Veil of Lies: A Medieval Noir

Set in 1384, London, Crispin Guest was formerly a knight and protégé of the Duke of Lancaster, but was stripped of his title and lands--everything, when embroiled in a treasonous plot against the young King Richard II. Now he scrapes by, hiring himself out as a Tracker, a finder of people and items. He's hired by a reclusive merchant to find out if his wife is unfaithful, a case he only takes out of desperation. The merchant is found murdered the next day, in a locked room. Crispin's sense of justice impels him to continue to investigate the murder. In the meantime, the merchant's wife wants him to find a hidden holy relic that she fears and dislikes and wants removed from the house. The mystery twists and turns, from the classic locked-room to foreign agents and crime syndicates, ancient conspiracies and forgeries, theft of taxes, secret identities, and much more, without being too unbelievable or needlessly complex. Crispin, as a former knight who has seen battle and commanded men, is able to hold his own on the rough streets of London with its cut-purses and thugs and riotous citizens. There is action as he fights for his life or merely gets roughed up by the Lord Sheriff and his men. And there is some love-interest in the merchant's beautiful wife. Crispin's past makes for an intriguing character. He is learned and quotes philosophers, he also knows the powerful in the land, even though he cannot make contact because of the association with treason. He's had eight years to familiarize himself with the streets of London, so he's a rare creature of disparate worlds. I enjoyed reading this book and will greatly look forward to any sequels.

This book combined my two favorite genres: hard-boiled noir mysteries and historical novels. I know it has been done before, but this author did both right. The book is authentic to the period and exciting with strong characters and a fast plot and still with enough questions left unanswered to leave you wanting more. Kudos!

In 1384 disgraced former knight Crispin Guest lost his rank after evidence arose that he was part of a plot to dethrone King Richard II. Guest makes a living as a tracker of lost items or people. In London, believing his spouse is cuckolding him, affluent cloth merchant Nicholas Walcote hires Guest to look into the affairs of his much younger beautiful wife, Philippa. Guest begins his inquiries only to learn he no longer has a client; someone stabbed Walcote leaving him dead in a locked room. However to his shock, the widow hires Guest to investigate her husband's murder. She believes a magical artifact her spouse owned that propelled people to always tell the truth was the reason for the homicide. As Guest gets closer to the truth, someone wants him stopped by any mean necessary. VEIL OF LIES is an intriguing medieval Noir starring a disgraced former knight who has become a private investigator. The story line is fast-paced but totally owned by Guest who as a warrior is used to hand to hand combat; he takes that in your face methodology to his new occupation. The whodunit is fun to follow, but it is the kick butt Guest who brings late fourteenth century London to life. Harriet Klausner

I loved this story. I used to read a lot more mysteries than I have lately, finding many wanting. This is the first time in a few years that I was sorry to reach the last page of a mystery novel. The author's prose is elegant without being stilted, historical without being fussy. Her characters are fascinating. I really enjoyed the glimpse into common life in the Medieval era, and the use of a religious relic as a driving force in the book was very clever. It also had a surprise-filled plot that still made sense. I'm looking forward to the next book, which I'll also probably finish before I want to reach the end.

A terrific read! Fans of mystery fiction, crime fiction, historical novels and rousing good adventure stories in general, will all enjoy Jeri Westerson's engaging first novel. Vivid, believable characters draw you into a medieval world so vibrantly real it's like watching the History Channel, only better. A cleverly plotted whodunnit is merely the cherry on the sundae. I can't wait for the next book...Author Cornelia Read's advance praise labels VEIL OF LIES A "Knight to Remember", hence this review title, and it is a turn of phrase well and truly earned. Writer Julia Spencer-Fleming terms it "an utterly beguiling alchemy of Canterbury and Connelly." Me, I just kept flipping pages as fast as I could. And so will you.