Book of the Month: May

There were two books this month that were contenders for my book of the month. Historical mysteries The Merchant's Tale and Under Water are page turners that kept me sitting on the edge of my chair until I finished reading them. How did I decide between them? There was one point that separated them. While Under Water had a riveting plot, I knew where the story was headed at the halfway point of the story. With The Merchant's Tale, I did not know until the last pages how the characters were going to end up. The Merchant's Tale is, thus, my favorite book for this month.

The book was co-written by two successful authors:  C. P. Lesley and P. K. Adams. The setting was Poland and Russia, areas that Adams has written about before in her Jagiellon Mystery Series. Not too many authors use this setting and it is a breath of fresh air for historical fiction fans. In The Merchant's Tale, Karl Scharping, a merchant from Danzig, has only one thing on his mind: a bride named Selina who is awaiting him in Moscow. A careless leap from his horse derails his plans, confining him to a monastery near the White Sea. When Selina's brother Pyotr is promoted to court translator, he finds that his new job is difficult both because of his lack of skills and also with court intrigue. He hopes his sister will marry Karl who its his best friend. Selina, however, does not love Karl and doesn't want to marry him. She prefers an English trader who has also arrived in Moscow with a company of traders whose business may derail Karl and Pyotr's own business plans.

I loved this book and highly recommend it.