The Last Templar - Michael Jecks

1314: Paris. Pope Clement has destroyed the Order of the Knights Templar, wrongly persuaded of their corruption. Watching through a veil of tears as his friends die at the stake, a surviving knight swears vengeance on their accusers.

1316: Devon. The newly appointed bailiff of Lydford Castle, Simon Puttock, is called to a village where a charred bosy has been found in a burned-out cottage. Unaccustomed to violence in this peaceful area, Simon assumes it's accidental death - but Sir Baldwin Furnshill, recetly returned from abroad, quickly convinces him that the victim had been killed before the fire began.

As Simon and the astute yet strangely reticent knight piece together the evidence, word comes of another murder, more horrible by far, for in this case the victim was undoubtedly burned alive. Are the two incidents connected.... and will the killers strike again?


I basically got this book to find out what happened after giving up on the poor quality audio-book version I had from the library some time ago. I think it was only just worth the curiosity satisfaction, as it didn't particularly grip me and I'd guessed what some of the outcome would be long before the end. That's not how a good whodunnit should unfold!

Reckon I'd class this as a sitting-on-the-beach or by-the-pool read - something to keep you lightly occupied whilst getting down to some serious ray catching. If you want something a bit more gripping then I reckon Ellis Peters probably does it better.

Adding to Book Crossing and my Swap List - shout if you want it. :0)