Charles Dickens & Superintendent Sam Jones Series by JC Briggs

Charles Dickens had a fascination with detectives. He would accompany police detective Charles Frederick Field and a few of his men on an all-night visitations of the most squalid and dangerous haunts of London’s underclass, later writing about his experiences in his magazine, Household Words in 1852. Could this real life detective have formed the basis for Dickens' own fictional detective, Inspector Bucket, in Bleak House, which was published in serialised form in 1852 - 1853.?  

But what if Dickens' interest in detectives started earlier, and he himself took on the role of detective, leading up to his plotting out of his novel Bleak House.? The Bow Street Runners had been in existence for about 100 years, and the Metropolitan Police (or Peelers) were established in 1829, with its detective branch active from 1842.

Author JC Briggs has taken up the character of Charles Dickens and created a new role for him - that of detective, and he features in the following series of books.

The Murder of Patience Brooke

A brutal murder in Victorian London forces a famous writer to solve the mystery…

London, 1849 - Charles Dickens has set up Urania Cottage as a sanctuary for fallen women. But he is shocked when the matron’s assistant – Patience Brooke – is found hanging outside the property, covered in blood.

Desperate to protect the reputation of the Home and to stop a scandal from spreading, Dickens takes the investigation into his own hands. With the help of his good friend, Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, and a description of the suspect as ‘a man with a crooked face’, Dickens's search takes him deep into the filthy slums of Victorian London.

Can Dickens save his reputation? Will he find out the secrets of Patience Brooke’s troubled past?  Or will the killer strike again …?

Death at Hungerford Stairs

A serial killer is on the loose in Victorian London .... Boys are going missing from London’s slums…

London, 1849 - When a boy is found drowned in the River Thames at Hungerford Stairs, novelist Charles Dickens and Superintendent Jones of Bow Street are mystified to discover that the child is not the missing youngster for whom they have been searching.

As Dickens and Jones delve deeper into London’s poverty-stricken backstreets, they stumble across two more bodies.  A serial killer is on the loose. And Charles is terrified that someone close to him may be one of the victims.

With a strange image of a mask sketched next to the corpses, could the murderer be leaving a trail for the detectives to follow…?  Or will the Death at Hungerford Stairs remain unsolved…?

Murder by Ghostlight

Dickens has gone from private investigator to prime suspect…

London, 1850 - Charles Dickens is in Manchester, performing at the Queen’s Theatre with his acting group. But his career on the stage is cut short when a man is shot dead – on set. With Dickens himself caught with the gun in his hands, he is immediately arrested.

Along with the help of his good friend Superintendent Sam Jones, Dickens must do all he can to find the real killer, before he is locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. 

Can Dickens convince the authorities of his innocence? Will he unmask the true assassin?  Or will there be another Murder by Ghostlight…?

The Quickening and the Dead 

Three girls, three deaths — but what connects them…?

London, 1850  - Lavinia Gray vanishes on the eve of her wedding and is found drowned. Evie Finch dies of septicaemia in a filthy lodging house. Annie Deverall, a fifteen-year-old milliner’s apprentice is on remand in Newgate, accused of murdering the Doctor Lancelot Plume.  Three young girls' lives have been ruined, but could they be connected somehow?

Charles Dickens visits Annie and is immediately convinced of her innocence. He enlists the help of Superintendent Sam Jones to find the real murderer before Annie goes to trial. How are the three girls linked to Plume? And if Annie didn’t kill him, who did?  What Charles Dickens uncovers will shock him to his very core…

At Midnight In Venice 

Two cities, two skeletons, linked by a mysterious vision…

London, 1850 -  An Italian music master and an English governess disappear from the house of Sir Neptune Fane, a prominent Member of Parliament.

A female skeleton is found in a disused water tank behind a house which has been empty for five years. Her neck had been broken and found with a jewelled chain around it.

Charles Dickens is reminded of his time in Venice a few years earlier, when he thought he saw a monk with his hands on a girl’s neck, the glimpse of jewels in fleeting torchlight, a cry of fear. And later he read that a girl was found drowned at the spot where he had his vision.

Are the two corpses connected? And what is the link to Sir Neptune Fane?  Charles Dickens and Superintendent Sam Jones must find the link between the backstreets of London and the mysterious canals of Venice…

The Redemption Murders 

The sea gave up its dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.…

London, 1851 - The Thames River Police are called to The Redemption, a ship docked at London’s Blackwall Reach. Louis Valentine, the ship’s captain, has been stabbed to death. With no murder weapon on site, and no signs of a robbery, the only clue is a copy of Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop. The book is not inscribed to Valentine but to someone called Kit.

When Charles Dickens realises his good friend Kit Penney is now a murder suspect, he is determined to clear his name. But Kit has gone missing.  With the help of Superintendent Sam Jones, Dickens starts to investigate the troubled last journey of The Redemption. It seems there was more than one suspicious death on board. But were they murders? And did the same person attack Captain Valentine?

Dickens and Jones begin a desperate search for Kit – and for the key to the dark secrets bound up in The Redemption…

The Mystery of the Hawke Sapphires

Dickens faces a decades-old disappearance, a brutal murder and a missing link…

London, 1851 - On his deathbed, the sinister Sir Gerald Hawke asks a distant cousin — Reverend Meredith Case — to find Sapphire, his long-lost ward and heir to the Hawke family jewels.  Concerned for her welfare, Meredith vows to discover where Sapphire disappeared to.

Meanwhile, Felix Gresham — a young man with literary ambitions — is found murdered on the steps of a bookshop. As an acquaintance of the Gresham family, novelist Charles Dickens once again teams up with Superintendent Sam Jones to investigate the murder.

But in his quest for the truth, Dickens finds that those associated with Felix are reluctant to talk.  And when he is called on to assist with the search for the Hawke heir, he begins to wonder whether the two cases could be connected…

What became of Sapphire Hawke? What secrets did Felix take to his grave?  And can Dickens find the link between the two mysteries…?

The Chinese Puzzle

Are unsolved murders in London linked to the opium trade - Charles Dickens must unravel a mystery that stretches from the streets of London to the shores of Canton…

London, 1851 - The Great Exhibition has opened, and everyone is flocking to see the wonders on display. But when a potential Chinese assassin manages to get up close to Queen Victoria, and then vanishes without a trace, the Prime Minister orders an urgent investigation.

Superintendent Sam Jones from Bow Street is put on the case to find the whereabouts of the missing man. And he discovers that Cornelius Mornay — a wealthy retired banker from Canton — also went missing on the same day.

As a former opium merchant, it seems that Cornelius had some powerful — and dangerous — connections. The British government order Jones to keep his enquiries under wraps, so he enlists the help of his good friend Charles Dickens to infiltrate the seedier streets of London.  And when the body of Mornay is found washed up in Wapping, poisoned with opium, the plot starts to thicken.

Mornay is deeply connected to the Opium trade and the suspects are many. And when more murders occur, it seems this mystery could be connected to something larger than Dickens and Jones had ever imagined…

read more here

- Charles Dickens Page

Andrea Camilleri: A Crime Reader’s Guide to the Classics ‹ CrimeReads

Neil Nyren provides Crimereads and devoted readers with the essential guide to Andrea Camilleri's "Inspector Montalbano" series of books.

“Are you trying to bust my balls?”

The speaker is Inspector Salvo Montalbano, head of the fictional municipality of Vigàta, Sicily’s, police department, and in the 28 novels and two short story collections written by Andrea Camilleri and published in Italian and English…someone always is.

The criminals, from petty to monstrous, who occupy his frustrating days (and sometimes alarming nightmares); the Mafia thugs who spread their tentacles into every Sicilian institution; the corrupt politicians who march hand in hand with them; the witless press that blindly supports whatever government is in charge at the moment; the colleagues who, for all their police skills, can’t help but complicate his life at times; the suspicious Commissioner who seems intent on complicating his life at all times; the lady friend in Genoa with whom he can’t seem to get through a phone conversation without squabbling; the succession of beautiful women he meets during his cases who offer serious temptations and, all too often, deceptions – all these people light his fuse, but do not deter him. 

With a mix of sardonic humor, cynicism, stubbornness, compassion, a nose for crime, and a very personal sense of justice, Montalbano dyspeptically perseveres through all the tragicomedy that imbues his beloved island, reminding us that incidents – and people – are often not what they seem, and that sometimes refusing to obey an order is a virtue, not a sin.

read more here 

@ Crimereads

@ Wikipedia

Review: Dear Arlo by Tom Kreffer

Synopsis: It begins immediately.

There’s no transition period, no trial run, no supervised training, no e-learning module and no simulation that you can f**k up as many times as you need to until you get it right.

As soon as the midwife hands you your newborn baby, you are responsible for keeping it alive.

Picking up moments after Dear Dory ends, Dear Arlo: Adventures in Dadding continues the story of one dad and his journal as he strives to survive the first year of parenthood, blundering his way through bottle-sterilising, night feeds and some cataclysmic nappy changes – all while a pandemic sweeps across the planet.

WARNING: ONCE AGAIN, THIS BOOK CONTAINS A LOT OF SWEARING

Right from the very start Tom asks: " ... we don't just jump into this parenthood gig .. do we? Isn't there some sort of transition phase for new parents? ..."

This self-effacing edition to the "adventures in dadding" series, will put the fear of God into first time dads, whilst bringing tears of laughter to those with their own brood of ankle-biters.

From day one, Tom questions whether or not he should be "... allowed to operate a few minutes old baby ..." , especially given the choice of baby-soothing lullabies (Yogi Bear Song).

Again, we are treated (though I question if that is the right choice of word?) to the daily rituals of feeding, napping changing (including details of the ‘cheeky, up-the-back, explosive shart’), with visits to family, friends, and healthcare professionals that all new parents go through, to first words and first steps unaided.

From Wednesday 12th February 2020:

"Today was great; I was wearing a black T-shirt when you projectile-vomited all over me. Mummy took one look, laughed and told me I looked like a Jackson Pollock painting.".

Kreffer also deals with first-time-parent issues such as leaving baby at home to spend some time together as a couple (code for out on the piss), going on a short holiday, and returning to work. Amid all of this new parent chaos, the dreaded covid is looming on the horizon and we encounter the issues of working from home with an infant under one.

Tom takes us through bed time etiquette:

"He tries to resist, like a victim in a horror movie scraping his nails on the wooden floorboards, but instead of screaming in terror, he giggles and shrieks in delight."

To little accidents:

"... you fell over .... I was holding a hot cup of tea at the time, and when I launched myself to save you from injury, the tea departed the cup and arced perfectly, before swan diving right down my .... " - read on to find out exactly where the tea landed but let us say that men will cringe and shed a small tear.

To the arrival of the first birthday, a father's reflection and a parent's realization that: MEANINGFULNESS + CONTENTMENT = HAPPINESS!

Review: Looking For Mr Fly by KK Byrne

Synopsis: Looking for Mr Fly is a psychological thriller that looks at the lives of seemingly regular individuals that have very little in common with the exception that they are all chasing the elusive goal of happiness. Tragedy is the catalyst that drives the groups demons to the surface and it soon becomes evident that when you peer underneath the veneer of normaility and look closely enough you find that people are anything but normal.

How well do any of us really know our work colleagues. Here author KK Byrne silently posits the question whilst exploring the interconnecting relationships of a small group of co-workers through interweaving narratives.

Set against a bleak landscape which seems to project itself onto the lives of these individuals, Byrne has created a tantalising psychological thriller, whose detailed ambiance slowly, and subtlety, draws you in, leaving you constantly second guessing where you are being lead. In fact, the narrative is as manipulative and as disingenuous as some of the characters.

" ... there is a story to tell there ... the only trouble will be getting someone to tell it ..."

The ending is not how a reader will imagine it ... but ... well .... I will leave that for the reader to discover for themselves. Definitely a book to be read and savoured in one sitting!

Review: The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon

Synopsis: One rainy morning Commissario Brunetti and Ispettore Vianello respond to an emergency call reporting a body floating near some steps on the Grand Canal. Reaching down to pull it out, Brunetti's wrist is caught by the silkiness of golden hair, and he sees a small foot - together he and Vianello lift a dead girl from the water.

But, inconceivably, no one has reported a missing child, nor the theft of the gold jewellery that she carries. Brunetti is drawn into a search not only for the cause of her death but also for her identity, her family, and for the secrets that people will keep in order to protect their children - be they innocent or guilty.

From the canals and palazzi of Venice to a gypsy encampment on the mainland, Brunetti struggles with institutional prejudice and entrenched criminality to try to unravel the fate of the dead child.

My second book by this author in as many days - and realise the well worn pattern of providing half a book on an "investigation" based on one character's concerns about another, before we actually get to the actual crime / mystery as detailed in the synopsis / blurb on back cover.

Definitely not pursuing this series any further - just takes too long to get to the actual mystery / crime that is supposed to be the whole basis for this book.

Edit: someone should really re-think these titles and this is definitely not suggestive of the content.

Review: The Day of the Serpent by Cassandra Clark

Synopsis: The murder of a loyal king's man threatens the self-crowned King Henry's new regime in this second gripping medieval mystery featuring friar, sleuth and reluctant spy Brother Chandler. 

January, 1400. The bowman strikes at night, slaying one of King Henry's loyal garrison men before melting back into the darkness. Was the murder the result of a personal quarrel? Or is it, as Henry's stepbrother, Swynford, fears, the start of an uprising against England's self-crowned king? Swynford orders Brother Chandler to investigate, before the spark of rebellion can set the whole country alight. 

Friar, reluctant sleuth, and even more reluctant spy, Brother Chandler is a man with dark secrets and divided loyalties. To the murdered King Richard. To his paymaster, the usurper King Henry. And to beautiful, naive Mattie, a maid in the household of heretical poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who holds dangerous secrets of her own. Trusted by no one, Chandler must walk a tightrope of secrets and lies if he is to uncover the truth about the murder, while ensuring he - and the few people he cares about - stay alive. 

This historical mystery set at the start of the reign of Henry IV of England, and follows on from The Hour of the Fox - so it is advisable to read the series in order.

This second Brother Chandler book opens fairly close to where the first finished - Brother Chandler is en route to Pontefract castle, in the entourage of Thomas Swynford.  Richard II has been deposed by his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, who as assumed the throne as Henry IV. But "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" - especially one that many feels is not rightfully his.  Whilst at Pontefract, Chandler finds himself in the company of the deposed Richard, who is somewhat resigned to his fate even more so in light of a number of rebellions that set out to restore the monarch. Richard alive is a thorn in Henry's side - but how does one dispose of a monarch, even a deposed one, without questions being asked.  

Finally, the deed is done, and the body of the dead monarch is being transported back to London for burial.  His funeral cortege makes off at a slow pace, giving the population ample opportunity to view the corpse.  But it is not an easy journey, as members of the escort are being targeted by a mysterious archer.  Chandler is detailed to investigate by Swynford who is eager to produce a suspect (any suspect) and appease the wary new king.

Against this backdrop of rebellion and sedition, the character of Chaucer makes another appearance, as he is suspected of being the author of a number of heretical texts making the rounds.  This part of the story is told in the first person narrative of Chaucer's maid, Mattie, who is given more of a role in this book than in the first.

There are three narratives being used to tell this story - we have the first person narrative of Mattie for Chaucer and his activities; we have the third person narrative for the bulk of the story; and added to this is the first person chronicle of Brother Chandler, who has decided to document (a true account of) events for posterity.

As I said, it is better to have read the first in the series as a number of characters make a return as does the prophecy theme.  I would have preferred a bit more of an exploration of the roles of the spymasters, who I felt got the short end of the stick in this book. The ending, however, I found to be rather disappointing and has left me wondering what the author's intent is with the character of Brother Chandler.  After reading both, I found myself liking the first one more than this second.

For further background on this series, read my review of The Hour of the Fox.

Review: Through A Glass, Darkly by Donna Leon

Sysnopsis: It is a luminous spring day in Venice, as Commissario Brunetti and Inspettore Vianello come to the rescue of Vianello's friend Marco Ribetti, who has been arrested while protesting against chemical pollution of the Venetian lagoon, only to be faced by the fury of Marco's father-in-law, owner of a glass factory on the island of Murano.

But clearly there is another victim who has uncovered the guilty secret of the polluting glass foundries of the island of Murano, and whose body is found dead in front of the furnaces which burn at 1400 degrees, night and day. The victim has left clues in a copy of Dante and Brunetti must descend into an inferno to discover who is burning the land and fouling the waters of the lagoon. A man is dead - but will politics and expedience prevent the killer from striking again?

This is my second Commissario Brunetti book from Donna Leon - obviously I have not read them in order. I picked this one and another up second hand, thinking I might get the series.

For me, however, this was a very slow moving police procedural - not really much happening in this one and - to be honest - nearly put it aside halfway through. The first part is spent following Brunetti and Vianello around as they follow up on some empty threats made by the father-in-law of a friend of Vianello, who happened to get arrested following a protest against environmental pollution at one of the Murano glass furnaces. 

The Lagoon of Venice is heavily affected by ecological and environmental problems strictly connected to the activities of man. The nation’s largest concentration of chemical plants and the very large agricultural region, that surround the lagoon, are the main sources of pollution by dumping their wastes directly into the basin. And to this the fact that the land is boggy and the city - whose buildings have not proper foundations - is slowly sinking as it was historically built on a natural marsh flood plain. This is one of the themes introduced and expounded upon throughout and really forms the main focus of the narrative.

It is not until nearly three-quarters of the way through that the murder victim makes an appearance and the traditional police procedural formula takes shape.

I just could not get the feel for Brunetti or his surroundings (despite the Venetian location) as I think I have come too late into the series. Will try again with the second book and see how I go.

Review: Brotherhood of the Shroud by Julia Navarro

Synopsis: The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud is the explosive international bestseller that mixes fact and fiction to tell the riveting story of one of the world’s most controversial relics—the Holy Shroud of Turin—and the desperate race to save it from those who will stop at nothing to possess its legendary power....

A fire at the Turin cathedral and the discovery of a mutilated corpse are the latest in a disturbing series of events surrounding the mysterious cloth millions believe to be the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Those who dare to investigate will be caught in the cross fire of an ancient conflict forged by mortal sacrifice, assassination, and secret societies tied to the shadowy Knights Templar.

Spanning centuries and continents, from the storm-rent skies over Calvary, through the intrigue and treachery of Byzantium and the Crusades, to the modern-day citadels of Istanbul, New York, London, Paris, and Rome, The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud races to a chilling climax in the labyrinths beneath Turin, where astounding truths will be exposed: about the history of a faith, the passions of man, and proof of the most powerful miracle of all….

This is two stories in one. The first is the story of the Turin Shroud and how it came to be whilst the second is set in modern-day times, following a team of investigators from the Italian Art Crimes Department as they look into a series of "accidents" at Turin Cathedral. Both stories run along side each other, so the narrative alternates as we progress.

So to the first narrative - the Turin Shroud. There is much history and mythos surrounding this particular relic that to discuss any of at here would be quite lengthy. Suffice to say that the Shroud is said to be the burial cloth of Jesus after the Crucifixion. Carbon dating on the shroud hints at a later date rather than the biblical one. So, which is right - well here Navarro offers an alternate theory. To explain her theory, she relates the tale of how the Shroud came to be in the possession of a small Christian community in biblical Edessa (modern day Urfa) which was ruled by the Abgarid dynasty - and of how it was lost before the narrative merges with the modern day "life" of the Shroud. To be honest, I do like an author / writer who explore an alternate to the traditional line of thought or "the party line" as it opens up opportunities to delve into potential resources used (which I have done) to develop and creative the narrative.

However, all is not so simple as there are two groups, each of whom have a vested interest in not only the Shroud but in its possession, and each are attempting to reclaim it for their own ends - one descended from the original guardians of the Shroud (based in Urfa) and the other from the Knights Templar, or rather their modern-day interpretation.

Enter Marco Valoni, Chief of the Italian Art Crimes Department and his team who are brought into investigate the latest attempt on the Cathedral of Turin. This act of arson has now prompted Marco to look deeper into previous attempts to find some link, some explanation.  As a side note, and it is only speculation on my part, but it is possible that the massive fire in the Chapel of the Holy Shroud in 1997 (which is still a mystery) may have been the catalyst for this story. The Chapel remained closed for over 21 years whilst repairs and restoration work was being carried out.

And so the reader is taken on the same course as the investigative team as they discover new "facts" and unravel the convoluted history of the Shroud - and the presences of these shadowy groups are slowly revealed.  It is in the following of the investigation that the reader is given a history lesson on the Shroud whilst at the same time getting an insight into the daily and private lives of the team. This side of the narrative was a little tedious and there was not much action going on to make it worthy of a true thriller. It is only as the team start to place the pieces together and move the players around the proverbial chessboard, that the action does pick up - though not until much later in the book.

I enjoyed it for what it is - I wouldn't say it was an action-packed thriller along the lines of a Dan Brown book, but it is still an decent enough read.  The ending did feel a little rushed, but the narrative does need resolution.  I bought my copy cheaply, second hand, have had it for a numbers of years, and this was my second reading.  Time to pass it on.

Navarro has another book out along similar lines - The Bible of Clay - which I haven't read.

Review: Crown & Sceptre by Tracy Borman

Synopsis: The author of The Private Lives of the Tudors illuminates the almost thousand-year history of the British monarchy.

Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England's various kingdoms, forty-one kings and queens have sat on Britain's throne. "Shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue's gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs," as Tracy Borman describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre. Ironically, during very few of these 955 years has the throne's occupant been unambiguously English--whether Norman French, the Welsh-born Tudors, the Scottish Stuarts, and the Hanoverians and their German successors to the present day.

Acknowledging the intrinsic fascination with British royalty, Borman lifts the veil to reveal the remarkable characters and personalities who have ruled and, since the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, more ceremonially reigned. It is a crucial distinction explaining the staying power of the monarchy as the royal family has evolved and adapted to the needs and opinions of its people, avoiding the storms of rebellion that brought many of Europe's royals to an abrupt end. Richard II; Henry VIII; Elizabeth I; George III; Victoria; Elizabeth II: their names evoke eras and the dramatic events Borman recounts. She is equally attuned to the fabric of monarchy: royal palaces; the way monarchs have been portrayed in art, on coins, in the media; the ceremony and pageantry surrounding the crown.

Elizabeth II is already one of the longest reigning monarchs in history. Crown & Sceptre is a fitting tribute to her remarkable longevity and that of the magnificent institution she represents.

Again, I am very wary when it comes to books with the title "new" in them as I invariably find nothing new. And again there was really nothing new here for me. I am going to preface this review, however, by stating that I read only up to the reign of Anne for beyond that was not really within my purview - therefore whether there was anything "new" or not to be gleaned I will leave in the capable hands of another reader.

Borman compartmentalizes the book according to familial term designated for each ruler and their dynasty. As such, it is broken down as follows (making it easier to chose where you want to start):

Part One - Normans: William I to Stephen

Part Two - Plantagenets: Henry II through to Richard II

Part Three - Tudors: Henry VII to Elizabeth I

Part Four - Stuarts: James VI & I to Anne, and also includes the interegnum of the Protectorate

Part Five - Hanoverians: George I to Edward VII

Part Six - Windsors: George V to Elizabeth II.

Each section provides enough detail on and about each monarch and their reign; however, there are the usual tropes associated with a number of monarchs that I would hesitate in recommending it as an unbiased primer for someone starting.  Having said that, there is enough here from which to launch into more detailed or specialised accounts.

Now whilst I mentioned that for me there was nothing new in the bulk of the narrative - there were a couple of little nuggets that I would have loved more detail on, as Borman disappointingly does not follow up with any actual source material. These are:

Page 22: Borman mentions that Matilda of Flanders, wife to William I, had once been told some prophecy foretelling the deaths of three of her sons in the New Forest.

Page 118: Henry IV's last words acknowledging himself as an usurper to his son and heir Henry V - the only reference is the Oxford Book of Anecdotes! But that is hardly a reliable source surely. I want to know who originally documented this.

Page 155: Borman in discussing the discovery of the remains of bones in the Tower - and their general acceptance without any proof that they are the two lost princes - makes mention that workman accidentally damaged the vault of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville (c.1789) and discovered two smaller tombs contained within. These were then attributed to two of their children, whose actual tombs were located elsewhere within St George's Chapel. So who was buried within - again, a source for this would be appreciated.

These nuggets are the type of thing that stands out for me - but as no source was / can be provided, it just falls within the realm of whimsical hearsay, and places this book back firmly on the shelf of popularist general history.

Still, there are many who will appreciate the condensed accounts of England's monarchs, spanning a period of some nine hundred odd years.

Review: Lions of the Grail by Tim Hodkinson

Synopsis: First in an adventure-filled historical series following Irish Knight Templar, Richard Savage, as he is forced to spy on his homeland for the King of England.

1315 AD. Ireland and England are ravaged by bitter war. Rotting in an English prison, condemned as a heretic, Irish Knight Templar Richard Savage is given one chance of reprieve. But there is a catch. He must return to Ireland as a traitor, and work as a spy there for the King of England.

Savage returns to his homeland, but even here he can trust no one. He soon discovers the Scots intend to invade and someone in Ireland is helping them. The King of Scotland also claims to possess a mysterious holy treasure, and many are flocking to his cause. And what's more, Savage discovers he left more than just memories behind in Ireland...

Amid feasts, tournaments, invasion and war, can Savage decide whose side he is really on, discover whether this holy relic is real and, above all, stay alive?

As an avid reader of Hodkinson's Whale Road Chronicles, and having some fore-knowledge of the period in history, I was interested to see how the Scottish invasion of Ireland under the Bruces would pan out under Hodkinson's skillful narration.

This is the first in the series. So for those unfamiliar with the era, Edward Bruce fought alongside his brother Robert throughout his struggle for the Scottish throne, which culminated in the battle of Bannockburn, in which the Scots were victorious (1315). Continuing their war against England, especially after the Isle of Man fell under Scots loyal to England, Robert Bruce decided to open a second front in Ulster. As there had been no High King in Ireland for some time, Bruce figured that in making Edward King of Ireland, concessions could be made in return for localised support.  The Annals of Ulster record the event as follows:

U1314.2

Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, came to Ireland along with many gallowglasses in aid of Edward, his brother, to expel the Foreigners from Ireland.

This is where our story opens, in the events leading up to the invasion of Ireland by the Scots. Our protagonist, Richard Savage, is a Templar of Irish descent, imprisoned in England after the decimation of the Order by Philip of France in 1314. When the King of England, Edward II, needs to get a feel for what is happening in Ireland, he drags Savage out of his imprisonment and sends him across to Ulster to gauge the loyalty of those there and to scupper any plans for "a grand Gaelic alliance against England". As Savage is trusted by neither side, there is plenty of action, battles, captures, escapes, rescues, disguises, secret codes, assassins, an old enemy AND a holy relic.  There is enough to keep the reader entertained, much being centered around the town and castle of Carrickfergus, and ais is duly noted in the narrative "... one thing was sure - there would be more fighting ...".

Now, there has been plenty of speculation as to the relationship between the Knights Templars and Scotland. Treasure hunters claim that in the 14th century, the Knights Templar fled to Scotland with a trove of valuables because they received support and protection from King Robert the Bruce. Templar scholar and medieval historian Helen Nicholson said that any remaining Knights Templar were more likely to be found in Cyprus. One of the first to link the Templar fleet to Scotland was George Frederick Johnson, a Scottish exile in Germany in the mid-18th Century, who said that the Templars had sailed to Scotland. However, Johnson's claims proved to be as fraudulent as he himself was later discovered to be.

A number of actual historical figures make their appearance throughout, including the likes of Roger Mortimer, Richard de Burgh, Thomas de Mandeville, John de Bermingham and the Bruces - Robert and Edward. There is, of course, Edward II - though based upon the description of him in this instance, I find myself imagining him as Claude Rains in his role as Prince John in the 1938 adaption of Robin Hood. Similarly, I picture Lancaster as Basil Rathbone in his role from the same film.

Claude Rains and Basil Rathbone

The female character - to be honest - I could take or leave. Sometimes they are not necessary to the narrative - the cast of characters does not - in my opinion - always need to be "inclusive" or "politically correct" to tell a good story. There does not always have to be some "love interest" to lure in the female reader - sometimes their inclusion feels forced and detracts from the storyline. However, as one continues reading, the female character does have some sort of role.

What I find rather poignant about this whole episode can be summed up in this quote:

"   it's sad that a country that has struggled so long to gain it's own freedom should so soon seek to visit war and oppression on another ... "

I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series progresses.

Fulk and Melisende : King and Queen of Jerusalem by Danielle Park

Synopsis: Melisende and Fulk governed the Kingdom of Jerusalem during a period of significant change which coincided with the rise of Zengi and the subsequent union of Mosul and Aleppo under one ruler, the atabeg's attempts to control Damascus, and the consolidation of a more coherent and cohesive anti-Frankish campaign from the Muslim forces. This book will provide an extensive survey of Fulk and Melisende's reign, place their rule within the broader framework of kingship in the Crusader States, and consider the developments that took place under their governance. 

This volume will begin by addressing the couple's 'back-history' - Melisende's role as heiress, Fulk's political and military background in Anjou, and his experiences in the Holy Land before his second marriage - which must have shaped their approach to the government of the Latin East. Later chapters will investigate the dynamics of their political partnership, assess the decisions made in the kingdom of Jerusalem, determine their roles and impact in the internal and external politics and diplomacy, and detail the couple's working relationship through evaluation of their charters - which dealt with diverse matters such as law, donations and the endorsing of transactions. 

A final section of the book will focus on the memory of their reign and discuss the perceptions of both the king and queen as expressed during their lifetimes in contemporary letters and narrative accounts, and afterwards in later chronicles, charters, and manuscript illustrations down to the end of the thirteenth century. This will explore the gendered depictions of the pair and how well they fitted into the established patterns of gender and power, particularly in the light of Fulk acquiring his title through marriage rather than his own bloodline, and the impact of her husband's death on expectations of Melisende.

The Making of Crusading Heroes and Villains by Mike Horswell & Kristin Skottki

Engaging the Crusades is a series of volumes which offer windows into a newly emerging field of historical study: the memory and legacy of the crusades. Together these volumes examine the reasons behind the enduring resonance of the crusades and present the memory of crusading in the modern period as a productive, exciting, and much needed area of investigation.

This new volume explores the ways in which significant crusading figures have been employed as heroes and villains, and by whom. Each chapter analyses a case study relating to a key historical figure including the First Crusader Tancred; ‘villains’ Reynald of Châtillon and Conrad of Montferrat; the oft-overlooked Queen Melisende of Jerusalem; the entangled memories of Richard ‘the Lionheart’ and Saladin; and the appropriation of St Louis IX by the British. Through fresh approaches, such as a new translation of the inscriptions on the wreath laid on Saladin’s tomb by Kaiser Wilhelm II, this book represents a significant cutting-edge intervention in thinking about memory, crusader medievalism, and the processes of making heroes and villains.

The Making of Crusading Heroes and Villains is the perfect tool for scholars and students of the crusades, and for historians concerned with the development of reputations and memory.

Professors in America and the U.K. fight back against the cancelation of Geoffrey Chaucer

From The College Fix:

Academics in both America and the United Kingdom have recently taken actions to prevent Geoffrey Chaucer, the “father of English literature,” from being labeled a rapist, racist and anti-Semite.

In late July, Cambridge University medieval and renaissance English Professor Jill Mann resigned from her position on the board of the Chaucer Review, an academic journal specializing in the work of “The Canterbury Tales” author.

The journal had published an essay called “New Feminist Approaches to Chaucer” in which authors Samantha Katz Seal and Nicole Sidhu argued it is time for feminists “to move past Chaucer” because: “He is a rapist, a racist, an anti-Semite; he speaks for a world in which the privileges of the male, the Christian, the wealthy, and the white are perceived to be an inalienable aspect of human existence.”

The authors also provide evidence that Chaucer himself was a rapist, relaying on a 14th century legal document in which a woman named Cecily Chaumpaigne accused Chaucer from a crime known as “De raptu meo.”

Other scholars have argued the word “raptus” could refer to an “abduction” and point out the legal document actually showed Chaumpaigne releasing Chaucer from any legal obligation related to the claim.

Nonetheless, Katz Seal, a professor of English and women’s studies at the University of New Hampshire and Sidhu, an English professor at Eastern Carolina University, argue feminists “should identify” with Chaumpaigne and not Chaucer.

But Mann objected to the negative characterization of both Chaucer the man and his work.

“To approach Chaucer with this mind-set is to substitute a grotesque caricature for the humane values that distinguish him from many other writers of his time, and that students, in my experience, are quite capable of appreciating,” Mann wrote in a letter to the Times Literary Supplement.

It wasn’t the first time Chaucer had been attacked in British academia. Earlier this year, the University of Leicester announced a plan to remove Chaucer from the English curriculum, replacing him with a “selection of employability modules” and a “chronological literary history” determined by the school’s administrators.

The announcement was made after the school vowed to “decolonize” its curriculum.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Texas A&M English Professor Jennifer Wollock has argued that Chaucer “was no raunchy proponent of bro culture,” but a “daring and ingenious defender of women and the innocent.”

“I believe the movement to cancel Chaucer has been bamboozled by his tradecraft – his consummate skill as a master of disguise,” Wollock wrote in an essay for The Conversation in July.

Wollock, who has researched Chaucer for decades, argues his works are fiction, and he should not be punished for accurately representing unsavory characters.

“Readers often assume Chaucer’s characters were a reflection of the writer’s own attitude because he is such a convincing role player,” writes Wollock. “Chaucer’s career in the English secret service trained him as an observer, analyst, diplomat and master at concealing his own views.”

Rather than being a sexual predator, she notes her research has found Chaucer “supported women’s right to choose their own mates and the human desire for freedom from enslavement, coercion, verbal abuse, political tyranny, judicial corruption and sexual trafficking.”

Wollock notes that Chaucer salutes the heroism of Jews in an early poem called “The House of Fame.” And she defends Chaucer in the Chaumpaigne episode, noting few authors have ever been more outspoken about man’s inhumanity to women.

“It is bizarre that one of the strongest and earliest writers in English literature to speak out against rape and support women and the downtrodden should be pilloried and threatened with cancellation,” she writes.

Neither Mann nor Wollock responded to requests for comment by The College Fix. Sidhu objected to the charge she is trying to “cancel” Chaucer.

“It is a strange kind of ‘cancel culture’ that produces an entire issue on the writer we are supposedly cancelling,” Sidhu wrote about the edition of the Chaucer Review in which her essay with Katz Seal appeared. “Not to mention that Sam has written an entire book on Chaucer, is writing another one and I have a book chapter and several articles devoted to him.”

“We love Chaucer’s writing but you don’t need to be dishonest about his personal life or his racial politics to think he is brilliant or want to study or write about him,” Sidhu wrote.

“In terms of cancelling, it seems to me that the person who resigns from an editorial board because she doesn’t like something she reads is far more an example of cancel culture than two scholars noting the nuances involved in thinking about the work and life of one of our greatest writers,” she said of Mann’s resignation.

The Challenges of a King (The Road to Hastings Book 1) by KM Ashman

The fight for England began long before 1066…

AD 1045. Godwin of Wessex, one of the most powerful earls in the country, prepares for the marriage of his daughter to King Edward of England. The mood is jubilant, his family’s relationship with the Crown secured through matrimony. But one man seeks to undermine him at every opportunity.

French-born Bishop of London, Robert of Jumièges, has the ear of the king. As a trusted adviser, his position is one of power and privilege, and he wields it to gain ever-greater influence over the English Crown for his kinsmen in Normandy, at Godwin’s expense.

As the bishop’s control increases, the king’s relationship with the House of Godwin frays until, eventually, it breaks down completely. With civil war looming, Godwin fights to pull England back from the brink. But with the king under Norman influence, it could be too little, too late.

The Challenges of a King is the first book in a thrilling new series from K. M. Ashman exploring the politics, promises and intrigue that led three men to contest the throne in 1066, and to the final successful invasion of England. Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.