The Cross-Legged Knight

I couldn't decide how to rate this one but choose to go with the high points as it did keep me reading at a quick pace, eager to see the conclusion. It was well researched, the historical points that have some question were decided clearly. I enjoyed a couple of the characters immensely, especially The Riverwoman, Magda. There was a bit too much physical description of nastiness for my taste but it surely put me right into the moment! The main trouble for me was Owen Archer himself...I'm not too sure I like him. He's quick enough, sure enough for his role but he seemed a very selfish man at times (aren't we all though?) and there was a bit of harping on his wife's illness...honestly he couldn't have solved things nearly so well without show more her! I read reviews on Amazon and see that this might not have been the best of the book series and will certainly give it a second go. show less

I didn't get it. I liked the presentation of the era, I would have liked to seen a little more character development, but the mystery itself I totally didn't follow. It didn't really feel like the book was about the mystery.

Rather an improvement on the previous couple of books in this series. The main characters are attractive and I care about them, which has kept me reading this series.

I really enjoyed this one. It is the first I have read by this author, but certainly won't be the last.

Archer, the trusted one-eyed spy for the Archbishop of York, is thrust into the maelstrom of deadly struggles between the Lancasters and the Church. What is a spy, married to York's only female apothecary, to do?

Archer is called on by William of Wykeham, bishop of Winchester, to keep him safe. To appease the family of a man killed while being held prisoner in France, Wykeham returns the knight's heart. But, after a fire in Wykeham's house which leaves a servant severely burned and local woman dead, Archer fears for his own family's safety.

Weaving quite effectively history with fiction, Robb's work should appeal to both historians and show more whodunit readers. Her ability to capture the landscape and atmosphere of 14th century England is noteworthy and her plot design well worth the time. show less

An accident in the grounds of York Minster nearly kills the biship and then a few days later his townhouse is found ablaze. In the house there's a dead woman and a badly injured man. Examination shows that she actually died before the fire. Who did it and their motivation proves complicated. Some of the complication comes from the family of Ranulf Pagnell who died as a hostage and not all of the money given to the negotiator was returned to his family.

This is my first reading of Candace Robb and I have to say I want to find more!

A pretty good mystery. I did get annoyed with Lucie. I know she is stressed and overwhelmed, but she was just annoying.

1371 William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester arrives in York with the remains of Sir Ranulf Pagnell. His arrivals brings tension to York, but soon the burning of one of his homes uncovers a dead female. Owen Archer investigates.
Enjoyable and well-written historical mystery