Widow of Jerusalem: A Medieval Mystery [Hardcover]

Alan Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Medieval Mysteries (St. Martins Hardcover) | Publication Date: March 10, 2003

1204 A.D. The Fools’ Guild is on the run from an increasingly intolerant Church. Arriving too late at the Guildhall to join them, the jester couple Theophilos and Claudia and their newborn daughter Portia must now flee the Papal army, having first risked their lives to steal, of all things, a tavern sign. As they journey across the Alps, Theophilos recounts to his wife a story from the Third Crusade, of the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and her dwarf jester, Scarlet.

In 1191, as Richard the Lionhearted leads his forces in an attempt to recapture Jerusalem from the army of Saladin, Theophilos and Scarlet are quietly manipulating events to bring about an end to the bloodshed. Their mission leads them to Tyre, the only city in the Kingdom of Jerusalem to withstand Saladin. Governed by a rogue general, the city is aswarm with refugees, spies, and splintered factions vying for power and position, and even success may only prove fatal. The key chesspiece amidst the swirling intrigues remains Isabelle, the Queen of Jerusalem, desired by many but married against her will to a man decades her senior. But there are forces at work that will stop at nothing, and it is up to Scarlet to protect the interests of the Guild, the lives of the people, and the future of Isabelle.

Drawn from actual events, The Widow of Jerusalem is a tale of intrigue and ambition, love fulfilled and love unrequited, and a trio of historical deaths that have never been fully explained. Until now.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Gordon's fourth engaging historical (after 2002's Thirteenth Night), it's 1204 and jester Theophilos, his wife, Claudia, and their baby are fleeing to Innsbruck, Austria, from the disastrous Fourth Crusade and papal forces sent to destroy the Guild of Fools. At Claudia's request, Theo tells her the story of how he and the Scarlet Dwarf, his superior in the guild, got caught up in political intrigue and murder in Tyre while Richard the Lionhearted was leading the Third Crusade to free Jerusalem from Saladin in 1191. Once again, the author blends fact and fiction to create an absorbing tale-this time using a frame reminiscent of Chaucer-with the humorous and daring Theo as hero. This latest should reinforce Gordon's place in the top rank of medieval historicals.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

“Highly original...highly entertaining...wonderfully engaging. Gordon mixes history and fiction effortlessly. In a genre filled with carbon copies of the same character, Theophilos is a true original. Gordon’s certainly bound for greatness.” – Booklist (starred review) on A Death in the Venetian Quarter

“Gordon is an accomplished fool and a master in storytelling and of the seven foolish arts. His command of language is flawless. His tale flows as wittily as ex tempore rhyme, as compellingly as lilting music.” – Drood Review on Thirteenth Night

“Cunningly plotted...Gordon brings Constantinople and it’s environs wonderfully to life. Like a master juggler, the author puts on a fine show, full of fun and surprises.” – Publishers Weekly on Jester Leaps In

“Puns, complications and quips that are positively byzantine, and an axe-blow by axe-blow account of the Bosporous siege -- it's all good-natured fun.” – Kirkus Reviews on A Death in the Venetian Quarter

“Travel, adventure, intrigue, contemporary culture, and many ‘foolish’ wordplays combine in this captivating historical.” – Library Journal on Jester Leaps In

“Gordon has done an admirable job of re-creating the Italy of 1200...he’s also successfully hitchhiked on Shakespeare’s plot before taking it where the Bard had no idea it would go.” – Washington Times on Thirteen Night

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (March 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312300891
• ISBN-13: 978-0312300890
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,007,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotionally rich and exciting, April 2, 2003

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Widow of Jerusalem: A Medieval Mystery (Hardcover)

Richard the Lion Hearted is slaughtering Saracen captives and plotting to seize Jerusalem without the slightest hope of being able to hold it once teh crusaders return to Europe and the Fools Guild desparately attempts to introduce reason into the equation. A key to the entire region is the city of Tyre--easilly defensible, rich, and with strategic value, Tyre is ruled by Conrad and his wife Isabelle, Queen of Jerusalem. A strong ruler like Conrad, one who planned to stay in the holy land rather than simply fight there, could be a key to peace with Saladin and a continued Christian presence in Palestine. But the forces against Conrad, perhaps including his own queen, are powerful indeed. Could fools Theophilos and Scarlet the Dwarf hope to cobble together a motley of self-interest that can create a peaceful middle-east?

Author Alan Gordon gives an intriguing spin to a fascinating and horrible period of history. The old Byzantine Empire is struggling but has not yet had its heart ripped out by the fourth crusade. Richard is the master of battle but is also a master of gratuitous violence. And the misnamed King of Jerusalem (because the crusader states had lost that city) is dead leaving no clear heir and too many claimants. But THE WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is not merely interesting as a historical view. Gordon makes the characters, including the historical nobility and the fictional jesters and servants, come alive. The mysterious death of a young woman propells Theophilos and Scarlet's band of trainee fools into an intrigue that will alter the control of this land, and the hearts of many.

THE WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is written as a recounting of a story by Theophilos to his wife Claudia. Although this style tends to distance the reader from the story, in this case, it worked, allowing Gordon to introduce occasional side-notes of levity into the telling. Fans of historical fiction who have yet to make the acquaintence of Theophilos and the Jester's Guild will definitely want to do so. Gordon fans will be overjoyed to see Theophilos and Claudia in action yet again.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, February 26, 2003

By 

"lisawc" (Aliquippa, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Widow of Jerusalem: A Medieval Mystery (Hardcover)

Having enjoyed the three previous novels in Alan Gordon's series, I eagerly awaited The Widow of Jerusalem, and it didn't disappoint. In fact, I think might be his best work yet. Theophilus the Fool, with his usual wit, tells us a story of murder and intrigue--one of history's actural mysteries--set in Tyre during the Third Crusade. That the story is told as a flashback to thirteen years earlier doesn't detract at all from the reading experience, because the transitions from 1204 to 1191 are handled so skillfully. And that I wasn't persuaded to believe Theophilus's theory on whodunit in reality didn't lessen my enjoyment of this novel a bit. Gordon does an excellent job of bringing the late 12th/early 13th centuries to life, and his humor never fails to make me laugh out loud while reading. I highly recommend this novel to those who like real history in their mysteries.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really good story!, July 11, 2004

By 

Mary Reinert (Nevada, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Widow of Jerusalem: A Medieval Mystery (Hardcover)

I have to agree with all the other reviewers so far. This is a really good story for anyone who likes medieval fiction taken from historical fact. As a lover of historical fiction, usually the medieval stories are pretty grim. Although this certainly has its horrific events, the story is told through the words of a "fool" which makes the word play and the observations witty and insightful. The character of the dwarf, Scarlet, will always be one of my favorites. If you like the middle ages and mystery with a dash of humor, this is it.