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Reviewed by Preston Lemoine for Readers' Favorite
Path in the Dark by J. R. Tomlin follows Donald, a teenage Scottish novice who decides he has had quite enough of the harsh life in Lanercost Priory. Then he discovers a hidden document revealing he is actually the unacknowledged, illegitimate son of a powerful bishop. Donald breaks out into the cold border country and heads straight for Carlisle. Soon, he stumbles into a chaotic street ambush. But using his wrestling skills, he actually manages to rescue an injured knight named Sir Gilbert del Awnes. That random alleyway rescue pulls him straight into a dark, terrifying situation. While trying to find his footing in a secular world he knows nothing about, he finds himself investigating the knight’s inner circle with everything on the line. Donald must carefully navigate a maze of hidden motives and rivalries to uncover the hostile forces lurking in the shadows. Will he figure out who’s really pulling the strings before the danger finally catches up with him?
J. R. Tomlin’s Path in the Dark is a highly entertaining medieval whodunit that is very engaging. Tomlin moves the events along smoothly as the details of the mystery come together. Donald is clever, physically capable, and has a sharp eye for deception despite his youth. The constant danger surrounding Donald and Sir Gilbert builds in a believable way, keeping your pulse hammering. I loved how the book depicts 14th-century Carlisle, with sensory details and the general unease of a border town under military watch. The dialogue feels real to the era, making it easy to lose yourself in the setting. Watching Donald adapt from a sheltered monk-in-training to a street-smart investigator is a compelling pathway to unmasking the real culprit. It’s an exciting must-read for historical fiction buffs.
