The Cross Legged Knight: (The Owen Archer Mysteries: book VIII): a mesmerising Medieval mystery full of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages…

Excellent addition to her medieval series which is very evocative of the era and place, to me. Fine storytellng and character continuity from book to book about Owen Archer and the mix of political situations and villany that is sorted out on several levels throughout the book.

As I only live 20 miles from York where most of these books are set, I can perhaps visualise better than most the area of England the books take place in. Many of the streets of York mentioned in the books are still there and of the course so is the Minster. Owen Archer the lead character in the book is a Welsh longbow man who works for a high church dignitary and spends some of his spare time helping in his wife's apothecary shop. He is called upon by William of Wykeham, the Bishop of Winchester, to help him with a serious problem. I myself am interested in this period of English history and the author's authenticity cannot be questioned and her excellent story telling is spellbinding. I cannot recommend her books too highly.

It's the eight episode for Candace Robb's quintessential medieval spy Owen Archer andneither the author nor the character seems to be slowing down.Archer, the trusted one-eyed spy for the Archbishop of York, is once again thrust into themaelstrom of deadly struggles between the Lancasters and the Church. What is a spy,married to York's only female apothecary, to do?Whatever direction he choose, he's bound to find a puzzle. For one, the Bishop ofWinchester has created a situation that could plunge the country into a civil war. Throughthe bishop's apparent bungling, a trusted friend to King Edward III and knight of therealm has been captured by the French and before a ransom could be negotiated, he dies inprison. His widow, the Lady Pagnell, holds the bishop fully responsible and wishes toextract her own pound of flesh (to borrow from Shakespeare some two hundred yearslater). While in York to try to smooth things over with the Pagnell family, the bishop finds hisown life in danger. Coupled with what appears to be attempts to assassinate him, murderis discovered when a fire goes up in flames, leaving the victim inside. Thus, Owen Archer'ssleuthing skills are called in. Owen's wife Lucy, the co-protagonists of Robb's series, hasrecently had a miscarriage and her recovery, both mentally and physically, is taking its tollon the Archer household. The woman murdered had been responsible for helping Lucy inher recovery and both Lucy and Owen feel driven to find her murderer.And, of course, the hunt is afoot and with Robb's usual good skill, York is eventually giventhe solution. But before the murderer is revealed, Robb has a story to tell and, once again,she does it with exciting readability. Weaving quite effectively history with fiction, theRobb stories appeal to both historians and whodunit readers. Her ability to capture thelandscape and atmosphere of 14th century England is noteworthy and her plot designs wellworth the time.

In England in 1371, the Bishop of Winchester, William of Wykeham, wants to regain his position of lord chancellor of the realm if he can avoid the plots against him led by John of Gault, Duke of Lancaster. William and his entourage travel to the palace of the Archbishop hoping to make peace with the Pagnell family who blame him for their father's death in a French prison. The family believes the Bishop stole some of the ransom money, which led to the French king's refusal to release his prisoner.While the bishop looks at a church that is being rebuilt, a piece of the roof falls off and nearly kills him. He believes it is a Lancastrian plot to murder him and becomes further convinced when his York property burns to the ground, killing a herbalist and severely wounding a tenant's servants. The Archbishop charges his steward and captain of his guard to find out who is responsible for these events, a job made easier in resolving but more difficult on Owen Archer's gut by his wife's insisting she help him.The events of this book take place during the period the Duke of Lancaster tries to establish his influence over his nephew who will one day be King Richard II. Knowing the time frame help the reader understand the political undertones of the story line that serves as a reference point to the behavior of the characters. Owen Archer is a heroic figure who worries so much about his wife that he endears himself to the audience. THE CROSS-LEGGED KNIGHT is a fascinating historical mystery.Harriet Klausner

Owen Archer is back in York, after a long sojourn in Wales. His apothocary wife, Lucy, has just lost a baby and is mourning its death. In York the Archbishop Wykeham has the ire of the Duke of Gaunt on his head and he fears that the powerful Lancasterian is trying to kill him. Archer finds himself in the midst of the feud and must rely on his friends to help him but make sure that no harm comes to them. It is a pleasure to have Owen back in York with Lucy by his side. The mystery is serpentine and clues are there for the careful reader. Robb brings medieval York to life with intriguing characters and multi-layered plot.