#Dewithon24: A Bitter Remedy by Alis Hawkins

A Bitter Remedy, the latest historical crime novel from Alis Hawkins is just as thoroughly researched and carefully constructed as her earlier books in the Teifi Valley Coroner series set in mid nineteenth century Wales.

This one moves the action to the 1880s and away from rural Wales, to the world of academia among the dreaming spires of Oxford. The connection to Wales is however retained via the principal character of Rhiannon (Non) Vaughan and her involvement with Jesus College which drew many of its students and academics from Wales.

The plot centres on the mystery surrounding the death of a lonely and struggling Jesus College undergraduate. The boy’s guardian blames the college for his death and threatens to cause a scandal that will seriously impact the college’s reputation. One of the college fellows, Basil Rice, ends up “investigating” the death with the aid of Non, a young women recently permitted to attend university lectures.

They make an odd couple, both outsiders in a sense. Non because she has a thirst for knowledge in a world which believes a woman’s place is at home and not in a lecture hall. And Basil because he is desperately trying to keep his homosexuality a secret.

I enjoyed the historical elements of A Bitter Remedy, particularly the details about the limits placed on women’s ambition to gain an education. Non is allowed to listen to lectures but not to graduate, though her intellectual capabilities are far superior to those of her fellow male students. There’s also a reference to the Association for Education of Women, a group — which did exist — formed to advance the cause of women who wished to pursue studies at university level and worked to establish halls of residence for these female students.

Sadly this wasn’t enough to mitigate my major frustration with this novel — the character of Non.

She’s positioned as an intellectual whose knowledge of Greek history and drama far exceeds that of her fellow male students. She’s just as passionate about languages and the culture of her birth country as she is about wanting an equal place as men at the high table of academia.

But she’s a completely irritating figure, hot headed and arrogant, believing that she is smarter than anyone else — and not just about Greek drama. As soon as she hears about Parker’s death she’s sticking her nose in, asking to view the body herself because she knows all about post mortem examinations and also happens to be on first name terms with a leading forensic medical practitioner.

i just couldn’t believe in her nor feel any sympathy for her frustrations at being told that she has no place at university and should really be at home looking after a husband and family.

I think A Bitter Remedy is intended as the first part of an Oxford Mysteries series that will feature more of Non’s exploits. Maybe she will become less irritating as the series progresses but i think I’ll be sticking to the Teifi Valley Coroner series.