Customer Reviews

Murder in the Holy City

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In 1100, the holy city of Jerusalem remains a fractured place even though the Crusaders have retaken the city back from the Infidel. Returning from a desert patrol to the city, Sir Geoffrey de Mappstone hears a woman's screams from the nearby Greek bakery. Accompanied by his Sergeant of Arms, Guy goes to investigate. They meet the frazzled woman, Melisande Mikelos, who informs him that there is a corpse in her home. He goes inside and finds the murdered body of John, a Norman knight.

Norman Prince Tancred assigns his vassal Geoffrey to investigate this murder and several similar ones. However, instead of uncovering a simple serial killer or even some twisted from of vengeance, Geoffrey finds a conspiracy to overturn the current precarious power structure of the city. As he continues to make inquiries, Geoffrey places himself in danger of becoming the next victim.

MURDER IN THE HOLY CITY, the first novel in what hopefully is a long series, is a brilliant historical mystery that brings home early twelfth century Jerusalem to the audience. The who-done-it is fun, but it is the motives of the various groups and daily life in the city that makes this a necessary novel for genre fans. Simon Beaufort, a historian at the University of Cambridge, turns history into a gourmet's delight.

Harriet Klausner

Simon Beaufort's "Murder in the Holy City" is the first in yet another historical mystery series--and it's a welcomed entry. Set in the early 1100s, it features Sir Geoffrey de Mappestone, an English man educated in France, and is now a knight on a crusade to Jesusalem, a city of great contention, dominated at this time by a consortium of religious interests, all eager to make their mark and lay claim to "their" city. Religious causes work in strange circumstances, sometimes. However, religious and internecine strife aside, the city is caught up in a series of kilings---two knights and three priests. One of the knights is a friend of Geoffrey, who was found stabbed to death in the home of a Greek widow. All appear to have been killed by the same jeweled dagger! Geoffrey takes the commission to investigate and uncovers the plot to destabilize what is already an unnerving scenario and Beaufort's narrative, style, and literary skill take over.

This is an exciting "first of a series," as the author goes to great effort and detail--with some interesting glimpses of humor!--to portray the time, the place, and the characters. Beaufort's attention to detail--even if he does employ literary license liberally at times--is a good read. Sir Geoffrey is one protagonist who's got a good future! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

This debut is set in 1100 Jerusalem and features Sir Geoffrey Mappestone, a knight who joined the Pope's call for a crusade in 1097 because, as a younger son, he had no hope of gaining his fortune in his home country. Sir Geoffrey has, over the course of the years he's been in Jerusalem, become disillusioned with his fellow knights, his liege lord, the Crusades, and life in general.

As he returns from a reconnaissance trip into the desert, he arrives upon the scene of a murder of a fellow knight shortly after the body is discovered. The woman who stands screaming in the street has the murder weapon in her hand. Because this is the second murder of a knight using a knife, he decides he must take her to the citadel for questioning. This causes a near riot by the woman's neighbors who, along with the other citizens of Jerusalem, have no love for the Crusaders. Within a day, his life becomes complicated beyond his wildest imagination after yet another body is found murdered in the same manner, he is asked to investigate the murders by his liege lord and his lord's competitor who swears him to secrecy. As he begins his investigation with his companions, Sir Roger and Sir Hugh (who does not want to be actively involved, but agrees to voice his opinions - wanted or not), more bodies are found, he almost loses his life, nothing is as it seems, and he begins to suspect everyone.

Beaufort has written an excellent debut historical mystery. So well written is this story that you feel the heat rising from the dusty dirt streets of Jerusalem and smell the particularly odiferous stink coming from a local butcher's store. Sir Geoffrey is a well-drawn character whom the reader comes to like and admire while the supporting cast is equally well drawn. The reader is involved from page one to the end. The reader will find herself hoping that Beaufort writes fast so that the second installment of this series arrives very soon.

First Sentence: Sir Guibert of Apulia's head snapped up from the ground, and he was alert instantly as he heard the city outside his tent.

Sir Geoffrey Mappstone has come to the Holy City pas part of the Crusades. Before the army even reached the Holy Land, it became less about a noble Christian undertaking, than fighting, and amassing wealth and power. Geoffrey, in the employ of the Tancred, who is allied to the Patriarch the head of the Latin Church in the Holy Land, speaks several languages and is more interested in learning than fighting.

One of Geoffrey's fellow knights is murdered with a curved dagger. Other, seemingly unrelated victims follow, the common element being the dagger. As Geoffrey investigates, his suspicion falls upon a friend.

No matter the name under which she writes, Beaufort knows how to tell a good story and teach me a bit of history. She describes the complicated politics of the time and the different groups all trying to find their place in this conflicted land.

Geoffrey is an appealing character. He is realistically written being both intelligent and a solid soldier. I did enjoy the bathhouse scene and his comment about it being four years between baths.

In fact, what marks Beaufort is the quality of the writing, the depiction of life during the time, clear depth of research and the simple fact that it is a great story. I am delighted that this is only the first of the series as it means I've a number of wonderful books awaiting me.