The Silence of Stones

December 14, 2015
An unlikely supporting character takes a prominent role, at the expense of credibility, in Westerson’s eighth Crispin Guest mystery (after 2014’s Cup of Blood). In 1388, an explosion inside London’s Westminster Abbey disrupts the Feast of the Holy Virgin’s Nativity, whose attendees include Richard II; Guest, who’s known as the Tracker for his investigative prowess; and Guest’s 15-year-old apprentice, Jack Tucker. No one is injured, but when the smoke clears, the Stone of Destiny, which was captured a century earlier from the Scots and stored underneath Edward I’s coronation chair, is gone. The king, who fears that he’ll appear weak if he goes before Parliament without the stone restored to the chair, gives Guest three days to retrieve it. Since Richard has his doubts about Guest’s loyalty, he holds Jack hostage to ensure the Tracker does his bidding. During the apprentice’s
captivity, Jack manages to gain a powerful ally in a subplot that relies too much on contrivance. Despite the high stakes, Westerson fails to generate much suspense. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, Jabberwocky Literary Agency.

February 1, 2016
In the latest installment in her historical mystery series (Cup of Blood, 2014), Westerson catches up with disgraced knight Crispin Guest, who is eking out a living as the Tracker while his past deeds and decisions continue to weigh heavily upon his conscience. Accompanying his young apprentice, former thief Jack Tucker, to Westminster Abbey to witness a feast day celebration, Crispin risks being seen by Richard II, the very monarch he was accused of betraying. When a mysterious explosion rocks the church, it is discovered that the Stone of Destiny, an important symbol of England's dominion over Scotland, has been stolen. Reeling from the rebellions of his own barons, Richard II gives Crispin three days to recover the stone, imprisoning Jack as an added incentive. As Crispin wends his way through the grimy streets and alleys of fourteenth-century London, chasing suspect Scots, Jack assists the queen in solving a perplexing mystery of her own. Westerson continues to conjure up a suitably noirish setting as the backdrop for the exploits of her spiritually tortured medieval detective.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

December 1, 2015
An unfortunate coincidence brings a disgraced knight to the attention of the king he once plotted against. Crispin Guest kept his head but little else when he was accused of treason against King Richard II. Now he ekes out a living as The Tracker, a medieval private investigator, assisted by Jack Tucker, his young apprentice. When they attend a church service at Westminster Abbey, an explosion causes a near riot, and the Stone of Destiny is found to have vanished from its place beneath the Coronation Chair. Richard, who has no love for Guest, seizes Jack and gives Guest three days to find the stone before Jack is executed. Closer examination reveals that the explosion blew up a plaster imitation of the stone; no one knows how long the real stone has been gone. Suspicion falls on the Scots, the former owners of what they call the Stone of Scone, but Guest is confused when he discovers several groups of Scots in London apparently working at cross purposes. Meanwhile, Jack is removed from his prison cell to the apartments of Katherine Swynford, mistress of the duke of Lancaster, where his restless nature lands him in the queen's garden and a problem of his own. A piece of jewelry has been stolen from the queen, who fears its absence may be noted by the king, since it appears to implicate her in an affair with another man. With the help of a cross-dressing friend, Guest scours the city for clues, while Jack risks his life to help the queen. It's clear that their cases are intertwined, but are three days enough time to work out the connection? Westerson (Shadow of the Alchemist, 2013, etc.) may not exhibit the depth of research other medieval mystery writers display, but her tortured protagonist is never dull, and his newest adventure leads to a swift and satisfying conclusion.

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