Scotland, 1424: Sir Law Kintour has returned from the war in France injured, broke, and in need of a patron. In desperation, he reluctantly accepts a commission to find a nobleman’s missing wife. He enlists the aid of a fellow Scot. But his friend is murdered, and Law discovers he has been lied to. As the murders continue to mount, powerful interests come into play. When the Sheriff of Perth … considers him a convenient scapegoat, it gives Law no choice but to untangle the lies and find the killer or hang for the murders.
(Originally published as ‘The Templar’s Cross’)
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Essentially The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett) set in medieval Scotland with the titular treasure-item being the “mcguffin” in this story. The characters are well-fleshed-out, but the reader never gets the sense as to why one should be interested in the plot, which is mainly a lot of running/ limping around in circles in the rain and mud. Worth reading more for the descriptions of Perth in the Middle Ages and the idiosyncrasies of the Scottish dialect.
Just ok
If you like a mystery and you you like period pieces of the Middle Ages, this book is for you. A Scots Knight returns from he Continent looking for a Fuedal Lord to serve and becomes a private investigator. Interesting plot with good characters on both sides of the law. Not what I was expecting, but a good read.
Wordy but interesting.
Historical fiction set in post-crusades Scotland. Really enjoyed it and will look for more by the same author.
A wandering knight from the recent wars has lost his standing and no lord wants him in his employ. Concerned about his ability to find work to supply himself with home and food, he attempts to hire himself out. A man is killed who was his minor partner and the sheriff wants him charged with the crime. But the locals judge him innocent. The sheriff needs a hanging and the knight is in sight. Descriptions of home and hearth, and acquaintances and thieves, and honorable people clearly show how hard life is for a lone soul trying to survive. A very good read.