apparently!
Gil as Quaestor or criminal investigator for Archbishop Blacador in Glasgow is summoned to the Blackfriars Priory to try to make some sense of it. An enlightened and educated couple Gil and Alys are not buying into the "De'il" story but need to tread carefully with religious beliefs of the times.
My very favorite part was Mistress Buttergask's "voices", which were actually explained as her having "The Sight" and she was able to assure Alys of her childbearing possibilities. Mystery was laid upon mystery and it was so very delightful! A must for historical mystery lovers as well as Medieval fans.
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