Death of a Squire

First Sentence: The trees in the forest were nearly denuded of leaves. Templar Knight Bascot de Marins is spending time at Lincoln Castle with his young, mute servant, Gianni. He is still recovering from the torture he suffered at the hands of the Saracans during his years of captivity in the Holy Lands. King John and King William of Scotland are on their way to Lincoln Castle and everything must be perfect to receive them. The body of young Squire Hubert de Tournay is found hands bound and hung from a tree in the forest. The murder doesn't appear to have been done by poachers as the squire has not been stripped of his fine clothing or accessories. As castellan of Lincoln Castle, Lady Nicolaa de la Haye is responsible for the fife and ensuring peace within it., thus asking Bascot to uncover the killer. I found this a much better book than the first, "The Alehouse Murders." While there were a lot of characters, each was distinct and easily identified. Lady Nicolaa is a wonderful, strong woman and it's nice to see that woman did play an important role during the time. But it is Bascot who really draws me to the story. He is a Templar Knight who, while questioning his future, still honors the commitments he made. His care for Gianni, whom he admits feeling about more as a father than a master, adds a humanity and caring to his obvious intellect and strength. The story is so well researched and plotted with excellent suspense and twists along the way. It was a wonderful read and I hope a series that will continue on for some time.

Young Squire Hubert de Tournay was possessed of a temperament only a mother could love, and it appears that only person grieving his death is his mother. In the autumn of 1200 A.D. in the county of Lincoln, his body is found hanging from a tree in Sherwood Forest and the gruesome murder incites a torrent of suspicion, falsehoods, and relief. Hubert couldn't keep his hands to himself and wasn't above using force or blackmail to coerce a maiden's compliance. Was his death a vengeance killing by peasants angry at the assault of one of their own? What about his fellow squires who hated him and might have secrets that Hubert would have been pleased to exploit? Or was his end perpetrated by one of the victims herself? Complicating matters is a visit to Lincoln Castle from King John, who sensitive to any slight, real or imagined, has recently heard innuendos of a covert plan to depose him in favor of his rival Arthur. Hubert's lust for power may have been as hearty as his lust for women. Was he the victim of a desperate underclass of outlaws as many are hopefully asserting, or was he killed for knowing too much about the wayward ambitions of the land's most highborn noblemen? A complex web of deceit and anger surrounds the death of the unsavory Hubert, and the inhabitants of Lincoln rely once again on Templar Knight Bascot de Marins to unravel the murder and dispel the pall of distrust that ensues. As de Marins goes about solving the crime, the reader learns more about characters introduced in the first novel, and meets other segments of medieval society that help to fill in the history of this place and time, and its inhabitants. I do enjoy these works and hope to read more Templar Knight mysteries in the near future. If you are looking for nighttime reading not so gruesome that you can't sleep, yet with enough complexity of character and plot to tickle the brain cells, I highly recommend this series by Maureen Ash.

Maureen Ash provides the second of her Templar Knight series. The story is enjoyable and direct, with a touch of historic humor. The author has devoted a greater part of this novel to developing the supporting characters, and does a good job. However, this story is not as robust as the Alehouse Murders.

Maureen Ash was a new author to me until I read the Alehouse Murders and I believe that was in fact her first book. As I always like to try new writers when I can find them I was happy to read the book and I found it good, light and interesting reading. The type of book where you do not have to try too hard to understand the plot. A tried and tested storyline used by many of the top writers of historical mystery fiction. A knight from the Templar Order, back in England after eight years of captivity in the Holy Land. Weary in both body and soul, Bascot de Marins injuries have affected his body quite badly but not his fertile mind and as he seeks to regain his strength and well-being while on a stay at the castle in Lincoln, he is on the look-out for something to exercise a mind that has lain fallow, during his long years of captivity. Well, after cutting his teeth in the novel The Alehouse Murders, Bascot de Marins is more than ready to try to solve another mystery and in this second book Death of a Squire he gets his chance. Templar Bascot de Marins is given the task of unearthing the truth when a young squire's body is found hanging from a tree. Could the young man have taken his own life? De Marins is certain that he did not. Is the squire's death related in any way to a meeting that is to take place within the confines of Lincoln castle, a meeting of King's no less . . .