Featured Medieval Historical Fiction Novel
No Law in the Land by Michael Jecks
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (September 1, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0755344189
Editorial Review from Publishers Weekly:
Set in the autumn of 1325, Jecks’s 27th Knights Templar mystery (after July 2009’s The King of Thieves) boasts an exciting, twisting plot. England’s Edward II rules a kingdom thick with dishonest men, including his own second-in-command and confidant, Sir Hugh le Despenser. Justice is unknown, and the classes are clearly and cruelly divided between the powerful and the powerless. When a well-organized band of what appear to be outlaws slaughters a large group of travelers in Devon, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, keeper of the King’s Peace, and his friend, Simon Puttock, investigate. That a large chest of silver bound for the king was stolen is no surprise, but why are two of the murdered party’s members, one a monk, nowhere to be found? The period language can be difficult in places, but a glossary and cast of characters will help keep readers on track. (Dec.)
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Product Description:
King Edward II is furious when he learns that his wife Queen Isabella has defied him and remains in France with their son. As the unfortunate messengers of this unhappy news, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, and his friend, bailiff Simon Puttock, are instantly dismissed from court. Returning to their homes in Devon, the pair are shocked to find that outlaws now hold sway in the land. As the chaos escalates, the bodies of two clerics are found among a party of travelers, all of them—men, women, and children—savagely murdered. Baldwin and Simon are called to investigate, but when they discover the culprit is a friend of the king, they become wary about accusations of treason. Until, that is, Simon’s own daughter suddenly disappears.
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval History, Historical Fiction on February 4th, 2010
Glad to see it’s one of the books you can still buy from Amazon (not a Macmillan title, in other words).
I’ve heard bits and pieces about the argument between Amazon and Macmillan but haven’t followed it closely. Is there any resolution in sight?
Is the Knights Templar series meant to be read in order, or are the books independent?
I haven’t read them myself, but I think it’s a series, so it might help to read them in order. I’m not positive about that though. My guess is the stories are different for each book and you could probably understand what was going on without reading the other ones, though some of the characters are probably reoccurring, and in that regard, it would likely help to have read the novels in order.