[review] A Conspiracy of Wolves by Candace Robb [blog tour]

A Conspiracy of Wolves by Candace Robb is a historical fiction mystery (I seem to be reading a lot of these lately) and is Book 11 in the Owen Archer series. Book 11! I’m shocked that I had never heard of this series before and am so glad that I took part in this blog tour.

Title: A Conspiracy of Wolves 
Author: Candace Robb
Series: Owen Archer #11
First Published: August 1, 2019
Publisher: Severn House / Crème de la Crime 
Categories: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Acquired: from blog tour organiser Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

*** Thank you to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and the publisher, Severn House, for providing me with a advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***

When a prominent citizen is murdered, former Captain of the Guard Owen Archer is persuaded out of retirement to investigate in A Conspiracy of Wolves, a gripping medieval mystery.

1374. When a member of one of York’s most prominent families is found dead in the woods, his throat torn out, rumours spread like wildfire that wolves are running loose throughout the city. Persuaded to investigate by the victim’s father, Owen Archer is convinced that a human killer is responsible. But before he can gather sufficient evidence to prove his case, a second body is discovered, stabbed to death. Is there a connection? What secrets are contained within the victim’s household? And what does apprentice healer Alisoun know that she’s not telling?

Teaming up with Geoffrey Chaucer, who is in York on a secret mission on behalf of Prince Edward, Owen’s enquiries will draw him headlong into a deadly conspiracy.

Book 11 in the Owen Archer series

Book 11. That means there are 10 previous books in this series. Ten! I’m shocked that it’s taken me this long to discover the Owen Archer series and its creator Candace Robb.

I’m going to assume that many of the characters in A Conspiracy of Wolves have already been introduced in previous books, but this book reads really well as a standalone. There’s enough of an introduction that I felt comfortable with the characters and their relationships. I was a little nervous when I first picked up the book because the first thing I saw was the FOUR pages listing all the characters in the book. I was worried it would be hard to keep track of everyone, but it honestly wasn’t.

I really like Captain Archer, the protagonist. He’s strong, handsome, smart and fair – the perfect man to base a book series on. But it’s the supporting characters that make this book even more memorable. From Owen’s equally smart and beautiful wife, Lucie, to the wise Riverwoman Magda, to real-life historical figure Geoffrey Chaucer, every character has something interesting to lend to the story.

A Conspiracy of Wolves takes you seamlessly to York in the 14th century

When an author is really good at writing historical fiction, it shows. The dialogue, the setting, the details… it needs to feel realistic – so much so that you don’t even notice that you’ve been transported. You can tell that Robb knows her stuff – the book makes 14th century York come alive. But the author doesn’t bog the story down with lots of descriptions or explanations – it’s a perfect balance of giving you enough information to see imagine everything in your mind, but not too much that you feel like you’re being clubbed over the head with a history book.

This character-driven story includes murder, revenge, irrational fears and family loyalties and conspiracies. Normally when I read mysteries, a small part of my brain is busy trying to figure out who did it, but this one had me stumped for awhile and in the end, I think I was enjoying the story so much that I wasn’t trying that hard to figure out the ending.

All in all, I’m really happy that I decided to take part in this Blog Tour and in doing so, discovered the Owen Archer series! Now I’m off to try and read the previous 10 books!

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

I’m Candace Robb, a writer/historian engaged in creating fiction about the late middle ages with a large cast of characters with whom I enjoy spending my days. Two series, the Owen Archer mysteries and the Kate Clifford mysteries, are set in late medieval York. The Margaret Kerr trilogy is set in early 14th century Scotland, at the beginning of the Wars of Independence. Two standalone novels (published under pseudonym Emma Campion) expand on the lives of two women in the court of King Edward III who have fascinated me ever since I first encountered them in history and fiction.

I am a dreamer. Writing, gardening, walking, dancing, reading, being with friends—there’s always a dreaming element.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKBUB

Thursday, August 1
Review at Book Frolic
Excerpt at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Friday, August 2
Review at A Book Geek

Saturday, August 3
Feature at The Writing Desk

Monday, August 5
Feature at Book Addict Rambles

Tuesday, August 6
Excerpt at Broken Teepee
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Wednesday, August 7
Interview at Bookish Rantings

Thursday, August 8
Guest Post at Reading the Past
Review at Hoover Book Reviews

Friday, August 9
Feature at I’m All About Books
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Saturday, August 10
Feature at Clarissa Reads it All

Sunday, August 11
Excerpt at A Darn Good Read

Monday, August 12
Excerpt at Just One More Chapter
Review & Interview at Gwendalyn’s Books

Tuesday, August 13
Review at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, August 14
Guest Post at Words and Peace
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Thursday, August 15
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Book Reviews from Canada

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a Hardcover copy of A Conspiracy of Wolves by Candace Robb! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

• Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
• Giveaway is open to the US only.
• Only one entry per household.
• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
• The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Conspiracy of Wolves