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Title: Murder in Chelsea

Author: Victoria Thompson

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-20-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 65 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Sarah Brandt is shattered when she learns that a woman has inquired at Hopes Daughters Mission for Catherine, the abandoned child she has taken as her daughter. The woman claims she was Catherines nursemaid, now acting on behalf of the girls mother to reunite them. Unwilling to simply hand Catherine over to a complete stranger, Sarah asks Malloy to investigate. But when he goes to interview the woman at her tenement in Chelsea, he finds she has been murdered. Though her death leaves Sarahs claim to Catherine unchallenged, her sense of justice compels her to work with Malloy to find the killer. Their search takes them from the marble mansions of the Upper West Side to the dilapidated dwellings of lower Manhattan and into the deepest and darkest secrets of Catherines past. And while Malloy helps Sarah determine the fate of the child she loves, he faces a challenge of his own - and his decision could change both their lives forever.

Members Reviews:

Best of the series

I'm not entirely sure what has happened in both the writing and the narration with this series, but it has been very uneven. There have sadly been several where the plot and narration were terribly disappointing. But this one makes up for that on every level. The story is great, and miraculously, the narration is very good as well. (Odd, because the same narrator didn't do such a good job in a couple of previous episodes). Kudos to author and narrator!

This has been the best story in the series, in my opinion. There are more characters who have previously been somewhat peripheral taking an active role (especially Sara's parents). This makes for a better, more well-rounded story. But this one is good for other reasons. This story concerns the fear the Brandt/Decker family feel when little Catherine's long lost (and mysterious) family surfaces--which threatens the possibility that she will be able to remain with Sara. And we see Frank Malloy being increasingly accepted by Sara's family, as well. The mystery is quite good--kept me guessing.

The characters are well-drawn, the plot engaging, and I heartily recommend this as a great listen!

Love, love, love the whole series!

I have love this entire series! Cannot wait to read about Sara's and Franck's married life. Thank you Emma Thompson!

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Title: The Confessions of Al Capone

Author: Loren D. Estleman

Narrator: Luke Daniels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-11-13

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In 1944 Al Capone, the most notorious Mob boss in history, has already been released from prison. Though Capone is no longer the enormously powerful force who dominated Chicagos underworld for years, he is still a thorn in the side of J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI chief knows that if he can somehow manage to get Capone to reveal details of crimes he and his Outfit committed, the Bureau has a good chance of nailing key members who now are active in the wartime black market.

FBI agent Peter Vasco is perfect for the job. He has an in - his father once drove a truck for the Outfit - and his pre-FBI education gives him even better cover. His orders: pose as the priest he wanted to be before he dropped out of seminary, get close to Capone, and get Hoover the information he demands.

Capones in Florida, suffering from advanced syphilis, and happy to add a priest to his inner circle. As Vasco and the mobster bond over card games, lunches, and even a trip to Wisconsin, Capone, sometimes lucid and sharp, other times rambling and vague, recounts stories of his criminal career. From his days as a bouncer in Brooklyn to the St. Valentines Day Massacre, Capone spills secrets that reveal in vivid detail the life of this monster who became the most iconic figure in twentieth-century crime.

Vasco is alternately fascinated and repelled by the things Capone reveals. Al Capone would stop at nothing to take what he wanted, but also fed the poor of Chicago; he rose to the top of Chicago on a tide of bootleg beer and booze, but took the time to ensure that innocent victims of Mob violence got proper medical care.

This is Al Capone as hes never been seen before, a ruthless crime lord who trafficked in death and corruption...as well as a man of refined tastes who loved his family. A man whose life is waning, and perhaps, a man who is seeking absolution.

Members Reviews:

Interesting story

I enjoyed this book. The author really knew his stuff by bringing the characters to life. A lot of the Capone stuff you've heard about in books or on tv. This book really sheds some light on a lot of what went on. I would suggest this book and look forward to hearing it again in the future. Very well done.

Great Book

Could have done without the constant bringing up and mentioning of Rose the Maid. Great book on the truth of Al Capone.

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Title: The Heresy of Dr Dee

Author: Phil Rickman

Narrator: Seán Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-01-13

Publisher: Isis Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It's 1560, and rumour shrouds the death of the one woman who stands between Lord Robert Dudley and marriage to the young Queen Elizabeth. Did Dudley's wife, Amy, die from an accidental fall? Or was it murder? Even Dr John Dee is uncertain. Then a rash promise to the Queen sends him to his family's old home on the Welsh Border in pursuit of a crystal credited with supernatural properties.

With Dee goes Robert Dudley. They travel with the entourage of a judge sent to try a Welsh brigand with a legacy dating back to the Battle of Brynglas. After the battle, many bodies were, according to legend, obscenely mutilated. Now another dead man has been found, similarly slashed.

Members Reviews:

disappointing

What did you like best about The Heresy of Dr Dee? What did you like least?

While the story of a search for a scrying stone was of interest, the portrayal of Dee as a bungling, incompetent idiot made it extremely difficult to enjoy. Even the title is misleading -- while Dee was historically accused of heresy, the most that occurs are some references to this.

What could Phil Rickman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

A much stronger story would have been a straightforward search by Dee into if a scrying stone worked and his efforts to obtain one. The side story of Dudley, his wife's death and Queen Elizabeth was only distracting. That a man of known intellect and education might search for the truth behind visions, foreseeing and other occult matters is a story that that still holds sway today. Instead, the search for the stone isn't a real quest, it's simply a bungling effort to avoid Cecil and Q. Elizabeth. The issue of "did Dudley kill his wife" is another mystery that would have been interesting, but at the end, a simple "the Spanish and Cecil did it" is provided with no effort at all by the protagonists. The relationship between Dudley and Elizabeth is assumed to be one of great passion-- yet no discussion is made of the historical question regarding Dudley's ambition and Elizabeth's reluctance to marry and lose her power.

Did Seán Barrett do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

The story is a narrative by Dee so that differentiation is not extensively required. The other characters are reasonably portrayed, but sometimes Barrett changes Dee's tone and manner of speaking with no particular good reason.

Could you see The Heresy of Dr Dee being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No, unless the basic story were severely rewritten.

Any additional comments?

A disappointing historical fiction even though it is largely based on actual known facts about Dee (he did search for the unknown, he was a well known scholar, he did work for Queen Elizabeth.).

Best Rickman / Barrett yet

This is a wonderful book that brings history alive with just enough embellishment to give it that eerie Rickman edge.

Nice historical detail!

Very enjoyable! I like Phil Rickman's writing and Sean Barrett is one of my very favourite readers - so - - -!

Better

Think this historical figure has just been plucked to fit into a fascinating story of the time weaved around some facts; but nonetheless it is very enjoyable and intriguing. Imbues Dr Dee with more character and excitement than history suggests he had but it's a story not a history paper!

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Title: The Asylum

Author: John Harwood

Narrator: Rosalyn Landor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-21-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 238 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A brilliant new Gothic thriller from the acclaimed author ofThe Ghost WriterandThe Séance.

Confused and disoriented, Georgina Ferrars awakens in a small room in Tregannon House, a private asylum in a remote corner of England. She has no memory of the past few weeks. The doctor Maynard Straker tells her that she admitted herself under the name Lucy Ashton the day before and then suffered a seizure. When she insists he has mistaken her for someone else, Dr. Straker sends a telegram to her uncle, who replies that Georgina Ferrars is at home with him in London: "Your patient must be an imposter."

Suddenly her voluntary confinement becomes involuntary. Who is the woman in her uncles house? And what has become of her two most precious possessions: a dragonfly pin left to her by her mother and a journal that contains the only record of those missing weeks? Georginas perilous quest to free herself takes her from a cliffside cottage on the Isle of Wight to the secret passages of Tregannon House and into a web of hidden family ties on which her survival depends.

Here is another delicious read from the author praised by Ruth Rendell as having "a gift for creating suspense, apparently effortlessly, as if it belongs in the nature of fiction."

Critic Reviews:

"Creepy doings - certificates of insanity, switched identities, morbid personalities - in and around an asylum in 19th-century England Harwood certainly makes the atmosphere work here." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Engrossing The crisp prose and twisty plot will encourage many to read this in one sitting." (Publishers Weekly)

"Harwood, master of creeping Victorian horror, does it again in his latest tale of pervasive evil and madness. Twisted in every sense of the word and wonderfully atmospheric, this dark psychological tale shocks by degree until truth of a sort is revealed, in a style similar to that of Joanne HarrisSleep, Pale Sister and D. J. TaylorsKept." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Mesmerizing

This book is different from my usual cup of tea, so I hesitated a bit before purchasing it. I was afraid it might be too formulaic to be enjoyable, but this has been one of my favorite audiobooks in some time. First, it is very atmospheric; I was immediately drawn into this world. Harwood created a main character to whom I was immediately drawn. Much of the story is told through flashbacks, but the narrative switches between the present and past so skillfully that transitions are seamless. As I listened, I always had questions that made me find just a few more minutes to listen a little more. The suspense isn't driven by violence and mayhem, but of situations with "something" just a bit off kilter, or the promise of information just around the bend. I don't want to say much about the plot because each new element of the plot reveals something that you've been wondering about. If you read the publisher's summary on the book's page, it gives you a decent enough feel for the book; just know that this story is very well crafted.

If you're considering this book, go ahead, you won't be disappointed.

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Title: A Kind of Anger

Author: Eric Ambler

Narrator: William Gaminara

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-11-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Eerily prescient of 21st century debacles, A Kind of Anger combines a satire of a paparazzi-driven media culture with a gritty espionage tale. Just six weeks ago, Lucia Bernardi fled the villa where her lover died. And then she vanished. The police, the tabloids and even the real killers all want to find her. Disgraced reporter Piet Maas searches for and then finds Lucia, in the south of France. There he faces a conundrum - publish her amazing story, reviving his career but guaranteeing her death - or join in her grand extortion, and risk both their lives.

Eric Ambler was born into a family of entertainers and in his early years helped out as a puppeteer. However, he initially chose engineering as a full time career, although this quickly gave way to writing. In World War II he entered the army and looked likely to fight in the line, but was soon after commissioned and ended the war as assistant director of the army film unit and a Lieutenant-Colonel. This experience translated into civilian life and Ambler had a very successful career as a screen writer, receiving an Academy Award for his work on The Cruel Sea by Nicolas Monsarrat in 1953. Many of his own works have been filmed, the most famous probably being Light of Day, filmed as Topkapi under which title it is now published. He established a reputation as a thriller writer of extraordinary depth and originality and received many other accolades during his lifetime, including two Edgar Awards from The Mystery Writers of America (best novel for Topkapi and best biographical work for Here Lies Eric Ambler), and two Gold Dagger Awards from the Crime Writer's Association (Passage of Arms and The Levanter). Often credited as being the inventor of the modern political thriller, John Le Carre once described Ambler as 'the source on which we all draw.' A recurring theme in his works is the success of the well meaning yet somewhat bungling amateur who triumphs in the face of both adversity and hardened professionals. Ambler wrote under his own name and also during the 1950's a series of novels as Eliot Reed, with Charles Rhodda. These are now published under the 'Ambler' umbrella.

Members Reviews:

Ambler is good but not his best

Don't start listening Ambler with this one. He will never be below 3 starts, he is just too good. But I do have to say his earlier works are much better.

Great story, read well

Narrator was great with British, French, Dutch, and American accents all delivered quite believably. Story is classic Ambler. Vintage spy/thriller at its best.

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Title: The Hindenburg Murders

Subtitle: Disaster Series, Book 2

Author: Max Allan Collins

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-11-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Leslie Charteris had no way of knowing that the Hindenburg was hurtling toward catastrophe. But like his crime-fighting character, the Saint, Charteris has an eye for trouble. First the famous mystery writer suspects the German airship has received a bomb threat. Then he discovers a passenger has mysteriously disappeared.

Convinced the man was pushed overboard, Charteris conducts a covert investigation. But the vanished man turns out to be an undercover Nazi agent, and all of the passengers who fell under his surveillance have a motive for murder. Fearing a grander plot to destroy the airship, Charteris scrambles to find the killer - before it all goes up in flames.

Reconstructing the zeppelins fatal flight on the eve of World War II, The Hindenburg Murders proves that Max Allan Collins is the master of hard-boiled historical fiction.

Members Reviews:

Ecellent mix of historical fact with fiction.

Great story, whetted my apetite to find out more about this great airship. Another great book by Collins.

Narrator took some getting used to

Wonderful plot. Possibly the best one of the series. Historical details well researched as usual. As main character is British, it makes sense narrator have British accent, it just takes a little getting used to.

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Title: SPQR III: The Sacrilege

Author: John Maddox Roberts

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 260 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When a sacret woman's rite in the ancient city of Rome is infiltrated by a corrupt patrician dressed in female garb, it falls to Senator Decuis Caecilius Metellus the Younger, whose investigative skills have proven indispensable in the past, to unmask the perpetrators. When four brutal slayings follow, Decius enlists the help a notorious and dangerous criminal. Together, they establish a connection between the sacrilege and the murders, and track the offenders from the lowest dregs of society to the prominent elite of the upper class, finding corruption and violence where Decius least expects it.

Members Reviews:

Different narrator, same ol' Decius

Any additional comments?

There are two frustrating events I find with literary series that are adapted to audiobook format: the wait for subsequent volumes to be released and the use of multiple narrators. I have experienced both with The SPQR series. I purchased the audiobook SPQR I in 2009, SPQR II in 2010. Two protracted, vacuous years later... the remainder of the series is released, with a different narrator.

semicolon hyphen closing parenthesis

However, the entire series is now available on Audible. And both narrators are top notch and among my favorites.

Io accepta et grata mmutationis!

I truly enjoy Simon Vance's readings of I and II. The stories are written from the perspective of an elder Senator (Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger) reminiscing about the adventures of his youth. Vance's voice absolutely nails this. I have also grown to enjoy John Lee's narrations as well. SPQR III-XIII maintain the context of an aged Decius retelling his notorious exploits. John Lee's voice lends itself to the perception that events are unfolding as they are related, not many years past.

I feared this transition to the point of delaying my purchase of III, letting the book languish on my Wish List for several months. After listening to III with little or no difficulty accepting the new narrator, I now rapidly begin downloading the next in the series as I approach the last few chapters of my current read.

Sucessu!

Why Rome conquered the known world

It might have been because they had a sense of humor! This series is set at the end of the roman republic. Julius Cesar is just starting on his road to becoming a god. The plot is intriguing and some of the parallels to modern politics can't be a mere coincidence! I confess to a crush on Decuis. He is clever, ethical, dry humored, and a soft touch. What more can one ask for? Some of the dialog is laugh out loud funny. All in all an excellent listen and I am already on the next book! Decuis in Alexandria, I can't wait!

Roman Historical Mystery

Would you listen to The Sacrilege again? Why?

I'm enjoying this series very much, John Maddox Roberts is no Robert Graves, but he does a wonderful job at letting the listener know the class distinctions and how the problems of Rome and being a citizen of Rome can be of major interest. There was a distinct difference of being a citizen of "ROME" and being Italian.

Have you listened to any of John Lees other performances before? How does this one compare?

The first two books in the series were narrated by Simon Vance who is one of my favorite narrators. I am very pleased that they got John Lee who is also one of my favorites to continue the series. He really does know how to be an aristocrat, with his voice.

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Title: A Christmas Garland

Author: Anne Perry

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-01-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 43 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The year is 1857, soon after the tragic Siege of Cawnpore. In the British garrison, a guard is killed and an Indian prisoner escapes, which leads to yet more British deaths. Cries for revenge are overwhelming. Despite no witnesses and no evidence against him, a luckless British medical orderly named John Tallis is arrested as an accomplice simply because he was the only soldier unaccounted for when these baffling crimes were committed.

Though chosen to defend Tallis, young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is not encouraged to try very hard. Narraways superiors merely want a show trial. But inspired by a soldiers widow and her children, and by his own stubborn faith in justice, Narraway searches for the truth.

In an alien world haunted by memories of massacre, he is the accused mans only hope. The trial of John Tallis equals the white-knuckle best of Anne Perrys breathtaking courtroom dramas, as Narraway struggles to persevere against appalling odds and a frightful injustice.

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Although I'm not a fan of novellas, I look forward to Anne Perry's short Christmas mysteries each year. So I had high expectations for this one. Unfortunately this one is, well, disappointing. It pains me to say it but this one falls short on pretty much every measure.

The Young Victor Narraway

Where does A Christmas Garland rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I enjoyed it, but since it was a short story, it would be hard to rank it with other longer books.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It was interesting but also dragged at times and tended to be a bit repetitive.

What about Simon Prebbles performance did you like?

He is one of my favorite narrators and can do almost any kind of voice and is great with accents.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I actually did because it wasn't long

Any additional comments?

It was really nice to have a glimpse of Victor Narraway as a young man. The setting of India after the mutiny was very interesting and the story was an intriguing "who done it". The only downside is that it did drag at times. Though it is labeled as a Christmas story, the Christmas theme is a minor part of the plot.

An Anne Perry Christmas Treat

Where does A Christmas Garland rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I would put it in the top third. I have listened to all of Anne Perry's Victorian books.

What other book might you compare A Christmas Garland to and why?

I would compare it to her other Christmas stories. This one has the interesting setting of British soldiers in India.

Which character as performed by Simon Prebble was your favorite?

I liked the lead character Victor Narraway. I enjoyed seeing the investigation progress. Simon Prebble is an outstanding narrator so all the characters wete well done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No. I just thoroughly enjoyed the story and looked forward to the next Anne Perry book.

Any additional comments?

I good choice for fans or a nice introduction to the author.

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Title: Into the Black: A Nick Kismet Adventure

Author: Sean Ellis

Narrator: Andy Babinski

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-19-12

Publisher: Seven Realms Publishing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Nick Kismet will go anywhere, do anything, to protect the treasures of the ancient world. But to stop an ancient symbol of power from becoming a weapon of unimaginable terror, he'll have to go further than he's ever gone before....

When an old college flame tries to entice him into smuggling a precious relic into the Unites States, Nick Kismet knows there's something more going on. But before he can get at the truth, a former rival appears out of nowhere, inviting Kismet to join him on a search for the mythical Golden Fleece. Although Kismet dismisses the possibility that the Fleece is real, he soon realizes that the search may bring him one step closer to unmasking the mysterious Prometheus group and solving the puzzle of his own origins.

Accompanied by the beautiful daughter of a kidnapped Russian exile, Kismet follows in the footsteps of the legendary Argonauts, and sets out for the Republic of Georgia, the site of the ancient kingdom of Colchis. There he will discover that the Fleece is no mere story, but is instead the key to a devastating new weapon. Kismet's quest will take him from the deserts of North Africa to the urban jungles of Manhattan to the snow covered mountains of Georgia...but to keep the Golden Fleece from falling into the hands of his greatest enemy, Kismet will have to go....

Members Reviews:

Action/ adventure at its best

If you are looking for a new hero, Nick Kismet is definitely one to keep an eye out for, the books are full of action, intrigue and a tiny bit of romance for good measure. This is book 2 in the series and just as fun as the other books, I couldn't put it down. I really hope we see more from Kismet. Sean Ellis is an author that sits near the top of my favourite author list and he continues to deserve that place, if you haven't read anything by him yet...you should and soon.

A New Nick Kismet Fan

This was my first experience with Nick Kismet, and I can certainly say that I will be back for more This story had non-stop action, complete with a whole cast of bad guys for Nick to go up against. I also enjoyed the historical aspect of the story, and thought the way it was weaved into the story was superb. I enjoyed this story from start to finish and look forward to revisiting Nick Kismet.

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Title: Blood Lance

Subtitle: A Crispin Guest Medieval Noir, Book 5

Author: Jeri Westerson

Narrator: Michael Page

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In late 14th-century London, disgraced former knight Crispin Guest spies a body hurtling from the uppermost reaches of London Bridge. Crispins attempted rescue fails, however, and the man - an armorer with a shop on the bridge - dies. While whispers in the street claim that it was a suicide, Crispin is unconvinced. He discovers that the armorer had promised Sir Thomas Saunfayl something that would make him unbeatable in battle. Sir Thomas, a friend from Crispins former life, believes that the item was in fact the Spear of Longinus - the spear that pierced the side of Christ on the cross - which is believed to make those who possess it invincible.

Complicating matters is another old friend, Geoffrey Chaucer, who is suddenly eager to help Crispin find the missing spear...and locate Sir Thomas, who must face a trial by combat to determine whether he lives or dies. Desperate to help, Crispin, along with his faithful apprentice, Jack Tucker, hunt for the spear while dodging the various powerful factions determined to have it for themselves. Through danger and trials, Crispin finds that the safety of England may have landed solely in his hands.

Members Reviews:

The Mean Streets of 14th Century London

I love this series, and was thrilled to find that they decided to produce an audio edition of Blood Lance, but unfortunately they started out of sequence, but fortunately this novel can stand alone. Once again Jeri Westerson takes you there, to the mean streets of 14th century London. It is one of her strengths and it is one of the things I have come to respect about her writing.

In Blood Lance, Crispin (a disgraced knight, who is making his living as a tracker, aka sleuth,) is his usual self, a sucker for a pretty face and honorable to a fault. I dont think I will be spoiling too much since Ms. Westerson has blogged about exploring PTSD within this story line, and I think she did a marvelous job showing that this could not have been a phenomenon of modern warfare.

Jack is back as Crispins mother hen, and side kick. I truly love their relationship. There are great twists and turns, and I thought I had everything figured out, but as usual the final twist proved me wrong. There is a great jousting sequence and I think it was very well imagined and written. Chaucer is back, and keeps you wondering just who he serves.

Michael Page is a wonderful narrator his characters voices are distinct and easy to follow. 4.5 stars

Looking for the Spear of Longinus

In this fifth book in the series, Crispin Guest is a little better off, Jack Tucker is his apprentice, and a baffling murder/suicide(?) open the story. Sir Thomas Saunfayl, a former friend from Crispin's days in the Duke of Lancaster's army, turns cowardly. He flees to England and seeks a religious relic, the Spear of Longinus, which was used to pierce Christ's side at his crucifixion. Saunfayl needs the spear to make him invincible when he undergoes trial by combat to avoid execution.

As usual there are twists and turns along the way, and the joust for the trial by combat is very effective. It reveals Crispin's integrity and Saunfayl's true character. The location of the spear is pretty ingenious.

The dangerous streets and neighborhoods, the palaces, and the cathedrals are as much characters as Crispin.