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Knights Templar #24
The Templar, the Queen and Her Lover
It is 1325, and an atmosphere of dread and suspicion hangs over England like a thick fog. The last years have been racked by treachery and mistrust, and even the mightiest in the land have been affected. In the gilded cage that is the Palace of Westminster, Queen Isabella is troubled by court intrigue. Her jealous husband, King Edward II, has removed all her privileges, including her regal status and even access to her children. When Isabella is dispatched to France to negotiate peace with the French, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill is sent along to ensure her safety. No one, it seems, can be trusted, not least the Queen’s own retinue. Murder, betrayal, adultery, and cold, calculating evil soon litter Baldwin’s tempestuous journey.
512 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 28, 2008
34 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
About the author
Michael Jecks
122 books623 followersMichael Jecks is a best-selling writer of historical novels. The son of an Actuary, and the youngest of four brothers, he worked in the computer industry before becoming a novelist full time in 1994
He is the author of the internationally popular Templar series, perhaps the longest crime series written by a living author. Unusually, the series looks again at actual events and murders committed about the early fourteenth century, a fabulous time of treachery, civil war, deceit and corruption. Famine, war and disease led to widespread despair, and yet the people showed themselves to be resilient. The series is available as ebooks and all paper formats from Harper Collins, Headline and Simon and Schuster. More recently he has completed his Vintener Trilogy, three stories in his Bloody Mary series, and a new Crusades story set in 1096, Pilgrim's War, following some of the people in the first Crusade on their long pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He has also written a highly acclaimed modern spy thriller, Act of Vengeance.
His books have won him international acclaim and in 2007 his Death Ship of Dartmouth was shortlisted for the Harrogate prize for the best crime novel of the year.
A member of the Society of Authors and Royal Literary Society, Jecks was the Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association in 2004-2005. In 2005 he became a member of the Detection Club.
From 1998 he organised the CWA Debut Dagger competition for two years, helping unpublished authors to win their first contracts He judged the CWA/Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for three years.
Michael Jecks is a popular speaker at literary festivals and historical meetings. He is a popular after-dinner and motivational speaker and has spoken at events from Colombia to Italy, Portugal to Alaska.
His own highlights are: being the Grand Marshal of the first parade at the New Orleans 2014 Mardi Gras, designing the Michael Jecks fountain pen for Conway Stewart, and being the International Guest of Honour at the Crime Writers of Canada Bloody Words convention.
Michael lives, walks, writes and paints in North Dartmoor.
He is the author of the internationally popular Templar series, perhaps the longest crime series written by a living author. Unusually, the series looks again at actual events and murders committed about the early fourteenth century, a fabulous time of treachery, civil war, deceit and corruption. Famine, war and disease led to widespread despair, and yet the people showed themselves to be resilient. The series is available as ebooks and all paper formats from Harper Collins, Headline and Simon and Schuster. More recently he has completed his Vintener Trilogy, three stories in his Bloody Mary series, and a new Crusades story set in 1096, Pilgrim's War, following some of the people in the first Crusade on their long pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He has also written a highly acclaimed modern spy thriller, Act of Vengeance.
His books have won him international acclaim and in 2007 his Death Ship of Dartmouth was shortlisted for the Harrogate prize for the best crime novel of the year.
A member of the Society of Authors and Royal Literary Society, Jecks was the Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association in 2004-2005. In 2005 he became a member of the Detection Club.
From 1998 he organised the CWA Debut Dagger competition for two years, helping unpublished authors to win their first contracts He judged the CWA/Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for three years.
Michael Jecks is a popular speaker at literary festivals and historical meetings. He is a popular after-dinner and motivational speaker and has spoken at events from Colombia to Italy, Portugal to Alaska.
His own highlights are: being the Grand Marshal of the first parade at the New Orleans 2014 Mardi Gras, designing the Michael Jecks fountain pen for Conway Stewart, and being the International Guest of Honour at the Crime Writers of Canada Bloody Words convention.
Michael lives, walks, writes and paints in North Dartmoor.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 18, 2018
Fabulous historical fiction, Michael Jecks knows his stuff. I love the adventures Sir Baldwin and Simon the bailiff and it was good to catch up with them again.
January 25, 2012
This is a story based on the tragic tale of the "Tour de Nesle". In the early 1300s, the French were rocked by the scandal of the behaviour of three princesses. They were discovered (largely because Queen Isabella of England reported them) to be having adulterous affairs in the tower. The two men involved were followed, captured, tortured, and executed in the most vile manner, while the three women were imprisoned.
The conditions were appalling. One died very quickly. One lingered on.
This, really, is the story of the survivor. But it was also the time when the English were forced to negotiate with the French, and suspicion was rife. It was fortunate that Baldwin and Simon, who were engaged as a part of the guard protecting the Queen, were able to investigate and bring a murderer to justice, averting an escalation.
The conditions were appalling. One died very quickly. One lingered on.
This, really, is the story of the survivor. But it was also the time when the English were forced to negotiate with the French, and suspicion was rife. It was fortunate that Baldwin and Simon, who were engaged as a part of the guard protecting the Queen, were able to investigate and bring a murderer to justice, averting an escalation.
October 26, 2010
This was probably not a good choice for reading late at night. Jecks jumps between 4 or 5 locations & sets of characters for much of the book. It's hard to figure out who's on whose side, or even how many sides there are. I felt like I ought to have one of those big cork boards like they have on cop shows, so I could pin up pictures of the characters and draw lines between then :)
I had stopped reading this series somewhere around book #20 & decided to try it out again. Now I'm not sure whether I want to continue or not. Maybe I'll try one more book to see how it goes.
I had stopped reading this series somewhere around book #20 & decided to try it out again. Now I'm not sure whether I want to continue or not. Maybe I'll try one more book to see how it goes.
August 11, 2017
Let’s start with the plusses: Fast paced, plenty of interesting characters and lots of things happening. The historical setting is fantastic, the tension between England and France palpable. Plenty of dead people and plenty of suspects kept me guessing who did what and why.
And now for the downers, which can be summarized by the fact that it could have done with at least 20% less pages.
There are several places where Jecks repeats himself. To name but one example: we know how Roger of Mortimer found himself in the predicament of being banished since page 5 or so. There is really no need to rehash it three more times.
And although I like the history and the fact that Jecks really does his research into the period and circumstances he writes about, I felt he went a bit overboard here. As a result the mystery and the actual story almost got lost in the irrelevant, but no doubt accurate, little facts.
Although I enjoyed The Templar, the Queen and her Lover very much, I do hope that the next books in the series will be more like the early works, where the history was subsidiary to the story instead of the other way around. But based on the trend of the last few books, I suspect that that might be wishful thinking.
And now for the downers, which can be summarized by the fact that it could have done with at least 20% less pages.
There are several places where Jecks repeats himself. To name but one example: we know how Roger of Mortimer found himself in the predicament of being banished since page 5 or so. There is really no need to rehash it three more times.
And although I like the history and the fact that Jecks really does his research into the period and circumstances he writes about, I felt he went a bit overboard here. As a result the mystery and the actual story almost got lost in the irrelevant, but no doubt accurate, little facts.
Although I enjoyed The Templar, the Queen and her Lover very much, I do hope that the next books in the series will be more like the early works, where the history was subsidiary to the story instead of the other way around. But based on the trend of the last few books, I suspect that that might be wishful thinking.
December 4, 2017
I usually enjoy the books in this series of Knights Templar but, for the first time ever, I got two thirds of the way through and decided to jump to the end just to get the gist of what -finally- happened. Didn’t mind the short chapters at the beginning (works for James Patterson) but towards the middle it just got messy. I couldn’t see where it was going and, although I realised the child played an important part, otherwise why would he be there, I didn’t care enough to finish reading the whole book.
Never mind, plenty more in the series to enjoy.
Never mind, plenty more in the series to enjoy.
June 24, 2017
I don't know what it was with this novel but it just did not grip me at all. Usually I really like historical novels, especially in this time setting, but the story was quite boring, with many characters who were easily mixed up as they all seemed quite similar. I noticed it's part of a series, but I've no interest in trying another one.
January 10, 2024
I don't usually read a series back-to-back. I like to read a fiction book, followed by a nonfiction book. While the series have their stock characters, the stories are largely independent of the others. However, this book, #24 in the series, is closely linked to both the previous and the following ones. I'm not complaining. I'm just observing that reading them closely behind one another is a good idea.
Having read #23, and reviewed it here, I'll only say that we are far from finished with King Edward II, and his lover Sir Hugh le Despenser, and Sir Baldwin is pulled into their dangerous web.
When we left book #23, Dispensation of Death, Sir Baldwin had solved the mystery of the deaths surrounding Queen Isabella, a virtual prisoner of Edward and Despenser, and put him squarely in opposition to Sir Hugh. He was the catalyst, but there was no direct proof, even though everyone, including the King, knew it. Despenser was a fearsome enemy to have, but Sir Baldwin was a believer in equal justice and knightly honor, as befits a Templar.
In this book, we find the Queen about to be let out of her soft prison to go as ambassador to her brother, King Charles IV, and negotiate a peace and retain Edward’s French territory of Guyenne. Edward won't go without Despenser, and Despenser can't go because he raided French shipping when he was a renegade.
She decides to take a band of musicians, and here is where we get a tangled weed of people and circumstances. In fact, the greater part of the exposition of the novel is about the compex circumstances of the musicians. Suffice it to say they narrowly escape being charged with a double homicide and end up caring for the young son of the murdered couple.
Then there is the mysterious slaughtered of every prison guard save two at the Château Gaillard, where the two former princesses caught up in the Scandal of Silk Purses were held in appalling conditions. Rumor was that one had been raped and delivered a healthy child. As I said, there is a lot going on in this book, and I've only touched on it.
Now to the main plot, the mission to France. Based on his service to King Edward II, in the previous book, Sir Baldwin is chosen, along with friend Simon Puttock, to travel as part of the armed escort for the Queen. This is especially dangerous for Sir Baldwin, as he is a former Templar and had barely escaped France when the previous King, Phillip the Fair, annihilated the order for their money. If Baldwin is caught, he could face torture and a horrible death by fire.
But along the way, he is attacked, and several others are killed. It's not a good beginning. Once in Paris, there are more murders among the entourage, and some dangerous people find out about Sir Baldwin's past. Once in Paris, things go from bad to worse with more murders. By this point, he has met Sir Roger Mortimer, who is on the run from Edward and Despenser. Mortimer tells Sir Baldwin there is a rumor running rampant at Court that he is a Templar. Even if the French King decides to do nothing, the French Ecclesiastical Court has the power to act!
I'm going to stop now, having barely touched on several plots going on, and leaving out some to keep this review manageable. I will say that several threads are left hanging here. I do have the next book in the series, The Prophecy of Death, and I will start it right away.
I love this series and have been reading it for years. The history is impeccable, unlike a lot of historical fiction. You can count on Mr. Jecks to get the history right and to spin a compelling story!
Having read #23, and reviewed it here, I'll only say that we are far from finished with King Edward II, and his lover Sir Hugh le Despenser, and Sir Baldwin is pulled into their dangerous web.
When we left book #23, Dispensation of Death, Sir Baldwin had solved the mystery of the deaths surrounding Queen Isabella, a virtual prisoner of Edward and Despenser, and put him squarely in opposition to Sir Hugh. He was the catalyst, but there was no direct proof, even though everyone, including the King, knew it. Despenser was a fearsome enemy to have, but Sir Baldwin was a believer in equal justice and knightly honor, as befits a Templar.
In this book, we find the Queen about to be let out of her soft prison to go as ambassador to her brother, King Charles IV, and negotiate a peace and retain Edward’s French territory of Guyenne. Edward won't go without Despenser, and Despenser can't go because he raided French shipping when he was a renegade.
She decides to take a band of musicians, and here is where we get a tangled weed of people and circumstances. In fact, the greater part of the exposition of the novel is about the compex circumstances of the musicians. Suffice it to say they narrowly escape being charged with a double homicide and end up caring for the young son of the murdered couple.
Then there is the mysterious slaughtered of every prison guard save two at the Château Gaillard, where the two former princesses caught up in the Scandal of Silk Purses were held in appalling conditions. Rumor was that one had been raped and delivered a healthy child. As I said, there is a lot going on in this book, and I've only touched on it.
Now to the main plot, the mission to France. Based on his service to King Edward II, in the previous book, Sir Baldwin is chosen, along with friend Simon Puttock, to travel as part of the armed escort for the Queen. This is especially dangerous for Sir Baldwin, as he is a former Templar and had barely escaped France when the previous King, Phillip the Fair, annihilated the order for their money. If Baldwin is caught, he could face torture and a horrible death by fire.
But along the way, he is attacked, and several others are killed. It's not a good beginning. Once in Paris, there are more murders among the entourage, and some dangerous people find out about Sir Baldwin's past. Once in Paris, things go from bad to worse with more murders. By this point, he has met Sir Roger Mortimer, who is on the run from Edward and Despenser. Mortimer tells Sir Baldwin there is a rumor running rampant at Court that he is a Templar. Even if the French King decides to do nothing, the French Ecclesiastical Court has the power to act!
I'm going to stop now, having barely touched on several plots going on, and leaving out some to keep this review manageable. I will say that several threads are left hanging here. I do have the next book in the series, The Prophecy of Death, and I will start it right away.
I love this series and have been reading it for years. The history is impeccable, unlike a lot of historical fiction. You can count on Mr. Jecks to get the history right and to spin a compelling story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2017
Great Read
Although I have always enjoyed all the books in this series this is the first that tie's all the different aspects of the story into a spiders Web or maybe a noose
Although I have always enjoyed all the books in this series this is the first that tie's all the different aspects of the story into a spiders Web or maybe a noose
August 14, 2018
As always a delight to lose myself in the historical life and times of the main characters.
November 6, 2022
Definitely a return to form for Baldwin and Simon.
December 19, 2023
If you like court intrigue in the 1300s this book is for you, way too complex for me.
February 25, 2017
Love the Templar series! I enjoyed reading this book just as I enjoyed reading the first one in the series.
April 9, 2011
I found this an absorbing read and have considerable sympathy for the band of medieval musicians and a number of modern readers who could not figure out what was going on and who was whom. It is 1325 and Queen Isabella, wife of Edward II is trying to negotiate with her brother King Charles IV of France over the English loss of Guyenne. Edward does not wish to pay feudal homage to Charles. But England is in a turmoil and a major conspiracy is brewing. So not unexpectedly nobody is quite sure which party any person supports. There is Roger Mortimer with a price on his head; supporters of Hugh Despenser, the king's favourite, and an enemy of the Queen; and the King's brother.
Amongst the escort party there are also agents of the French king who are trying to mop up all evidence of the scandal of his first wife Blanche prior to his wedding in a few months time. Throughout there are remnants of the Waldensian heresy (bible to be written in the vernacular, purgatory just a papal money laundering exercise), and of course Baldwin's Templar past.
The murders start in London as does the treachery
Irrelevant to this story but of interest, the skeleton of Hugh Despenser has recently been discovered in Hereford. Thought to be his as the bones seem to indicate quartering, and he was the last to be treated this way in that area.
Amongst the escort party there are also agents of the French king who are trying to mop up all evidence of the scandal of his first wife Blanche prior to his wedding in a few months time. Throughout there are remnants of the Waldensian heresy (bible to be written in the vernacular, purgatory just a papal money laundering exercise), and of course Baldwin's Templar past.
The murders start in London as does the treachery
Irrelevant to this story but of interest, the skeleton of Hugh Despenser has recently been discovered in Hereford. Thought to be his as the bones seem to indicate quartering, and he was the last to be treated this way in that area.
August 27, 2008
Eh...that's about all I can say about this book. It wasn't bad but it wasn't really good either. The title intrigued me but I was almost immediately disappointed in what I was reading.
It is set during the reign of King Edward II (the son of Edward I, Edward Longshanks, who killed William Wallace) and it covers Queen Isabella's journey back to her homeland of France to negotiate with her brother, the King of France, over some English lands. It could have been a good story but there is just way too much going on between the front and back cover, too many separate plot lines that somehow end up all connected in the end, and a ton of characters to keep track of. I finished reading it because I wanted to see how all these numerous plot lines ended up being connected, but I was confused most of the time.
It is set during the reign of King Edward II (the son of Edward I, Edward Longshanks, who killed William Wallace) and it covers Queen Isabella's journey back to her homeland of France to negotiate with her brother, the King of France, over some English lands. It could have been a good story but there is just way too much going on between the front and back cover, too many separate plot lines that somehow end up all connected in the end, and a ton of characters to keep track of. I finished reading it because I wanted to see how all these numerous plot lines ended up being connected, but I was confused most of the time.
December 12, 2008
This is the 24th book in Michael Jeck's Knights Templar Mystery series and from a historical viewpoint a very interesting read. In this story, the mystery seems to take a back seat to the events of the time. It is 1325 and the English King Edward II has sent his wife, Isabella to negotiate a treaty with Charles IV, French king and Isabella's brother, to regain the Norman lands lost to France. These are the seeds of the Hundred Years' War only a decade away. Jeck's appears to have become more interested in fitting his characters into the historical timeline with each new novel and for my money--only $9.95--he has managed to keep me involved for two dozen books. Can't wait for the next one, once it comes to paperback, of course.
February 9, 2013
Historical mysteries attract me by their blend of fiction with history. When I feel I get a good flavor of the lives of the characters within the context of the reality of that time, it makes the story come alive. Others may comment on the plot and the history, but I enjoyed the trip to Paris in 1325. I had read it before but, true to form, even as I got into it and began to remember the action, I still couldn't recall the ending. So, I enjoyed the trip!
February 26, 2013
I really enjoyed this book it was full of twists and turns right up until the end, Baldwin and Simon are sent to France with Queen Isabella to try to negotiate a settlement for the lands King Edward holds from King Charles.
But there are murders even before they leave England and Baldwin is called upon to solve them. They take all of his skill to solve and put both him and Simon in grave danger.
But there are murders even before they leave England and Baldwin is called upon to solve them. They take all of his skill to solve and put both him and Simon in grave danger.
Currently reading
April 27, 2009Immediately went to this book as soon as the last ended. These books are a good political treatise on the period in history, they are a good read for the characters and the plot, and generally allow one to escape from reality and enjoy some 'time out'
March 13, 2012
Queen Isabella's embassy trip to France to negotiate peaceful terms with her brother, the king of France. Baldwin and Simon are together again as part of the men-at-arms to protect the Queen. Of course, murder, intrigue and justice are all involved. Enjoyed this read.
November 14, 2008
I can't really speak to this book, other than that in 25 pages it is failed to make me want to keep reading.
started-put-back
May 27, 2010After two long weeks of not getting anywhere with this book; I decided to put it away and start a new one. I was only able to get to page 46. I thought it was sooooooo boring.
May 23, 2010
I liked the first two books better, but I really enjoyed the historical references! I had to do a lot of reading on the internet to keep up.
August 23, 2012
Too much political history in this one, and too much bent to the characters, who were themselves too thinly drawn.
October 19, 2012
It starts unpromisingly, with Jecks skipping between many different viewpoints in a single paragraph each. But it gets better, and becomes an intricate but absorbing medieval tale.
July 29, 2013
Another well written historical mystery by Jecks.
June 3, 2016
2.8 stars
June 25, 2015
This was a good book with a great historical background.
April 14, 2017
Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews