The Medieval Murderers

The Medievil Murderers are a ***?t of four ****?ks written ***? anthologies by a group of historical crime novelists.

Set up by Micheal Jecks, author of the Templar Mysteries, the group consists of a number of popular historical crime authors (including Michael Jecks, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Philip ****?den, and Simon Beaufort) who each write about sleuths in different historical ***?riods. The idea behind the Medievil Murderers ****?ks is that they follow a single item or artifact through the ***?me ***?riods, and the sleuths have to solve the crimes that are commited around them. ***? the ****?ks are named the Medieval Murders, it is no surprise that these crimes are usually murder.

The ****?ks each contain a ***?t of short stories which stand alone, introducing historical ***?ns to characters they may not have heard of and providing additional material for characters they have. In addition, there is a framing story, describing the origin of the artefact, and a short modern day ending.

The Tainted Relic covers a sliver of wood originally believed to be part of the cross. ***?rsed to kill anyone who touches it, it passes down through the ages surrounded by mayhem and murder. Its value is ****?h that men would kill to possess it, ****? the man who possesses it always dies, making the final ***?te of the sliver in the afterword bitterly ironic.

Sword of Shame, the ***?cond ****?k again follows an artifact, this ***?me a sword that was crafted to defeat the invaders of Britain, ****? which again carries a dreadful ***?rse. Sword of Shame suffers slightly because its conceit is too close to the first ****?ks.

In House of Shadows, the ***?rsed item is a location. A monastery ***?rsed after the death of a young monk is afterwards followed by years of misfortune and death within its walls. Plots, scheme and intrigues abound, and in each era the sleuths must untangle the web of its past.

The Lost Prophecies focuses on a ****?k of prophecies washed ***?hore in Ireland. One of the best of the ***?ries, the sleuths have to resolve the murders surrounding the ****?k – because who would not kill to know the ***?ture?

As an introduction to historical crime thrillers, these are useful, particularly if you ****?t to try ***?veral authors at once before ***?ttling on one ***?ries. Likewise ***?ns of one author may appreciate ***?eing their ***?vourite sleuths effectively guest-starring in a longer novel.

It’s a creative conceit for a ***?ries, and ***?ide from Sword of Shame which is the weakest entry in the ***?ries, all the ****?ks are solid reads. By the fourth ****?k, the writers have managed to pull their styles together and their individual ***?ctions follow together more effectively.

In short, for a ***?n of historical crime, one of these is worth *****?ing up. if you like them, try the others.

Further reading

http://www.squidoo.com/MichaelJecks


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