Knaves Templar

Joan & Matthew Stock #6

by Leonard Tourney

One by one, law students in the Inns of Court are killing themselves -- or so it seems to all but County Constable Matthew Stock. Matthew knows a murder when he sees it, and soon he's in pursuit of a ghostly killer who is not above trying his skills on Matthew himself. Meanwhile, Matthew's wife, Joan, follows her nose through the brawling, bawdy streets of Elizabethan London, looking for clues to help her husband outwit his murderous nemesis. But who will help her?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, British Literature

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Leonard Tourney came to BYU in 2006 after teaching at Western Illinois University, the University of Tulsa, and the University of California at Santa Barbara. A specialist in composition pedagogy and creative writing, Professor Tourney has authored scholarly articles in l7th century British literature, a critical biography of Joseph Hall, short fiction, and nine historical novels, the most recent a fictional memoir of William Shakespeare.

Reviews

[Mary JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

This excellent series is not as well known as it should be. So here I am to tell you about it. There are eight "Matthew and Joan Stock" mysteries, written from 1980 to 1994. They are hard to find but if you DO find one in a used bookstore, they are well worth a read.

Matthew Stock is the local constable is Chemsford, Essex. He is now in London to assist a friend. Three students have supposedly committed suicide at the Inns of Court, a lawyers college in London. All three within a two week period. Suspicions are rising that these may be murders, not suicides.

Matthew, who also own a clothiers shop as well as being County Constable is going to go undercover, as it were. He will pretend to be richer than he is, with the help of the college authorities. His cover? He has a son and he is checking out the Inns of Court for suitability before he enrolls him.

So Matthew is free to visit the College and poke around and listen to gossip and ask innocent questions. Someone does not like THAt and he is stabbed....

Joan, his wife, staying in London while Matthew "works" accidentally gets invoed in a seeminly unrelated case. But only seemingly...

Matthew and Joan Stock make a good detecting team. Matthew is persistent and determined; Joan, a bit more observant and daring. These two characters are well fleshed out in the books.

I will give no spoilers on the mystery itself. I do recommend them storingly. The historical detail is excellent, and the language. Most of alll, Matthew and Joan show the beliefs and mannerisms of that time. Some mysteries the protagonists come off as too modern in their views. Mr. Tourney does not make that mistake with the Stocks.

A nice, tighly written mystery, telling a good tale in 247 compact pages. Recommended for any mystery reader. Highly recommended if you are a fan of historical mysteries; especially Elizabethan England.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by an English professor who specializes in the 17th century, this historical mystery's strength lies in its portrayal of the period. While the language is not as difficult as Shakespeare, Tourney avoids modern colloquialisms, which reinforces the setting. Tourney's mysteries are capably written and plotted. Nothing too deep going on here, but perfectly enjoyable for reading on a winter's day.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Stock while staying in London with the Litchfields is asked to investigate the supposed suicides of three apprentice lawyers. But this will not be the last of them, and what could be the motive.
An entertaining historical mystery with its cast of varied characters.

[dianne betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again I learn more of the historical times of these two characters !! I would never have given much thought to the lower and upper classes of society together being taken in and controlled by the use of drugs as we see in own own times. Of course, there is nothing new under the sun. This book again features a thoughtful women, who does possess a soul, rummaging around in the lower elements of society to eventually come to the final solution to the murders for which Matthew himself seems to be unable to find.
I think the attraction in these books is that they take simple country folk and involve them in cases totally outside their own way of life amd living. They themselves develop in character and this I find draws me to these otherwise simple folk living an otherwise simple life where the life they lead is one that challenges them to achieve a higher purpose.
It goes without saying that the use of the English language itself requires a dictionary sitting close by.
I look forward to the next challenge these two folk encounter.

[Haydn Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok

Quite an enjoyable novel, taking us from the haberdashery shop, to The Inner temple to an inn in London, with all sorts off incidentals on the way.

[Maria Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

This was excellent, a really good story . Just one comment - I do believe that good, hard working lawyers exist!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and picked up this book on a whim at the library - it's a mystery set in the middle ages. I liked it - for no other reason than it was a different type of historical fiction than I'm used to. It didn't turn my head or make me contemplate my life or anything philosophical. And I won't say that I know any more about the "dark ages" than I did before, but it was worth a quick read.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of a series of Elizabethan mysteries centering around Matthew and Joan Stock. This one deals with law students of the Middle Temple being murdered. Links to revenge, alchemy, and drug addiction.

Very slow moving at first. Moves better toward the end. Historical/theological discrepancies.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit overwritten but an interesting historical murder mystery. There are others much better, C. J. Sansom, Ariana Franklin, but it was fun to read.