The Elixir of Death (10) (A Crowner John Mystery)

I only hope that this author and friend continues to put out a book from time to time for those of us who enjoy good literature and good mystery with a good taste of history (and not revisionist history, but as the old U.S. TV show said, "But, You are There."

Crowner John or to give him his correct title is one of my all time favourite characters in medieval mysteries and if you read or are going to read this or any other of Bernard Knight's Crowner John Mysteries, you will probably understand why.. Dour and more than a little fierce looking but totally honest and incorruptible and a staunch follower of King Richard the Lionheart. He is the total opposite of his brother-in-law the Sheriff of Exeter, apart from the fact that the both have an eye for the ladies. Prince John is continuing to plot the seize the throne of England away from his brother Richard and he has a staunch and influential ally in Philip the King of France. Philip offers to help solve Prince john's financial problems by sending him an alchemist who claims to be able to transform base metals into gold. But both the ship the alchemist was on and all of the crew are found ship wrecked and murdered off the Devon coast. Later a knight living close to Exeter is found murdered under mysterious circumstances. It's up to the Crowner to piece the puzzle together are two deeds connected and what is his brother the Sheriff and a staunch supporter of Prince John attempting to hide? I don't think that Bernard Knight has written a bad book, certainly not in the Crowner John series and this one certainly lives up to expectations. I loved reading it.