Crispin Guest has solved many mysteries since losing his knighthood and
becoming "The Tracker", an investigator for hire in fourteenth century
London. Yet when he witnesses a body fall from London bridge into the
frigid waters of the Thames, he finds himself in the middle of a
dangerous and complicated puzzle.
The deceased was an armorer whose death officials rule to be a suicide,
but Guest immediately sees evidence of foul play. During his
investigation he runs into Sir Thomas Saunfayl, an old acquaintance from
his knighthood days, frantically searching for the armorer. It seems the
dead man was bargaining with Sir Thomas for the Spear of Longinus, the
weapon used to pierce the side of Christ on the Cross, which grants
invincibility to its owner. After his friend Geoffrey Chaucer arrives in
London, all too eager to help find the spear and conduct clandestine
meetings with powerful figures, Guest soon finds himself trying to solve
a conundrum of many parts, all centered around the same dangerous and
potent holy relic. With the spear now missing and more murders
occurring, Guest, together with his loyal apprentice Jack, must use his
sharp wiles to find it and piece together the truth in a world of
political intrigue, treachery, and murder.
With evocative period detail and an unforgettable cast of characters,
Blood Lance is the exhilarating fifth volume in the Crispin Guest
medieval noir mystery series. It was one of the "Top 10 Hot Crime
Novels" for Fall 2012 selection at Kirkus Reviews.
