Master Wycliffe's Summons is the 14th book in Mel Starr's series The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon. I have read most of them and they are fabulous. Starr writes tightly woven medieval mysteries that move fast. The death always occurs early in the story so that the rest of the novel can be about solving the crime. In this particular installment of the series, a student at Queen's College Oxford, Richard Sabyn, has been found dead in bed. There was a lightening storm the night before and it appears that he may have been struck by the lightening. However, Oxford Master John Wycliffe does not believe that the evidence shows a lightening strike and wants Singleton to look into the death. Singleton agrees with Wycliffe that it is possible to make it look as though Sabyn died from a lightening strike.

I enjoyed the story but it was not as exciting as some of Starr's earlier books in the series. The pace was slow and the howdunnit didn't grab my attention. While the howdunnit was interesting I don't think the writing was well executed. Singleton spent alot of time trying to figure out how someone could collect enough urine, dove droppings and a small amount of charcoal to create the substance that killed Sabyn. I was eating dinner while I read the book and that urine section didn't set well with my tummy. I did find it interesting that the deceased was copying a gospel into English while John Wycliffe, who translated the Bible into English between 1382 and 1395, denied any knowledge of it. Our protagonist did not perform any surgeries but did gather herbs for several people to help ease the pain of the plague. ( )

Title: Master Wycliffe’s Summons (The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon, #14)
Author: Mel Starr
Pages: 240
Year: 2021
Publisher: Lion Fiction
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Hugh receives a message from his former tutor, now friend, Master John Wycliffe, to come and investigate a suspicious death of a student. The coroner has ruled the death an accidental death by lightning strike, but Wycliffe thinks there is more to the story. Hugh arrives at Queen’s College where Wycliffe is now ensconced. His companion on his mystery-solving missions, Arthur, accompanies him. Hugh quickly concurs with Wycliffe that this death was no accident. He also learns that none of the other students are sorry their fellow student is dead. He was a bully and liked by none. He was tolerated by a few. Now, Hugh must narrow down the pool of suspects to find the murderer.
While at Oxford, word arrives that the plague has struck less than 10 miles from Bampton, Hugh’s home. He is worried about his wife and children catching this deadly disease. What he soon realizes, is that the plague has also made its way to Oxford. Hugh will experience the loss of someone close to him as a result. Another avenue of subterfuge occurring is the illegal translation of the four gospels of the Bible from Latin into English. As Hugh gets closer to the truth, he is physically attacked and injured. As he recovers, he calls on his companions to continue the investigation and catch a killer.
I look forward every autumn to reading Mel Starr’s latest Hugh de Singleton mystery. I have read the entire series and enjoyed it immensely. Visiting with Hugh in 1300s England is a treat for me. I like reading about how he steadfastly pursues every clue, plodding along and going over the same ground again and again until he discovers the one tidbit of information that will solve the mystery. Medieval mystery lovers will definitely want to check out this series. I recommend beginning with book one, The Unquiet Bones, and reading the books in order.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

Called to Oxford by his old friend John Wycliffe, Sir Hugh de Singleton confirms Wycliffe's suspicions that a recent death was not caused by lightning but was murder. When another scholar is also found dead, again presumed accidentally, Hugh knows that a plot is afoot. However plague is making inroads in the area and Hugh knows that he is up against time to unmask the killer.
This is the 14th book in a series and , whilst I have not read them all, I really enjoy them. The research is excellent with a real sense of time and place but not to extent that masks a decent plot. The pace of the books is lively and they are not too demanding so ideal for a quick read. Here the formula is not changed and it's great. ( )

I really enjoy historical mysteries. I'll read mysteries set in pretty much any historical period, but admit to having a soft spot for the 14th Century, which is what drew me to Master Wycliffe's Summons—that, and the fact that Wycliffe appears in the title. Wycliffe was one of the early proponents of translating the Bible into English, which was a dangerous stance at the time, and which makes him of great interest to me.

Master Wycliffe's Summons if the first title I've read in the Hugh de Singleton series, but it's the 14th volume in that series, so I'm stepping into things a bit late. Nonetheless, I had no difficulty whatsoever sorting out the characters and following the action. The text makes it clear that this volume isn't the first in which Singleton has worked with Wycliffe, which opens up the interesting possibility that if Wycliffe keeps appearing, we may get some interesting portrayal of the process by which he became a proponent of the vernacular Bible. In this volume, Wycliffe is not yet an advocate, but a side part of the mystery involves a small group of Oxford students translating the gospels into English—and Wycliffe and Singleton's awareness of how dangerous this undertaking might be if the wrong people found out.

So, to be honest, I'm primarily reading Master Wycliffe's Summons because of my interest in Wycliffe, not because of a specific interest in this series. That said, Master Wycliffe's Summons is certainly satisfactory. The characters are interesting and have a back story. The plague makes an appearance, which is always a sort of bonus in mysteries set in this period. While the mystery is not complex in the way of the best historical mysteries (such as Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost), the solution isn't obvious from the start, and the main characters engage in some interesting detective work on their way to a solution.

This is a series I will keep reading when I'm in one of my need-some-historical-mystery-entertainment-stat moods. Given Wycliffe's presence, I'll be tracking it and looking for Wycliffe's next appearance. If historical mysteries are an important part of your entertainment reading, you will most likely enjoy this title.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. ( )