Book review: The Good Knight by Sarah Woodbury

The Good Knight (Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries, #1)The Good Knight by Sarah Woodbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is the first in a mystery series that takes place in medieval Wales. The characters are interesting, and I always enjoy books where the protagonist is a woman. The secondary characters were well characterized and had sometimes outsized personalities. The author is clearly extremely knowledgeable about the time period and setting. The plot was quite clever, with a last-minute twist that was both unexpected and plausible.
My only issue (but it’s a big issue) is with the writing. The dialogue was flat and two dimensional, and the writing seemed unnecessarily simple. There was not much nuance or subtlety–when a point needed to be made, it was made with a sledgehammer. I would have preferred more deftness in the book.
That being said, I was torn between 3 and 4 stars and decided to give the book 4 stars. The author definitely gets points for writing about a culture and place that doesn’t get enough attention (Wales tends to be overshadowed by its larger neighbor). And I am intrigued enough by the characters to be willing to try the second book to see if the writing matures as the series progresses. I’ll keep you posted! 🙂

View all my reviews