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Title: The King's Bishop : An Owen Archer Mystery by Candace Robb ISBN: 0-312-96282-7 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 September, 1997 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Very impressive
Comment: I started reading Candace Robb's Owen Archer series at the suggestion of one of my patients, beginning with her favorite The Cross Legged Knight. I was immediately entranced. The King's Bishop was my second visit to 14th Century York and the home of Lucie Wilton and Owen Archer. I was not disappointed.
Ms Robb is an historian just shy of her PhD and specializes in Medieval History. She is also a consummate storyteller. Her characters are multidimensional; their actions are plausible; and their setting is believable. As a mystery writer, she excels in complex motives. In the Cross Legged Knight, she was able to pull a Collin Dexter out of the hat by producing two possible endings. In The King's Bishop she is able to recreate the ambiance of court intrigue and the murders that arise when ambition is the ultimate measure of an individual and where everything rests on the success of plot and counter plot.
One of the things that took me a while to get used to was the ending to these tales. Not everything comes out happily ever after. The sleuth is not always able to denounce the villain at the end as one is accustomed to reading in stories of this sort. What the ending is, however, is very realistic. Even in modern times, the guilty are not always punished according to the dictates one would expect of "justice;" even justice itself is designed to support the class structure. It is precisely for this reason that we usually enjoy murder mysteries: the guilty are brought to justice, their crimes are made manifest to society, and they are punished accordingly. In Owen Archer mysteries, the guilty sometimes get away with their miserable acts just as they do in our own times.
The stories are wonderfully detailed with respect to historical accuracy, yet they do not overwhelm the reader. Ms Robb is not a pedant. She seeks to create a venue for the actions of her characters without making the reader feel as though there is a test at the end of the story! Most of the unfamiliar terms are understandable from context, although she does supply a glossary for those of us who like to have more information. She also includes a small bibliography and a short history of the period and the characters. And yes, many of the characters were real people from history. These short texts are generally at the end of the book so one needn't feel obligated to read them, but I've taken to reading them first. I enjoy a little background material before I get into the meat of the work.
Very impressive. I would recommend the book to anyone from advanced junior high to adult readers.
Rating: 5
Summary: Bravo! Another winner in the Owen Archer series!
Comment: The fourth book in the series does not disappoint. It has an intriguing story line with one of Owen's friends falling and love, and murder ensuing...
My favorite is still no. 2, The Lady Chapel, with Nun's Tale and this one right close behind.
I cannot say enough about how well the author Candace Robb writes these characters. I am not only interested in the plot and mystery of each book, but also the continuation of the lives of Owen, Lucia, Thoresby, Sir Robert, Jasper, Brother Michaelo, Riverwoman, the kids and even Lucie's Aunt.
I am now reading A Gift of Sanctuary, having just finished the Riddle of St. Leonards. These books are delicious reads truly.
Rating: 5
Summary: delightful
Comment: I have enjoyed all of her books. If you like historical fiction that is light reading but entertaining this is the book you want.
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Title: A Gift Of Sanctuary by Candace Robb ISBN: 0312974779 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 15 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Riddle of St. Leonard's by Candace Robb ISBN: 0312966512 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Lady Chapel : Devilish Deception And Unholy Murder Put Owen Archer On A Bloody Trail Through The Cloisters. by Candace Robb ISBN: 0312954603 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 May, 1995 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Nun's Tale : An Owen Archer Mystery by Candace Robb ISBN: 0312959826 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 October, 1996 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: The Apothecary Rose : An Owen Archer Mystery by Candace Robb ISBN: 0312953607 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 September, 1994 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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