Falconer's Crusade - Hardcover

Morson, Ian

3.73

374 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312117841 ISBN 13: 9780312117849

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1995

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If thirteenth-century Oxford had an Inspector Morse, he would be Regent Master William Falconer - daringly progressive teacher, Aristotelian philosopher, amateur sleuth.
It is 1264. England is in turmoil as the barons, led by Simon de Montfort, prepare to challenge the authority of King Henry III. Oxford University is a hotbed of shifting allegiances as the chancellor, uneasily aware that the future of the university could depend on choosing the winning side, prepares to welcome Henry's son, Prince Edward.
In a crime seemingly unconnected to these events, a young servant girl is savagely murdered, and the townspeople, ever suspicious of students, form a lynch mob. Meanwhile, Regent Master William Falconer, fascinated by aerodynamics, tinkers with bird skeletons in an attempt to understand the principles of flight. Master Falconer, following the example of his mentor Roger Bacon, is a daringly progressive teacher - and a keen amateur detective who brings not only an eye for human foibles to bear on his cases, but Aristotelian logic as well.
Falconer becomes involved in the case when Thomas Symon, a student newly arrived from the country who may have witnessed the strange killing, narrowly escapes being beaten to death by the mob. Two other students are not so lucky. As Falconer investigates the circumstances of the murder, he is drawn into a world of heresy, magic, and sudden, ferocious violence.

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From Publishers Weekly:

This sparkling medieval mystery debut introduces an appealing sleuth, Regent Master William Falconer of Aristotle College, Oxford University, who calls himself a "deductionist." When not tutoring young clods, Falconer, who keeps a live owl in his rooms, experiments wth flying devices. The year is 1264, but Falconer, a disciple of Friar Bacon, is ahead of his time, notably with his heretical belief, drawn from his observations, that the earth's surface must be curved. The stabbing murder of Margaret Gebetz, Master John Fyssh's French servant girl, is followed by the murders of three students. What connection, if any, do the slayings have to the visit to Oxford of Prince Edward, weak King Henry III's son, who is being wooed by rebellious barons? What is the nature of the small book that illiterate Margaret possessed and which she believed would protect her? Thirteenth-century Oxford, with its political entanglements, its town vs. gown clashes and suspicion of Jews, comes vividly to life in Englishman Morson's tight, absorbing tale, first in a projected series.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal:

Morson joins the ranks of fictional historians with this first novel set in 1264 Oxford, where townspeople and students coexist uneasily. New student Thomas Symon stumbles over the fresh corpse of a beautiful girl and narrowly escapes a lynch mob by hiding in the Jewish ghetto. His instructor, Master William Falconer, begins a dangerous investigation that reveals superstition, chicanery, and deception. Falconer, who keeps a pet owl, also lives up to his name by experimenting with bird skeletons. This work showcases a knowledgeable sense of place, sturdy prose, and a critical grasp of character.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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