Overview

1324: The English kingdom is in uproar. Roger Mortimer, once the King's most able commander, but now his most hated enemy, is plotting to assassinate the King. But he's not the only one with murder on his mind... When the bodies of a local craftsman and the King's messenger are found in the city of Exeter's streets, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, the Keeper of the King's Peace and his friend Bailiff Simon Puttock, are implored by the Bishop to find out who was responsible. The dead messenger was carrying a dangerous secret that may prove fatal, should it fall into the wrong hands. Baldwin and Simon must find the murderer before he can strike again. But when murderers can use magic, no one is safe...

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Another rip-roaring medieval intrigue. Terrific - Nottingham Evening Post Medieval murder mysteries don't come much better. This is a cracker - Coventry Evening Telegraph

Enough 14th-century English malice and murder to keep several intrepid investigators hard at work.While Sir Baldwin de Furnishill, Keeper of the King's Peace, is being pressed by the Bishop of Exeter to take a place in Parliament, his friend, Bailiff Simon Puttock, reluctantly escorts Brother Busse from Tavistock Abbey to Exeter to consult Langatre, a local fortuneteller. Upon their arrival, they become embroiled in several murder investigations carried out by their old friend Coroner Sir Richard de Welles, a man who loves strong drink. The Bishop is desperate to recover a note carried by one of the victims, a royal messenger. The King and his Despenser allies had recently uncovered a plan by their enemies to hire John of Nottingham, a necromancer, to kill them all. Although the plot is foiled, John escapes and may be plying his exotic trade in Exeter. To add to the confusion, there's a former messenger with a grudge against the dead man, a retired assassin who once worked for the king, a sheriff whose beautiful wife is almost killed by an obsessed servant girl and a gaggle of other strange denizens of the city. Knowing that the slightest mistake can lead to death, the three investigators struggle to uncover the truth.In Jecks's latest panorama of medieval life (The Death Ship of Dartmouth, 2006, etc.), the mystery is once again overwhelmed by exhaustively researched historical detail. (Kirkus Reviews)

'Another rip-roaring medieval intrigue. Terrific' -- Nottingham Evening Post 'Medieval murder mysteries don't come much better. This is a cracker' -- Coventry Evening Telegraph

'Another rip-roaring medieval intrigue. Terrific' -- Nottingham Evening Post 'Medieval murder mysteries don't come much better. This is a cracker' -- Coventry Evening Telegraph

Author Information

Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry to concentrate on writing and the study of medieval history, especially that of Devon and Cornwall. He lives with his family in northern Dartmoor.

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