One of my all-time favorites. ( )

Jeri Westerson does not disappoint our high hopes
in this installment. She knows just what the
readers want-- intelligent heroes, a great story,
believable villains, seemingly unsolvable mysteries,
and first-rate storytelling-- and she delivers!! ( )

Crispin Guest and his sidekick (er, protoge) young Jack Tucker are called to Canterbury to protect the relics of St Thomas a Beckett. While there, they happen to run into Cris' old friend, Geoffrey Chaucer and his band of pilgrims, who start being killed off almost as soon as they arrive. Cris (and Jack, who is very insightful) sett out to solve the murders, as well as to find the now-missing bones. It took awhile to get into this, but once the characters started to settle into my brain, it was a bit of a romp! (Now I want to go back and read earlier titles in the series.) Pretty fast-moving, and really keeps the reader guessing (although I guessed who-done-it long before Jack and Cris). Jack is a young teen and plays an active role in the solving of the mystery, so this also has appeal for younger readers. ( )

Another enjoyable adventure with Mediaeval sleuth Crispin Guest and his trusty assistant Jack Tucker. This time, employed in Canterbury on a job to protect the bones of St Thomas A Beckett, Crispin and Jack are soon caught up in murder and mystery seemingly centered on the Saint's remains. ( )

Series: 4th in Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery

Sensuality: some adult situations, nothing explicit

Main Character: Crispin Guest, disgraced knight of England making a living as an investigator.

Setting: 1385,Canterbury England

Crispin's reputation as "The Tracker" has grown and he is required by the Archbishop of Canterbury to protect the bones of martyred Saint Thomas Beckett. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket had been murdered in the cathedral that now holds his bones, but there is suspicion that the bones are going to be stolen by a group that is looking to undermine the Catholic church. Crispin is to protect the bones which bring in money from pilgrims and find if one of the heretics is actually part of the monastery. This job requires Crispin to face people who remember him being disgraced as a traitor and even his old friend Geoffery Chaucer.

The very first night on duty, a prioress is murdered in one of the chapels in the Cathedral, the exact same place Beckett was slain, and Crispin is knocked unconscious. A young nun was present in the chapel with the Prioress at the time of the murder and is traumatized. Crispin's young apprentice gets his first crush on the young nun complicating matters.

Another murder occurs that seems completely unrelated which throws a curve that keeps the reader guessing. Of course, it could be the curse that Jack learns about during his undercover stint in the monastery. But the clock is ticking when Chaucer is unexpectedly jailed by the archbishop for the murders and Crispin only has hours to clear his name.

Crispin has his hands full and confronting his past is an added challenge. The Archbishop and Chaucer are catalysts in Crispin's internal struggles with his past that demonstrate what kind of man he has become since he was stripped of his knighthood. He has changed a lot and the reader suspects, for the better.

Young Jack is growing up and we get a chapter from his perspective as he goes undercover at the monastery. This was a great touch and I appreciate Jack's character even more now. Chaucer was unpredictable and added a touch of mystery. There is a woman that catches Crispin's fancy as well. Some moments of humor lighten an intense plot.

The plot has a few twists and the connection between the two murders is not obvious. The attention to period detail is integrated smoothly and immerses you. The confrontation with the killer is suspenseful and the wrap up was quite satisfying with an added surprise. Crispin continues to develop and grow. This series keeps improving and the character of Crispin transcends time with the motivations and political intrigue that are no less in play today. Excellent series that makes history exciting and even cool and this book is a stellar addition.

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http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/ ( )