Dispensation of Death [Paperback]

Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry when he began writing the internationally successful Templar series. Well all I can say is the Computer Industries loss is the reader's gain. He has now written about a score of the Knights Templar mystery books featuring Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock and there are more to follow. Michael's books are full of intrigue and mystery and they are particularly well researched. Mr. Jecks lives in the area he writes about and I am sure this must assist him a great deal with his background research.

It is the year 1325, England is in turmoil, even the common people who do not normally care who is on the throne of England as long as they are able to put bread in their mouths, are showing signs not only of concern but there are also muttering of unrest growing almost daily. Edward II and his lover Dispenser are showing utter disregard not only for the Queen but also the King's Barons and chief advisers.

When the Queen's lady-in-waiting is slaughtered for no apparent reason and a man's body, that has been terribly mutilated is found behind the throne, the King demands justice. Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace and an experienced man in these matters is called in to track down the killer. He is aided by his long time friend Simon Puttock.

However in a time when the King's friends can use any means at their disposal to promote their own ends, Sir Baldwin and his friends the bailiff must keep their wits about them just to stay alive.

I have always enjoyed the books of Michael Jecks, but I believe the author, like many before him and I am sure many to come, lost his way a little, mainly by taking his characters out of their Devon environment. This book also falls into that category, but I enjoyed it very much.

1325. Edward II is King of England though his favourite, Sir Hugh le Despenser wields a tremendous amount of power. The Queen, Isabella is a prisoner in her own quarters and is barred from her own children. One night an assassin sneaks into the Royal Chambers and the story takes off.

Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock are the heroes of this book who have to delve into the mysterious murders that take place at court and at the same time avoid incurring the murderous wrath of Sir Hugh.

This is an interesting and exciting tale, well written and researched. It draws the reader into the world of 14th Century London and the intrigues and dangers that existed in Edward's court. There is an excellent sense of time and place here that enriches the mystery that unfolds.

Though this is the first book I have read by Michael Jecks there are many in this series; most of them are set in Devon, it is encouraging to see the main characters moving onto the bigger stage. I heartily recommend this to reader of historical novels and of detective tales.

Fan favorites Furnshill and Puttock return in this wonderfully-done 14th Century murder mystery which finds our heroes involved in murder most foul at the court of king Edward II. DISPENSATION OF DEATH shows Michael Jecks at the peak of his abilities, fashioning yet another fascinating, headscratching mystery peopled by memorable characters and wrapped up in evocative period detail.

This time around, Jecks has his heroes reluctantly investigating a double murder and possible assassination attempt on Queen Isabella. Yet murderers are the least of Furnshill and Puttock's worries as they find themselves caught in a viper's den of palace intrigue. The very qualities that endear those two characters to readers - loyalty, honor, friendship and honesty - are nowhere in evidence at Edward's court. Before Furnshill unravels the mystery, he will have found himself grappeling with Hugh le Despenser, Edward's chief advisor and lover.

While DISPENSATION OF DEATH presents a marvelously-crafted mystery that keeps readers guessing till the end, it is the characters in the novel that make the book such a page-turner. Heartless, ambitious and totally amoral, Despenser is a monster yet Jecks fashions him into a believable if despicable human being. Likewise the skillfully drawn characters of Edward, Isabella, Bishop Stapledon, etc. fascinate yet they too have dark sides that are only revealed at the end of the book.

DISPENSATION OF DEATH tops out at 491 pages yet the text flows smoothly and the reader is effortlessly drawn into the developing story. Justice - of a sorts - triumphs in the end but it seems a hollow victory. The true villains remain in power, the intrigue continues. Highly recommended.