The Witch Hunter (Crowner John Mysteries) [Paperback]

Bernard Knight (Author)

Book Description

Series: Crowner John Mysteries | Publication Date: April 1, 2004

It is 1195, and when a wealthy mill-owner falls dead across his horse, Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, declines to hold an inquest. The man was considerably overweight, had been complaining of chest pains, and showed no signs of injury. A clear-cut case of death from natural causes. But events take a sinister turn when a straw doll is discovered hidden beneath the man’s saddlebag, a thin metal spike piercing its heart. Convinced that her husband’s death was caused by an evil spell, the victim’s strident widow begins a campaign against witchcraft and the so-called “cunning women” who practice it. Soon Exeter is in turmoil, a hysterical mob is on the loose, and several local women are in danger. Still, the coroner declines to get involved—until his own mistress falls under suspicion. Can Crowner John discover the real cause of the merchant’s death, unearth the culprit, and save his beloved Nesta from the hangman’s noose?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Medieval England is powerfully evoked in these gritty forensic investigations, with Sir John de Wolfe, Devon's first county coroner, at the heart of each riveting tale.

About the Author

Professor Bernard Knight, CBE, became a Home Office Pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, in 1980. During his 40-year career with the Home Office, he performed over 25,000 autopsies, and was involved in many high profile cases, including that of Fred and Rose West, and the child killer, Mary Bell. The author of numerous popular and academic non-fiction books, he has written thirteen novels in the Crowner John mystery series. Professor Knight lives in Cardiff.

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743449894
• ISBN-13: 978-0743449892
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Enjoyable Read, June 29, 2005

By 

Glenn Martin "Never Read a Book Just Once" (ACT Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Witch Hunter (Crowner John Mysteries) (Paperback)

With the death of an influential businessman the grieving wife is quick to blame witchcraft as his undoing. Not content with the Crowner's opinion of natural causes she rallies the local religious figures to denounce the evil doers that caused her husband's death.

This is the first book I have read by Bernard Knight and I really enjoyed it. Set in the late 1100's we follow the life of Crowner (Coroner) John as he tries to work out who is causing so much strife against supposed cunning women in Exeter. Strife that quickly turns to mob lynchings!

Author Bernard paints a great portrait of life in those times and you really are transported to the damp and smelly streets of Exeter. The portrayal of how life must have been back then comes through very strong and genuine in Bernard's writing. At the start of the book Bernard also gives a quick glossary on words commonly used at the time, such as the reference of Witches as Cunning Women.

Crowner John is a great character who is forced to fight the machinations and deceit of this brother-in-law - the Sheriff - while trying to protect his mistress Nesta who has knowledge in the ways of cunning women herself!

I will definitely be buying more of the Crowner John series, I can assure you of that.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Strange Case of the Missing Mystery, March 4, 2006

By 

Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Witch Hunter (Crowner John Mysteries) (Paperback)

Lovers of medieval mysteries will find plenty of medievalism and precious little mystery in this John Crowner yarn. It is a sound enough adventure, with plenty of blood and open sewage flowing through the streets of an authentic twelfth-century Exeter, but don't expect to be presented with a puzzle or dazzled by the deductive powers of the sleuth.

The style is rather stilted, often reading like a dry history text rather than an entertainment. I know fans of this genre crave plenty of historical fact with their fiction, but it should be woven seamlessly into the story and not be too obviously and intrusively crammed in, as it is here. It was interesting to discover that the word 'exchequer' comes from the practice of using a chessboard to help tally piles of coins, but when this is related in a 'this is how it came to be known as' fashion, it destroys the illusion. This is not quite as bad as JT Edson's habit of adding footnotes to his Western novels, but almost. On the same theme, the characters often talk as if they were quoting legal documents or delivering a lecture.

The book is also prone to misprints, which is annoying. Thus we have a character who is afraid he will be in trouble "...if he failed to go back empty handed", when of course the opposite is meant. And Chapter 8 is heralded as one "In which Crowner John rides off with lady" when in fact he does no such thing. And there are others, all serving to trip the reader up and spoil the flow of the story.

Although they mostly have the same voice, the characters are well drawn. Gwyn and Thomas make perfect companions for Crowner. They are reminiscent of Pigsy and Monkey, Tripitaka's companions in the 'Monkey' legends. Gwyn's brutishness and Thomas's scholarly air make perfect complements to the noble warrior Crowner.

At 370 pages, this is long for a mystery. Knight tends to be prolix. Where other authors would be content with showing us one or two witches being persecuted, Knight has to throw in several covensfull. And scenes are played out at length when a shorter version would suffice. Perhaps Knight, an ex forensic pathologist, wants to ensure that his report will stand up in court!

Verdict: Patient readers who demand authenticity above all else and who value character above plot, even in so-called mysteries, could give this a try.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eighth Book in the Crowner John Series, December 17, 2006

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witch Hunter (Crowner John Mysteries) (Paperback)

Bernard Knight, or to give him his correct title, Professor Bernard Knight, CBE, was a pathologist to the Home office until 1980 when he was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology at the University of Wales College of medicine, 1980. He has written the extremely successful Crowner John series of medieval mysteries, of which there are now ten or eleven books, His character Crowner John is certainly among my favourite characters in medieval mysteries.

Exeter, 1195. Sir John de Wolfe is facing the wrath of the wife of one of Exeter's most prominent citizens. He has refused to hold an inquest on a prominent burgess and guild-master. The man had fallen dead across his horse's saddle, but this happened in front of witnesses and the man had recently been complaining of chest pains, plus there was no sign of injury on the body. However events take a turn when a straw doll with a spike through its heart is found under the saddle cloth of the dead man.

The dead man's wife is adamant that a spell had been cast upon her husband. A spell put on him at the behest of one of his business rivals who wants to acquire his business. With the help of her cousin, who happens to be a canon at the cathedral she begins a campaign in the name of mother church against witchcraft and the women in the town who are thought to practice the black arts. Sir John refuses to be drawn into the campaign, until, that is Nesta, his young Welsh mistress is accused of witchcraft. The only way Crowner John can save her is by finding the real culprit before the noose slips around Nesta's beautiful neck.