King's Bishop (Owen Archer Mystery) [Hardcover]

Candace Robb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1996 | Series: Owen Archer Mystery

While on a mission to convince the abbots of Fountains and Rievaulx to support King Edward III's nomination of William of Wykeham to the bishopric of Winchester, Owen Archer's friend is accused of murder and Owen must prove that his friend is innocent.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1367, in the waning years of his reign, Edward III opposes Pope Urban V by trying to win the personal loyalty of English churchmen. Meanwhile, the king is also dealing with his own advisors' hatred of the royal mistress, Alice Perrers. Owen Archer, spy and steward for Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England, last encountered in The Nun's Tale, must come to the rescue of his old friend, Ned Townley, a soldier and spy for the Duke of Lancaster and subject of gossip after the suspicious death of a young page whose attentions to Townley's intended, Perrers' maid, had angered the soldier. Sent away from court to help garner support for the king from powerful monasteries, Townley, in the company of a friar, Don Ambrose, disappears in the wilderness north of York. Archer considers his dual loyalties as he searches the northern desolation. After finding the friar's murdered corpse, he strives to prevent Townley from becoming a disposable pawn in tangled intrigue. Robb's complex and sometimes ambiguous tale is replete with plausible nobles, churchmen and commoners, particularly Alice Perrers, who lives life on a tightrope while trying to help her maid, whose lowly origins reflect her own. Robb continues to adeptly blend politics with period detail and three-dimensioned characterization in the Owen Archer tales.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Robb's (The Nun's Tale, LJ 10/1/95) 14th-century series continues, as Owen Archer, agent for Edward III, struggles to keep personal loyalties from conflicting with his royal mission. When murder interrupts Archer's journey, his wrongly accused friend blames the king's mistress. A good choice.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0434002429
• ISBN-13: 978-0434002429
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for History Fans!, January 19, 2001

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"piratekisses" (Wichita, Kansas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King's Bishop (Owen Archer Mystery) (Hardcover)

I must admit that I started the Owen Archer series in mid-stream and was immediately hooked! I hunted down the first three books and set about devouring them over the Christmas holidays. The King's Bishop, book 3 in the series, struck a chord with me. Ned Townley has lost his lady love and is driven fairly mad. Candace keeps you wondering through out the book as to whether or not Ned was capable of killing the young page he thought was flirting with his beloved Mary. And did he kill those he felt were responsible for her death? Ned leads Owen on quite the chase as Owen searches for the truth. As the body count grows, so do the suspicions that Ned is the murderer. Even Owen doubts his close friend. True to form, Ms. Robb keeps you going until the end when Owen returns to his soulmate, Lucie. Defintely two very enthusiastic thumbs up and five very well deserved stars!