Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris

by Eric Jager

A riveting true story of murder and detection in 15th-century Paris, by one of the most brilliant medievalists of his generation. On a chilly November night in 1407, Louis of Orleans was murdered by a band of masked men. The crime stunned and paralyzed France since Louis had often ruled in place of his brother King Charles, who had gone mad. As panic seized Paris, an investigation began. In charge was the Provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, the city's chief law enforcement officer -- and one of history's first detectives. As de Tignonville began to investigate, he realized that his hunt for the truth was much more dangerous than he ever could have imagined. A rich portrait of a distant world, Blood Royal is a gripping story of conspiracy, crime and an increasingly desperate hunt for the truth. And in Guillaume de Tignonville, we have an unforgettable detective for the ages, a classic gumshoe for a cobblestoned era.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, True Crime, France, Mystery, Medieval, Crime

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2014

About the author

Eric Jager is Professor of English at UCLA, where he teaches medieval literature courses on Beowulf, Chaucer, the epic, and the romance. His other interests include classics, Saint Augustine, the history of the book, and literary theory.

Jager previously taught at Columbia University. He received his B.A. from Calvin College in 1979, and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1987. He received a research fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies (1996-1997) and the Weiss/Brown Award from The Newberry Library (2000).

His most recent book, The Last Duel, was adapted for radio and TV by the BBC, and shortlisted by the Crime Writers’ Association (U.K.) for the Nonfiction “Gold Dagger.” He is currently writing a book about crime in medieval Paris.

Reviews

[Jaidee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 "fairly interesting but uneven" stars !!

Last week we embarked on a five day roadtrip visiting about 10 wineries to pick up wine for the long cold winter. I was listening to the glorious Montserrat Caballe sing Bizet when I realized I had forgotten my Kindle. Aaaaargh ! I picked up my phone and perused my library for a read on my phone. I picked the first book to catch my interest and this was it....random but welcome !

Mr. Jager is a university professor, Medievalist and writer. This is the story of the murder of Duke Louis of Orleans in 1407 Paris (part time ruler when King had bouts of mental illness) and the repercussions that follow including an odious bloody feud, civil war and yet another invasion by England.

I felt a bit misled to be honest. This is more history than true crime and he vacillates between minute detailing to very broad strokes. I found this to be a bumpy ride. I was very engaged throughout but this book lacked any detailed or sophisticated political, sociological or psychological analyses and was more a blow by blow of what occurred. Despite this I learned a great deal and had a crash course on 15th century French History. There were also very interesting illustrations throughout.

A good read for what it was ! Equally important I got all the Rieslings I need to get through the winter ! Cheers !

[``Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Jager's wonderful account of the 1407 murder of Louis, Duke of Orleans. Louis ruled France in place of his older brother King Charles VI who suffered periodic bouts of insanity. Even though the self serving Louis is helping himself to the French treasury and is a vain, corrupt man that France is probably better off without his slaughter on the streets of Paris one dark night will have long lasting effects.

The highest ranking law enforcement official in France, Guillaume de Tignonville, Provost of Paris leads the investigation into the Duke's murder and soon finds himself in a no win situation when all the evidence points to an extremely powerful person serving on the French royal council. He stands to not only lose his position but his very life if he crosses this very powerful man. Sadly, he will not escape unscathed by solving this murder.

A scroll discovered 2 centuries later detailing de Tignonville's official investigation is the basis of this book and gives fascinating insight into exactly what happened that dark night in 1407 as well as details about the daily life of ordinary Parisians who witnessed the murder and the privileged life of the nobility at Court.

The events that transpired after Louis's murder are disastrous to France as Louis's heirs seek vengeance against his murderer eventually leading to full blown civil war.

King Henry V of England doesn't need much encouragement to take advantage of the situation in France and renews the Hundred Years War with great success. Henry V marries mad King Charles VI daughter Catherine d'Valois and the offspring of that union, Henry VI, unfortunately inherits his grandfather's insanity which will eventually lead to the Wars of the Roses as civil war breaks out in England.

I gave this book 5 stars and highly recommend this book to anyone interested in how a murder investigation was conducted so many years ago by the resourceful Provost Guillaume d'Tignonville.

[Craig Monson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 500-year-old “true crime” tale—how often does one of those turn up?—reconstructing the 1407 assassination of Louis, Duc d’Orléans. Exhaustively detailed and meticulously documented (20% of the book consists of endnotes and bibliography), it should fascinate enthusiasts of French and medieval history. Devotees of microhistory may find quite a lot to like about late-medieval Paris and its inhabitants early on, before Great Men hijack the narrative about halfway through. There’s also a nice dollop of gore (hands hacked off, skulls nicely split and spewing bits of brain, which must later be retrieved from the mud) and some forensics and police work to gladden the hearts of true crime enthusiasts, though their interest may wane once the victim is laid to rest and various dukes and nations start fighting it out and land grabbing. Some might even find it eerily topical: a prominent, assiduous chief investigator loses his job and falls victim to winds of political change higher up—though no FBI director has ever had to kiss the lips of a corpse, taken down from the gibbet after several months dangling there (at least not yet).

Scholarly readers are bound to be impressed at the extraordinary amount of detail the author has managed to tease out of centuries-old sources. Readers can wander widely, down streets and alleys, exploring ancient buildings, eavesdropping and spying on bakers and basket makers. All the detail, having much (or not so much) to do with murder, will likely try the patience of readers interested chiefly in whodunit. As in real-life criminal investigation, repetition abounds: the author first uses witness testimony to reconstruct the crime, then becomes a fly on the wall as the prosecutor interrogates witnesses to it. If half-a-dozen testify about the same thing, readers tend to hear from most or all of them—even those whose response is “I dunno.” Once Louis’ bits and pieces have been carefully collected, washed off, and interred, crime and detection give way to standard history, which predominates for much of the second half.

For history enthusiasts I’d say it’s a 4; for those in pursuit of true crime, maybe a 3.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Very interesting reading about the chalet that was used to house prisoners, four different levels, going from okay conditions to much worse, and the prisoners had to pay for the privilege even those in the worst level, which was basically a hole into which they were lowered. Guillaume, had almost unlimited power since he was the chief law enforcement officer, and it he who solves the crime of the murder of Louis of Orleans. Solved it in a very short period of time.


Much of this is fascinating reading, the techniques used, the politics of the 1400's and the madness of the king. It is a mystery, historical, political and social commentary, written clearly and concisely. It includes lengthy notes and sources and pictures of the past and even a present picture of where the crime was committed.


A good read for those interested in history and true crime.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my year to begin my foray into French history. Thank you Kaethe for suggesting this as a buddy read. The story involves the murder of Louis of Orleans, brother of King Charles. Murdering a royal would be bad enough, but in this case there was a larger problem. The King suffered episodes of madness and during those episodes Louis served in his stead as Regent.

This history brings together remaining documents of the inquiry into the crime, after setting up the situation in Paris of 1407, and then shows the fallout in the subsequent years among various royals and nobles. They were a very dysfunctional lot. The first section of the book deals with the crime, inquiry and solution, while the balance deals with the Civil War that gradually erupted, boiled over and resulted in innumerable deaths throughout France in succeeding years. Now I want to know more.

The Provost of Paris was in charge of the inquiry:


As a knight, a courtier, and a diplomat, Guillaume may
have been thoroughly a man of his age. But in his police
work, he seems to have been rather ahead of his time.
(loc 3964)


The idea that the conspiracy the kill Louis had
originated within the royal family...was staggering, as
explosive and potentially destructive as the new "cannon
powder" that was changing the face of warfare all over
Europe. (loc 2581)


At moments there is a touch of CSI, Paris.

For those who are history majors with a strong background in French history, this will be "old hat". For others, with an interest in history, I recommend this book. It reads quite easily, provides a "you are there" quality with recreated depositions (from archived copies) taken by Guillaume de Tignonville and his men, and then provides a further history of a disrupted time in the kingdom of France.

Rated 4*

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed thoroughly.

Copy courtesy of NetGalley; much appreciated.

For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/77... .

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This makes Paris during the Mad King's reign and the Civil War between Orleans vs. Burgundy factions come alive. Louis, the brother of the king, his murder in 1407, and the various repercussions for all the players cited in Tignonville's first hand report inscribed on a piece of parchment- just stunning. Startling in the duplicity, in the Justification process that followed, in all the fall outs for both sides within the Provost's future and role, and within the houses of royals themselves. Couple this with English King Henry V's direct course to take full advantage of the large cracks of void and crisis across the channel.

Sacred Bleu! This leaves no detail of cudgel or carpenter's plane (symbols on each Duke's livery) or physical reality of this Paris where the law in court and out is itself completely relative to who you are. Even unto separate forums. Clergy, student? You are tried only through the University with a separate court and interpretation. Royals? Conspiracy, crime, and a brilliant and diplomatic detective who gets his man. But, mon dieu, this man is a fish too large to land. Will it drag him to the water's depths regardless of his being pulled completely from the boat?

Details in this book are unsurpassed? Atonement proved by kissing the lips of a 6 month hanged corpse? Friend in love and promise today within splendor. Yet tomorrow a tool of Lucifer with numerous sharp swords with another face? Fantastic read, I couldn't put it down.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Jager’s Blood Royal offers a fascinating look at a key moment in French history and its aftermath: the 1407 murder of Louis of Orleans. If this tale were historical fiction, I might dismiss it as unbelievably convoluted, but this is non-fiction, drawing particularly on a lengthy (30 feet!) parchment roll documenting the work of Guillaume de Tignonville, provost of Paris, in investigating this murder. Forget Eugene Francois Vidoq—Guillaume is the original French detective and rather a good one at that.

At the start of the 15th Century, France was unstable, to say the least. Partway through the Hundred Years’ War, the country was ruled by Charles VI, whose sobriquets included both “the beloved” and “the mad.” Prone to lapses in sanity that could last for a few weeks to more than a year, Charles apparently ruled well when he was able, but when he wasn’t his brother Louis of Orleans ruled in his stead. As one of a group of Valois brothers, cousins, and uncles who made up the nobility of France, Louis was a not-undeserving lightning rod for discontent among the masses and his fellow nobility.

Once Louis has been murdered, Guillaume has the unenviable task of finding those responsible. His methods included techniques we would find familiar: depositions, searches for physical evidence. They also included methods that are no longer in use: the chaining of streets and rivers to slow traffic, the locking of city gates, and (though he seems not to have resorted to this on the case of Louis’ murder) torture.

I don’t want to offer any spoilers here (though if you want them, you can easily consult the historical record). In its best moments, this book reads like an exquisitely crafted detective novel, with rich, precise prose and pacing that make it hard to stop reading. Near the end, the book becomes slightly less engaging as it moves from Guillaume’s story to a tale of in-fighting among French noble factions (all of whom were willing to make temporary alliance with the English enemy), with just a bit of Joan of Arc and her defense of the Dauphin thrown in. Without Guillaume’s character, who with his erudition and critical thinking seems to bridge the gap between his medieval era and the reader’s modern one, the book feels less solidly structured and loses its narrative momentum. But even in its weaker moments (and what’s weak here is stronger than the bulk of popular history on the market) the book remains compelling.

One of the delights of this book is that it depicts of ordinary lives along with those of the nobility that are usually better documented. Guillaume and his staff take depositions from a landlord, several barbers, a nursing mother, and other common citizens, leaving a record that is remarkable not only for its rarity, but for its detail.

This is a book that will appeal to a wide readership: fans of historical fiction, of history proper, and of mystery and detective novels. Rather than spreading the narrative too thin in melding these genres, Jager offers pleasures, and fascinating information, for everyone.

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is billed as a tale of crime and detection, but it's barely an interesting crime that gets solved halfway through. It's disjointed, mired in pointless and uninteresting (and excessively violent) details, and completely not about what it claims to be about. It tries to make a mildly interesting political murder super dramatic and interesting, but then just gives a boring account of what witnesses were deposed as saying. It manufactures intrigue for like, 1 chapter (after an insane amount of time setting the scene and giving boring and unrelated background info), then immediately reveals that there's basically no mystery and it was pretty obvious who was behind the murder. Intrigue over.
This is just a pretty basic and badly written history book about a time of French history.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood Royal is an entertaining, dare I say, fun exploration of a horrific murder that upset a generation of French politics.

Despite the synopsis, only half of this book focuses on the justice system, the crime, and the investigation. The second part of the book addresses the effects the crime had on politics and international relations for the next 20 odd years: the civil war and an English invasion.

Light, fast-paced, and informative Blood Royal is a good survey of an interesting time in history that most popular historical non-fiction has ignored.

[Mary Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blood Royal is hyped as a nonfiction mystery. But the mystery takes up only about half the book. Jager should have lost an early chapter that describes the medieval scenery as the provost went to work every morning. And the later chapters are really just the aftermath of the mystery's solution: how ancient French warlords reacted and fought over land during a few years of the Hundred Years War.

Even if you treat this book as a simple history, the story is too detailed. Do we really need to read about the witness-to-murder depositions twice? And we don't need all the Parisian scenery.

[rachel ~ trans rights are human rights · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’d say this was enjoyable for the first ten chapters, and then everything post-reveal was boring and broad. it was so enjoyable to read the depositions, intimate glimpses into normal lives, the little details of aristocratic life, and following the grand inspector’s sleuthing, but as soon as we find out who planned the murder, and the resulting search for “justice”, it read like a boring history textbook.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

A surprisingly good book. On the surface it is a history of France and it's internal struggles in the 14th and 15th century.

The most surprising aspect is how the book reads like a good novel.

If you are a history lover, I highly recommend.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I love long chancery-hand medieval manuscripts and you should too.

But if you don't, then think of this as a medieval murder-mystery unearthed in the archives and brought to light. And done so quite well. The processes of French secular justice are explained without too much exposition and the story of Paris' provost looking for a royal murderer tells itself. There's a good amount of context to explain what the crime meant at the time, although the reader should be careful not to imagine that this killing was the only thing driving events forward. History is always more complicated than a simple line of causality, as the broader Orleanist-Burgundian feud described here shows.

I would have enjoyed more a Latin manuscript from an ecclesiastical court instead of Middle French produced from the king's justices - sed non culpa auctoris.

Follow me on Twitter: @Dr_A_Taubman

[Syd (dazai’s ver.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting "true crime" book. Set in the 1400s in France, the Duke of Orleans has been murdered. The provost, Guillaume de Tignonville, must use all of the available resources and his skills to solve this crime. But while doing so, he uncovers a conspiracy that may cost him his job or even worse, his family.

The reason I put true crime in quotes is because it was more like a history book than a true crime. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't organized as a regular true crime book.

The writing style was easy to read and I thought the points were organized clearly. I liked learning about what life was like in medieval France while at the same time uncovering a horrible conspiracy.

It pmo that nobody stood up to Duke John. Since he was a powerful figure, nobody wanted to be his enemy so justice was not given for a very long time.

Again this wasn't really a true crime, it was a history book. Not saying I didn't like it, but it was different from what I expected to read.

Overall I enjoyed reading about the murder of the Duke of Orleans and how they solved it. It was quite impressive how they went about the case without fancy modern technology and they still managed to figure it out. Of course the provost lost his job and was publicly humiliated for going against Duke John, but I still applaud him for trying to give justice despite the accused being of royalty.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweeping history of a murder and its consequences. I really enjoyed the depth the book went into regarding what led to the murder of the king of France’s brother, the event itself, and the devastating repercussions.
The narrator read with passion and interest and the book held my interest up till the very end.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating example of crime detection in the early modern period, and a reminder that even in ages where torture was common and the ability to gather physical evidence was limited, there was still the possibility of using clues to solve crimes and still a great risk to oneself in solving them. This book deals with an example of crime detection where the hardest aspect was not in figuring out who was guilty and what the motive was, per se, but in bringing the killer to justice. It has often been the case that the wheels of justice turn slowly when those who behave corruptly and wickedly are powers in high places, and this book deals not only with the forensics of solving crime and the personalities involved in the crime and its solving, but also with the political repercussions that resulted from it. The author, a writer I am in general unfamiliar with, has done a good job at handling the various threads of this book, including the true crime angle as well as the historical interest of the case and those who were involved in it, and if the case is solved, the ending is not a happy one for most of the people involved.

This book is about 250 pages long and is divided into fifteen chapters. The book begins with an introduction that discusses the way that this crime and its investigation was preserved but forgotten for generations until a large manuscript was found showing the report of the investigation. After that the author focuses attention on the detective who solved the titular brutal murder (1) as well as his home (2), the victim and his large number of enemies (3), and the place where the murderers hid out and planned their foul deed (4). There is then a look at the cold, dark night when the murder occurred (5), the post-mortem that followed (6), and the mass for the dead that was held (7). There is a discussion of the inquiry that took place (8), and a break in the case that came about after discussions with a great many witnesses (9), as well as the rival dukes whose hatred led to near disaster for France (10). This leads to a discussion of the confession of one of the Dukes to the murder (11), his justification of the murder as a case of tyrannicide (12), and the fact that it was the detective himself who was forced into a humiliating Amende Honorable (13), while France fell into a civil war (14), and the detective, now sacked, and a great many other French notables fell against the English at Agincourt (15), after which the book ends with a melancholy epilogue, a note on the depositions, acknowledgements, notes, sources, illustration and photograph credits, and an index.

The book's title itself gives a double clue to the book's content, in that both the victim of the true crime and the mastermind of the murder are themselves of blood royal, and the author's demonstration of how the case was solved and then the repercussions of the case given the continuing insanity of France's king and the ineffectiveness of the French government in being able to manage issues of justice and governance, especially as the victim had been the regent for the kingdom. The failure of the French royal family to sort its own business in an effective manner led to some serious consequences in the near fall of France to the English during the Hundred Years War. And the author not only talks about the crime and its consequences in terms of the justice system of early fifteenth century France, but also about the consequences of the governance on the well-being of France as a whole, and that is a compelling story even if it is a deeply sad one and one that caused a lot of problems.

[Aisling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok look this book is not so much about crime and detection as it is about history. The history is extremely well done but this is very much an academic book and not what you should pick up if you are looking for true-crime or procedural books. I think the author tries very hard to make this more readable but the fact is the murder is solved quite early on and then a huge chunk of the book is history (who fought who, and who was on which throne...) only to return to the crime and detection for a few more pages in the epilogue.
One thing I wish the author had addressed was discovery of this extraordinary document. The interrogations etc were all written on a scroll which then went missing for two centuries. The book is based on that scroll but the author does not divulge who discovered it, where it was. I just think that would have been interesting.
I did enjoy the book and it is scrupulously researched. I am a fan of footnotes being on the page as opposed to at the back of a work and truthfully did not bother to look up most of them.
I think the first third of the book is fascinating and well written, the middle bit is less so. Still 4 stars for an extraordinary work. Just don't pick this for your mystery bookclub :)

[James Sinks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fluff. Reasonably faithful to the facts, but trimmed down so much that all of the simmering tensions that lead to Louis' assassination are presented as exposition rather than shown as a succession of events building and growing to an explosive finale. It's also seasoned with a great deal of novelistic invention. Written at about a tenth grade level and printed large so it looks more imposing than it is.

As someone who knows the history and just read Vaughan's exhaustive story of John's reign as Duke of Burgundy, which treated the assassination of Louis D'Orleans in the driest way possible, I was looking forward to this alot. Unfortunately, while the tale of the assassination is given a dramatic treatment here, the story as a whole is a pale and anemic compared to the operatic sprawl of the history it was plucked out of.

[Elli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too long ago, a scroll was found detailing the investigation of the assassination-murder of Louis of Orleans in the early 1400's. Surprisingly modern techniques were used by the provost and quite effectively. This scroll opened up alot of history. It's an excellent non-fiction book, well researched and well commented on. It also gives a good picture of a number of the characters involved. It also put another connotation to an historical period of relations between French and English. A really good book, although slow at times. But this is non-fiction and following history with comments, of course, from this scroll which transcribed so much that happened in the murder and investigation. Also, what happened afterwards, not planned, and gave France a very hard time.

[Noah Goats · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It provides a vivid snapshot of Paris as it entered the fifteenth century and tells the exciting story of the scandalous murder of one of France’s most noble of aristocrats, the investigation of that crime, and it’s aftermath. Well written, exciting, unputdownable. This is a fantastic piece of popular history. Also, I listened to this on audiobook and the reader was very good.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Tom Rust · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, incredibly densely packed, and arranged in a captivating narrative; history brought to life. Oh, and pretty violent and lewd to boot.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of medieval history and true crime will probably find this title of interest. It is the story of the investigation into the assassination of the brother of the King of France. It was this murder that led to country's destabilization (as it were), setting it up for the English domination that Joan of Arc would later help end.

The King is the insane Charles VI, and France is suffering. The countryside has not yet been truly united into a single nation. France is no longer limited to the Ile de France (the little island in the Seine where you will find Notre Dame), but the surrounding duchies (like Berry, Bourgandy, Normandy, and Bourbon) are still independent liege states to France. All are ruled by members of the Valois family, like Charles VI, but they are also each looking for an opportunity to rule the land as well.

Charles would often be able to function, but a relapse would send him into a stupor that could last a few hours or months on end. As a result, he needed someone to step forward and rule in his place since his son, Charles, the dauphin, was still to young to do so himself. Instead, the Louis of Orleans, the King's brother would do so.

Unfortunately, Louis was not necessarily well-liked. He ran the country well, but he seemed overly willing to increase taxes in order to confront the repeated invasions by England as part of the Hundred Years' War. He also had no problem flirting with (and more) with the wives of many of the other French lords, potentially including the Queen herself. One dark (though not stormy) night, the Duke was heading home with a small coterie, when he was attacked on the street and brutally murdered.

This book really takes the time to use the depositions taken by the chief law enforcement officer of Paris, one Guillaume de Tignonville. The depositions had disappeared until 1666, probably as a result of the fact that his findings into the true murderer were extremely controversial.

While there definitely was a conspiracy, it was the name at the top of that pyramid that was most concerting. Within days. Guillaume had disproved that the murder was due to foreign intervention or even one of the most obvious wronged lords from Louis' sexual escapades. Guillaume and his men brought in the residence in the homes on the street where the murder took place as well as area artisans and anyone else who might have knowledge to provide depositions as to the facts. These depositions provide an interesting voice as to an important historical event. Voices like these are usually lost in events of the period.

Sadly, right does not necessarily win out as the attempts by many of those involved to protect the nation as a whole led to the wrongdoer going free while also not necessarily keeping France safe from England. In fact, many of those involved were lost in the Battle of Agincourt a few years later.

I found this to be a really good read Jager not only provides the information from the depositions, but he does so in a way that brings all of the individuals to life for the reader. He also provides information at the beginning to set the stage for the importance of the murder as well as how this murder like affected the future of France for generations.

[Oma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very readable, well researched book about the murder of Louis, the Duke of Orleans, its investigation and its repercussions. Louis was a man of privilege and lived as one entitled to have his whims satisfied. His brother, King Charles, suffered from bouts of insanity and, during these bouts, Louis reigned in his place, as the dauphin was yet too young to rule. Louis was viciously murdered in the streets of Paris and Guillaume de Tignonville, the chief law enforcement officer, and his men meticulously investigated and solved the crime. This only resulted in further complications in the power struggle of France's ruling class and set the stage for war and further intrigue.
The book was not entirely an examination of the great skill with which de Tignonville investigated and solved the crime. It was more a book about the murder and its effect on France. The first half of of the book was about the events leading up to the crime, providing a background for the reader, and then about the crime and its investigation. The second half was about the far reaching repercussions of the murder, with very little mention of de Tignonville and his investigation. It was more about the power play for the control of France. I have not been compensated in any way (other than being given a copy of this book to review) and my opinion on the book is entirely my own.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written and fast-paced, with all the narrative tension of a propulsive murder mystery or political thriller. Scenes were described so vividly I was casting the movie version in my mind. As a student of French language, literature, and history, I am surprised I was not already familiar with this true crime story, the consequences of which extended far beyond the death of a single man. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator added a hint of drama that kept me even more on the edge of my seat. Suffice it to say, I was both educated and entertained by this book.

I would recommend Blood Royal to anyone interested in medieval/European/royal history, and/or the history of Paris.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jager combines true crime and history in this account of the assassination of Louis, Duke of Orleans, younger brother and frequently regent to the mad King Charles VI, in November 1407. Both the crimes and the investigation undertaken to solve it are recounted in detail - a lot of detail, to the point of being excessive and rendering what is otherwise an interesting tale somewhat too dry to be truly engaging.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real murder investigation in 1407 of the brother of the KING who was hacked to death on his way to see the KING. Depositions, List of evidence from the assassin's hideout. names and occupations of the witnesses and a full accounting of the Provost(Lead Investigator) and his flushing out of the true killer/ ALL FOUND IN FRANCE ON A PARCHMENT> the King was insane and the father of Catherine of France who married Henry V and mother of Henry VI (Who was the worst KING of England why Because he inherited the INSANE GENE) War of the Roses as we call it here escalated due to Henry VI Catherine also was the grandmother of HENRY TUDOR (Henry VII)

[Candice Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

One half of the book is devoted to the murder and investigation, the other half is “fuck around and find out” for the country of France. So much hinged on one stupid nobleman not being hacked to death it’s honestly a little mind blowing.

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not at all what its description promised. It had a cracking introduction but then it becomes largely just a dry, dull listing of facts. This happened and then this happened and then this happened. Which to be fair is what a lot of history books are like. I just wish more historians knew how to also be good storytellers. Engage me, damnit!

The provost in charge of the investigation really doesn't have much investigating to do except talk to all the "witnesses" who lived on the street where the murder took place. They all basically heard the same things and none of them saw anything because it was too dark, but we still need to read each and every single testimony for some reason? That was a tedious-ass chapter let me tell you. I wanted to bash my head against the hardcover. I thought the author would tie-in all the provost's stuff with modern day policework, you know? "This method is still relevant in the field today;" or "this method eventually paved the way for this;" or "can you believe they used to do this?!" But nope. Policing plays a very small role in this book.

The murder itself was grisly. But the hunt and eventual capture of the murder's mastermind is underwhelming. It was not suspenseful or thrilling or dark and twisty.

A lot of the book (at least half?) is also just dealing with the history of the royal family and all their infighting. And the last chunk deals with civil war. Maybe in a better author's hands this could have been a more captivating read for me. C'est la vie.