By Jack Everett The Back of Beyond (Abbot and the Acolyte) [Paperback]

by David Coles

Debut of The Abbot and the Acolyte Series...Abbot Rutilius, for his sins against authority, is made Papal auditor of monasteries in 13th Century France. With his newly appointed Acolyte, William, he comes to St. Guilhem where money laundering in the abbey kitchens and a nasty murder await investigation. Soon, another murder claims a second monk, twin to the first victim. What is the connection? How can the disagreeable Gilbert be held accountable? Who took the Abbot's pie? It takes an intractable goat and a near-drowning in an underground river to expose the truth. The Abbot acquires a little humility while the Acolyte gains rather more from the Comte's daughter... ### David Coles had the original idea for The Back of Beyond. He had always loved the character Cadfael and fancied creating a similar roving, crime-solving clergy with a little more humor. He lives near Leeds in W. Yorkshire, England and has formed a partnership with Jack which has lasted many years. He is a member of the Historical Society, has attended writing workshops run by Terry Pratchett and the late David Gemmel. His passion is Sci/Fi but is just as happy writing historicals, Medieval Mysteries and crime thrillers. . He designs and builds websites Jack Everett lives in rural Yorkshire, England. He kept two Alsatians - German shepherds--until they died and rather than suffer that grief again now has an orphaned cat named Meaow that more or less pleases itself what it does. He grows vegetables- allowing his wife to grow the flowers. Despite this he still makes time to write and has six books in print and four e-books. He has three further books in various stages of production. He is a member of The Society of Authors-UK, The Authors' Society-USA, and International Thriller Writers.

Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jack Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Medieval Mystery but not just a mystery. In The Back of Beyond, we meet two engagingly real characters. The Abbot Rutilius and the boy, William, whom he meets at the start of the book, hidden away in a monastery filled with old men waiting to die.

Rutilius is a bit of know-it-all. Given a peripatetic job to get him out of the way at `head office' in Avignon where he was a loose cannon - even to using Moslem algebra because it worked so much better than Roman numerals!
William is the son of a minor duke who espoused the ideas of the Cathar movement in opposition to the Papacy. William spent his early years with the castle's master-at-arms being more a father-figure than his father.
Rutilius is an accountant, his duty is to make certain that the Pope gets his tax - small streams contributing to rivers and torrents of money and treasure which disappear into the Vatican to reappear as paintings and sculpture adorning St. Peter's.
On reaching the Abbey at St. Gwilhem le Desert, the pair have been waylaid by a thief and are looking forward to a little comfort and rest and in the Abbot's case, good food and drink. He makes friends in the village and at a dinner party given by a local lady. He learns that the untimely death of one of the Abbey's monks is murder.
Shocked and disbelieving, Rutilius' investigation is further complicated by another murder, an attempted murder and inaccuracies in the kitchen accounts. Quite how a local donkey's appetite for exotic tidbits and an assault by poacher as well as village infidelities contribute to this tale of medieval life and death is best left to the reader.
Oh, and incidentally, I understand that St. Gwilhem le Desert translates to St. William in the Back of Beyond - hence the title.
A thoroughly enjoyable tale and the first of many concerning these two, I hope.
Adele Abbot author of Of Machines & Magics.