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Crispin Guest Medieval Noir #14
Spiteful Bones
The restoration of a crumbling manor house leaves Crispin Guest grappling with a troubling discovery in this entertaining medieval noir mystery.
Restoring his recently inherited family home is a daunting enough task for young lawyer Nigellus Cobmartin without the addition of any unwelcome discoveries. But when workmen turning the crumbling manor house into a grand home for Nigellus and his companion, John Rykener, uncover a skeleton bound, tied and hidden in the wall - and holding the precious relic that went missing from his father's estate nearly twenty years ago - Nigellus immediately calls on London tracker Crispin Guest for help. Whose bones are they, and why was the valuable relic buried with the thief? Crispin and Jack are drawn into a mystery of dark secrets, family scandal and old grudges as they attempt to find the truth behind a load of old bones.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
19 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Jeri Westerson
51 books431 followersLos Angeles native JERI WESTERSON currently writes two new series: a Tudor mystery series, the King’s Fool Mysteries, with Henry VIII’s real court jester Will Somers as the sleuth and a Sherlockian pastiche series called An Irregular Detective Mystery, with one of Holmes’ former Baker Street Irregulars opening his own detective agency. She’s also written fifteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mysteries, a series nominated for thirteen awards from the Agatha, to the Macavity, to the Shamus. She’s written several paranormal series (including a gaslamp-steampunk fantasy series), standalone historical novels, and had stories in several anthologies, the latest of which was included in SOUTH CENTRAL NOIR, an Akashic Noir anthology. She has served as president of the SoCal Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, president and vice president for two chapters of Sisters in Crime (Orange County and Los Angeles), and is also a founding member of the SoCal chapter of the Historical Novel Society. See JeriWesterson.com for discussion guides, book trailers, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 13, 2020
First Sentence: Nigellus Cobmartin stood in the courtyard of his family home – its garden walls crumbling, its arched windows overlooking the tired and weedy garden with its dead flowers and gnarled trees – and sighed.
Crispin Guest's house is filled with his assistant Jack, his wife Isabel, and their many children, as well as the satisfaction of watching grow and providing training for Christopher Walcote, the son he can never acknowledge. Into that tranquility comes John Rykener/Eleanor Cobmartin with an urgent summons. In restoring the home he inherited, John's "husband's" workers uncover a body holding a precious relic. The body had been bound and sealed within a wall for 20 years. It is up to Crispin to discover the killer while protecting the secret of John's true identity.
One can only appreciate when authors, particularly of historical mysteries, provide a section of "Notes About Characters," as well as a "Glossary." The sections are not only helpful but interesting in themselves.
No one stays the same age forever. Having characters who age, and whose life circumstances change, adds realism to the story, and much has changed for Westerson's characters. Readers of the series will appreciate that, but even new readers are given a sense of how time has progressed.
Westerson has a wonderful voice. Her dialogue is reflective of the period without being mired in it. She writes with a balance of humor and drama. It is interesting to see how, even in this period, forensic evidence was taken into account—"But it looks as if someone coshed him good. Aye, look at the wood of the uprights here. If he was still awake, there would have been scratches and scuffs from a struggle." One issue, however, is the frequent use of Latin phrases. While is it very appropriate to the period, an immediate translation of each phrase, as is often done by other authors, would not have been amiss. Still, there are lines which make one smile—"Sometimes, Jack, the Church, in all its wisdom, is lacking when it comes to compassion."
The relationships are enjoyable and add dimension yet don't overtake the plot. They provide richness and emotion. One becomes attached to the characters. There are times where one might question whether Crispin is too modern; too good, too noble. Yet, it is part of the development one has seen in the character and is part of what draws one back to the series.
"Spiteful Bones" presents an effective twist and an exciting climax. Historical mystery devotees will be pleased.
SPITEFUL BONES (Hist Mys-Crispen Guest-London-1398) – G+
Westerson, Jeri – 14th in series
Severn House – Sept 2020
Crispin Guest's house is filled with his assistant Jack, his wife Isabel, and their many children, as well as the satisfaction of watching grow and providing training for Christopher Walcote, the son he can never acknowledge. Into that tranquility comes John Rykener/Eleanor Cobmartin with an urgent summons. In restoring the home he inherited, John's "husband's" workers uncover a body holding a precious relic. The body had been bound and sealed within a wall for 20 years. It is up to Crispin to discover the killer while protecting the secret of John's true identity.
One can only appreciate when authors, particularly of historical mysteries, provide a section of "Notes About Characters," as well as a "Glossary." The sections are not only helpful but interesting in themselves.
No one stays the same age forever. Having characters who age, and whose life circumstances change, adds realism to the story, and much has changed for Westerson's characters. Readers of the series will appreciate that, but even new readers are given a sense of how time has progressed.
Westerson has a wonderful voice. Her dialogue is reflective of the period without being mired in it. She writes with a balance of humor and drama. It is interesting to see how, even in this period, forensic evidence was taken into account—"But it looks as if someone coshed him good. Aye, look at the wood of the uprights here. If he was still awake, there would have been scratches and scuffs from a struggle." One issue, however, is the frequent use of Latin phrases. While is it very appropriate to the period, an immediate translation of each phrase, as is often done by other authors, would not have been amiss. Still, there are lines which make one smile—"Sometimes, Jack, the Church, in all its wisdom, is lacking when it comes to compassion."
The relationships are enjoyable and add dimension yet don't overtake the plot. They provide richness and emotion. One becomes attached to the characters. There are times where one might question whether Crispin is too modern; too good, too noble. Yet, it is part of the development one has seen in the character and is part of what draws one back to the series.
"Spiteful Bones" presents an effective twist and an exciting climax. Historical mystery devotees will be pleased.
SPITEFUL BONES (Hist Mys-Crispen Guest-London-1398) – G+
Westerson, Jeri – 14th in series
Severn House – Sept 2020
March 11, 2021
I got this book from Net Galley, after I won it in a contest from King's Life Mysteryrat's maze...Thanks to both!
It's 1398. A homosexual couple are trying to pass as a heterosexual one in England. It seems one of them has inherited the family house. When workmen try to start repairs, they find a skeleton with the family jewels sealed up in a wall.
It's up to Crispin Guest to find out who killed whoever became the skeleton without exposing the couple.
I found it very historically accurate.
It's 1398. A homosexual couple are trying to pass as a heterosexual one in England. It seems one of them has inherited the family house. When workmen try to start repairs, they find a skeleton with the family jewels sealed up in a wall.
It's up to Crispin Guest to find out who killed whoever became the skeleton without exposing the couple.
I found it very historically accurate.
August 31, 2020
Crispin Guest--another fascinating mystery!
It's now 1398. The years are moving on for Crispin Guest, disposed knight. We and he feel the seasons turning. Just out of sight there are the strains of his lost life juxtaposed against the now and the comfort of what he has, what he's become. From Traitor to Tracker, from being stripped of all he had to reputable investigator.
For all this it seems in the background to his now, his past, present and future are colliding.
Crispin is older and wiser. I love the tender moments when he takes stock of his made family, Jack Tucker, his wife Isabel and their children. He now has a reputation to be proud of--The Tracker. He has a relationship with his son Christopher by Philippa Walcote, he is feeling content. It's been a long time for coming. It seems into this setting will come a pull from the past, but that story will be for our last view of him.
In the Now, Lawyer Nigellus Cobmartin and his companion John Rykener, known as Eleonor, discover a skeleton when doing renovations to Cobmartin's family home. They call in their friend the Tracker. I love Nigellus and Eleonor. Their relationship is warm and profound. Their story adds another dimension to Crispin Guest's life.
Now Crispin has a murder to solve, a twenty year old mystery that will reach from the past into the now and threaten those he holds dear.
On a more personal note, I've held this ARC in abeyance for a few months putting off reading it because I love Crispin Guest so much that I'm now delaying to the the last minute the pleasure of reading his latest story. How I'll cope with coming to terms with his last ever story I just don't know.
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley
It's now 1398. The years are moving on for Crispin Guest, disposed knight. We and he feel the seasons turning. Just out of sight there are the strains of his lost life juxtaposed against the now and the comfort of what he has, what he's become. From Traitor to Tracker, from being stripped of all he had to reputable investigator.
For all this it seems in the background to his now, his past, present and future are colliding.
Crispin is older and wiser. I love the tender moments when he takes stock of his made family, Jack Tucker, his wife Isabel and their children. He now has a reputation to be proud of--The Tracker. He has a relationship with his son Christopher by Philippa Walcote, he is feeling content. It's been a long time for coming. It seems into this setting will come a pull from the past, but that story will be for our last view of him.
In the Now, Lawyer Nigellus Cobmartin and his companion John Rykener, known as Eleonor, discover a skeleton when doing renovations to Cobmartin's family home. They call in their friend the Tracker. I love Nigellus and Eleonor. Their relationship is warm and profound. Their story adds another dimension to Crispin Guest's life.
Now Crispin has a murder to solve, a twenty year old mystery that will reach from the past into the now and threaten those he holds dear.
On a more personal note, I've held this ARC in abeyance for a few months putting off reading it because I love Crispin Guest so much that I'm now delaying to the the last minute the pleasure of reading his latest story. How I'll cope with coming to terms with his last ever story I just don't know.
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley
September 6, 2020
Crispin Guest and Jack are two of my all time favorite historical mystery characters! I wish that this series would last forever.
February 2, 2021
I absolutely love these books. In this latest one Guest is called on when a body is found walled up in a house. It's been wonderful to see all these characters grow and change over time with newer ones coming i such as illegitimate son Christopher. There are the usual twists and turns and as usual nothing is as it seems. I particularly enjoyed reading more of John Rykener's/Eleanors relationship. Jeri mentions at the end how the real life John/Eleanor is being discussed as possibly trans. I looked them up on wikipedia and the story is fascinating in how trans people were viewed in medieval times although as it states it's mostly through court documents so there is a lot of reading between the lines.
As usual a real page turner, I read it far too fast and now am waiting for the sadly final chapter in this series. I think beforehand though I'm going to go back and do a reread of them all. Love it.
As usual a real page turner, I read it far too fast and now am waiting for the sadly final chapter in this series. I think beforehand though I'm going to go back and do a reread of them all. Love it.
January 30, 2021
I always enjoy the books in this series (and am already dreading, that the author says the next one is going to be the final one). I took off one star because I guessed the “mystery” early on: and I thought the resolution of it was a bit rushed and too neatly done.
March 22, 2021
Some fun characters from the past feature in this story, the 14th instalment of Westerson’s Crispin Guest medieval noir series. Nigellus Cobmartin has inherited his father’s house upon the death of his older brother. He and his lover, the delightful John Rykener (under the guise of Eleanor) are in the process of restoring it, the house having fallen into disrepair. The workers discover a gruesome scene - a skeletonized body tied up within the walls of the manor house. It is determined that the body belonged to a former servant who the Cobmartin household thought stole a relic and then took off with the wife of another servant. At the same time, Nigellus and John are victims of extortion, under threat of their lifestyle being exposed if they fail to pay the unknown villain. But nothing is as it appears at first glance, and so Crispin and his apprentice, Jack Tucker, find themselves on the hunt for an extortionist who may also be a murderer.
The character development over the course of this series has been excellent. Crispin is now in his forties and is beginning to feel the effects of a hard and active life, though he rails against it. Jack is taking on more of the lead role in the sleuthing duo and is the image of a young and vital man. There were a few times that he saved Crispin’s neck, literally and figuratively, and while it was lovely to see, I also miss little boy Jack even as I revel in the upstanding man he has become.
Crispin himself has long since accepted that he is no longer nobility and has made a family for himself with Jack, Jack’s wife Isabel, and their growing brood of children. He seems content enough with his lot and takes pleasure in the simple joys in life in ways he was unable to do before. One of his greatest joys is in his son, Christopher, who he is unable to acknowledge. His friends, too, are his joy, and he throws himself into investigating who would murder a friend’s servant, driven to protect those he loves.
As always, Westerson creates vivid scenery in her settings. It is easy to picture the sights (and, unfortunately, the smells!) of the Shambles and other places in medieval London. The strength of her descriptive writing is exceptional and that, along with complex character development, have made Westerson one of my favorite authors. She creates characters readers genuinely care about and then develops them into rich and multidimensional people, even secondary characters.
Take, for example, Nigellus Cobmartin and John Rykener. Nigellus is a fictional character, but Rykener was a real man who dressed as a woman and was a whore and a skilled embroideress. Their relationship, while it may seem implausible to us given the time period they were from, could well have happened. Rykener was listed as having a husband in one of the documents Westerson referenced, though the man was not named. Why not let the husband be Nigellus? There have always been LGBT people, even if they had been vilified, shunned, or even killed at various points in history. A lack of understanding does not mean they didn’t exist, and there is plenty of documentation to prove it. I think it is really important to discuss social issues in all their many elements, but literature is an ideal medium in which to do so.
Readers get to know both Rykener and Nigellus over the course of a few books, and can see them as people rather than ideas, mere figures on a page, or solely by their sexual identity. Having other characters like Crispin sometimes struggle with how they see Rykener helps create depth but also gives a nuanced examination of our own society. A long-winded way to say that I love their relationship, the characters themselves, and how Westerson approached it.
I was sad while I was reading this story because I thought it was the final entry in the Crispin Guest series. But I was wrong! There is one final adventure to share with Crispin, Jack, and friends, The Deadliest Sin, which Westerson’s website says will be released in 2022.
In the meantime, I highly recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series, to anyone who loves a good, complex, brooding protagonist and a delightful cast of secondary characters.
Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
The character development over the course of this series has been excellent. Crispin is now in his forties and is beginning to feel the effects of a hard and active life, though he rails against it. Jack is taking on more of the lead role in the sleuthing duo and is the image of a young and vital man. There were a few times that he saved Crispin’s neck, literally and figuratively, and while it was lovely to see, I also miss little boy Jack even as I revel in the upstanding man he has become.
Crispin himself has long since accepted that he is no longer nobility and has made a family for himself with Jack, Jack’s wife Isabel, and their growing brood of children. He seems content enough with his lot and takes pleasure in the simple joys in life in ways he was unable to do before. One of his greatest joys is in his son, Christopher, who he is unable to acknowledge. His friends, too, are his joy, and he throws himself into investigating who would murder a friend’s servant, driven to protect those he loves.
As always, Westerson creates vivid scenery in her settings. It is easy to picture the sights (and, unfortunately, the smells!) of the Shambles and other places in medieval London. The strength of her descriptive writing is exceptional and that, along with complex character development, have made Westerson one of my favorite authors. She creates characters readers genuinely care about and then develops them into rich and multidimensional people, even secondary characters.
Take, for example, Nigellus Cobmartin and John Rykener. Nigellus is a fictional character, but Rykener was a real man who dressed as a woman and was a whore and a skilled embroideress. Their relationship, while it may seem implausible to us given the time period they were from, could well have happened. Rykener was listed as having a husband in one of the documents Westerson referenced, though the man was not named. Why not let the husband be Nigellus? There have always been LGBT people, even if they had been vilified, shunned, or even killed at various points in history. A lack of understanding does not mean they didn’t exist, and there is plenty of documentation to prove it. I think it is really important to discuss social issues in all their many elements, but literature is an ideal medium in which to do so.
Readers get to know both Rykener and Nigellus over the course of a few books, and can see them as people rather than ideas, mere figures on a page, or solely by their sexual identity. Having other characters like Crispin sometimes struggle with how they see Rykener helps create depth but also gives a nuanced examination of our own society. A long-winded way to say that I love their relationship, the characters themselves, and how Westerson approached it.
I was sad while I was reading this story because I thought it was the final entry in the Crispin Guest series. But I was wrong! There is one final adventure to share with Crispin, Jack, and friends, The Deadliest Sin, which Westerson’s website says will be released in 2022.
In the meantime, I highly recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series, to anyone who loves a good, complex, brooding protagonist and a delightful cast of secondary characters.
Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
November 12, 2021
Another really good entry in this mystery series set in late 14th century London. The author states in the afterwards that this she in winding up the series and that this is the second to last book of the series. The plot finds Crispin investigating a 20 yr old murder when a skeleton is found in the walls of a house that is being renovated. As usual some interesting characters include John Rykener, a form male prostitute who has set up house keeping with the owner of the home as his "wife". Rykener has been a reoccuring character in the series, but in this novel has a much more prominent role.
One of the hooks of the series has been "relics" that may or may not have mystical powers that affect the plot. This novel does had a relic, a lock of St. Elmo's Hail, but it has no mystical powers. It seems as if the author included it, just because every novel in the series has had some kind of relic in it. It really plays a very minor role in the story.
The novel ends with Crispin meeting with Henry Bolingbroke as he is being banished. I am pretty sure this is setting up the final entry to the series. I am really looking forward to the last entry as Henry Bolingbroke and Richard III meet there fates.
All in all another really good read and a great way to spend a few hours. I found this to be a 4+star read.
One of the hooks of the series has been "relics" that may or may not have mystical powers that affect the plot. This novel does had a relic, a lock of St. Elmo's Hail, but it has no mystical powers. It seems as if the author included it, just because every novel in the series has had some kind of relic in it. It really plays a very minor role in the story.
The novel ends with Crispin meeting with Henry Bolingbroke as he is being banished. I am pretty sure this is setting up the final entry to the series. I am really looking forward to the last entry as Henry Bolingbroke and Richard III meet there fates.
All in all another really good read and a great way to spend a few hours. I found this to be a 4+star read.
January 3, 2021
Welcome back, Crispin and Jack. London 1398. Jeri Westerson’s Spiteful Bones (Crispin Guest #14) has the Tracker and his apprentice, Jack Tucker, who is now the father of four with his wife expecting again, investigating a 20 year old murder. Crispin, now in his forties ( The time has gone quickly for me.), is feeling the aches and pains of his age and his job as Tracker of London which definitely has not been an easy vocation. Crispin and Jack are called to investigate this 20 year old murder by Crispin’s friend, John Rykener who is a true person of history and his ‘husband’, Nigellus Cobmartin, a second son who has just inherited the family ‘pile’ which is in an extremely rundown state. As Nigellus, a lawyer, and his ‘wife’ Eleanor aka John Rykener when dressed in woman’s clothes, begin renovating Nigellus’ family home, the workers discover a skeleton holding the family’s religious relic when they knock down a plastered wall. 20 years before this relic was stolen by a servant, Wilfred Roke. A scandalous family event. Upon this discovery, John aka Eleanor runs the the Tracker, Crispin, his good friend, to solve this. Thoroughly entertaining! 5 stars.
The author states in the ‘author notes’ that there will be one more installment and the last 😢, The Deadliest Sin. Please note the year 1398. In 1399 a major event in British History takes place. I am sure that Ms. Westerson will incorporate this event in her last Crispin Guest novel - completing the circle!
The author states in the ‘author notes’ that there will be one more installment and the last 😢, The Deadliest Sin. Please note the year 1398. In 1399 a major event in British History takes place. I am sure that Ms. Westerson will incorporate this event in her last Crispin Guest novel - completing the circle!
October 14, 2020
My heart is breaking that this series is coming to an end! Each book is better than the last, and Spiteful Bones was a fantastic read. I am hoping that Jeri Westerson will reconsider ending the series after book 15.
January 7, 2021
Another delightful outing -- Crispin uses all his wits to solve this one, and it's more of a real "murder mystery" than seems at the offing. All the family is there to help, too, which is always a plus.
An author's note gives us a glimpse of the future, where things are drawing to a close, it would appear.
Medieval historical mysteries are well represented by the Crispin Guest series. Ms. Westerson has always given her readers a real sense of time and place with the "Tracker of London" and his books, and this is no exception.
An author's note gives us a glimpse of the future, where things are drawing to a close, it would appear.
Medieval historical mysteries are well represented by the Crispin Guest series. Ms. Westerson has always given her readers a real sense of time and place with the "Tracker of London" and his books, and this is no exception.
February 6, 2021
“Spiteful Bones” earns 5+/5 Reliquaries...Compelling Page-Turner!
It’s 1398, and after years of struggling from his banishment from Richard II’s court and loss of everything he held dear, the former knight Crispin Guest has found much for which to be thankful: ample work as a tracker, respected in the community, a family, of sorts, and the opportunity to directly engage as father and son with Christopher Walcote. Although unable to do so publicly, he is comforted by the young man’s presence imparting some skill and knowledge and having the young man’s respect. A knock at the door heralds a plea for Crispin’s services, so with his son and apprentice Jack Tucker in tow, they head to the manor of Nigellus Cobmartin. Workman have discovered in the wall a skeleton, bound and gagged, and holding a gold and jeweled reliquary long thought stolen from Cobmartin’s father. With closer scrutiny it is revealed the skeleton to be a servant who, two decades earlier, was thought to have been the thief. The mystery is made more dire when Guest goes to review the daily records from the time finding them smoldering on the steward’s office floor. Someone, now, twenty years later, is intent on keeping the truth hidden.
Jeri Westerson’s newest Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery book is the fourteenth well-written and engaging adventure. The book begins with an Author’s Note, Notes About Characters, and a Glossary providing some historical context, background, and definitions that newbies and regular fans should not overlook. The drama involving my favorite element—cold cases—is complex and compelling, well-written with sensory-laden description and dialogue that does well to submerse readers in the medieval era, manners, language, and speech. The steady pace incorporates clever twists and turns, and misdirection with minimal extraneous scenes to get in the way. It’s “old school” tracking (detecting) since high-tech forensic labs are 600 years into the future.
Beyond the fascinating world and drama created, it is Westerson’s rich characters, well-fitted for the medieval setting, that have made me a fan. Crispin Guest has evolved over the series becoming a sought after resource, yet he continues to live, in contemporary terms, paycheck to paycheck. He has built a happy, yet chaotic home life, able to engage with his son and act the fun uncle with his apprentice’s children. Jack, his apprentice, has matured and is more a younger brother and business partner. But the most interesting character is John Rykener (aka Madame Eleanor Cobmartin), and by expanding the character beyond a few lines the law rolls of 1395, Westerson has created a deeply complex, loving and loyal friend. This group of characters are diverse making the medieval world familiar and easy with which to identify. I love the series, and this book was a favorite...Sam Spade medieval-style!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from Severn House thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
It’s 1398, and after years of struggling from his banishment from Richard II’s court and loss of everything he held dear, the former knight Crispin Guest has found much for which to be thankful: ample work as a tracker, respected in the community, a family, of sorts, and the opportunity to directly engage as father and son with Christopher Walcote. Although unable to do so publicly, he is comforted by the young man’s presence imparting some skill and knowledge and having the young man’s respect. A knock at the door heralds a plea for Crispin’s services, so with his son and apprentice Jack Tucker in tow, they head to the manor of Nigellus Cobmartin. Workman have discovered in the wall a skeleton, bound and gagged, and holding a gold and jeweled reliquary long thought stolen from Cobmartin’s father. With closer scrutiny it is revealed the skeleton to be a servant who, two decades earlier, was thought to have been the thief. The mystery is made more dire when Guest goes to review the daily records from the time finding them smoldering on the steward’s office floor. Someone, now, twenty years later, is intent on keeping the truth hidden.
Jeri Westerson’s newest Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery book is the fourteenth well-written and engaging adventure. The book begins with an Author’s Note, Notes About Characters, and a Glossary providing some historical context, background, and definitions that newbies and regular fans should not overlook. The drama involving my favorite element—cold cases—is complex and compelling, well-written with sensory-laden description and dialogue that does well to submerse readers in the medieval era, manners, language, and speech. The steady pace incorporates clever twists and turns, and misdirection with minimal extraneous scenes to get in the way. It’s “old school” tracking (detecting) since high-tech forensic labs are 600 years into the future.
Beyond the fascinating world and drama created, it is Westerson’s rich characters, well-fitted for the medieval setting, that have made me a fan. Crispin Guest has evolved over the series becoming a sought after resource, yet he continues to live, in contemporary terms, paycheck to paycheck. He has built a happy, yet chaotic home life, able to engage with his son and act the fun uncle with his apprentice’s children. Jack, his apprentice, has matured and is more a younger brother and business partner. But the most interesting character is John Rykener (aka Madame Eleanor Cobmartin), and by expanding the character beyond a few lines the law rolls of 1395, Westerson has created a deeply complex, loving and loyal friend. This group of characters are diverse making the medieval world familiar and easy with which to identify. I love the series, and this book was a favorite...Sam Spade medieval-style!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from Severn House thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
July 5, 2020
I hadn't know when I requested a review copy that Jeri Westerson's Spiteful Bones was part of an ongoing historical mystery series—but I was delighted to find out because that means I have lots of reading pleasure ahead of me as I go back to read the rest of the series.
Westerson's central character in this series, Crispin Guest, is the London Tracker, who investigates cases of murder and other crimes. A former nobleman who lost his rank and estates in a treason scandal, he has made an interesting life for himself which crosses class and social distances in ways that were uncommon during the series late-14th Century setting. Guest and the supporting cast have full back stories and are interesting as individuals, not at all the kind of "cardboard cutouts" that people some historical mysteries.
In this case, a lawyer finds a body interred in the walls of his home, which he is remodeling. His wife (who is a marvelous character—I'll say no more about them here) recommends that he ask Guest to investigate. The likely identity of the body is a former family servant, who disappeared twenty years ago, along with a valuable family reliquary.
I'm not an historian and can't speak to all the details, but I appreciated the moments when I could tell Westerson had gotten her period details right. For example, family and business records aren't kept in books; they're recorded on scrolls that are then piled on shelves, and each scroll has its own identifying leather label.
If you enjoy series mysteries, particularly those set in the Middle Ages, you're in for a treat with this series. The author warns that this title includes "spoilers" for some of the earlier titles, but I had no trouble following the characters and action despite it being my first experience with the series. Make your own decision about that. If you want to start at the beginning, the title you'll be looking for is Veil of Lies.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.
Westerson's central character in this series, Crispin Guest, is the London Tracker, who investigates cases of murder and other crimes. A former nobleman who lost his rank and estates in a treason scandal, he has made an interesting life for himself which crosses class and social distances in ways that were uncommon during the series late-14th Century setting. Guest and the supporting cast have full back stories and are interesting as individuals, not at all the kind of "cardboard cutouts" that people some historical mysteries.
In this case, a lawyer finds a body interred in the walls of his home, which he is remodeling. His wife (who is a marvelous character—I'll say no more about them here) recommends that he ask Guest to investigate. The likely identity of the body is a former family servant, who disappeared twenty years ago, along with a valuable family reliquary.
I'm not an historian and can't speak to all the details, but I appreciated the moments when I could tell Westerson had gotten her period details right. For example, family and business records aren't kept in books; they're recorded on scrolls that are then piled on shelves, and each scroll has its own identifying leather label.
If you enjoy series mysteries, particularly those set in the Middle Ages, you're in for a treat with this series. The author warns that this title includes "spoilers" for some of the earlier titles, but I had no trouble following the characters and action despite it being my first experience with the series. Make your own decision about that. If you want to start at the beginning, the title you'll be looking for is Veil of Lies.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.
February 19, 2021
*sigh*
Jack has grown so much, and yes Crispin is getting old, but also less bitter and prouder of his life and what he has achieve. For some reason I miss Crispin quoting Aristoteles. A little sad the "relic" wasn't having power.
Only one more book to go , I will miss this series once it has ended.
Jack has grown so much, and yes Crispin is getting old, but also less bitter and prouder of his life and what he has achieve. For some reason I miss Crispin quoting Aristoteles. A little sad the "relic" wasn't having power.
Only one more book to go , I will miss this series once it has ended.
September 1, 2021
Spiteful Bones
By Jeri Westerson
Reviewed August 31, 2021
According to the author, Spiteful Bones is #14 and next-to-last book in the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery series, and I for one am sad it is coming to an end. I discovered the series about 10 years ago, and since then have eagerly awaited each next mystery.
Over these 14 volumes, I’ve gotten to know Crispin Guest like an old friend. Once an up and coming knight and protégé of John of Gaunt, Crispin got himself caught up in a treasonous plot against King Richard II. Instead of being subjected to a traitor’s death, Crispin was left with his life and little else. Disgraced, stripped of his rank and his honor, he was an outcast forced to live by his wits on Medieval London’s mean streets. There he became known as the Tracker for his ability to track down criminals. And that’s how the series started, with Crispin solving his first case.
In Spiteful Bones, the years have passed and along the way Crispin has rebuilt his life, and part of the fun with this series has been getting to see new friendships form and grow. Where once he lived alone, Crispin now has a house on the Shambles that he shares with his assistant, Jack Turner, who years ago Crispin took in when Jack was an orphaned street urchin. Now Jack is grown up, has a wife and children, all of whom live with Crispin, and who he looks upon as his extended family.
In this story, Guest’s friend and landlord, Nigellus Cobmartin (a recurring character), calls upon Crispin’s tracking skills when a skeleton is found in the walls of the old family house Nigellus has inherited, and that he and his “wife” John Rykener, aka Eleanor (another recurring character who is inspired by a real John Rykener who is one of the earliest recorded transgender persons), plan on making their new home.
At first, it’s believed that the skeleton is that of a servant who disappeared 20 years ago after stealing a sacred relic (a lock of St Elmo’s hair), but things don’t quite add up...especially when the son of the man in the wall is murdered. What family secret can be so bad that someone is willing to kill for it after all this time? And though Guest is ultimately able to solve who done it (with more than one character suffering a narrow escape) the story ends with a bit of an unrelated cliffhanger.
One night, his old patron’s son Henry arranges to meet with Crispin to say good-bye, as King Richard has banished Gaunt’s son for six years. This leaves me eager to learn how this will play out in the final installment, because if you know your English history, you know that Henry will come back, overthrow Richard II, and rule as Henry IV. Will Henry’s usurpation affect Crispin’s fortunes once again? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see like everyone else.
Spiteful Bones is a first-rate mystery with wonderful characters, both recurring and new. If you love mysteries with a Medieval setting, you need to check out this series.
By Jeri Westerson
Reviewed August 31, 2021
According to the author, Spiteful Bones is #14 and next-to-last book in the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery series, and I for one am sad it is coming to an end. I discovered the series about 10 years ago, and since then have eagerly awaited each next mystery.
Over these 14 volumes, I’ve gotten to know Crispin Guest like an old friend. Once an up and coming knight and protégé of John of Gaunt, Crispin got himself caught up in a treasonous plot against King Richard II. Instead of being subjected to a traitor’s death, Crispin was left with his life and little else. Disgraced, stripped of his rank and his honor, he was an outcast forced to live by his wits on Medieval London’s mean streets. There he became known as the Tracker for his ability to track down criminals. And that’s how the series started, with Crispin solving his first case.
In Spiteful Bones, the years have passed and along the way Crispin has rebuilt his life, and part of the fun with this series has been getting to see new friendships form and grow. Where once he lived alone, Crispin now has a house on the Shambles that he shares with his assistant, Jack Turner, who years ago Crispin took in when Jack was an orphaned street urchin. Now Jack is grown up, has a wife and children, all of whom live with Crispin, and who he looks upon as his extended family.
In this story, Guest’s friend and landlord, Nigellus Cobmartin (a recurring character), calls upon Crispin’s tracking skills when a skeleton is found in the walls of the old family house Nigellus has inherited, and that he and his “wife” John Rykener, aka Eleanor (another recurring character who is inspired by a real John Rykener who is one of the earliest recorded transgender persons), plan on making their new home.
At first, it’s believed that the skeleton is that of a servant who disappeared 20 years ago after stealing a sacred relic (a lock of St Elmo’s hair), but things don’t quite add up...especially when the son of the man in the wall is murdered. What family secret can be so bad that someone is willing to kill for it after all this time? And though Guest is ultimately able to solve who done it (with more than one character suffering a narrow escape) the story ends with a bit of an unrelated cliffhanger.
One night, his old patron’s son Henry arranges to meet with Crispin to say good-bye, as King Richard has banished Gaunt’s son for six years. This leaves me eager to learn how this will play out in the final installment, because if you know your English history, you know that Henry will come back, overthrow Richard II, and rule as Henry IV. Will Henry’s usurpation affect Crispin’s fortunes once again? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see like everyone else.
Spiteful Bones is a first-rate mystery with wonderful characters, both recurring and new. If you love mysteries with a Medieval setting, you need to check out this series.
January 26, 2021
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In this 14th instalment of Westerson’s Crispin Guest medieval noir series, some fun characters from the past feature in this story. Nigellus Cobmartin has inherited his father’s house upon the death of his older brother. He and his lover, the delightful John Rykener (under the guise of Eleanor) are in the process of restoring it, the house having fallen into disrepair. The workers discover a gruesome scene - a skeletonized body tied up within the walls of the manor house. It is determined that the body belonged to a former servant who the Cobmartin household thought stole a relic and then took off with the wife of another servant. At the same time, Nigellus and John are victims of extortion, under threat of their lifestyle being exposed if they fail to pay the unknown villain. But nothing is as it appears at first glance, and so Crispin and his apprentice, Jack Tucker, find themselves on the hunt for an extortionist who may also be a murderer.
The character development over the course of this series has been excellent. Crispin is now in his forties and is beginning to feel the effects of a hard and active life, though he rails against it. Jack is taking on more of the lead role in the sleuthing duo and is the image of a young and vital man. There were a few times that he saved Crispin’s neck, literally and figuratively, and while it was lovely to see, I also miss little boy Jack even as I revel in the upstanding man he has become.
Crispin himself has long since accepted that he is no longer nobility and has made a family for himself with Jack, Jack’s wife Isabel, and their growing brood of children. He seems content enough with his lot and takes pleasure in the simple joys in life in ways he was unable to do before. One of his greatest joys is in his son, Christopher, who he is unable to acknowledge. His friends, too, are his joy, and he throws himself into investigating who would murder a friend’s servant, driven to protect those he loves.
I highly recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series, to anyone who loves a good, complex, brooding protagonist and a delightful cast of secondary characters.
In this 14th instalment of Westerson’s Crispin Guest medieval noir series, some fun characters from the past feature in this story. Nigellus Cobmartin has inherited his father’s house upon the death of his older brother. He and his lover, the delightful John Rykener (under the guise of Eleanor) are in the process of restoring it, the house having fallen into disrepair. The workers discover a gruesome scene - a skeletonized body tied up within the walls of the manor house. It is determined that the body belonged to a former servant who the Cobmartin household thought stole a relic and then took off with the wife of another servant. At the same time, Nigellus and John are victims of extortion, under threat of their lifestyle being exposed if they fail to pay the unknown villain. But nothing is as it appears at first glance, and so Crispin and his apprentice, Jack Tucker, find themselves on the hunt for an extortionist who may also be a murderer.
The character development over the course of this series has been excellent. Crispin is now in his forties and is beginning to feel the effects of a hard and active life, though he rails against it. Jack is taking on more of the lead role in the sleuthing duo and is the image of a young and vital man. There were a few times that he saved Crispin’s neck, literally and figuratively, and while it was lovely to see, I also miss little boy Jack even as I revel in the upstanding man he has become.
Crispin himself has long since accepted that he is no longer nobility and has made a family for himself with Jack, Jack’s wife Isabel, and their growing brood of children. He seems content enough with his lot and takes pleasure in the simple joys in life in ways he was unable to do before. One of his greatest joys is in his son, Christopher, who he is unable to acknowledge. His friends, too, are his joy, and he throws himself into investigating who would murder a friend’s servant, driven to protect those he loves.
I highly recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series, to anyone who loves a good, complex, brooding protagonist and a delightful cast of secondary characters.
November 16, 2020
I was excited to see a new Crispin Guest novel listed on NetGalley, and pleased to see that it featured John Rykener and his companion Nigellus Cobmartin. John, aka Eleanor, is depicted sympathetically, and is, frankly, one of my favorite recurring characters in this series . Nigellus' family home is being renovated, and a skeleton clutching a relic is found in a wall. Can Crispin and Jack solve a 20 year old murder?
This could be read this as a stand-alone, but you would be missing out on the depth of character development that has taken place over the course of now 14 novels. Crispin has progressed from a young and embittered attainted knight to an older, settled, and generally contented denizen of a very working class part of London. He has a relationship with his natural son, although circumstances require the relationship not be publicly claimed. The author kindly provides a brief introduction to some of the historical characters who are referenced in the series...very helpful, as how a person was known could change over time, with inheritance or the endowment of a new title and holdings. Overall, a very enjoyable addition to a successful series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read the eARC.
This could be read this as a stand-alone, but you would be missing out on the depth of character development that has taken place over the course of now 14 novels. Crispin has progressed from a young and embittered attainted knight to an older, settled, and generally contented denizen of a very working class part of London. He has a relationship with his natural son, although circumstances require the relationship not be publicly claimed. The author kindly provides a brief introduction to some of the historical characters who are referenced in the series...very helpful, as how a person was known could change over time, with inheritance or the endowment of a new title and holdings. Overall, a very enjoyable addition to a successful series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read the eARC.
November 23, 2021
Nigellus Cobmartin's family home and his legacy, given that his older brother was dead, was in the process of being renovated when the workmen found a skeleton in one of the walls bound and gagged holding the lost family relic in its bony hands. The relic was known to be lost 2o years ago as well as Nigellus' father's varlet and a maid... the two people were rumoured to have absconded with the relic or maybe it was just the varlet who purloined the relic. Anyways, John Rykener, Cobmartin's lover and "wife Eleanor" as well as Crispin's Guest's old friend, thought it would be Guest's job to find who killed the unfortunate varlet. Guest's investigations brought to light that the varlet's wife died of a broken neck more than 20 years ago and that a good~looking stone mason who worked on the Cobmartin's estate seemed to have also disappeared... then along a dark alley, Guest was coshed on the head and almost killed but for a couple of Good Samaritans. Not too difficult to surmise who was the killer here (once The Clue was provided) but still a pretty informative work as far as Guest's personal life would eventually resolve itself, given that this would be the penultimate book before the final one (the Deadliest Sin~Book 15).
p.s. ~ downloaded FREE from zoboko.com
p.s. ~ downloaded FREE from zoboko.com
June 8, 2021
Crispen Guest is back with a new baffling murder. A body has been found in the walls of the lawyer Nigellus Cobmartin family home. It appears to be the body of Nigellus' father's varlet. A family treasure that has been missing for 20 years is found in the hands of the skeleton. Crispen is trying to solve a 20 year old mystery. In the middle of it his son Christopher shows up to be tutored in the art of the sword. Crispen feels guilt for spending time with his son, but loves him and wishes things could be different, mainly because he still loves Christopher's mother. She is married to a good man and with the honor they both feel toward him they will stay chaste. His son Christopher gets in on the investigation but only so far and Crispen will allow.
Then there is another death, the son of the dead man is murdered in the garden. Now it is obvious that the murderer is someone of the household. Crispen and Jack work their way through the mystery and finally come to the truth. It is truly sad at the outcome.
There is always another mystery around the corner.
Then there is another death, the son of the dead man is murdered in the garden. Now it is obvious that the murderer is someone of the household. Crispen and Jack work their way through the mystery and finally come to the truth. It is truly sad at the outcome.
There is always another mystery around the corner.
August 24, 2022
I have loved all the Crispen Guest mysteries but this one left me just a little flat. Just a little. I could sense, knowing the series will end with the next book, that it was leaning toward that end. Crispen is thinking just a little too much that his life is slipping toward old age and he doesn’t have it in him anymore to be the Tracker. He is past forty now. We see Nigellus and John one last time I’m sure. One last story with some old friends. Even the Bishop makes a brief return. If only the ever delightful Chaucer had made a final appearance, too.
The murder mystery was simple to solve and didn’t involve much action, just a lot of dialogue with potential witnesses and suspects. It was the ending—the last two short chapters—though, where the story picked up as it sets up the next and final book in the series.
Overall, not a bad story, just a little flat and unexciting, but Crispen Guest will be a delight to reread in years to come!
The murder mystery was simple to solve and didn’t involve much action, just a lot of dialogue with potential witnesses and suspects. It was the ending—the last two short chapters—though, where the story picked up as it sets up the next and final book in the series.
Overall, not a bad story, just a little flat and unexciting, but Crispen Guest will be a delight to reread in years to come!
July 7, 2020
Crispin Guest (former nobleman accused of treason) is now the London Tracker in 1398, no murderer will escape him. He is called to the renovated home of his friends John Rykener and Nigellus (Mr & Mrs Cobmartin) where a skeleton has been discovered in the wall with a missing relic. With the help of his apprentice Jack he must find how a 20 year old murder connects to a second murder. He moves partners Eleanor (John) and Nigellus into the home of his lost love Philippa Walcote and son Christopher to protect them but who will protect Crispin’s family when a murderer calls. This is a fast paced story with likeable main characters. It would be worth reading previous stories in the series to see how Crispin’s life has changed.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2020
Crispin Guest is the Tracker of London, a medieval man who balances the politics of the era, which have resulted in the downturn of his financial fortunes, and his current role in finding murderers. In this story a grisly discovery is made in the home of his friend, Nigellus, when builders begin renovation work. The plot is twisted, with Crispin struggling to find out who is guilty, while also coming under attack himself. He is supported in his quest by his faithful apprentice Jack, as well as Christopher, the son he may not acknowledge.
An entertaining read, although in parts the dialogue strikes more modern than Medieval. The character of John Rykener is very interesting!
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
An entertaining read, although in parts the dialogue strikes more modern than Medieval. The character of John Rykener is very interesting!
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2021
Excellent. This has continued to be such a satisfying series. A wonderful peek into the mind and world of a medieval banished knight, Crispin Guest. He was raised by John of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster and ancestor of many British kings. Now he survives on the streets of London as a Tracker solving crimes. There's court intrigue that keeps finding Crispin and lots of detail about all levels of society at the time as well as mysterious relics that show up in every story. The morals of chivalry and faith in the church and the king are important to him as well. He has raised a young street urchin who tried to pick his pocket years ago to be his assistant and now like family. He also has a son who resembles him in a worrying way by a woman who is now married to a wealthy merchant. Fun series. I will hate to see it end which the author is saying will be after the next book.
June 30, 2020
Perhaps the penultimate novel in this series about Crispin Guest, the London Tracker. :(
An odd couple, a body interred in a wall, a precious relic, a murder and further threats all woven in together as Crispin attempts to discover the guilty party. His own life has both satisfactions and potential problems.
I've enjoyed this series since the first book, and I'm sorry that the author is planning to end it. I do understand her reasons, but I will miss the intriguing mysteries and the well-developed and evolving characters. Westerson plans to end the series with the next book.
Read in June; blog review scheduled for Aug. 16.
NetGalley/Severn House
Medieval Mystery. Sept. 1, 2020.
An odd couple, a body interred in a wall, a precious relic, a murder and further threats all woven in together as Crispin attempts to discover the guilty party. His own life has both satisfactions and potential problems.
I've enjoyed this series since the first book, and I'm sorry that the author is planning to end it. I do understand her reasons, but I will miss the intriguing mysteries and the well-developed and evolving characters. Westerson plans to end the series with the next book.
Read in June; blog review scheduled for Aug. 16.
NetGalley/Severn House
Medieval Mystery. Sept. 1, 2020.
October 11, 2020
Book 14 in an outstanding series about Crispin Guest, a disgraced knight stripped of his title and lands, and forced to live on the edge of society as a "tracker", a medieval private investigator. The book starts with discovery of a dead man entombed in the wall of a house, and all of the usual characters -- Guest, his apprentice Jack Tucker (and his growing family), Guest's illegitimate son, and others -- are involved in solving the murder. On the one hand, I am heartbroken that this is the penultimate book in the series. However, where this books ends, and in the context of the history of that time, I am hoping I can see and guess the positive resolution of this journey for Crispin and his crew in the final Book 15. Maybe a new series starring Jack Tucker awaits?
January 7, 2021
My thanks to Jeri Westerson, Severn House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC of SPITEFUL BONES.
What a romp through the 14th Century! This is the first novel I've read in this series and I now want to read the others. Totally absorbing. I loved the character of Crispin Guest, a once nobleman accused of treason. he is now the London Tracker in 1398. John Rykener and Nigellus (Mr & Mrs Cobmartin who live their lives completely out of the social norms) are renovating Nigellus' ancestral home.. A skeleton is discovered plastered into a wall holding a relic that disappeared many years before.. It is up to Crispin to find out exactly who murdered the person in the wall...and why. A fast pace and a compelling storyline. I really enjoyed the journey.
What a romp through the 14th Century! This is the first novel I've read in this series and I now want to read the others. Totally absorbing. I loved the character of Crispin Guest, a once nobleman accused of treason. he is now the London Tracker in 1398. John Rykener and Nigellus (Mr & Mrs Cobmartin who live their lives completely out of the social norms) are renovating Nigellus' ancestral home.. A skeleton is discovered plastered into a wall holding a relic that disappeared many years before.. It is up to Crispin to find out exactly who murdered the person in the wall...and why. A fast pace and a compelling storyline. I really enjoyed the journey.
February 25, 2021
Crispin is such a riveting character, a disgraced knight who becomes a tracker, helping to find things, or to solve mysteries. This character has continued to evolve, which means there is measurable growth and character development from book to book. The author has the ability to use small details and dialogue to bring her characters to life and I am fully invested in Crispin's future because of the depth of the characters and how their lives intersect. These are always a great read and I highly recommend them.
May 28, 2021
I have really enjoyed the Crispin Guest novels and thought that this latest was also the best. Unfortunately the author has indicated that there will only be one more book in this series. How sad. I do believe that this character and his story have two more books to cover the upcoming years, but, that is just from someone who doesn't want the series to end. It's been a great ride through the personal history and redemption of the main character, as he has found that there is much in his life, as it is, to be thankful for.
October 8, 2022
Spiteful Bones: A Crispin Guest Mystery – Book 14 by Jeri Westerson
232 Pages
Publisher: Severn House
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, British, LGBTQIA
Nigellus Cobmartin got more than he thought when he inherited the family home. A body is found hidden in the walls. They believe the body to be a servant who stole a relic and fled twenty years ago. Crispin Guest, known to all as the Tracker, is called in to investigate. He immediately notices the hands and feet were bound. This could not have been the missing servant. Crispin and his associate, Jack, must begin in the past and work their way into the present to solve this mystery.
The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. This is 14th book in the Crispin Guest mystery series. There is a mention that readers should read the first book, Veil of Lies, so parts of the book make more sense. I read the first book before reading this book and agreed with the recommendation. If you like historical mysteries, you will enjoy this book.
232 Pages
Publisher: Severn House
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, British, LGBTQIA
Nigellus Cobmartin got more than he thought when he inherited the family home. A body is found hidden in the walls. They believe the body to be a servant who stole a relic and fled twenty years ago. Crispin Guest, known to all as the Tracker, is called in to investigate. He immediately notices the hands and feet were bound. This could not have been the missing servant. Crispin and his associate, Jack, must begin in the past and work their way into the present to solve this mystery.
The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. This is 14th book in the Crispin Guest mystery series. There is a mention that readers should read the first book, Veil of Lies, so parts of the book make more sense. I read the first book before reading this book and agreed with the recommendation. If you like historical mysteries, you will enjoy this book.
December 5, 2020
At first I was not super excited with this book but it didn't take long for the characters to grow on me.
It has a very Sherlock Holmes vibe to me, that is the best way I can describe it. I think the language very definitely has a historical feel to it.
I love the uniqueness of the story and the characters.
I don't feel I can say I loved the book but I do know that I was quick to pick it up every chance I got to read more of it!!
It has a very Sherlock Holmes vibe to me, that is the best way I can describe it. I think the language very definitely has a historical feel to it.
I love the uniqueness of the story and the characters.
I don't feel I can say I loved the book but I do know that I was quick to pick it up every chance I got to read more of it!!
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