Hill of Bones
This is an anthology of mystery novellas by the writing team of Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Karen Maitland, Ian Morson, and Philip Gooden, all successful authors of historical mysteries. Like their earlier King Arthur’s Bones (2009), it has an Arthurian connection: Solsbury Hill outside of Bath, where they locate the Battle of Mount Badon. The stories begin on the eve of Arthur’s great victory and continue down the centuries until the present, when police come searching for another victim of a serial killer. What they uncover instead is evidence of much earlier crimes – murder, fraud, and robbery – that were concealed on the hill. Space limitations mean plots feel hurried and characters harried, but there are clever touches too and the numerous unsavoury characters doubtless reflect historical circumstances. Not their best outing.