The Prophecy of Death

Let me begin with a short note on Michael Jecks and history. I've been reading his books for years, and I have to say that though they are novels, they are absolutely historically correct in time, place, and historical characters. For example, he's not going to put a real person in a place at a spec......more

I was aware of Michael Jecks and his series characters Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Futtock through the “Medieval Murderers” series of interlinked novellas by various writers with historical series characters, so when I ran across "The Prophecy of Death" in a used bookstore, I picked i......more

3.5 stars This is another good entry in the series, although it's still a little bloated. The political intrigue of 1325 works as an effective backdrop to murders centred on the Oil of St Thomas which Despenser, the soon-to-be Edward III and Queen Isabella exiled in France all want for their own ends......more

I still love the Characters of Baldwin and Simon but I miss the days of true murder mysteries. Being a historian myself I love the Historical aspects of Jecks books, but this story focused far too much on the politics of the time and less on the murder mystery. This is more a historical political th......more

The Prophecy of Death, Michael Jecks’ 25th in his Knights Templar series, focuses of two murders involving the sacred oil of Thomas a Becket that is stolen and eagerly sought by King Edward II and his malign counselor Hugh Despenser. Sir Baldwin and Bailiff Simon try to unravel the mystery while nav......more