The traitor of St Giles - Michael Jecks

On their way to a feast hosted by the de Courtenays, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and Bailiff Simon Puttock find the murdered corpse of Sir Gilbert, a Knight Templar and old comrade of Baldwin's. The situation is confounded when a decapitated body is found, and Baldwin and Simon's suspicions that the two deaths are linked seem to be justified when Baldwin himself is attacked. Baldwin and Simon find themselves caught up in a baffling investigation, in which the participators will stop at nothing to achieve their sinister aims...

Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry to concentrate on writing and the study of medieval history, especially that of Devon and Cornwall. He lives with his family in northern Dartmoor.

'Colourful the medieval world might have been, courtly and glamorous, but Michael Jecks exposes the seething hatreds, the primitive passions and the latent brutality lurking below the surface' Northern Echo

Colourful the medieval world might have been, courtly and glamorous, but Michael Jecks exposes the seething hatreds, the primitive passions and the latent brutality lurking below the surface
NORTHERN ECHO

Absorbing
BIRMINGHAM POST

'Absorbing, light-hearted' Birmingham Post

As riveting as his previous eight
COVENTRY EVENING TELEGRAPH

'As riveting as his previous eight' Coventry Evening Telegraph

'Wonderful sense of period' Newcastle Evening Chronicle

Wonderful sense of period
NEWCASTLE EVENING CHRONICLE

BELLADONNA AT BELSTONE:
'A compelling mystery book and one to cherish' Crime Time
'A commendable achievement' Kirkus Reviews
'Jecks draws his characters with a craftsman's hand, evokes atmosphere with the touch of an old master and keeps you wriggling on the hook of suspense as skilfully as Christie at her best. Enjoyable to the very end' Northern Echo
'Wickedly exciting' Newcastle Evening Chronicle

SQUIRE THROWLEIGH'S HEIR:
'An inventive plot, memorable characters, steadily absorbing period background' Kirkus Reviews
'SQUIRE THROWLEIGH'S HEIR...[is] one of the most wickedly plotted medieval mystery novels' The Times
'This worthy series...Jecks does his usual skillful job' Publishers Weekly
'Like all Jecks's tales, this one is a nicely detailed and tightly argued, with involving action and memorable characters. The whole series belongs in any collection where historicals are popular' Library Journal
'Jecks has a real knack of bringing to life the medieval era of the West Country...SQUIRE THROWLEIGH'S HEIR has enough twists and turns to satisfy everybody... An excellent adddtion to the series' Shots
'A very well told story with a violent yet convincing plot. Jecks succeeds in writing both a book which smells of the Middle Ages and yet is a detective story. No mean feat.' Crime Time
'Enjoyable and clever' Crime Time

Praise for Michael Jecks:
"A neatly constructed tale . . ."
". . . an absorbing page-turner . . ."
"The combination of Jecks's historical research, his caring descriptions of
the Devon countryside, his neat way of drawing characters, are shown to their
best advantage in this book." SHOTS
'A tortuous and exciting plot... The construction of the story and the sense of period are excellent' Shots
'A gem of historical storytelling...authentic recreation of the modes and manners, superstitions and primitive fears that made up the colourful but brutal tableau of the Middle Ages' Northern Echo
'Girt about with a goodly helping of period authenticity...ends up with a thrilling cop and robber chase on horseback' Oxford Times
'A goodly tale in the vein of Cadfael, and equally enjoyable' Coventry Evening Telegraph
'Like Ellis Peters' Cadfael, Puttock is a carefully drawn character who combines the whodunnit format with a loving attention to detail, with lively, intriguing descriptions. It...will help you turn back the pages of history and enjoy the depth and texture of a long-vanished England' Croydon Advertiser
'A medieval mystery to rank with the best' Northern Echo
'Brisk medieval whodunnit' Literary Review
'Tremendously successful medieval mystery series' Sunday Independent
'Jecks' knowledge of medieval history is impressive and is used here to good effect' Crime Time