A Death in the Venetian Quarter

Fools' Guild #3

by Alan Gordon

In 1203, the relative peace of the Byzantine Empire is imperiled when the ships of the Fourth Crusade show up outside the walls of Constantinople. Instead of traveling to the Holy Land to battle the infidels, the Crusade, having sailed out of Venice, has been subverted and is now besieging the city. The jester known as Feste, his wife Viola, and their compatriots within the city are faced with catastrophe as the peace the Fool's Guild has worked so hard to maintain is about to be shattered.

With such a disaster looming, the death of one silk merchant in the Venetian Quarter of Constantinople seems insignificant. But Philoxenites, the Imperial Treasurer and one of the most power schemers at court, has taken a special interest in the case and wants Feste to investigate Venetian merchant's death. The merchant, of course, was not what he appeared to be and, if Constantinople is to have any hope of surviving the troops outside its gates, Feste must quickly uncover what forces were at work when the merchant lost his life.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Medieval, Crime

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Alan Gordon is the author of the Fools' Guild mysteries. His short fiction and essays have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, The Drood Review of Mystery and the Medieval Academy Newsletter. He lives in New York City with his wife, Judy Downer, and son, Robert. By day, he is a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society.

Series:
* Fools' Guild

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polityka Bizancjum w rękach błazna

Nastało lato roku 1203, a wraz z nim wojska IV krucjaty obległy Konstantynopol. Sytuacja polityczna jest nad wyraz skomplikowana – miastem rządzi Aleksy III Angelos, który obalił swego brata, Izaaka. Oślepiony Izaak przetrzymywany jest w lochu, zaś jego syn – Aleksy IV, przez krzyżowców uznany za prawowitego cesarza, domaga się tronu Bizancjum dla siebie. Całą krucjatą manipuluje doża wenecki, Enrico Dandolo, który żywi do cesarstwa wieloletnią urazę. Choć jego poprzednie knowania zostały udaremnione, tym razem Dandolo nie zamierza się ugiąć nawet przed ekskomuniką…
Tymczasem w Konstantynopolu popełniono morderstwo w dzielnicy, oddanej w zarząd Wenecjanom. I pewnie sam fakt niewyjaśnionej śmierci cudzoziemca nie wzbudziłby zainteresowania cesarskich urzędników, gdyby nie to, że cudzoziemiec ów był ich informatorem. Wobec weneckiej floty za murami, uzasadnione staje się podejrzenie, że mieszkający w Bizancjum Wenecjanie planują dywersję i dlatego szpieg został usunięty. Ale, zgodnie z odwiecznymi zasadami gier wywiadowczych, urzędnicy cesarscy nie mogą się w sprawę angażować wprost, dlatego do przeprowadzenia śledztwa delegują Feste.
Osią fabularną książki jest śledztwo kryminalne w sprawie morderstwa, oplecione skomplikowaną siecią wywiadowczych domniemań, których istnienia żadna ze stron oficjalnie nie potwierdza; Bizantyjczycy wiedzą, że Wenecjanie coś knują, ale nie wiedzą – co, Wenecjanie wiedzą, że zwrócili na siebie uwagę, ale nie wiedzą – w jakim stopniu, Feste zaś wie, że Bizantyjczycy odkryli jego podwójną grę. Na szczęście chwilowo cele Feste są zbieżne z planami cesarskich urzędników – obu stronom zależy na oddaleniu widma wojny, tym bardziej, że na wojskowe talenty panującego cesarza raczej nie mogą liczyć. Feste ma również prywatną motywację – jego żona, Viola, jest w ciąży i pobyt w szturmowanym mieście z pewnością nie wyszedłby jej na zdrowie.
Tym razem autor nie ogranicza się do jednoosobowej narracji – poza relacją pochodzącą z ust Feste, czytelnik otrzymuje kilka rozdziałów opowiedzianych przez Violę. Ta zmiana ożywczo wpłynęła na książkę. Dzięki niej mamy okazję spojrzeć na wydarzenia z dwóch różnych punktów widzenia: część wypadków poznajemy dzięki relacji zuchowatego i buńczucznego Feste, a część oglądamy oczami Violi – zaniepokojonej żony i partnerki w błazeńskim rzemiośle.
Przyznaję, że trzeci tom Gildii błaznów pozytywnie mnie zaskoczył. Po bardzo dobrej pierwszej części, która urzekła mnie głównie szekspirowskimi odniesieniami oraz znacząco gorszym drugim tomie cyklu, z przewidywalnym rozwiązaniem i nieco wymuszonym humorem, trochę się martwiłam o jakość kontynuacji. Jak się okazało – zupełnie niesłusznie. Wątek śledztwa jest poprowadzony bardzo dobrze, a rozwiązanie naprawdę zaskakuje. Ponadto autor zręcznie wykorzystał historyczny przebieg wypadków do podbudowania wersji, na której oparł konstrukcję całego cyklu: za kształt dziejów średniowiecznej Europy w znaczącym stopniu odpowiadają członkowie gildii błaznów, którzy zza kulis pociągali za odpowiednie sznurki. W Konstantynopolu prawdziwym architektem wydarzeń był Feste, który nie dość, że wymyślił polityczny plan opóźnienia weneckiej inwazji i sprawił, że wprowadzono go w życie, to jeszcze – manipulując głównymi uczestnikami – zdołał ukryć swoją rolę w tym przedsięwzięciu. Lubię takie przewrotne zabawy z Historią.
Podsumowując, w moim prywatnym rankingu książka Alana Gordona plasuje się na drugiej pozycji, zaraz po „Trzynastej nocy” – tomie otwierającym serię.

Recenzja ukazała się 2009-04-20 na portalu katedra.nast.pl

[Red Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this is just as lovely a read as the first two books in the series. It’s become a little more high-octane with the siege of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade coming to the fore, but, like them, it remains at heart not only a character piece but an evocation of a moment in history, seamlessly weaving in different strands of academic historical texts (and personalities) with fictional ones thoroughly grounded in the facts of the period.

[Lian Tanner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had all the ingredients to be utterly wonderful, and I started off thinking it was going to be. Great beginning, original idea, a gorgeous mix of historical fact and fiction, wit and humour and the fascinating city of Constantinople. And yet ...

It was quite good, but not as gripping as it could have been. I'm still trying to work out why, but I THINK it was the main characters, who were oddly bland, for all their quirks. I didn't feel attached to them, so even when they were in danger I wasn't particularly worried. Not sure if I'll try another one of Gordon's books or not. Maybe if it falls into my hands.

[Jenine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8, the end was stronger than the middle.

I appreciate the historian outlook that rumbles along under the narrative. From the afterword:

"...another medievalist scholar writes of a conference in the 1980s where the 2 camps divided so bitterly that they nearly came to blows.

I, for one, would gladly have paid to see this last. In my fantasy, the Venetianists and the Byzantinists are at opposite ends of a large field. Each side is given a disassembled mangonel, operating instructions in the appropriate 13th c. manuscript, and a pile of stones. The last historic standing gets to write the definitive work."

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series. This is the third book about our beloved fool and this time Feste is joined by his wife who gets to narrate some chapters in this adventure.

What starts out as a murder mystery turns into an all out war as a fleet of Crusaders sail up to the city gates.

All the characters who appear are delightfully complicated and human making the story more enjoyable whilst leaving you wondering who to trust.

Looking forward to number four.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series gets better with each book. The characters are endearing, in their way. The stories are smart. And, we actually get a bit of history to carry with us when the story ends.

[Kanea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite series right now!

[Mark Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man who proclaims himself a fool is quite likely anything but. That certainly appears to be the case in this series of books centered around Theophilos the Jester, a member of the Fools' Guild who has been sent to Constinapole at the start of the 13th century, shortly before the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade come to lay siege to the city. Theo and a small group of compatriots become closely involved in the action, with members of the Guild with both the Crusaders and the besieged.

This was an entertaining story, though sometimes I thought Gordon is trying just a bit too hard to be clever. That said, this third in the series is the first that I've read, but is not likely to be the last.

[Robert Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come back! Give us more!

Mr. Gordon is extremely troublesome. He is the kind of author that I hate. Anyone who starts such a wonderful story should feel compelled to continue it, if not for his pleasure, for those of his devoted readers. All kidding aside this is a great series of books and I do hope that he will one day return to the Guild.

[jean kennedy-hubler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical mysteries! I like them even better when there is humor, adventure, and romance all in one. It is not a heavy read. It is entertaining.

[Juji · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all the Fools' Guild books. This was no exception.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more intense and serious than previous books in series. Still interesting.

[Karma vLux · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite series!! Perfect spin on Shakespeare and historical fiction with a great mystery always and a wonderful idea of the jesters being the real heroes!

[Christy Trever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death in the Venetian Quarter by Alan Gordon is the third book in the Fools Guild series starring Feste, the jester in the thirteenth century. Feste and his wife Viola, also known as Aglaia, his wife and also a jester, have been serving in Constantinople since the last book, Jester Leaps In. The city is about to be attacked by the Crusaders under direction of the Doge of Venice, and there is fear that the Venetian Quarter in the city will support the siege, attacking from the inside out. Feste is asked by Chief Treasurer, Philoxenites to determine who murdered his contact, Bastiari a silk merchant, in the Quarter to see if the murder is the beginning of a plot to bring about the fall of the city. Feste's investigation leads him to split up his team of fools, sending some to the Crusaders in hopes of negotiating a truce, while those who remain in the city work to find the murderer, as well as hopefully find a way to send the Crusaders on their merry way. Feste has added incentive to keep his home safe, as Aglaia has recently revealed that she is carrying their first child, a daughter she believes. Feste will have to be at his agile best, both physically and mentally, to keep his growing family safe while negotiating the politically charged atmosphere of a city under siege. Gordon's series about the Fools Guild presents a remarkably believable view of the past in which jesters were constantly moving to manipulate people politically to keep war at bay, making them often the prime movers and shakers in history. Feste is the rare delightful character who surpasses readers' expectations. He is rarely bested, always two steps ahead of his enemy, and able to create a plan to bloodlessly usurp a emperor and save a city destined to fall. Aglaia's narration on a few chapters adds a new element to the series, and readers will come to love this woman who is unafraid to raise a frying pan to her beloved husband when he takes unreasonable risks. Feste is beginning to mature as he has to juggle the needs of the guild with that of being a husband and soon-to-be father, and the series is gaining depth emotionally through his relationship with Aglaia. Long may the Fools Guild reign!

[Bethany T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again we roam the streets of Constantinople with Fools' Guild jester Feste (aka Theo) and his now-pregnant wife, Aglaia (aka Claudia or Viola). This time, Feste and Aglaia are charged with uncovering the murderer of a Venetian silk merchant as ships of the Fourth Crusade are waiting to besiege the city. I found this book fascinating as it recounted the events of 1203 that ultimately led to the eventual Sack of Constantinople. One of my favorite things about this book was the dual POV between Feste and Aglaia. I found it successful most of the time, though occasionally confusing. I also loved all of the other Fools' Guild members in this, with the stilt-walking Plossus being my favorite.

I also liked that this book drew from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" again, reuniting Aglaia (Viola) with her brother Sebastian, though the reunion was marred by the battle and other tensions.

The mystery was fine, but I did find some of it to be a bit confusing until the very last pages when it was better explained. Ultimately, I found the utter chaos of Constantinople more interesting than the mystery. Honestly, this time period is completely bonkers.

Verdict
Another solid addition to this mystery series. I'm ready for the next one!

So, who would enjoy this book?
Any medieval mystery lovers will devour this series.

Others in series
Book 1: Thirteenth Night ★★★★☆
Book 2: Jester Leaps In ★★★★☆

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

C2002: Unfortunately, I read this out of order because the library did not have the first two. I don’t think that it really mattered as the back story was there when it was needed. In saying that, I have just remembered that at one point I did wish that the background of the main character of Feste had been given in a bit more detail. Two main POVs which provided a change of direction as it were. Another type of “locked room” mystery – such a common plot these days that there are not many that I can’t see straight away. There is a key give away fairly early on in the book but this may not have been such common knowledge before the days of the CSI franchise. The writing is more than adequate and the humour is good. The Unknown Graffiti artist struck again - this time correcting American spelling into English spelling! I have no words left!!!!!!!!! How insular can you be? One small pet hate and that is the drop-in phrase to try and hook you a bit more into the story “’It’s safer here.’ That’s the sort of completely misguided assertion that I come up with every now and then. Events were to prove me wrong. Sometimes, I really hate events.” FWFTB: jester, Constantinople, silk, death, besieging. FCN: Feste (known by a few names it seems), Rico (the dwarf), Aglaia (also known by a few other names), Philoxenites (the ‘fat, bald eunuch), Plossus (‘who would more likely be found walking on stilts or on his hands than on his feet’)

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This addition to the Fool's Guild series has Theophilus (Feste, in this city) still in Constantinople with his now-pregnant and now-officially a member of the guild wife going by the name Agila. Feste is tasked with finding out how a Venetian died at the same time in which the fourth Crusade arrives outside the city.

This book has less humor in it than most of the others, and having established the city in the previous book also has less historical background. Its several mysteries wrapped up together including a locked-door mystery. Anyone with a bit of modern forensic knowledge can recognize how the victim was slain, but how it was done in that time period and with what method is a bit of a puzzle (and frankly I'm not sure would work as described, particularly without filling the room with smoke that would be easily detected, later).

The book swaps POV back and forth between Agila and Feste to little purpose and sometimes is a bit confusing because there are no headers so it takes a moment to figure out who is now doing the talking. Overall, not the strongest of the series, but still enjoyable enough.

[Tim Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. I'd read books 1, 4 & 7 of the series before coming to this, #3.
As you might expect, I think it's better than #1, not as good as 4 & 7.

Gordon is certainly confident in his trademark style, and sometimes Feste is annoyingly over-confident, verging on smug. Gordon puts him in a tight spot at one point, and we are told that Feste would have no trouble dealing with four attackers at once. That's a pretty clear signal that we needn't worry about our hero. (Of course, since he's narrating after the fact, we knew that).

The plot develops rather slowly, and seems to expect the reader to have a moderate understanding of who was who in the Middle East around 1200. But interesting things happen, and as usual Gordon weaves the fools into actual history neatly, making us believe that they could indeed have been part of what happened.

I agree with others who noted that the Fools' Guild isn't discussed as much as it might have been, as if we are expected to know all about their mandate of "If it's happening behind the scenes, we're there!"

Still good.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was given to me as a Christmas gift, and I did enjoy it overall.

The writing style was entertaining, as were the characters. A group of Venetian Jesters as both entertainers and solvers of murder is a clever and unique approach. I loved the smart and fun word-play included in the story. As a writer and lover of words, that was a bonus and added to my enjoyment of the plot.

The political intrigues and the intricacies of the murder and its investigation felt a bit unnecessarily complex to me. There seemed a lot of detail that muddied the waters for me. Possibly, that was intentional red-herring inclusion on the part of the author, but I found it confusing.

Still the overall setting of Venice, and the very smart and funny Jesters, especially the husband and wife team main characters were very engaging and I liked them very much.

A decent ready for anyone who enjoys Venice as a setting, the Crusades and its politics, and a slightly different kind of murder mystery.

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like this series. I am slightly acquainted with Gordon, and his wry humour is evident in person as well as in his books. I like his wordplay as well – e.g.: “[the Empress was] in full regalia, regaling her regal husband with…”. A proper voice for a fool. I did find the shifting back and forth between the two married fools was a little less successful than it might be. Obviously the two points of view were useful for telling the tale, but there was not enough difference in the voices, so that I was occasionally mistaken as to which person was narrating at the moment. The mystery was perhaps almost incidental to the larger historical story – siege of Constantinople by 4th Crusade, 1203. I found the history satisfactorily interesting, though, so I didn’t mind.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it took me two tries to read this book. After the first hard push to get through the beginning, I enjoyed the middle pretty well and was absolutely in love with this book by the end. Now this difficulty could partly be due to the fact that I couldn't get my hands on the first two books - I started with the third one, so didn't know as well the characters or the historical context. Luckily, I've read some non-fiction in the past on the Crusades and Byzantine Empire, which gave me a bit of contextual knowledge. Now that I have a better idea of how it is used in the book however, and after that ending, I'm rearing to read the next book in the series.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book number three in the Fools' Guild Mystery series. Theo & Viola are in Constantinople when the ships of the Fourth Crusade arrive instead of going to the Holy Land. The Fools' Guild doesn't want war, but how can a group of fools stop a war everyone else seems determined to start. Perhaps the answer lies in who killed the silk merchant in the Venetian Quarter and why. Lovers of history, mystery, and political suspense will adore this series. Gordon brings Constantinople of 1203 to life. A Reader's Corner highly recommended series.

[Meredith Galman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another top-notch entry in Gordon's Fools' Guild series. In this one, Feste and his wife Viola (now known as Aglaia, and now pregnant) work with their fellow fools to solve the murder of a Venetian silk merchant in Byzantium, and incidentally to prevent the city's destruction by the Fourth Crusade. Both the personal and the historical ring true, and the institution of the Fools' Guild continues to fascinate.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I've read it out of order it's hard for me to place it with how I was previously thinking of Gordon's improvement as an author. It was good, I was reminded as to why I liked some of the characters, it gave me some historical fiction, and it actually had enough clues regarding the murder mystery that even if I didn't know exactly how the murder was done before the reveal I didn't feel cheated (and had a close guess).

[Jlnpeacock Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is excellent and very believable. After reading any of the books in the group, I am compelled to try to research more of the history surrounding the story to learn what was Mr. Gordon's imagination and what was actual events. A good mystery is created with three dimensional characters engaged in enough action to be interesting but not too much so that it might become more of an action figure's story.

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Feste the Fool. This (#3) was not his best adventure. The mystery was rather secondary and there was nowhere near enough about the Fool's Guild network or their 'special skills' as I'd like. Much history about Constantinople and politics of the period. I figured out the "how" easily enough and pretty much the "why", but not the actual "who" until just before the reveal.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonably enjoyable mystery, second I've read in the Fools' Guild series. The plot was so-so; of more interest is the crazy history of the medieval Church(es) and Monarchies, whereby the Fourth Crusaders ended up not conquering the Muslims of the Holy Land, but the Christian (Eastern Church) empire of Constantinople, ironically paving the way for its eventual conquest by the Muslim Turks.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great period mystery find! And this one combines two of my favs - Venice AND Instanbul. Really wonderfully conceived atmosphere and a manner of describing the time, place, customs that - although expressed in 'contemporary' and quite 'flip' style just works after a bit of getting used to. AND you like the characters. And very best, it is a SERIES...onward for me.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second in the series that I've read and am looking forward to reading more. Love the witty banter and the rich descriptions of Constantinople. With the setting and the premise of the secret society of political-minded jesters, this was a refreshing departure from the usual medieval mystery.

[William Beauvais · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this for the third time last week and enjoyed it even more than the other times. The comic scenes were a joy, and i felt intrigued enough to think about writing a scene or two like them.

May the fool’s guild rise again....