Author:Candace Robb
Fans of Ellis Peters, S J Parris, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell will love this compelling historical mystery by much loved author Candace Robb with its vivid portrayal of 14th Century Britain and its captivating plot, which is full of tension, twists and turns...
'A vivid portrait of 14th-century England which gives us a hero who is cunning and capable' -- Time Out
'As full of intrigue as a Deighton or a Le Carré' -- Guardian;
'Enthralling and evocative ... Candace Robb recreates medieval York with ease' -- Yorkshire Evening Press;
'Meticulously researched, authentic and gripping' -- Yorkshire Evening Post
'Robb paints a vivid canvas of a time when courage and chivalry combined' -- Choice
'Top-notch' -- ***** Reader review
'Keeps the reader fascinated from start to finish' -- ***** Reader
'Entertainment at its best' -- ***** Reader review
'I could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review
'Absorbing' -- ***** Reader review
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IN UNSETTLED TIMES, WHO CAN YOU TRUST?
1370: Owen Archer, ex-soldier and spy, is preparing to leave Wales, his work for John of Gaunt completed. Angered by Owen's prolonged absence, John Thoresby, Archbishop of York, orders his return.
Meanwhile in York, Lucie Wilton is disheartened by her husband's long absence and concerned by allegations against her apothecary. Then Brother Michaelo brings upsetting news, forcing her to journey to her father's manor outside the city. Increasingly desperate, she accepts the company of a stranger...
But Owen's stay in the land of his birth has created divided loyalties in him. And those who serve the Welsh rebel leader would have Owen sign up to fight and never go home...
Where will his loyalties lie?
[A] gripping and moving thriller
—— GuardianLike other young Irish writers, O'Connor brings into view a sharp and harsh image of contemporary Ireland. But this carries with it a feeling of emotional credibility not found in more traditional and stereotypical images of Irish life. It also brings a deeply ironic black humour of which the novel is full
—— ScotsmanVery near perfection. You’ll be on the edge of your seat.
—— The Literary ReviewA dark, personal journey with convincingly raw emotions and a protagonist who is digging beyond rock bottom
—— Eurocrime 4 starsThe Jack Reacher series of thrillers...are all hugely exciting, and knowledgeable about weapons and technology. They exude a powerful sense of right and wrong ... We've seen him as a right of wrongs and always as God's gift to women
—— Literary ReviewLee Child is often mistaken for a US writer, so skilfully and enthusiastically has he embraced the idiom of the American thriller ... One of the genre's finest practitioners
—— IndependentReacher sees justice done while kicking commendable amounts of ass ... Intricate plotting makes for an engrossing read
—— ArenaFirst-rate thriller, with the imperturbable Reacher meting out his brand of justice to the villains
—— Sunday TelegraphCaptivating...this excellent adventure delivers high drama.
—— NEW YORK TIMESMesmerizing...A colourful cast of characters, both good and evil, enhance a tale that will keep readers on edge until the final page.
—— PUBLISHERS WEEKLYThis is history as it ought to have been.
—— The SpectatorAgainst the well-researched background of intrigue and rebellion we are plunged into the uncertain 12th century, in this accomplished and engrossing historical mystery.
—— Good Book GuideThe deserved winner of this year's Ellis Peters Historical Dagger is a cunningly plotted tale set in medieval Cambridge. A serial killer is at large, and the Jews are blamed. Henry I offers protection because he needs the money. He sends a medical examiner - a master of the art of death - to find the killer. Great stuff
—— THE OBSERVERGruesome and compelling
—— Evening StandardNorwegian star Jo Nesbo has obliterated most of his Scandinavian rivals in the bestseller stakes, with The Leopard published in paperback this week... The uncrowned king of Norwegian crime fiction is Jo Nesbo. Books such as The Redbreast (2000) and his imposing novel The Snowman have propelled Nesbo to the heights. Apart from its narrative finesse, his work also provides a coolly objective guide to fluctuations in Norwegian society. There is also a universal feeling that his work is more strikingly individual than that of most of his Scandinavian colleagues... Harry is a lone wolf, a chronic alcoholic separated from his wife and child but in touch with the zeitgeist of his country. And Nesbo gives us a sharp picture of Norwegian society in flux, crammed with relevant detail - as you might expect from an ex-freelance journalist, particularly where the role of the media is described
—— Barry Forshaw , IndependentNesbo has a skill for dispatching his victims with increasing inventiveness, and he barely lets you draw breath before delivering a virtuoso torture and death scene in the opening chapter
—— ShortlistThe plot is intriguing, and Nesbo's writing is as taught as ever
—— Sunday TimesIt's fascinating to discover, from the incident details, what it is like to live for much of the time in a world under snow... Nesbo writes beautifully
—— Jessica Mann , Literary ReviewThere are passages [which are] so anatomically gruesome...that they can only be properly read through the gaps between protecting fingers
—— ProspectNorwegian star Jo Nesbo has obliterated most of his Scandinavian rivals in the bestseller stakes, with The Leopard published in paperback this week...The uncrowned king of Norwegian crime fiction is Jo Nesbo. Books such as The Redbreast (2000) and his imposing novel The Snowman have propelled Nesbo to the heights. Apart from its narrative finesse, his work also provides a coolly objective guide to fluctuations in Norwegian society. There is also a universal feeling that his work is more strikingly individual than that of most of his Scandinavian colleagues...Harry is a lone wolf, a chronic alcoholic separated from his wife and child but in touch with the zeitgeist of his country. And Nesbo gives us a sharp picture of Norwegian society in flux, crammed with relevant detail - as you might expect from an ex - freelance journalist, particularly where the role of the media is described
—— Independent