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Book Review – A Shroud of Snow by Sarah Hawkswood @AllisonandBusby

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About the Book

December, 1145. Hamelin Isenmongere, a trader in iron and charcoal, is considered by many to be the most popular man in Worcester. Why then is he found on the quayside near his warehouse with his head beaten in?

As winter bites, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin are on the trail of a killer. However, they must tread cautiously when the trail of evidence leads them back to Worcester Castle itself where William de Beauchamp is more concerned that they seek out a spy within its walls. It is up to the Sheriff’s men to discover whether the murder was an act of betrayal by someone close to home, or one that casts a shadow over the fight for England’s crown.

Format: Paperback (288 pages) Publisher: Allison & Busby
Publication date: 20th August 2026 Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Find A Shroud of Snow on Goodreads

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My Review

A Shroud of Snow is the fourteenth book in the author’s Bradecote and Catchpoll mystery series set in 12th century Worcester. I only discovered the series when I read River of Sins, the seventh book, back in 2020. I then read and reviewed the next three books – Blood Runs Thicker, Wolf at the Door and A Taste for Killing – but for some reason it fell off my radar after that until the lovely people at Allison & Busby contacted me about this one. (I’m sure I’ll fill in the gaps at some point.)

It was a delight to be back in medieval Worcester with Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin, the latter soon to become a father, a prospect he is viewing with trepidation. The three of them make a good team, each with different skills. Wakelin is observant, intuitive and is able to mingle with the city’s residents, servants and traders. Catchpoll has a deserved reputation for knowing everyone and everything, something he uses to good effect. Only a fool would try to cross him, although that doesn’t stop a few trying. Meanwhile Bradcote’s rank invites respect and often opens doors that would otherwise be closed, unless they’re ones belonging to Simon Furneaux, Castellan of Worcester Castle, the only thing they share being a dislike of the other.

What I enjoy about the books is the way they transport you to 12th century Worcester, with its narrow streets, tiny houses, workshops, wharves and riverside warehouses, all presided over by Worcester Castle. The dialogue gives a sense of the local dialect, although Bradecote being a lord of the manor speaks Norman French to his peers – what the locals refer to as ‘Foreign’. The ability to converse in Norman becomes relevant to the case, as does the ability to read and write because even the Lord Sheriff William de Beauchamp, Bradecote’s irascible boss, relies on scribes to commit his commands to paper, or rather vellum.

What starts off looking like two separate cases – the murder of Hamelin Isenmongere and a possible traitor in the Castle – gradually begins to throw up connections. But are they just coincidences? As Catchpoll observes at one point, ‘Our problem be that we is like ‘ounds in the forest, followin’ a deer, and a second crosses its tracks to and fro and its scent keeps distractin’ us from the first ‘un.’ As the investigation progresses it becomes apparent the Sheriff’s men are on the trail of not just a ruthless killer but a cunning and truly evil individual.

A Shroud of Snow is a really enjoyable historical crime mystery with plenty of twists and turns, revealing both the best and worst of human nature. You can find more about the historical background to the books on Sarah’s website.

I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Allison & Busby.

In three words: Entertaining, intriguing, atmospheric
Try something similar: The King’s Justice by E. M. Powell

About the Author

Sarah Hawkswood describes herself as a ‘wordsmith’ who is only really happy when writing. She read Modern History at Oxford and first published a non-fiction book on the Royal Marines in the First World War before moving on to medieval mysteries set in Worcestershire.

Connect with Sarah
Website | X/Twitter

#WWWWednesday – 12th August 2026

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Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Why not join in too?  Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping!

What I’m Currently Reading

Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson (Doubleday via NetGalley)

It’s the summer of 1951 and everyone is looking to put the dark days of the war behind them. The government’s solution: The Festival of Britain, a celebration of the country’s creativity, grit and ingenuity.

For foreign correspondent turned war reporter Harry Flynn, it might offer the chance of redemption after a bad war in the Far East and a peace that is proving no easier to negotiate. Having failed to resume his journalistic career, he reluctantly joins an oddball team of misfits, ne’er-do-wells and downright chancers helping to ready the Festival of Britain for launch.

Flynn’s attempts to resume some semblance of a romantic life also founder when one of his dates goes missing and he is deemed to be the last person to have seen her alive. Could he have been in some way responsible for her disappearance?

Little does he realize that the answer to some of his mounting problems may lie in the hands of a precocious, straight-talking thirteen-year-old called Veronica and a rather scruffy terrier who goes by the name of Mrs Betty…

A Shroud of Snow (Bradecote and Catchpoll #14) by Sarah Hawskwood (ARC, Allison & Busby)

December, 1145. Hamelin Isenmongere, a trader in iron and charcoal, is considered by many to be the most popular man in Worcester. Why then is he found on the quayside near his warehouse with his head beaten in?

As winter bites, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin are on the trail of a killer. However, they must tread cautiously when the trail of evidence leads them back to Worcester Ccastle itself where William de Beauchamp is more concerned that they seek out a spy within its walls. It is up to the Sheriff’s men to discover whether the murder was an act of betrayal by someone close to home, or one that casts a shadow over the fight for England’s crown.

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Pan Macmillan)

Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook’s potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there and rose to its top ranks, things turned out a little different.

From wild schemes cooked up on private jets to risking prison abroad, Careless People exposes both the personal and political fallout when boundless power and a rotten culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative, Wynn-Williams rubs shoulders with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and world leaders, revealing what really goes on among the global elite – and the consequences this has for all of us.

Candid and entertaining, this is an intimate memoir set amid powerful forces. As all our lives are upended by technology and those who control it, Careless People will change how you see the world.

What I’ve Just Read

Conqueror (Agricola #4) by Simon Turney (Head of Zeus)

Following years of distinguished military and political exploits, Agricola has been rewarded with control of Aquitania by the Emperor Vespasian.

But Agricola’s greatest glories have always come in that rainy northern corner of the Britannia. When Vespasian sends him back to Britannia, this time as governor, he has a chance to cement his place in Roman history.

To conquer Britannia completely Agricola must overcome its many Celtic tribes. The Ordovices have massacred a Roman cavalry unit. The Selgovae and Damnonii resist Imperial rule fiercely. And he must take them on with ever fewer troops due to a series of changes at the heart of Roman power.

Failure will mean disgrace or death, but if he should succeed, Agricola will be forever lauded among the pantheon of Rome’s heroes. (Review to follow)

Trials of the Heart by Stephen Wade (Northodox Press)

What I’ll Be Reading Next

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (Penguin)

Sybil Van Antwerp is seventy-three, slowly losing her sight and always writing letters . . .

To her children. Her favourite authors. Her ex-sister-in-law. The journalist poking into her past. Her doctor. Suitors. Kindly neighbours. The infuriating gardening club.

All receive Sybil’s witty, wise correspondence, rich with everyday concerns.

But there is one letter that she has never sent. It concerns the darkest period of her life. To post it, Sybil must find forgiveness within herself.

The hardest letter to write is the one you’d never dare to send.