2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Small actions bring big consequences, 3 Dec 2008
This review is from: The Mad Monk of Gidleigh (Hardcover)
First Sentence: In the darkened room, the man's shattered body gave a final convulsive jerk.
Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and Bailiff Simon Puttock must leave their families and travel to the village of Gidleigh. The beautiful daughter of the town's miller has been found dead, the young monk, by whom she was pregnant, the obvious suspect. This wouldn't have involved Simon but that a miner has also died, and that is under his jurisdiction.
Upon their arrival at Wonson Manor, they find Sir Ralph is the new owner and his son Esmon in charge of a band of mercenary soldiers. Tension in the village increases as truths are exposed and more die.
Jecks is one of the better historical writers. There is excellent attention to period detail and a very strong sense of time and place.
All the characters are fully dimensional and well drawn. I like that the two protagonists' lives have changed through the series. They come through as real people with great strengths and realistic weaknesses and consequences. They are not the only characters who change, others do as well.
The story is very well plotted. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, it turned. I particularly liked that the point was made that small actions can have big consequences.
This was another very good book in an excellent series and I'm happy to know I've many more books to go.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Difficult Case for Sir Baldwin, 22 Aug 2006
Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry when he began writing the internationally successful Templar series. Well all I can say is the Computer Industries loss is the reader's gain. He has now written about a score of the Knights Templar mystery books featuring Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock and there are more to follow. Michael's books are full of intrigue and mystery and they are particularly well researched. Mr. Jecks lives in the area he writes about and I am sure this must assist him a great deal with his background research.
Alone on the edge of Dartmoor, in a windswept chapel who could blame young priest, Mark, for seeking affection from the local miller's daughter, Mary? But soon his world will come crashing around his ears. Mary's body is found, she has been stabbed. They have been seen together and the young priest becomes the No. 1 suspect. When Mary's body is examined it becomes obvious that she was pregnant and this only seems to confirm Mark's guilt.
Keeper of the King's Peace Sir Baldwin and Bailiff Simon arrive to investigate and soon begin to have their doubts about the guilt of the priest. Mary it seems had many admirers. Could it not have been one of them who had murdered her in a fit of jealous rage. Also her father the miller is acting increasingly strangely and what exactly is the local Baron trying his best to hide from them. Finding the murderer will not be easy . . .
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