Jack, Knave and Fool [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Bruce Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999

When a jolly earl drops dead and a severed head washes ashore on the banks of the Thames, Sir John Fielding and his assistant embark on an investigation that will take them from the streets of London's seediest neighborhoods to the living rooms of its stateliest mansions...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Bruce Alexander's books have the same addictive attention to detail as Patrick O'Brian's stories about the British navy. In fact, there really was a Sir John Fielding (1721-1780; would the Library of Congress lie?), the blind London magistrate so energetically restored to life by Alexander. And as he did in Person or Persons Unknown, Murder in Grub Street, Blind Justice, and Watery Grave, the author lets us observe Fielding from the distance of time, with middle-aged narrator Jeremy Proctor recalling his adventures as a 16-year-old alongside him. Here Jeremy plays a larger part in the investigations than he did in previous books. The two cases-- the poisoning of Lord and Lady Langinham, and the unknown identity of a severed head found in the Thames--are separated by money and class. Among the hundreds of little moments that make the book glow is Jeremy ordering coffee in a seedy dive, and being told by the waitress, "You only get that with a flash of lightning here, dearie"--meaning a shot of gin. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Sir John Fielding returns in Alexander's entertaining fifth fictionalized case (after Person or Persons Unknown, 1997) for the real-life 18th-century English magistrate known as "Blind Beak." A master of character and plot, Alexander also captures the sounds, smells and social undercurrents of 1770s London. While attending an evening's entertainment, the blind Sir John, his wife, Katherine, his young "amanuensis," Jeremy Proctor (who narrates this series), and Annie, the family's 16-year-old cook, witness the death of elderly Lord Laningham. Although the death is ascribed to natural causes, Sir John suspects poison. Lady Laningham, who delays heeding his call for an autopsy, is herself soon poisoned, casting suspicion on the Laningham heir, Arthur Paltrow. The discovery of a severed head in the Thames engages Jeremy and his friend Jimmie Bunkins in a case involving a ne'er-do-well carpenter, who had come up before Fielding on a charge of public drunkenness, and the missing owner of a pawn shop. For Jeremy, the headstrong daughter of the carpenter provides added aggravation when, suffering from pneumonia, she appropriates his bedroom. Alexander increases Jeremy's role while somewhat reducing Sir John's in this tale, at the conclusion of which the two plot lines convincingly mesh. BOMC alternate; audio rights to Books on Tape.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 678 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786217987
• ISBN-13: 978-0786217984
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,496,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I beg to differ, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jack, Knave and Fool (Sir John Fielding Mysteries) (Hardcover)

As someone who has been following this series since the beginning, I found this to be an enjoyable installment. Many of the secondary characters are developed more fully, and some new regulars are introduced, including a spirited love interest for the narrator, Jeremy. The prose style is a bit stilted, but less so than texts actually written in the 18th century, and if the word choice sometimes seems a bit modern, well, this is a work of fiction written for a contemporary audience. All in all, I found it a fun, lively read with many fascinating and authentic glimpses into 18th century London along the way.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Jack, Knave and Fool, January 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Jack, Knave and Fool (Sir John Fielding) (Paperback)

I have read several books in this series but found this installment disappointing.

Alexander seems unable to break out of the "someone's been murdered and the characters must find the culprit" plot mode -- even within the mystery genre, surely it's possible to be more creative than that. Jack, Knave and Fool is talky and forgettable, with much of the action and drama happening offstage. The characters change little and never seem personally challenged. Jeremy's "voice" has developed somewhat, but that's not enough to save this honestly rather boring book. Strange pseudo-archaisms on the order of "Nicely dressed she was" add an annoying touch.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sir John Fielding, Detective, February 14, 2001

By 

J. Carroll "Jack" (Island Heights,NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jack, Knave and Fool (Sir John Fielding Mysteries) (Hardcover)

There is an inherent danger in taking a historical figure and using that person in a fictional setting. Sir John Fielding was founder of the Bow Street Runners, the precursors to modern policemen and Bruce Alexander makes a valiant effort to turn him into the hero of this mystery. The details to the criminal investigation with the limitations of the forensics ring true and the characters are engaging. The mysteries themselves are very basic and some characters seem to be added just for effect, but all in all not a bad addition to the historical mystery field.