First Line Friday: Poison and Perfidy, A Case for Brother Daniel by Sergei Chechnev

I took a break last week for Good Friday, and I am returning this week with another title from my Kindle Backlist. I've had this novel on my Kindle for nearly 3 years.

Its a mystery set in 12th century Russia. I love me Historical Mysteries: especially when they feature clerics as the sleuths, because they remind me of the Cadfael stories. This one has a Greek Orthodox Monk.

Sadly, the Russian author has not published any sequels to date, so this book is the only one for now. 

900 years ago a village to the east of the tiny hamlet of Moscow challenged the supremacy of the ancient and majestic Kiev, thus beginning a strife that would endure for centuries. Perfidy and Poison: A Case for Brother Daniel is set amidst the roots of that epic power struggle in turmoil-ridden 12th Century Russia. 

Based on historic fact, this fast-paced medieval murder mystery pits Brother Daniel against all the odds and some powerful enemies, both regal and religious, trying to uncover the truth behind the death of the Grand Prince of Kiev, a puppet appointment that infuriated southern princes who stood to lose precious lands in the north and so divide the nation. 

As he stumbles closer to the real assassins in a tangled skein of suspicions, Daniel is hounded by treachery and treason lurking around every dark corner created by the country’s elite ruling classes.

Today's First Line follows from a Glossary of Russian words, a map,  and some helpful illustrations depicting the costumes of 12th century Russian Aristocrats. 

"He was not a Saint, and he should not be expected to act like one".

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