The Three Kings of Cologne (Severn House Large Print) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Kate Sedley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008 | Series: Severn House Large Print

When the remains of Isabella Linkinhorne, who disappeared 20 years earlier, are discovered on nunnery land, Roger the Chapman is called in. Faced with the task of tracking down her three secret lovers, Roger nicknames them Caspar, Balthazar, and Melchior--the Three Kings of Cologne.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Sedley's well-crafted 15th medieval historical to feature Roger the Chapman (after 2006's The Prodigal Son), Alderman John Foster, the mayor of Bristol, suspects foul play when the corpse of a young woman, identified as Isabella Linkinhorne, is unearthed while land is being cleared for a new chapel to be dedicated to the three kings of the novel's title. The mayor asks the perceptive peddler to determine which of her three suitors killed her. The rub is, she disappeared 20 years earlier, in 1460, and the identities of her suitors, whom Roger nicknames after the three wise men, were unknown even at the time. Sedley effortlessly incorporates the details of daily life for a range of socioeconomic groups as Roger goes in search of answers. Roger's droll sense of humor enlivens a narrative full of unexpected plot twists. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Sedley's latest adventure in her Roger the Chapman series proves that, when it comes to solving crimes, hard graft and plodding investigative work were just as important in the fifteenth century as they are today. When a woman's body is discovered in a shallow grave, the mayor of Bristol commissions Roger to determine the victim's identity and find out who or what killed her. It seems hopeless, especially after Roger learns that the woman died 20 years earlier. But like all good detectives, Roger knows that dogged determination, deduction, and a bit of luck usually do the job. By the time he has narrowed the list of suspects to three, he has ruffled more than a few feathers and jeopardized his marriage. Sedley knows how to create authentic period ambience, build strong characters, and deliver plenty of adventure. Add a healthy serving of dry wit, and you have a fine series that just keeps getting better. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 351 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 072787666X
• ISBN-13: 978-0727876669
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,567,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Sixteen of the Roger Chapman Series, January 3, 2007

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Three Kings of Cologne (Roger the Chapman Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Kate Sedley's books about Roger Chapman, the pedlar come murder mystery sleuth are becoming more and more popular and rightly so. They are good entertaining reading with plots and backgrounds that have been well thought out and well researched. They are what I would call light reading (very much like the writing style of Paul Doherty or Bernard Knight, two other well known authors of medieval mysteries).

A wealthy Alderman John Foster wishes to give a gift to his home city of Bristol. Little does he know that his kind thought is going to stir up a hornets nest of murder and intrigue. Foster wants to give a gift of almshouses to the City, together with a chapel dedicated to The Three Kings of Cologne and to this end he purchases some land from the Magdalen Nunnery and that is when the trouble starts. When the land is cleared and digging begins the body of a murdered young woman is unearthed. This is later identified as the remains of Isabella Linkinhorne, who disappeared over twenty years ago.

John Foster employs Roger the Chapman, a man who is well known in Bristol for the mysteries he has solved, but this murder happened so long ago, is it possible that anyone can be brought to justice for the young woman's death. It is known that at the time of her death Isabella had three secret lovers, but maybe they have left the area or possibly they also are dead. Roger the Chapman has certainly got his work cut out solving this mystery . . .

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderfully satisfying read, September 30, 2007

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Three Kings of Cologne (Roger the Chapman Mysteries) (Hardcover)

There are truly very few mystery series where the author is able to delver a solid, well crafted, and absorbing read with every single installment; Kate Sedley is one of those authors. Whenever I settle down with the latest Roger the Chapman installment, I know that I'm about to enjoy a compelling and riveting read, and this was definitely true of "The Three Kings of Cologne."

Alderman John Foster (soon to be Mayor of Bristol) has purchased a piece of land from the Magdalen Nunnery with plans to build a new almshouse and chapel dedicated to the Three Kings of Cologne. However the alderman's charitable plans take a setback when a body is unearthed on that very piece of land. It turns out that the remains are those of Isabella Linkinhorne, a beautiful if somewhat wild young lady who mysteriously disappeared about 20 years ago. At the time of her disappearance, everyone, her parents included, believed that Isabella had runaway with one of her suitors. But now it is beginning to look as if she may have been murdered by one of her suitors. Determined that his gift not be tarnished, the alderman hires Roger the Chapman (who is well known for his abilities to solve mysteries and ferret out the truth), to discover who murdered Isabella and to bring the murderer to justice. Always willing to embark on an investigation, Roger takes to his latest task with alacrity. But will he be able to solve a murder so old? All Roger has to go on are rumours and the faded memories of those who knew Isabella. But Roger is determined to do his utmost to solve the murder nevertheless...

"The Three Kings of Cologne" was a well crafted and engagingly written mystery novel that was intelligent and full of wonderful period colour and details. On top of it all, "The Three Kings of Cologne" was a real puzzler as well -- the suspense and the mystery were so capably layered on that I had to stay up till the early morning hours in order to finish the book. It was that riveting. Suspenseful and full of intriguing plot twists and turns, "The Three Kings of Cologne" is one mystery novel that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looming for a good, absorbing read. Definitely a 5 star book.