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The Abbot's Gibbet
A Knights Templar mystery #5

by Michael Jecks



      Merchants are streaming into Tavistock, Devon, England to participate in its annual fair. Former Knight Templar Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Simon Puttock, bailiff of Lydford, are survivors of the Knights Templar, the order dedicated to the protection of the pilgrims in the Holy Land. The order was savagely murdered by a greedy king. Sir Baldwin is Keeper of the King's Peace. They are in Tavistock as guests of the abbot, Robert Champeaux.

When a headless corpse is discovered by the local butcher, the abbot asks that they investigate the murder and apprehend the murderer before more incidents can occur to disrupt the fair. There are a host of possible culprits among the fair goers, some of whom have much to hide. The two must unravel the intrigue and mystery that surround their suspects before they can find their most unlikely murderer.

This is a well written historical mystery with a deftly constructed plot. There are enough red herrings to distract the reader. The author has done extensive research in successfully presenting the spirit of the people and place in the time (1319). The reader can feel the atmosphere of the town and the many occupants of the fair. The characterization is excellent with the knights themselves, the foreigners at the Fair, and the unlawful predators.

An excellent step back into another time and another world.

The Book

Avon
May 2006
Paperback
13 digit ISBN: 9780060846565
10 digit ISBN: 0060846569
Historical Mystery [England 1319]
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Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Barbara Buhrer
Reviewed 2006
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© 2006 MyShelf.com