Falconer's Crusade - Softcover

Morson, Ian

3.73

374 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312956975 ISBN 13: 9780312956974

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1996

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/MORSON Oxford University, in 1624, the savage murder of a young girl kindles a frenzy of suspicion between privileged students and impoverished townspeople. And when one of Falconer's students who may have witnessed the crime narrowly escapes being beaten to death by a lynch mob, the Regent Master rushes to his defense. Martin's Press.

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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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