GHOUL OF SHERWOOD

Friar Tuck tries to solve a murder mystery in Ruud’s latest Robin Hood novel, the second in a series.

Robin of Sherwood is back and up to his old tricks, sneaking into the Sheriff of Nottingham’s archery competition disguised as a fat, bearded, eye-patched yeoman named Hodden of Barnesdale. He takes first prize (of course) only to be discovered at the last moment. Luckily, the sheriff’s wife, Lady Maude (a huge Robin Hood fan), helps him switch into her own clothing to make his escape. Meanwhile, Robin’s spiritual advisor, Friar Tuck, learns of a mutilated body found in the woods outside the Benedictine Priory in Wallingwells. He has business in the area anyway—his godmother and her daughter live nearby—and the good friar hopes he can lend the nuns of the priory a hand in solving the ghastly murder, which locals have already attributed to “the work of some demon, or some vengeful ghoul.” The case quickly proves to be more complex than anticipated, and, on top of everything else, Robin’s paramour, Maid Marion, is captured by the Sheriff of Nottingham’s henchmen, who mean to extract from her the archer’s location. Can Robin step in and save the day, or will his merry band become the latest victims of Sherwood Forest’s vengeful ghoul? The author’s prose replicates the cheery, ‘Renaissance Faire’ tone associated with Robin Hood stories, as when Friar Tuck meets the Wallingwells prioress: “Tuck thought the prioress had an open, friendly face and manner. What he could see of her wimpled face was broad and sanguine, with high cheekbones, a small nose, and mouth, but large merry green eyes that sparkled at him as she greeted him.” Ruud has taken a few classic Robin Hood tales and woven them in and around a familiar detective plot structure, but he does little to offer the characters any freshness or depth. Fans of the mythos will likely be pleased by the author’s faithful re-creation, but those looking for contemporary complexity and nuance will be disappointed.

An agreeable (if conventional) continuation of Robin Hood’s adventures.