A Plague of Heretics

By: Bernard Knight

Narrated by: Paul Matthews

Following a series of murders which appear to be linked to a revival of heresy, some of the cathedral canons begin a crusade against this danger to the Church. When Sir John is accused of being too sympathetic to the heretics, the coroner finds himself having to seek sanctuary in order to save his own life. Can he survive long enough to unmask the real killer?

©2010 Bernard Knight (P)2010 W F Howes Ltd

A Fond Farewell to Crowner John

A quick warning if you have never read a Crowner John novel, don't start with this one. From the ending of A Plague of Heretics, this is the last book in the series, although it turns out the author has recently published a prequel covering Crowner John's time with the crusades. At the end of A Plague of Heretics the main storylines that continued through the earlier volumes are nicely tied up. That is not to say the resolution is always happy but the endings seem fitting.

I think this may have been my favorite Crowner John story, even though the villain is easy to spot. Its main plot line is strong through the entire book. I found the story fast paced and tense. And the author corralled his tendency to repeat character backstory over and over throughout the novel(s). I think the move away from the civil court cases into the conflict between the secular and church courts introduced fresh and intriguing historical details.

As always, Paul Matthews was wonderful.