The Noble Outlaw

Crowner John Mysteries

Exeter, 1195. Renovations at the new school in Smythen Street are disrupted by the discovery of a partially mummified corpse - and Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner is called to investigate.

Richard de Revelle, founder of the school, immediately tries to blame Nicholas de Arundell, a young outlawed knight living rough on Dartmoor. As Sir John discovers, Nicholas has good reason to bear a grudge against the unscrupulous de Revelle. But is he really a killer?

With the victim's identity unknown and the motive a mystery, the murder remains unsolved. But then comes a second death - and Sir John is forced to track down the 'noble outlaw' in order to find the answers...

©2007 Bernard Knight (P)2008 W F Howes Ltd

Not my favorite Crowner John

The Noble Outlaw wasn't my favorite Crowner John mystery. Two main story arcs, one involving a dispossessed Knight, the other involving a series of murders, finally intersect near the end of the book. For me, that intersection felt forced. I didn't buy into the motivation of the murderer. In fact, the plot line of the series of murders never caught my interest. A body showed up every now and then, but even Crowner John didn't focus on the murders. It seemed as if the murder storyline was an afterthought because the main plot didn't include a murder mystery. As always, the author weaves cultural and societal information into the story, though much of the information was repeated.

It was pleasant to see that the Crowner's wife was human after all. Paul Matthews does an excellent job with the narration; his voices are distinct and I always knew who was speaking.

Detailed and enjoyable

This was an enjoyable journey into 12 century England. The detail in the lives of the people combine with a well executed mystery. I didn't figure this one out ahead of Sir John!