The Widow of Jerusalem: A Medieval Mystery

by Alan Gordon

1204 AD. The Fools' Guild is on the run from the church. Arriving too late at the Guildhall to join them, the jester couple Theophilos and Claudia and their daughter Portia must now flee the Papal army. As they journey across the Alps, Theophilos recounts to his wife a story from the Third Crusade.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312300891
• ISBN13: 9780312300890
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A really good story!

I have to agree with all the other reviewers so far. This is a really good story for anyone who likes medieval fiction taken from historical fact. As a lover of historical fiction, usually the medieval stories are pretty grim. Although this certainly has its horrific events, the story is told through the words of a "fool" which makes the word play and the observations witty and insightful. The character of the dwarf, Scarlet, will always be one of my favorites. If you like the middle ages and mystery with a dash of humor, this is it.

Emotionally rich and exciting

Richard the Lion Hearted is slaughtering Saracen captives and plotting to seize Jerusalem without the slightest hope of being able to hold it once teh crusaders return to Europe and the Fools Guild desparately attempts to introduce reason into the equation. A key to the entire region is the city of Tyre--easilly defensible, rich, and with strategic value, Tyre is ruled by Conrad and his wife Isabelle, Queen of Jerusalem. A strong ruler like Conrad, one who planned to stay in the holy land rather than simply fight there, could be a key to peace with Saladin and a continued Christian presence in Palestine. But the forces against Conrad, perhaps including his own queen, are powerful indeed. Could fools Theophilos and Scarlet the Dwarf hope to cobble together a motley of self-interest that can create a peaceful middle-east? Author Alan Gordon gives an intriguing spin to a fascinating and horrible period of history. The old Byzantine Empire is struggling but has not yet had its heart ripped out by the fourth crusade. Richard is the master of battle but is also a master of gratuitous violence. And the misnamed King of Jerusalem (because the crusader states had lost that city) is dead leaving no clear heir and too many claimants. But THE WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is not merely interesting as a historical view. Gordon makes the characters, including the historical nobility and the fictional jesters and servants, come alive. The mysterious death of a young woman propells Theophilos and Scarlet's band of trainee fools into an intrigue that will alter the control of this land, and the hearts of many. THE WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is written as a recounting of a story by Theophilos to his wife Claudia. Although this style tends to distance the reader from the story, in this case, it worked, allowing Gordon to introduce occasional side-notes of levity into the telling. Fans of historical fiction who have yet to make the acquaintence of Theophilos and the Jester's Guild will definitely want to do so. Gordon fans will be overjoyed to see Theophilos and Claudia in action yet again.

strong medieval thriller

The Fool's Guild turns out jesters and troubadours and sends them out in the world to entertain the various classes. They are also brilliant intelligence gathers who work behind the scenes to try and maintain the peace and when that is impossible influence the nobles into situations that will settle hostilities. Theophilus, a very good Fool, is sent by the Guild to Acre in the year 1191 to help his colleague Scarlet the Dwarf end the Third Crusade and bring peace to the region.The two Fools divert supplies meant for Richard the Lionhearted sending them to the city of Tyre whose leaders are allowing the refugees displaced by the war to live in a tent city outside the walls. The Queen of Jerusalem Isabelle and her husband Conrad, the Marquis of Montferrat supply them with food whenever they can. Scarlet who is devoted to his queen urges her to marry Champagne when her husband is murdered. When the crusaders return home Theophilus goes with them but he has to return years later and to finally figure who was behind the conspiracy that led to Conrad's death.Readers will be amazed by what the Fools can accomplish as spies working behind the scene to maneuver political events. Theophilus is a fascinating character who operates on different levels with different people. His skills as an entertainer enable him to spy on the nobles when they are plotting something because they underestimate the intelligence of a Fool. WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is a fascinating look at the various players who have a pivotal role in the Third Crusade.Harriet Klausner

A great read!

Having enjoyed the three previous novels in Alan Gordon's series, I eagerly awaited The Widow of Jerusalem, and it didn't disappoint. In fact, I think might be his best work yet. Theophilus the Fool, with his usual wit, tells us a story of murder and intrigue--one of history's actural mysteries--set in Tyre during the Third Crusade. That the story is told as a flashback to thirteen years earlier doesn't detract at all from the reading experience, because the transitions from 1204 to 1191 are handled so skillfully. And that I wasn't persuaded to believe Theophilus's theory on whodunit in reality didn't lessen my enjoyment of this novel a bit. Gordon does an excellent job of bringing the late 12th/early 13th centuries to life, and his humor never fails to make me laugh out loud while reading. I highly recommend this novel to those who like real history in their mysteries.