Crispin Guest Book 4
Medieval noir by Jeri Westerton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Superb !! 5 full stars !
( I'm an Italian reader, please be lenient with my English text, it's not my native tongue )
This is the 4th book of "Crispin Guest series" and if on the one hand I was excited to start reading it , on the other hand I didn't know what to expect.
I rated the previous 3 books 5 stars ( but I'm not someone who easily gives 5 stars ) and it's not always easy for an author to maintain the same level and continue to amaze the reader...BUT SHE DID IT, Jeri Westerton amazed me one more time with a gripping mystery of hers !
___ THE PLOT ___ This time we have a new scenario, the scene moves from London to the city of Canterbury, where Archbishop Courtney has asked Crispin, a former knight now in disgrace, to carry out a very important task: to protect the relics of England's most famous saint: Thomas Becket.
Crispin, who has been known as the Trucker ( a sort of detective ) for two years, must also find out some heretics hidden among the monks.
Crispin will find himself faced with a den of secrets and lying people and the resulting murder is as inexplicable as it is heinous.
Stuck in Canterbury with his protégé Jack and a group of pilgrims, Crispin will also find an old and dear friend: Geoffrey Chaucer ,the poet of King Richard II
__THE GENIALITY OF THE AUTHOR __ Once again holy relics are involved in the plot, so where's the news?
The novelty is not only in the change of city as a background scenario, but also the fact that in this adventure and investigation, in addition to important historical figures, we find also some characters involved as suspects and/or witnesses took from an important English classical work (Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer )
__HISTORICAL FIGURE IN THE BOOK ___
_ Geoffrey Chaucer, close friend and spy of the Duke of Lancaster and poet of King Richard II.He's best known for The Canterbury Tales and called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry".
_ William Courtenay archbishop of Canterbury, vigorous leader of the English church and moderating influence in the political disputes of King Richard II of England.
_ Dom Thomas Chillenden, treasurer in Canterbury cathedral and then prior of Christchurch priory
_ Saint Thomas Becket martyr relics --> He was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his tragic murder in 1170. The book also explain of his conflicts with the crown and how his murder took place and by whom
_ John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, uncle of King Richard II and founder of the House of Lancaster.
____ FICTIONAL CHARACTER from CANTERBURY TALES __ I will not list the characters taken from Chaucer's famous classic work, I will only say that being Italian I had no idea what the "Canterbury Tales" are (I had only heard this title on several occasions) nor who the characters are and I realized the whole thing only later, by searching general info about the poem on web.
In the start of the story, Crispin and Jack meet a group of people on a pilgrimage, during a dinner in the inn where everyone was staying for some days (imagine a group trip nowadays, who stay in the same hotel and who obviously have dinner together in the evening... it was very funny and this is also a novelty in the adventures of our former knight).
In the animated conversation, each character's name and profession are told and since some professions no longer exist, it was by looking in the dictionary put by the author at the end of the book that I recognized the same professions that I had read on Wikipedia, looking for info on Canterbury Tales and its characters.
Now, you could also be completely uninterested in Chaucer and his poem, but I assure you that you will enjoy a very good mystery the same, because it is very well thought out and the suspense lasts until the end.
But if you are interested in history and literature, then you will be doubly fascinated by this read!
Each character has a personal background and we find both Crispin's allies and villains who will hinder him and the plot written by the author is gripping!
__ MAIN CHARACTERS __ some other innovations from the author:
Jack is growing and changing not only in his body but also in his emotions.
At almost 13 years old, like all teenagers he needs to feel appreciated and reassured. He also has his first crush.
The relationship between the Tracker and his protégé is further consolidated here and Crispin finds himself in the same questions as all inexperienced parents.
There also comes greater responsibilities at work for Jack, who will find himself facing a new challenge, just like what happens in all of our lives.
The emotional growth of the characters and the progression of their personal stories, amidst many daily difficulties, makes all almost real and tangible.
The characters are not perfect and each time , over the course of the books, they mature new important decisions and new concepts of life, through their own mistakes and the vicissitudes of those around them.Each of us, for one reason or another, could recognize ourselves in Crispin or Jack and that's what makes us love them even more!
___ WHY DO I LOVE THIS SERIES? __ it offers much more than a simple investigation, it has everything I'm looking for:
1__ Mysteries that are difficult to solve and which involve the reader through continuous clues, twists, theories and testimonies. There is never a dull moment.
2__ There is a lot of history and it is always told through ongoing events, in a tantalizing way, which will make you want to know even more.
3__ The characters are human in every sense, they have strengths and weaknesses and even when things end well, there is never an extremely perfect ending (and you might ask yourself: oh no! Why?? ...but I assure you that some seconds after you will realize: it was the right thing!)
4__ Each Guest adventure addresses a theme and there is always a moral lesson that you can learn or stop and consider for a few minutes.
5__ The atmosphere of every place and every conversation is conveyed so well by the writer through her words that every time I feel like I am exactly on the scene together with the characters.
6__ There is no romance involved in a love story, but Crispin is 31 years old and obviously not immune to female charm. His casual adventures (i.e. sexual encounters) are never too explicit and never vulgar.
7__ The 6 points above are packed with great entertainment and sense of humor.
In fact, the reading is smooth and the funny jokes (never too many and never too few) not only make me smile while I read, but make me feel Crispin and Jack like my dear friends, who I can't wait to see again and spend more time together.
------> Each book is readable as a standalone, but if you read them in order your enjoyment will be doubled !
If you want to know more about BOOK#1 - BOOK#2 and BOOK#3, you can read my reviews here :
BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :
BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns" :
BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment" :
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