The King of Thieves:

The twenty-sixth novel in Michael Jecks?s medieval Knights Templar series. 1325: Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and his friend Simon Puttock are in France guarding King Edward?s son on his perilous journey to meet the French king, Charles IV. But they are unaware that King Edward?s wife Isabella is disaffected and plotting her revenge? What first appears a simple diplomatic mission is fast becoming lethally dangerous. Meanwhile, two murders in Paris are causing alarm. Is there a connection between the killings and the shadowy `King? of thieves? Simon and Baldwin know the future of the English crown is at risk. And in order to protect it they must put their own lives in jeopardy.From Publishers WeeklyFans of well-researched historicals will welcome Jecks's 26th Knights Templar mystery (after 2008's The Prophecy of Death). In 1325, England's Edward II prepares to pay homage to the French king, Charles IV, in order to retain two precious territories in France. At the last minute, Edward decides to send his willful and untested teenage son in his place, with orders to Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Baldwin's longtime friend, Simon Puttock, to watch over his son on the journey. In Paris, Queen Isabella, Charles's sister and Edward's wife, is trying to keep the peace, though she bitterly resents her husband's relationship with his intimate adviser, Sir Hugh le Despenser. Meanwhile, the Procureur of Paris, Jean de Poissy, has two murders to investigate—that of a man who was on a mysterious visit to the Louvre palace, and that of a naked woman found near the palace. Frequent scene shifts help move the complex, multilayered plot. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"Fans of well-researched historicals will welcome Jeck's 26th Knights Templar mystery."  —Publishers Weekly"The whole series belongs in any collection where historicals are popular."  —Library Journal"Memorable characters, steadily absorbing period background . . . a commendable achievement."  —Kirkus Reviews"The most wickedly plotted medieval mystery novels."  —The Times"Really difficult to put down."  —Historical Novels Review"Each page is densely packed with cuckolding, coarseness, lewdness, lechery, gore galore, but also with nobility. A heady mix."  —North Devon Journal"A gem of historical storytelling."  —Northern Echo"Complicated, well-populated, written with cross-cutting gusto, and accompanied by scholarly extras."  —Ellery Queen