Book review : Medicus by Ruth Downie

Medicus
Gaius Petreius Ruso Book #1)
by Ruth Downie

Alternative title ( British Edition ):
Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Actually 2.5 rounded up to 3 because I loved the main character.

The plot on the back cover was promising and together the length of the book ( 400 pages ) made one think of a masterfully conceived mystery full of historical details.


___ PLOT ___ (Britannia, the era in which Hadrian had just succeeded Trajan as emperor, the writer does not say it, but we are in 117 AD)
A serial killer is on the loose in Roman-occupied Britain, and Gaius Petreius Ruso is out to catch him... if he isn't killed first.

The Gods are not smiling on army doctor Gaius Petreius Ruso in his new posting in Britannia. He has vast debts, long shifts, and an overbearing hospital administrator to deal with . . .

After the news of a woman's body fished from the river and after having saved a slave from the mistreatment of her master, Ruso, the doctor of the XX Legion finds himself, despite himself, wanting to shed light on the events.

__________________

This could have been an enjoyable read of a cozy mystery (or an enjoyable historical fiction to read, if well detailed historically speaking) set among the Roman legionaries in Britain.
Instead it's a cozy mystery (nothing bad, I love them, but at least they're shorter, quicker reads) stretched out with "thin air", no historical details except the name of the emperor at the time and maybe the name of the place (Deva), where the investigation is only a couple of questions up to 75% of the book, where the author inserts any idle talk except to focus on the mystery.

I think : if you don't know how to write a mystery, write something else, if you don't know historical notions and if you don't do some research before writing a historical novel, then write a contemporary one!

I really liked the main character, the Medicus Ruso and his friend/colleague Valens, unfortunately the story is a continuous digression on useless details that serve no purpose in the story; repetitive speeches about our "hero's" past, entire chapters in which the main character repeats the same question and the narrator continues to say that it is not answered; a modern dialogue among Romans that goes beyond the limit of the acceptable, catapulting the reader onto a 1920s cozy mystery book and sometimes on a Victorian movie set, certainly jarring in the Roman Empire era!


---> WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE MAIN CHARACTER :

- Gaius Petreius Ruso : I liked him as a character, because he is not the classic hero of flawless books, he is a good person, full of troubles to solve who would like to live in peace without finding more problems.
The beautiful part of his way of being is that he cannot ignore his conscience, his profession is what it should be even nowadays: a vocation and a mission.
He knows perfectly well that by meddling in other people's business he will find trouble, he doesn't want to do that, but his good heart doesn't allow him to ignore all the bad things around him.
While other negative reviews have described him as boring, I say that he is not at all: it's true, the brilliant way he behaves in society and the always ready joke belong to his nice and handsome colleague Valens, but Ruso, in his way of acting calm, serious and sometimes gruff, he throws his ironic jokes (or thinks them) with great mastery.
This cute character is the only reason I rounded the rating up to 3 stars.


---> WHAT I DIDEN'T LIKE ABOUT WRITING STYLE, DIALOGUES and MYSTERY :

- WRITING STYLE : I usually like descriptions that give an idea of the place, the time in which the story takes place, the type of life the characters lead and their way of being.
I know that this is the first book in a series and I also know that the writer had never been a writer before, but the publisher and other people should have realized that it's like too much of a good thing ( How do they say ? "Less is more" !!! )

Throughout the first half of the book the author continues to repeat about Ruso's debts inherited from his father, every 3 sentences the author inserts Ruso's thoughts on what his hateful ex-wife would have said.
In each small scene, the narrator continually talks about visual details (such as a badly decorated wall, mice in the house, shouting and shouting in the street) which are too many, not relevant to the mystery and lengthen the same scene by pages and pages... they become not only useless but also irritating.
This was the trick I used at school, when the essay I wrote was too short and I didn't know what else to write.
Dear author, have you done the same thing? Disappointing and annoying !


- DIALOGUES : It is clear that a novel set in ancient times, to be read easily by readers, must have a non-archaic writing style and dialogues close to today's way of speaking.
But now I ask : since when did Roman legionaries talk to each other using words like "chaps" and expressions like "Right-oh" (British slang that I only found in modern cozy mysteries set around the 1920s)???

...And the following sentence: "Hey, mister! Got a penny, mister?"
... A PENNY ???????????????
Since when did the Romans have pennies in their coins??
I won't add any further comments on the matter, better not.

I accept the modernity of language which makes reading the book lighter and more entertaining for me, but I think that an author must set limits and check whether the type of language is suitable for that era and that people or if it clashes with the whole context, just like a jarring note!

Another thing that seemed out of place to me was the continuous knocking on the door and opening the doorknob, in one scene the slave comes back with her candle in her hand, knocks on the door and stops on the threshold... Well, it looks more like a scene with a maid in the Victorian era.
The first historical evidence of the use of actual candles dates back to the 8th century ( Wikipedia ) and I have never seen films and TV series set in the first century AD where people walked around with candles in their hands... they are usually seen torches on the walls and people walking around with torches.


- MYSTERY AND INVESTIGATION: Almost non-existent.
We have the first suspicious death at the beginning of the book, but even if Ruso is immediately hesitant about the fact that it is an accident and puts forward the hypothesis that it is murder, in fact he only asks a couple of questions around and the whole story is a continuation of patient visits by Ruso. Except for one, none of these patients are relevant to the mystery, they are just part of Ruso's daily life.
Well it's nice to know the character's daily routine, but here we have his life described minute by minute, day after day, from breakfast, to the nights, from all chats with his friend, to the questions he asks himself on his mind and to a thousand other silly things. ..
A book full of thin air!
Only 70% of the way through the story do we have more questions and only in the last chapters do we see a little movement in the story and then the solution (nothing sensational).

- HISTORICAL DETAILS : Same thing as before, i.e. almost non-existent.
Just a mention of the death of Emperor Trajan and the succession of Hadrian.
There is also mention of the Roman baths (that is, the slaves of a bar/brothel go to the baths, nothing else).

______________________

Maybe the following books in the series are better documented, but I think the writing style remains the same and it's not for me, I absolutely don't feel like going on with the series.
I will try other mysteries with the same setting, but by other authors.
So far, the truly well-documented and compelling historical fictions are those of the Italian writer Valerio Massimo Manfredi.

Thank you for reading my opinion and please forgive my English, it's not my native language, I am from Italy (and I live in a town founded by Romans! :-) )


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Book review : A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation by Grace Burrowes

A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation
The Lord Julian Mysteries book #2
by Grace Burrowes

My rating: ★★★★☆
4 full stars !!!!

2nd installment in The Lord Julian mysteries, you can read it as a standalone, but I suggest you start from book #1 since the personal story of the main character is as fundamental as the mystery talked about in the book.

The mystery is certainly more interesting than the bland mystery covered in the first book, however, unlike normal mysteries or cozy mysteries, Lord Julian's personal events, past and present, are the real focus of the book, what made it really interesting reading and what motivates me to continue the series.

The mystery to be solved in each book is not the reason why I would recommend this series, while the feelings and emotional growth of the character, in my opinion, are the real magnet that will keep you glued to these pages.

___ THE PLOT in short ___ Regency era, England.
Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned to the family seat by his brother Arthur, the duke of Waltham, whose bachelorhood is imperiled by the very determined Lady Clarissa Valmond.

Matters take a nasty turn when Clarissa’s brother, a talented artist, goes missing shortly before his debut London exhibition. Julian must unravel conflicting motives, dishonest witnesses, confusing evidence, old lies, and the real threats facing the duke if he’s to find the errant viscount before a fate worse than ruin befalls both surviving Caldicott brothers.

_______________


__ THE MYSTERY __
As I have already said, it is much more complicated than the previous book and therefore more enjoyable for the reader who loves suspense and difficult puzzles to solve and I must admit that until the end, I had no idea whether the missing person was alive or dead and all my hypotheses about what could have really happened were cleverly diverted by the new clues that the writer introduced through Julian's investigations.
There was only a very brief moment, towards 75% through the book, in which I felt exasperated at the fact that we didn't manage to discover something truly concrete and truthful, but this is part of the game of suspense and shortly after finally the truth has begun to make its way through the different tracks followed by our hero.

__ THE NARRATION __
The book is narrated in the first person by Julian and both the touching part of his story and the witty jokes that promptly lighten the atmosphere, made me feel closer to the character to the point of perceiving him as a dear friend of mine who is telling me the his story.

In addition to the magnificent job that the author did in balancing seriousness and touching details, with funny scenes and witty dialogues, another thing that fascinated me in the narrative is the constant similarity with military life and its rules that Julian makes in considering life situations and the people around him.
In fact he has never stopped feeling like a British army officer and in particular a reconnaissance officer even though he now lives in peacetime.
You will find his similes very interesting and truthful.

___ MAIN CHARACTER and SIDE CHARACTERS ___
I really enjoyed meeting up with some of the characters from the first book and getting to know Julian's brother better, who in the previous episode was only mentioned and remembered in the thoughts of the main character who I really grew fond of.

__ LORD JULIAN is a veteran of the war against Napoleon and like all veterans he suffers not only from physical debilitation but also from emotional trauma due to the cruel battles and above all to the death of his brother (who was in the same regiment) and the psychological torture he suffered when he was a prisoner of the French.
In the first episode we saw Julian return to normal life and take the first steps towards recovering himself and who he was.
In this second episode it is really pleasant to see how he overcomes his personal limits with determination and the desire to recover personal affections, to clear his name from the shame of the accusation of betrayal which is always whispered about in aristocratic circles (but actually he had been acquitted) and how he knows how to put his reconnaissance skills, the role he held in the army, to good use in investigation.

What I love about this character is that he gives a lot of importance to family ties, friendships and feelings without being a victim of those who treat him with malevolence.
He is a young man (29 years old) with a heart of gold but who knows how to stand up to those who try to provoke or humiliate him.
I love the fact that he is a lover of books and culture and that at the same time, he is a young man of action who, despite having grown up among the comforts of the aristocracy, knows how to get by in any outdoor survival situation ready for any eventuality.

I love his generosity: in the first book he immediately tells us that he gave up his marriage to Hyperia and in the second book he explains why.
He always puts the needs of his loved ones first even if they conflict with his own feelings and this makes him a "gentleman" in the true sense of the term.
The deep friendship with Hyperia can be felt throughout the book and the reader cannot help but root for this couple who in my opinion are made to stay together.

__ SIDE CHARACTERS ___ 
The supporting characters are all well delineated, whether they play a major role or a minor role in the episode told in the book, the author manages to show us their soul and mind simply through dialogues and actions.
Among the characters met previously, Hyperia gives an affectionate attention to Julian which cannot help but warm the hearts of the reader (as well of Julian), while the godmother Ophelia and the young Atticus bring joy and "verve", completely reciprocated by Lord Julian who has a great sense of humor (another characteristic that I love about him).

The character who added something new is Arthur, Julian's older brother and Duke of Waltham.
The character surprised me, because from previous stories he seemed like a good person, but also all of a piece and a bit boring.
Instead, we discover that he is capable of deep feelings both for Julian and in his private life and the relationship between the two brothers, which is shown in the book, a little playful and a little discovering each other's travails, It's really enjoyable to read.

Of course, I'll keep on reading the following books in the series as well.

RECOMMENDED for: those who love light mysteries, but also those who want to delve deeper into the souls of the characters and the atmosphere of the Regency era, made up not only of frivolities, but also of dramas and difficulties to overcome.

THANKS FOR READING my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my native language.

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Book review : A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times by Grace Burrowes

A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times
The Lord Julian Mysteries book #1
by Grace Burrowes

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually it must to be read as 4.5
I liked it very much !

This has been an enjoyable read, not exactly a mystery as indicated in the tags, not in the murder-to-investigate sense at least, but I really enjoyed the main character's personal story.

The events of the present story and the events of our protagonist's past, both during the war against Napoleon and before the war, are narrated in the first person by the character himself and this is perhaps the thing that created a certain empathy in me, making me fond of to him.

____ THE PLOT ___ Regency era, 
Lord Julian Caldicott has come home from the war in ragged health. He, an English Army reconnaissance officer, Lord Julian Caldicott has come home from the war in ragged health. He, an English Army scout, was captured and tortured by the French, who then massacred hundreds of English soldiers in battle.
Considered a traitor by many people, although exonerated by the army, he desires nothing more than solitude and quiet.
Luckily his affectionate godmother sees the only healing solution as that of reacting, being among people and starting to live again.
Despite Julian's reluctance, he accompanies her to a party where he will find many enemies, but also new allies and the girl who was supposed to marry him, whose heart is still full of affection for Lord Julian.
Among many hostile attitudes, inexplicable events and thefts occur.
Julian, provoked to the extreme, will do anything to solve the puzzle and will find a new drive to appreciate life again.
________________________________

I think the cover of this book, while delightful, doesn't do it enough justice.
From the cover (as well as from the tags) we are led to think that it is just one of the numerous cozy mystery series set in the past, with some bizarre characters, a puzzle to solve and a tepid love story that takes place in parallel and which, as in all cozies, it will develop very slowly and in a barely noticeable way.
There's much more here!

___ 3 IMPORTANT THEMES ADDRESSED IN THE BOOK and the MAIN CHARACTER ____

The plot is light, but at the same time touching, deeper and more important than what one would imagine by taking a quick look at the back cover.
In fact, in the midst of a light and cheerful plot, in which there is no shortage of ironic jokes and witty dialogues that make the reader smile, 3 important and always current themes are also addressed:

1) _  the TRAUMAS that afflict WAR VETERANS from all over the world and from all times, i.e. the pain (not only physical but also emotional) and discomfort in society experienced by many men after experiencing the horrors of battle and seeing death and destruction in its most unspeakable forms.

--------------> As Julian tells us about his present, in which he struggles to return to the superficial and flirtatious life of the peacetime aristocracy, he also tells us about his ghosts.
He tells us about the horror of the battles with the acrid smell of gunpowder that burns the throat and eyes, of the aftermath of the battle with the wounded asking for water, the flies buzzing around the lifeless bodies, of the pain for the loss of friends and especially of beloved brother.
He tells us about his imprisonment and the psychological torture that made him return home in a catatonic state.

Despite the sadness of the past, we can observe Julian's first steps towards a new beginning and it is precisely this part that manages to keep the reader glued to the text.
I rejoiced in his every improvement and couldn't wait for his redemption to arrive compared to those who labeled him as a traitor and liar.

The author managed to move me while remaining within the confines of the light novel and while through Julian's words she summarized the pain and bitterness of war, she also managed to add a touch of adventure.

In fact, Julian tells us about his role in battle: being a reconnaissance officer, how he scouted ahead, how he infiltrated enemy areas with the most varied disguises and how he traced the enemy's plans by studying clues and traces of all kinds.
In fact, Julian has not stopped being a reconnaissance officer, even now that the war is over he uses his skills to reveal the subtle deception of one of the characters and bring the truth to light.


2) _  DISCONFORT due to a CLINICAL PATHOLOGY which at times is disabling for those who suffer from it.

----------> We will discover over the course of the plot that Julian has more than one demon to fight: the physical consequences of imprisonment, the psychological trauma but also another pathology (I won't reveal what because otherwise it would be a spoiler) of which the author knows very well the symptoms and the resulting discomforts, because her father himself suffered from them.
In this context, it is also highlighted how important the support of those who love us is and how sometimes in addition to "the damage" of the disease, human beings are also forced to face "the mockery" of a society too full of prejudices and immediately ready to condemn and marginalize suffering people .

3) _ FAMILY TIES and the feelings that govern them, such as: love, respect, fear of disappointing, trust, sense of responsibility, complicity, childhood memories etc...

------------------> Julian has brothers and sisters and of course parents.
Usually the plots always include a bad or absent father or a frivolous and selfish mother or a certain antagonism with some stepbrother...
In this book I was struck by how strong the bond Julian has with his brothers ( a dead one and the elder still alive ), even though they are so different from each other.
 Also the affection for his parents and for his godmother and his former betrothed is always present in our protagonist's speeches.
Childhood memories are cheerful and full of sweetness.
I really liked seeing that this family ( and its servants staff ) creates a united front and that despite the emotional wounds and the fear of having sullied the honor of his family, Julian instead discovers that he has great emotional support among his loved ones.
________

Julian is an EXTREMELY POSITIVE CHARACTER. 
On the one hand the book begins with an apparently defeated young man  who tells us about his traumas and who would only like to be left alone in the dark, on the other hand we also see a real soldier who does not back down from a challenge.
Julian is suffering deeply, both physically and emotionally, yet he agrees to escort his godmother, complying with her requests, because his honor and kindness and affection for her come before his own needs.
Actually, helping someone else and protecting a person for whom he feels a deep affection will be the spark that will restart the engine to get back to life.
Step by step, chapter after chapter Julian challenges his own weaknesses and starts enjoying every little thing again.
The more society kicks him and orders him to leave, the more Julian will rediscover his fighting spirit, attract new allies and finally return to being proud of himself.

---> I love this character and his company was wonderful throughout the book.
I also liked the side characters and I think the author did a good job in describing their character traits through dialogues, small gestures and facial expressions.
Some of them, we can imagine from the plot, will also be present in the next books.

__ THE MYSTERY __
As I already said it's not a murder and it's not even something extremely elaborate so mystery lovers should choose this book.
It seems more like an excuse to add a pinch of curiosity to the plot on the part of the reader, while telling the personal story of Lord Julian (past and current with some anticipation for the future).
However, I didn't mind it and although the culprit was predictable, it was so predictable that every time Julian questioned someone I found myself making new and different suppositions... the author was still good at creating many diversions and also managed to insert, in the solution of the mystery, a surprise element that I wasn't expecting.

IS IT a "COZY" MYSTERY?
Yes it is, however unlike the usual "cozies" it contains some speeches with words not exactly suitable for gentlemen and ladies of good society and you will also find a funny dirty song that the soldiers usually sang.
I really liked this "a little more cheeky" but never vulgar element and it often made me laugh. The author was able to elaborate this aspect with great grace, well done!

__ WILL I READ THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES?___
Of course yes, in fact, I confess that I have already read book #2, I liked it and you will soon have my review.

Thank you for reading my opinion and if my English is not exactly correct it's because it's not my language, so please forgive me :-)

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Book review : The Smuggler's Escape by Barbara Monajem

The Smuggler's Escape
Perilous Secrets book #1
by Barbara Monajem
My rating: ★★★☆☆

I'm giving it 3 stars which may seem like a good enough rating, but it isn't becauseactually it must be read as 2.5

____ THE PLOT ____ THE BACK COVER READS:
1795, England. After escaping the guillotine, Noelle de Vallon takes refuge with her aunt in England. Determined to make her own way, she joins the local smugglers, but when their plans are uncovered, Richard, Lord Boltwood steps out of the shadows to save her. Too bad he’s the last man on earth she ever wanted to see again.

Years ago, Richard Boltwood’s plan to marry Noelle was foiled when his ruthless father shipped him to the Continent to work in espionage. But with the old man at death’s door, Richard returns to England with one final mission: to catch a spy. And Noelle is the prime suspect.

Noelle needs Richard’s help, but how can she ever trust the man who abandoned her? And how can Richard catch the real culprit while protecting the woman who stole his heart and won’t forgive him for breaking hers?

_____________________________

Reading this "romance" novel was like eating soup with a beautiful appearance, but a bland taste: the cover and the plot allowed us to imagine romance and passionate love between dangers and adventure.
None of this!
It could have been a nice novel full of adventures, feelings and some hot and sensual scenes... but instead it's just a jumble with a lot of annoying repetitions, no exciting adventure/action, no romance, but just thoughts constantly turning to sex and two protagonists who consider it "fun" to argue and insult each other, chemistry between the two perceived by the reader =0

The dialogues are mostly witty and this occasionally gave me hope that the plot could become more engaging and interesting, but there would also have been depth of feeling...
Unfortunately, the author thought she would attract more fans by focusing the entire book on the constant thought of sex and lust.
The author thought that to make the book romantic it was enough to write a couple of times that the hero "wanted to protect his beloved from hanging at any cost" (adding then that she was his and only his and he wanted her back in his bed).
... Too bad.
I have no doubt that there are readers who probably enjoy this type of romance (Seriously? This is a romance book??? yuck!).
I, on the other hand, am the classic type of person who appreciates hot and sensual scenes, but hates vulgar ones and definitely needs to read about true romance made up of deep feelings.
Yes, I'm the classic type of person who labels these types of novels as: rubbish!

The basic idea wouldn't be bad, but there are several concepts that are too repetitive, a lot of confusion and the story is more developed towards superficiality than interesting and engaging content.

In the introduction the author says that she wrote it when she was very young and then rewrote it as an adult and published it.

My thoughts: you can see that she wrote it at a very young age when she was still inexperienced. It doesn't look like he rewrote it...it looks like he edited it and changed it a little here and there but in my opinion she didn't do a good job.


__ THE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS ____ :
The main characters do nothing but argue and suspect each other, as well as feeling strongly sexually attracted to each other, recalling their sexual experience that occurred 2 and a half years earlier.

The LOVERS--> to ENEMIES--> to LOVERS cliché is nice to read if well developed and a little spice in a relationship has always made things more exciting.
BUT IN THIS BOOK it is really tiring to read the accusations that the two make towards each other without explaining the reasons for their wrong actions...SO UNTIL THE VERY LAST PAGES OF THE BOOK

The thing that I didn't like even more is that both are aristocrats but behave in a slutty and vulgar way and both (especially him) consider the love relationship fun only with insults and sex (but what was the author thinking about when she decided to publish this book ????? )


___ ADVENTURE/ACTIONS ___
So...in addition to the adventure-inspiring cover, the story goes that "our hero" worked as a British spy and is now working on one last task and "our heroine" turns to smuggling.
All the adventure and action there is is moving barrels from one place to another, continuously throughout the length of the book.
Is this a spoiler? No, but if it were I tell you: save your time for better novels!

___REPETITIONS___ :
"his disastrous plan", "bed", "he will make you very happy in bed" and "lust" are repeated over and over again.
Already 25% of the way through the book, I assure you that you will be fed up with reading these sentences/words.

___ KISSING AND LOVEMAKING ___
The thought of past kisses and the sex had by the two protagonists are two other repetitions that we find from the beginning to the end of the book.

----> The kisses stolen during the story have nothing sensual or exciting and the scene in which he kisses her, WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ gropes her and partially undresses her in the courtyard in the middle of the afternoon with people nearby, I honestly didn't like it.
It gave me no emotions and I didn't like it, not because I'm a bigot, which I'm not, but because the male character had no regard for her lover's reputation, but only thought about satisfying "his cravings" SPOILER END ___ ___

---> But the vulgarity doesn't end there, the sex scene WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ is carried out by the two main characters to escape arrest (and in the meantime they have the excuse to do what they wanted to do from the beginning of the book): it takes place in the room of an inn, knowing that the excisemen would enter and when they enter "our hero" talks to the excisemen while the sexual act continues and while she's keeping moaning because she is reaching orgasm " SPOILER END ___ ___, what a disgusting novel, it made me vomit.

__ THE SIDE CHARACTERS __
None worthy of note. A set of characters who pop up like mushrooms, here and there in the book, say a couple of lines (mostly rude) and then disappear into thin air, without really having a role in the story.
As I said, the book is a hotchpotch.

_____________________________

In the introduction the author even praises herself by saying that in her initial youth novel there was a lot of good material... yes maybe there was, but dear author, you should have developed the plot by putting a little more heart into it, instead of focusing on lust to sell more copies.

In my opinion the book lacks quality (wow, sometimes I can be a bitch, but I'm tired of being understanding in my reviews, after all, books are costing money!)

Thanks for reading my rant and my opinion on the book. English is not my native language, so please forgive me if you find errors of form or grammar in my text.

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Book review : Petteril's Corpse by Mary Lancaster

Petteril's Corpse
by Mary Lancaster
Lord Petteril Mysteries series book #2

My rating: ★★★☆☆
3.4 because it was a little better than installment #1 that I rated 3 stars, but I certainly can't round it to 4

Nice enough cozy mystery (but nothing really captivating) to read when you want something less challenging, very short and certainly better than number one in the series which didn't engage me at all.

It would almost be better to read them one after the other, because although there are 2 different mysteries to solve, the main characters have their own personal story that develops over the course of the books.
Since the books are very short, reading them days apart does not allow me to delve deeply into the stories and feel involved neither in the facts told nor the characters.

__ PLOT ___ Regency era England.
The new Lord Petteril and his new assistant April, a former thief on the streets of London, first dressed as a boy and now finally in women's clothes, find a naked corpse with a dagger in the chest, on the road to reach one of Petteril's residences.

The local magistrate, Robert Lindon, has no idea how to proceed with such a heinous crime. Of course Petteril too doesn't know how to proceed, but curiosity pushes him to help, naturally with the assistance of the enterprising April.

Identifying the body is difficult enough. Suspecting that the culprit is one of the local nobles, some of whom were Petteril's childhood friends, is even more difficult.
___________________________

MY OPINION ABOUT THIS INSTALLMENT #2

---> 😃 😃 As I already said above, this second book was more engaging than the first, not only because I now know the main characters and I am starting to be more curious and interested in the development of their personal lives, but above all here the mystery was finally more complicated and only at the end I got an idea of who the culprit could be, but I still wasn't sure.

There are at least 7 suspects and each time the events bring new clues that could incriminate one or the other.

---> ☹️ ☹️ Unfortunately, being a short book, the plot is interesting but not sufficiently developed to involve me passionately.

---> ☹️ ☹️ We also have a couple of romantic moments that are so short and flat that they didn't give me any emotion.

---> ☹️ ☹️ No ironic and funny jokes and this is another point that doesn't allow me to get excited about this series.

---> ☹️ ☹️ Another thing that disturbs me a little is that in book #1 WARNING SPOILER referring to BOOK #1 !___ we met (Ape, i.e. April disguised as a boy) and she looked 10 years old... then once identified as a girl she looked between 14 and 18 years old. In this second book, which is set a few weeks or at most a few months after the events of book #1, April looks between 16 and 20 years old.
On the cover of book #1 there is a child (Ape), on the cover of book #2 and in the following ones, there is clearly an adult girl... EXPLAIN TO ME HOW A girl dressed as a boy can look 10 years old and then 20 ?
The writer could have described a young 15 year old petty thief boy who would later turn out to be a 20 year old girl...but the way the author put the story really doesn't make much sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ) SPOILER END___ ___

I don't know if I'll read the following books in the series, I still have to decide.

Curious about BOOK #1 review ? Then read it : BOOK #1 "Petteril's Thief"

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my bad English since it's not my mother language.

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Book review : Cup of Blood by Jeri Westerson

Cup of Blood
Crispin Guest Book #7
Medieval noir by Jeri Westerton
Actually a prequel of book #1

My rating: ★★★★★
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

Installment #7 in the amazing ( at least to me ) Crispin Guest medieval mystery series, which offers action, adventure, suspense, historical characters and legends and even a pinch of wisdom and good feelings.

It's actually the real episode #1, in fact it is a leap back in time, when former knight Crispin Guest first meets his future apprentice Jack Tucker in 1384 London.

However, the author immediately explains in the introduction, that this was her first novel in the series, but the publishers didn't accepted it because the same theme was already covered by another book that was highly publicized at that time and so the series began with Veil of Lies.


____ THE PLOT___ 1384, London.
Little Jack Tucker is a twelve year old, without a family, who has been living on the streets since he was only 8.
Jack sleeps wherever he can and survives thanks to his lively intelligence and by being a cutpurse.
Just when he pickpockets a handful of customers in a tavern, among them he finds one who is the classic type who "can't be fooled": Crispin Guest, a former knight, deprived of title, lands and knighthood and estranged from court for treason.
Crispin chases Jack, catches him and instead of showing himself arrogant and merciless like many others, he gives Jack the opportunity to redeem himself, returning the stolen property and promising never to do it again.
One of those robbed at the tavern turns out to be a corpse who died from poisoning.
Crispin, also known as the Tracker, the one who finds things (and/or people and unravels mysteries), begins to try to see clearly and is then hired by various people to find a legendary and very precious object connected to the dead man.
Jack, who wants nothing more than to sleep in a safe place and has never known goodness and kindness, has immediately become fond of Crispin and will insist on staying with him until even the Tracker decides within him that all in all he reciprocates the affection by Jack.

________________

I was very pleased to find Jack as a child, with all his spontaneity and desire to please the one he considers his mentor and in a certain sense his hero.
---> ACTUALLY, AFTER FINISHED READING THIS PREQUEL, I thought it was good, both for me as a reader, but also for the author's success, to start the series with Veil of Lies and the next 5 books , because this one, despite containing all the elements that I usually love in this series, is a little weaker in each of those aspects, which in the other books are more emphasized and which have a greater emotional impact on the reader (certainly on myself ).
I could therefore say: a good read, but less impressive than the other books.

If I hadn't read the previous books (which would actually be the following ones) I wouldn't have been able to appreciate this one, which in reality doesn't shed much light on the unfortunate story that led to Crispin's removal from the court of Richard II, nor on the emotional drama that he lives internally and that constantly conditions his work, his days, his relationships with other people, especially those from his past.

WHAT I LOVE IN THIS SERIES and WHAT I USUALLY FIND IN EACH BOOK is:

- The fast-paced pace at which the story unfolds, the unexpected twists that always change the perspective of things, continuously alternating the possible culprits between the various suspects, who are usually always at least four or five or even more.
I love the right mix between adventure and action scenes ( so well detailed in every shot and movement that it feels like watching a movie) and moments of inner reflection that are still valid and applicable to today's world;

I ALSO REALLY LOVE THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS:

- A 30 years old fascinating hero, but not without flaws and weaknesses, whose best quality is knowing how to make his sense of justice and honor prevail even when he would like to abandon himself to different and more convenient solutions.
The fact that he is a flawed hero, sometimes a little too self-pitying, with a penchant for wine and beautiful, winking women(who also often clouds his judgment) makes him less fictional and more real.
After all although in life experiences he can consider himself a mature man, he still has all the impetuosity and passion of a young man.

- A second main character who is none other than another hero in a small format whose genuineness and joy of living, given from a young age, manages to balance the bitterness and disillusionment that we find in the adult Crispin (due to his bad life experiences in the last 7 years ).
His witty and sometimes ironic jokes in an almost irreverent way towards Crispin and his women of the moment, lighten even the most dramatic situations and give an air of pleasant freshness.
His considerations, always made immediately and without mincing words, sometimes reverse the situation between him and Crispin: Jack becomes the wise adult and Crispin the child who has to review his behavior... It's very funny!

Crispin and Jack are like two sides of the same coin.
They live in the same world of poverty, cold and hunger, hard and heartless characters and only a few others who are charitable and yet their visions of life and the world are starkly opposite: Crispin always sees the glass half empty regretting the past and Jack always sees it half full appreciating every little good thing that comes his way.

I love their partnership because they complement each other and each of them gives something to the other: Crispin helps Jack grow with honesty and courage and teaching him a sense of honor as well as reading and writing, giving him what is most similar to a father's affection (in the course of the books) and for his part the child reciprocates with deep affection and devotion, not only getting him out of trouble more than once, but also helping him find his self-esteem, making him understand, in his naive ways and with his words of a street child, that even if the material goods in Crispin's life have changed and no longer have the same value, the value of his person has not changed at all.
As with Crispin, it is easy for all of us to fall into self-pity and consider ourselves failures. People like Jack help us look at ourselves in the mirror with more forgiving eyes, rediscovering the desire to start from scratch, with the means we have and what we are, in that moment.


___ THE MYSTERY TO SOLVE ____
Usually the mystery in each book concerns both a historical or legendary object (usually sacred relics to which particular powers are attributed or parchments whose lines can evoke monsters of ancient popular beliefs) and one or more murders that occur in relation to the wanted object.

Everything always starts out quite simply, but the more Crispin searches for the truth the more complicated things become, involving many characters, including real-life characters.

Except for book 3, the details of the murders are never described in a gruesome way, but they are certainly more detailed than in this first book and have much more weight on the whole story.
:-) Every time the culprit is unexpected!

___ HISTORICAL CHARACTERS, HISTORY AND LEGENDS ___
In all the books I read before this one, together with the fictional characters we find various historical figures who are not merely mentioned, but are cleverly inserted into the story with actions and dialogues and sometimes even participating in the investigations or being suspected of being the culprits.

Even with regards to historical details and popular beliefs regarding certain myths and objects, the author provides us with many interesting notions, both during the course of the story and in the afterword.


___ MEDIEVAL LONDON'S ATMOSPHERE___
The dark descriptions of medieval London are so vivid , almost real with its bad smells near the River Thames, its infamous neighborhoods in contrast with the pomp of the court, the terror that the cells of Newgate, the prison, aroused in Jack and also in Crispin who had been tortured there, the continuous humidity of the air and the cold that penetrates mercilessly through the layers of worn and patched clothes....
I ALWAYS FELT LIKE DIRECTLY TRANSPORTED TO THE PLACE!


:-( WHAT WORKED A LITTLE LESS IN THIS BOOK:

----> MYSTERY: not only did I understand who the murderer was before Crispin did, but sometimes it almost seems that the murder takes a back seat and the emphasis is more on the reappearance of the Templars (while the history books tell us that they had been massacred and the order eliminated 75 years before), on the search for the Holy Grail and above all on the hunger for power and greed of the various characters (as well as Crispin's gluttony due to the effect of women on him).

---> BACKGROUND : Although here too the busy comings and goings of the traders are described, the smoky and dark atmosphere of the tavern, the biting cold... in the books written later (but published previously) the author dedicates herself a little more meticulously to the surroundings and atmosphere descriptions.

---> HISTORICAL PART AND LEGENDS ___ in this episode we have a fiction within fiction: we return to the pursuit of the Holy Grail inspired by the poem Parzival by the German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach.
The return of the Templars thanks to the trick of a "secret and never made public pardon" by Pope Clement V (which, thanks to the Vatican's discoveries in 2002, seems to have actually happened) is certainly interesting, but unlike the other books, here we go less in depth regarding the historical facts and also the myth of the Holy Grail, not much is said, as I have already said, the story focuses more on the lust for power and the corruptibility of people, even those animated by the best resolutions.

---> TIME INCONSISTENCY : Considering book #1 Veil of Lies is set in 1383 and that this episode is the prequel to that book, it cannot be set in 1384 as stated in the first line of the first chapter.
For me it's not a problem, because I give more value to the content of books than to an oversight... but for the most fussy it can be strange.

CONCLUSION:

__ Did I enjoy reading the book? YES very much,
every time I read a book in this series it's like meeting two dear friends that I adore, in fact I consider the sexy Crispin my medieval boyfriend.
Once I have finished all 15 books, I will happily reread them a second and third time.

However the books written later (but published before) have a stronger and more engaging emotional impact in all aspects and book #1 Veil of Lies deserves to be in place #1 because it is the one that best defines the characters, their soul and the whole situation.

__ Readable as a standalone? Yes, there are no cliffhangers,
but the story is certainly more enjoyable if you read at least numbers 1 and 2 first.

__ Clean language.

__ Crispin spends the night with a woman and then there are a couple of kisses, but no descriptions.

__ No gruesome details about the deaths.

Considering the last 3 points, this is (so far) the only Crispin mystery that isn't a cozy mystery, but comes close.

Thank you for reading my opinion and please be patient with my English, it is not my native language.

------> 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 PREVIOUS BOOKS, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :

BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns" :

BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :

BOOK #5 "Blood Lance" :

BOOK #6 "Shadow of the Alchemist"


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