The Alehouse Murders

by Maureen Ash

Book Overview

A Templar treasure for mystery readers An honorable-yet world-weary-Knight Templar solves the mysteries of Medieval England. After eight years of captivity in the Holy Land, Templar Bascot de Marins escapes with injuries to his body and soul. Now on a sojourn at Lincoln Castle, he hopes to regain his strength, and mend his waning faith-but not even the peace of God's countryside is safe from the mortal crimes of man. For what appears to be the grisly...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425217655
• ISBN13: 9780425217658
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I Look Foward to More

A young man, a pregnant woman, a moneylender, and an alekeeper lay murdered upon the alehouse floor. The bodies are discovered by Agnes, wife of the murdered alekeeper. A day later a priest is stabbed in front of the church altar, the same priest who was seen comforting the grieving Agnes. The townspeople are looking for answers, and all eyes are directed towards Agnes. Is is the summer 1200 A.D. and the English town of Lincoln is happily preparing for the annual fair and tournament. "Will the murders scare away merchants and pleasure seekers, and the subsequent profit," stews the sheriff, Gerard Camville? "Will this complicate our relationship with the King," worries his wife, Nicolaa de la Haye. "Will poor Agnes be hanged for a murder she didn't commit," agonizes the alewife's sister Jennet? Bascot de Marins, a templar knight and Crusader, is initially drawn into the mystery by the stalwart Ernulf, captain of the castle guard, and later asked to get to the bottom of things by the levelheaded castellan of Lincoln Castle, Nicolaa de la Haye. Bascot can hardly refuse, since he is a guest in her castle, sent there by his Order to recuperate from injuries sustained during eight years of Saracen captivity in the Holy Land. As Bascot gathers information throughout the village we get a glimpse of unfamiliar medieval life and all too familiar human passions. Thankfully, any historical information the reader is unlikely to know is inserted into the text in a casual light handed manner. Occasionally, the author switches voice, and we enter the private thoughts of the alewife's sister, Jennet, and the aristocrat, Nicolaa, women of very different character, but in whose connections and perceptions may lay the key to the mystery. And murder is not the only unsolved mystery in Lincoln. As Bascot questions suspects, he examines his own heart. Is his own human capacity for self-deception blinding him to the direction God wants for his life? Should he continue in his Order, or make a new life? The temporal and spiritual solutions elude both the reader and Bascot until the novel's satisfying close. This is the first of Ash's Templar Knight Mystery Series and I look forward to the further adventures of Bascot and the townsfolk of Lincoln.

Ash helps us make it through the Knight!

There seems to be no shortage of medieval/historical mysteries. Thank goodness, as it's quite a popular genre and one that has merits of its own. "The Alehouse Murders" is a first novel by Maureen Ash and features Bascot de Marins, recently returned from the Crusades with the Templar Knights. The world-weary (and physically depleted) knight with his worldly knowledge and background looks to re-build himself, body and soul, following the grueling, decimating Crusades. And what more exciting profession should he turn to but that of sleuth! He's been gone for eight long years and, naturally, is a bit rusty. He settles down in Lincoln in the year 1200 and mid-summer activities are in full bloom. Alas, the pastoral side of Lincoln isn't to last, for, ironically, four bodies are found in a local alehouse and with complicated complications, ever-spiraling associations, and convoluted avenues which Bacot must pursue, the book takes off with a rapid, yet steady pace. Ash has complete control of the plot development, never leaving the reader dangling (or even confused). This is not to say that the story line isn't complicated. It is, but Ash keeps it in a controlled fashion. Her powers of description and episode easily carry the book, traits that most readers will applaud. Bascot is quite an interesting man, of course, reminiscent of later fictional sleuths and heros and Ash gives us a good foundation for him and his character, noble, sensitive, intelligent, indeed, that he is. A second Knights Templar mystery by her ("Death of a Squire") is already on the shelf and, hopefully, this will become another of the successful historical mystery series. It's a good read!

Historical Adventure -- Great Mystery

What a great read. Interesting characters, a plot with twists and turns and historical elements throughout.

an excellent mystery novel

The first installment, in what I really do hope will be a long running series, "The Alehouse Murders" was a treat to read from the first page to the last -- riveting and full of wonderful period atmosphere and nuances, I spent a happy few hours satisfactorily glued to the pages. They were hours well spent. When news that four murdered bodies have been found in an alehouse reaches Nicolaa de la Haye, the castellan of the castle, she immediately knows that she must see to it that the murders must be investigated swiftly and competently. After all the midsummer's fair is about to take place and gossip that there is a mad killer loose in the city of Lincoln will not help Lincoln's reputation at all. And so the lady turns to Templar Bascot de Marins for help in discovering who murdered these unfortunates and why. Held captive by the Saracens for eight years, de Marins has returned to England broken in body and spirit. Plagued with self doubts and afraid that he has lost his faith, de Marins had hoped to regain his faith and purpose in Lincoln. But would investigating a horrific murder help him rediscover his faith? Determined to ferret out the truth, de Marins soon finds himself enmeshed in the middle of the family intrigues and quarrels of a local landowner's family, and confronted with the cold blooded determination and ruthlessness of a very single-minded killer... While I could go on and on raving about Maureen Ash's ability to colour her novel with fantastic period detail, and how her characters ring true in tone and type, what I really enjoyed about this novel was how the author was able to keep me guessing for quite a while. And that is no mean feat! What really carries this novel through though, and what makes it so very readable and absorbing is the sympathetic central character, de Marins, and how Maureen Ash was able to successfully convey all of de Marins self doubts and pain, as well as intelligence and integrity. De Marins angst made a nice counterpoint to the mystery and gave the book a deeper and more complex tone. Riveting and compelling, "The Alehouse Murders" was a wonderful read, and one that I would recommend for anyone looking for a good medieval-era mystery novel to read.

strong medieval tale

He felt the call to join the Templars and Bascat de Marins was overjoyed to be sent to the Holy Land to kill the Saracens and take Jerusalem for the Christians. His joy did not last long because he was captured by the enemy and became a slave and was tortured. He returned home after an eight-year-captivity minus an eye, a leg that limps and a loss of faith. He is sent by his order to Lincoln Castle to recover his health both physical and mental and hopefully return to the Templars with his faith restored. He is given a private room in the castle where Nicolaa de la Haye is castellan and her husband Gerard Camville, King John's man is the sheriff. When two men and a woman are found dead in a local tavern, Nicolaa asks Bascot to investigate. At first glance it looks like the proprietor, a harlot and another young man were killed elsewhere and brought to the alehouse. Bascot has information that leads him to realize that the woman was no harlot but the pregnant wife of the young man who was going to be named to a noble and that noble planned to put aside his spouse. The lord believes his wife and stepson killed Hugo and his pregnant wife to get rid of her and remain his heir but Bascat continues to investigate, wanting evidence not accusations. Readers will receive a historically accurate depiction of life in medieval Lincoln during the beginning of the reign of King John. This work will be read by fans of Sharon Kay Penman, Sharyn Newman and Roberta Gellis. The protagonist obtains sympathy from the audience because of his physical and mental pain and his lack of direction. In some ways an innocent, he proves he is a hero when he refuses to let fall guys be tried for a crime he doesn't believe they committed. Maureen Ash's series will be very popular if the future novels are the quality of THE ALEHOUSE MURDERS. Harriet Klausner