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IN AN AGE BEFORE DETECTIVES, ONE TEMPLAR KNIGHT IS CALLED UPON TO DELIVER JUSTICE

When wounded Templar knight Sir Marcus de Rancourt receives word that his sister is dying, he returns to a home he hasn’t seen in twenty years, only to find his sister dead, and her children orphaned. Sir Marcus decides to take on the greatest challenge of his life and remain behind to raise the children, his loyal sergeant and squires insisting on joining him to work the land at his side.

But before they can settle into their new lives as farmers rather than soldiers, they are thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that could rock the very foundations of the Templars and the Roman Catholic Church.

And it all starts with a simple murder, witnessed by a little boy, who swears Templars killed his parents.

Now it is up to Sir Marcus and his men to determine who committed the gruesome murders, and clear the good name of the Templars, before the very balance of power in the region shifts in favor of someone who should never possess it.

From USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy, comes the first in a new series, The Templar Detective, packed with pulse-pounding action, intrigue, and humor, guaranteed to keep thriller fans awake into the late hours.

Reserve your copy today, and be among the first to meet a new band of war-weary heroes, struggling to reintegrate into society, who are called upon once again to serve their Order, their Church, and their God.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 28, 2017

771 people are currently reading
320 people want to read

About the author

J. Robert Kennedy

100 books297 followers
With over one million books sold, award winning and USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy has been ranked by Amazon as the #1 Bestselling Action Adventure novelist based upon combined sales. He is the author of over fifty international bestsellers including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers. He lives with his wife and daughter and writes full-time.

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5 stars
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288 (36%)
3 stars
161 (20%)
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31 (3%)
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11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for Murray.
Author 149 books748 followers
November 28, 2023
is it treason or is it deception?

Knights Templar are roving the French countryside, murdering, despoiling, and plotting the overthrow of the king.

Or are they Templars?

Rich in historical detail, fast-paced, rippling with swordplay, betrayal, courage and intrigue. It’s time well spent in another era, one almost universally popular, that of the Middle Ages.

[THE STORYLINE: A Templar Knight returns to France upon news of his sister's illness. She dies before he arrives, leaving her two children in his care. Yet another child comes into his life when the boy's parents are murdered. On the one hand, the knight takes up farming the estate his sister left behind, joined by three of his knight companions. On the other, he is determined to pursue the murderers who are still at large, dressed as Templars.]
1,383 reviews20 followers
September 27, 2018
This was an interesting book. It is about a Templar Knight who returns from the Holy Land to his home in France to raise his niece and nephew, when his sister dies. Robert writes the book in modern English while maintaining the piety, loyalty and honour associated with the Templars. While I think the story is too short, it kept me engaged as it tells us about the adventures of the Templar Knight and his loyal friends as they deal with murder, betrayal and politics.
Profile Image for Tim Seabrook.
Author 1 book5 followers
January 5, 2019
This is the first in another great series by J Robert Kennedy and set in and around France. The story is well written and easily understood, the characters are well defined with the hero/protagonist in the form of Templar knight Sir Marcus.

The story is put together well and there aren't any loose ends or pointless misdirections within the story and it is again quite different from any of the previous works that this author has produced. A great detective novel set at a time where the mind was the greatest piece of technology and deductive reasoning the only way to solve a crime.
Profile Image for meghann.
1,064 reviews1 follower
May 24, 2023
This isn't a book I would normally gravitate to, but it was the Nook serial read for May 2023. I found it kind of cheesy but in an enjoyable way. Cartoonish fun mixed with bloody battle and high stakes adventure. Strong bromance vibes. The few women in it tend to be there just to fawn over the big strong knights, which is a bummer. Though the girl doggo is an absolute hero.
Profile Image for N.A.K. Baldron.
Author 38 books146 followers
March 25, 2022
A gripping tale set in late 13th century France during the fall of the Knights Templar when King Philip IV stripped the order of their assets.
Following a retired Templar Knight after his sister dies and he adbots his niece and nephew.
After a murder happens, and the primary suspects are fellow Templar Knights, he’s forced to leave retirement and clear his order’s name.
An action-packed exploration of the period leading up to the emphasis Black Friday, grounded through a gripping cast of character.
If you like history and action, you’ll love this book.
96 reviews2 followers
August 18, 2021
A rip roaring adventure.

Goes to prove people are people whether in the the middle ages or now. Well crafted characters, all knitted together to produce a believable story. Well researched, not only the Templars but also the French court and country life. Can't wait to read the next book.
Profile Image for B.R. Stateham.
Author 66 books194 followers
March 26, 2021
So okay, the story revolves around the plot of the King of France as he tries to destroy the Knights Templar. His mission is twofold. He wants to eliminate a huge financial debt he owes to the Templar banking portion of their organization. And he wants to take for his own the vast riches the warrior-monks possess. All this is historically true. The Knights Templar, originally founded as a religious/military organization committed to the idea of protecting the faithful as they made their pilgrimages to the Holy Land, also became, astonishingly, the largest international banking organization in all of Europe. The first such entity, many historians claim.

An aging Templar knight and a few of his followers return from the Holy Land back to France for reasons other than Templar duties. And the moment they arrive the are swept up into multiple-murders and royal machinations. Evil machinations.

This is a series and there are a number of this books. Hmm . . . .
Profile Image for Beverly Laude.
2,266 reviews43 followers
May 24, 2023
This book was the May 2021 B&N Readout selection. I used to read a lot of historical mysteries, but it had been a while since I had done so.

Sir Marcus de Rancourt is a Templar Knight and never had a desire to do anything else. When his sister dies, he is left with a young niece and nephew. Sir Marcus decides to stay on her farm and raise the children and his loyal Sergeant and Squires vow to stay with him.

However, instead of the life of farmers, they find themselves drawn into a complicated web of deceit involving the King and a plot to take down the Templars. But can Marcus and his men discover who is behind the plot or will they be executed for trying to overthrow the King?

The story moved at a fast pace and was full of interesting historical facts and great characters. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author and in this series.
1,013 reviews2 followers
May 29, 2023
Great story idea. Could have used more background. Sir Marcus is a Templar and has served quite a while in the Holy Land. After a serious wound he returns to France with a few of his loyal men. His sister has died and he is now responsible for her children. When an official of the king is found murdered along with his wife the only witness is their young son. The son claims it was Templars. Sir Marcus feels compelled to discover the truth. Therein lies the tale of J. Robert Kennedy's The Templar Detective. The king is Phillip a man who wishes to bring the Templar order to it's end. This is apparently the first of a series.
Profile Image for Janet Miller.
906 reviews3 followers
May 26, 2023
This was the Barnes & Noble serial read for this month. Wounded Templar Knight Sir Marcus de Rancourt goes to his home he left 20 years ago to help his dying sister. When he gets there his sister is already dead so he was going to raise her children and maintain their farm. His sergeant and squires decide to stay and help him. Then he meets a little boy who says Templars killed his parents. He can't believe Templars would do that and he starts investigating the situation.
The story is well written and held my interest. Highly recommended.
53 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2017
Absolute Delight

I love all of toughest I have read. This one has a great story line and wonderful cheats

I have truly enjoyed all of your material that I have read. This one is wonderful with lovable characters who immediately grab your heart. Although on a serious mission, their interactions can be hilarious at times which makes them so enduring. I can't wait to hear more from our new heroes.



Profile Image for Dean Vanek.
17 reviews
November 12, 2017
J Robert Kennedy delivers another thrilling mystery!

J Robert Kennedy delivers another thrilling mystery! Wait...I just said that didn't i? Well it's true. In 'The Templar Detective', JRK masterfully weaves intrigues together into a plausible story. Along the way, he introduces you to characters that you grow to care about and want to see succeed. (And beg to see what happens to them in the sequel...) All in all an excellent read and a great purchase.
112 reviews
March 8, 2018
This was an enjoyable read.

Perhaps the most noteworthy thing is that after reading all of Mr. Kennedy’s previous books, this is the first one without mention of his disdain for Jaguar automobiles. Reading through the novel, I kept wondering how he would work this timesome, overly repetitive nonsense into a plot taking place during the Crusades. Thankfully, there were no Jags maligned in this work.
32 reviews
September 17, 2020
Fast paced. Historically accurate as much as can be expected when writing of the 1100’s !Main characters in this fiction will appear throughout the series. The characters resonate with the reader. Definitely will purchase the whole series. Hopefully the author will keep new books in this series coming out in the years ahead.
3 reviews
November 19, 2017
I love the historical views presented regardless if they are fiction or not.

Books like these give us a possible insight into the lives of another time. The Templars were an amazing group of the most honored and humble of men. Something we don't see enough of today!
1 review
November 24, 2017
I really enjoyed this book , I'm a big fan of the Templars stories.

This book is full of suspense and keep the reader interest, wanting to know what will happen next. I'm pretty sure that something like that happened during that era.
46 reviews
December 6, 2017
Templar Knights.....the good guys

A good read interesting concept with the Templer Knights if you like medieval storytelling with a true detective in the Templar Knights it was quite interesting
Profile Image for Victor P. Landry.
7 reviews
December 31, 2017
Excellent Story

A good mixture of historical fiction and detective story though it seems to make King Phillip, at least somewhat honorable. Especially, since he had all Templars arrested, tortured, and executed.
160 reviews
February 2, 2020
What a great concept. Templar’s in a mystery

I loved the idea and the characters with a really good old fashioned mystery told in modern day English. With the addition of some humor and interesting characters it’s a winner
Profile Image for NuNu.
258 reviews5 followers
March 12, 2020
New Series

Always looking for a New series and /or author I discovered this series while perusing books on Amazon and decided to give it a try. Although rather slow moving will give Book 2 a try.
12 reviews
April 28, 2020
First time reader - excellent Read

This the first Kennedy novel that I read and found it a great read, a fast paced page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed. Templar twist was great and historically accurate.
Profile Image for R. Shannon.
Author 17 books36 followers
March 7, 2021
I loved Mr. Kennedy's writing style and the time period this takes place in. I love books that have the church or Christianity as a backdrop, so this was right up my alley. It was a well-worked plot but yet it was very easy reading which is a delicate mix.

Highly recommend.
3 reviews
May 12, 2021
Entertaining read.

Nice story but if you're looking to learn something about the Templars, this is not the book for you. At this point not sure if l will read another book by this author.
Profile Image for Tess.
52 reviews
October 21, 2021
I agree with a readers review given before mine. Too Short. I love anything about the Templars but I can't say I love this book but I can say I enjoyed it. Definitely worth reading especially if you want a quick and enjoyable.
Profile Image for Joyce.
606 reviews2 followers
May 29, 2023
Thank you to Barnes & Noble Nook for this month’s serial read.

“With the good Lord on our side, how can we fail?”

Great combination of mystery, swordplay, heartfelt interactions, Crusades & Templar history, comedy, intrigue & betrayal, & maybe a budding romance.
Profile Image for Dawn Moriarty.
34 reviews
May 30, 2023
For me, this was a fast read, which I suspect Barnes & Noble deliberately chose since the ReadOut books are only available to read for one month. I did last like this one as it combines the two genres I like to read - historical and murder mysteries/thrillers.
54 reviews
October 31, 2017
👍

Excellent! Fast paced action.Fascinating plot with many twists and turns. Fully fleshed out characters. I will read more by Mr Kennedy.
2 reviews
January 18, 2018
Very good, but not his best work. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Beverly Owens.
Author 14 books32 followers
February 7, 2018
Enjoyed it thoroughly

I love historical fiction. The concept for this one was interesting with the Knights Templar order being involved. Great detective story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews

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