Chaucer and the House of Fame --Signed-- - Hardcover

MORGAN, PHILIPPA

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 184119817X ISBN 13: 9781841198170

Publisher: London: Constable, 2004., 2004

Synopsis

The fourteenth century is probably best remembered for the conflicts that raged between England and France, known collectively as the Hundred Years War. Begun by Edward III of England who laid claim to the throne of France, it had eventually run its weary course by the reign of his weak and ineffectual grandson Henry VI. Yet in 1370 the Hundred Years War was only a half of the way through, with England in imminent danger of losing most of her territorial possessions in France. At this critical moment in time, Geoffrey Chaucer, court envoy, ambitious poet, and protege of the king's powerful son John of Gaunt, is sent on a secret mission to the territory of the Comte de Guyac to persuade the French nobleman to stay loyal to the English cause. After a hazardous journey, Chaucer and his companions reach Guyac's stronghold on the Dordogne in south-west France. The welcome is warm - Chaucer was once in love with Isabelle, the Comte's sister - but within a few days everything has changed. At the end of a hunting expedition, Guyac's body is discovered with a crossbow bolt through the throat. Suspicion points at the new English arrivals. So Chaucer must discover the real culprit if he is to save his own neck. The investigation will turn the poet and diplomat into a fugitive and the truth will not emerge until Chaucer joins Gaunt's brother Edward - known to history as the Black Prince - at the siege of Limoges, one of the crucial events in this endless war.

About this title

About the Author

Philippa Morgan is a former school teacher who now lives in the West Country. This is her first book.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* In her debut mystery, Morgan succeeds where many old hands have failed. Set in 1370, the novel tells the story of a soldier and diplomat sent by the king of England to persuade a French nobleman to maintain his loyalty to the British monarch. When he arrives in France, our hero discovers that the nobleman has died, apparently in a hunting accident. Suspecting foul play, the diplomat determines to solve the murder. It's a solid, well-told story, recommendable for plot alone, but what really makes this one special is Morgan's portrayal of her hero, who happens to be Geoffrey Chaucer, future author of The Canterbury Tales. In other series starring real-life authors as sleuths, the heroes have attained their literary fame when the stories begin, but by casting Chaucer only as a wanna-be poet, Morgan adds a fascinating element to her characterization. In addition, she has clearly done her homework but knows that the secret to good historical fiction is parceling out information to the reader gradually and naturally, avoiding indigestible chunks of backstory. She also understands that readability requires a more contemporary manner of speech than is absolutely authentic, but she treads this dangerous line carefully. By adroitly avoiding the pitfalls that trap many writers of historical mysteries, Morgan has created a central character and a story that will leave readers clamoring for more. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: London: Constable, 2004.
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 184119817X
• ISBN 13: 9781841198170
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 341