Bernard Knight - Crowner Royal

In this one, John De Wolfe, Gwyn and Stephen are in London, with not a lot to do until someone gets stabbed outside their window, and a trail of bodies seem to point to a conspiracy threatening the security of the country, and added to that, some gold goes missing which was previously the Crowner's responsibility.  The Bernard Knight Crowner John series was another "love at first read" rather than the more gradual affection I feel for Jecks, Gregory and Peters.  The medieval gigolo has had to leave Devon on the King's command to be coroner in London, and finds himself homesick and hindered by the ruffians of Westminster.  Really, what has changed?  I love the little history lessons he inserts into the conversations, such as the origin of 'robbing Peter to pay Paul', and how truly human he makes all characters.  He isn't quite as "smelly" as Jecks, but you can certainly visualise London as being merely a few miles wide with countryside and marshes all around, as far as that seems to stretch the imagination nowadays.  The ending makes me wonder if there will be any more, it is left open, albeit that it seems that John may be having a career crisis, if not marriage and love life crisis.  Absolutely great stuff, Knight is the very best writer of this genre.  

Rating 8/10

Next: Ava McCarthy - The Courier, for SHOTS, and I am painfully reminded that I am at least 3 reviews behind.