tamaranth | 2022/79: Knot of Shadows -- Lois McMaster Bujold

2022/79: Knot of Shadows -- Lois McMaster Bujold

If a man found dead in the harbor in his nightshirt was mysterious, a man found dead in the harbor in somebody else’s nightshirt was utterly inexplicable. [loc. 415]

This latest instalment in the Penric and Desdemona series is another novella, a murder mystery set in the port city of Vilnoc in winter. A corpse is found in the harbour, wearing another man's nightshirt: so far, so ordinary. But when the 'corpse' wakes up in the morgue and starts banging on the door (from the inside), Learned Penric and his attendant chaos demon are called in to advise. Surely this is a textbook case of demonic possession?

Of course it is not nearly that simple or straightforward, and Pen and Des, assisted by Penric's student Alixtra, end up investigating fraud, finding a missing child and arguing with a god. This is in some ways quite a 'cozy' mystery, with little of the wider world intruding: though there are echoes of themes from The Curse of Chalion, the stakes here are not nearly as high. But it's also quite dark, though Pen does his best to provide closure, justice and mercy.

Despite the deaths, and the grieving of them, this was a comforting read. I was especially struck by Penric's reaction to the death of a Temple rabbit, unable to bear being possessed by a god. It was such a kind and compassionate moment, and it epitomises Pen's character. After all, Pen's kindness is the reason that Penric and Desdemona are together at all.