I just finished reading "In the Wake of the Plague : The Black Death and the World it Made," which really helped me have a better understanding of the motive for so many medieval historical murders.  I actually bought it to add to my collections of books on the Plague, but was disappointed, as it doesn't really cover the Plague itself.

Rather it covers wealth, ownership of land and political and economic marriages, and also what happens when one of those in a marrige dies. The period covered stretches over 1100-1500 AD. As such, I now have a better understanding of the whys of so many historical mysteries.

The link above goes to my much longer review of the book. Unlike a lot of books here, numerous other members added good reviews of their own. Not all agreed with me.

I need to check this out!