Since this was Penman's first mystery but she had written historical fiction before I expected the mystery to be subpar but the historical setting to be very rich. However, while the mystery plot was fine, this didn't really evoke a feeling of the past. The character interaction was mostly modern with some sprinkles of old and formal expressions and very few things that happened necessarily needed to be set in medival England. Also, I really had to suspend my disbelieve in regards to the characters a lot and I never felt like I got to know the protagonist very well. However, it is a very quick and consumable read with some almost cozy elements, so I totally get why this would work for readers with different expectations of historical fiction.