Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mysteries, by Sarah Woodbury

I purchased these as an audiobook bundle from Chirp, which has become my new favorite source for audiobooks. I don’t usually promote platforms here, and I would typically unsubscribe from an app that sent me daily e-mails. But Chirp offers books for $2-$4 that would normally cost as much at ten times that. The wide variety of genres includes classics as well as contemporary fiction and nonfiction, both traditionally and self-published. I can scan the offerings in less than thirty seconds and delete the promo if there’s nothing I want.

But enough free advertising–back to Gareth and Gwen. In the beginning, I almost gave up on these books on account of the author’s extensive knowledge of medieval Wales and its neighbors. This corner of history is entirely new to me, which doesn’t make it an ideal subject for audio absorption–I frequently found myself wishing for a print copy. Nevertheless, Sarah Woodbury somehow manages to forefront the well-crafted mystery in such a way that, while the historical background is integral to the plot, I don’t have to have a perfect handle on it to engage with the characters or grasp the solution. It’s ingenious plotting, and I’m not entirely sure how she pulled it off. I started out feeling awash in details but gradually got my bearings and found I was able to navigate the sea of royals and alliances without too much confusion.

Granted, I would not have arrived at the solution on my own, but I’m never able to trace the clues in mysteries; I’d make a miserable sleuth. The plot revolves around interpersonal drama more than around the murder itself, an approach that concurs not only with my preferred type of mystery novel but with real life. The characters are working out their own issues and relationships; they don’t exist merely to investigate a murder. It makes for a far more interesting story than a purely cerebral whodunnit.

Also impressive is the fact that the author has not only self-published more than fifty books but produced the audiobooks herself. The talented narrator, Laurel Schroeder, convincingly delivers (at least to my untrained ear) a range of Irish, Welsh, Scottish, and other regional accents.

At points I was tempted to quibble over possible anachronisms, particularly where Gwen’s exploits are concerned. But as stated, I’m no expert on 12th-century Wales, and one can’t generalize about what freedoms women did or didn’t possess across Europe at any given point. Gwen’s activities might be perfectly in keeping with her time and place.

Woodbury’s (not surprisingly) well furnished website offers plot summaries of her many books and series, as well as access to e-books, interviews, blog, and a wealth of historical information: sarahwoodbury.com.