Falconer and the Ritual of Death (William Falconer) - Hardcover

Morson, Ian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0727867024 ISBN 13: 9780727867025

Publisher: Severn House, 2009

Synopsis

A William Falconer Mystery - Oxford University, 1271. As old buildings are pulled down to make way for a new purpose-built college, a body is revealed. Regent Master William Falconer deduces that the skeleton is twenty years old. He must try to recall any significant events, when England was involved in an earlier Crusade, which could provide a solution. As the heavens open, and Oxford is threatened with flooding, Falconer is drawn into violent events where the past and the present collide with startling consequences . . .

About this title

About the Author

Ian Morson studied at Oxford University and lives in Berkhamsted, England. He is the author of ""Falconer's Crusade.""

Reviews

A grisly discovery sets the stage for Morson's solid sixth whodunit to feature William Falconer (after 1999's Falconer and the Great Beast). In 1271, workmen tearing down a house to make way for Oxford University's first residential college uncover skeletal remains in a wall. The body's age forces Falconer to probe events two decades earlier when the house was first built. England in 1250 was beset by rumors that the End of Days was coming, and that the Jewish community was responsible for a child's horrific ritual murder. The cold case becomes much warmer after one of the men who found the remains turns up dead himself. The academic sleuth comes to suspect that the truth behind the killings may revolve around closely guarded secrets about the Knights Templar. Morson, who does a nice job conveying the bigotry of 13th-century England, convincingly renders the period through well-chosen detail. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morson is back with another suspenseful adventure in his popular thirteenth-century mystery series featuring William Falconer. An old building is being demolished to make way for Oxford University’s new “collegium” when a skeleton is discovered between the foundation walls. Master Falconer, known for his keen-eyed investigative skills, is called upon to identify the skeleton. Falconer can pin down the likely time frame for the death (the building was built 20 years ago), but when he discovers that the back of the skeleton’s skull is bashed in, he realizes he’s investigating a murder. Working without a contemporary crime lab, he still does an impressive job using his own version of forensic science to ferret out the facts of the case. As usual, Morson offers well-researched period detail, a revealing look at life in thirteenth-century England, a riveting plot, and an intriguing cast of characters. Recommend this series to historical-mystery buffs. --Emily Melton

Edition details

• Publisher: Severn House
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0727867024
• ISBN 13: 9780727867025
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 201