Plunging into the icy black waters of the Thames, Chrispin
Guest thought he could still save the man who had fallen
from the window high on London Bridge. Despite his
bravery, it was too late and the man was already dead.
Neighbours whispered conflicting tales and some felt it was
suicide. Despite shivering from for the icy river and from
his own head cold and tiredness, Chrispin is not the kind
of man who would let things rest, especially when he
intuits that something is just not right in all the
swirling gossip. He is The Tracker! Despite having been
disgraced as a knight, Chrispin firmly abides by his
knightly vows, but has had to find other means to feed
himself and his young and intelligent apprentice, Jack
Tucker. He now makes his living by finding things or
investigating certain situations.
Fortunately or not, many in London have heard of his fame
or infamy and, despite some bother from the Sheriffs, he is
able to secure a small contact with the family next door to
the now decreased armourer to investigate what had
happened. The daughter of the neighbour, Anabel Coterel,
indicated that she was Master Grey's betrothed, but her
behaviour seems at odds at times to that situation
While investigating what he and Jack have now determined to
be a murder, Chispin is happy to meet up with an old friend
of his, Sir Thomas Saunfayl, who he admires for his strong
standing in the battlefield. Now, Sir Thomas indicates
that he fears the bloodiness and dreams from the wars and
is in desperate search of something the armourer had
promised him. He makes Crispin vow to find it, but
relentless refuses to describe it. What can it be? Even
his old friend and sometimes nemesis, Geoffery Chaucer has
arrived and wants to help him search. What is so valuable
that people will commit murder for it and why is Sir Thomas
and others so desperate to find it?
Already well known for her historical accuracy and action
orient fast moving plots, Jeri Westerson has penned another
winner with BLOOD LANCE -- the fifth book in her amazing
Medieval Noir Series. From the first sentence to the
last,
you are pulled into the backstreets of 1386 London, feeling
the chill of the night air, the stench of the streets, the
fumes from the ale and bodies in the Old Boar Inn and the
welcoming taste of food after long days searching with
Crispin and Jack. Westerson has an amazing ability to set
authentic medieval settings that are so integrated into the
storyline, they become, not description, but part of the
plot. Jack is a terrific foil to Chrispin and their
interactions are terrific, especially as they discuss clues
to the investigation and things that happened in the past.
Jack is a little older and more experienced now and more
determined to speak his mind, yet still has much to learn
about the ways of the world and especially in how his
better perceive how they want to be treated. Westerson also
skillfully introduces the concept of post-traumatic stress
(a new label, but not a new reaction) as a key part of the
story. New historical characters, such as Lancaster's son,
are also introduced, along with some knightly activities,
such as the rousing and thundering action of jousting great
which history fans are sure to appreciate. BLOOD LANCE is a
adventure and mystery story that can stand on its own, but
fans are sure to crave reading the other adventures in the
series! Now, I can't wait for the next one to be out!
Crispin Guest, returning home after a late night, sees a
body hurtling from the uppermost reaches of the London
Bridge. Guest's attempted rescue fails, however, and the
man—an armourer with a shop on the bridge—is dead. While
whispers in the street claim that it was a suicide,
Guest—known in certain London circles as The Tracker for his
skill in solving puzzles—is unconvinced.
What Guest uncovers is that the armourer had promised Sir
Thomas Saunfayl, a friend from Guest's former life, that he
would provide him something that would make him unbeatable
in battle, something for which he'd paid a small fortune.
Sir Thomas believes that the item was in fact the Spear of
Longinus - the spear that pierced the side of Christ on the
cross—which is believed to make those who possess it
invincible.
Complicating matters is another old friend, Geoffrey
Chaucer, who suddenly comes to London and is anxious to help
Guest find the missing spear, about which he seems to know a
bit too much. With various forces anxious to find the
spear, the life of Sir Thomas in danger and perhaps the very
safety of England hangs in the balance, Guest and his
apprentice Jack Tucker must navigate some very perilous
waters if they are to survive.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy