Veil of Lies

1 August 2006

Well, it looks as if Book One in the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir series will need to be put to bed. Unless British publishers step forward, I'm afraid we will not see this one. At least for a while. Curse you, Dan Brown! *shakes fist* You win this time!

Fortunately, Book Two called VEIL OF LIES is ready to roll.

The Crispin Guest series is not your average medieval mystery. More Sam Spade than Brother Cadfael, Crispin’s adventures breathes new life into a popular genre usually inhabited by monks and nuns. And Crispin—an ex-knight turned criminal investigator—is certainly no monk.        

When Crispin is hired to do a job for the richest merchant in London, it seems like any other routine case: follow the wife to see if she’s unfaithful. Simple. But when the merchant is found dead the next morning, it opens a nest of lies, false identities, and dangerous secrets.

THE UNFAITHFUL WIDOW

The body is barely cold when Philippa hires Crispin to find and get rid of a relic hidden somewhere in her house. It’s called the Mandyllon, like Veronica’s veil, but it has the special power of making all those around it incapable of telling a lie. Or does it? She’s clever enough at lying herself. With that rough accent, there’s no chance she started out life as a highborn lady. Crispin doesn’t mind. She kisses like any other woman and that’s all that matters. At first.

THE LOVER

Philippa’s lover, Abid Assad Mahmoud, doesn’t act like a lover, and she won’t even admit to his existence! What information does this foreigner have that could ruin everything?

THE MOB

An Italian syndicate in 14^th century London? Crispin thinks someone is skimming money off the top of export tax fees, fees that fund the king’s war chest. Then the mob tries to eliminate Crispin. In a switch, they make Crispin an offer he can’t refuse: get the Mandyllon for their boss Bernarbò Visconti, the ruthless duke of Milan. But who’s their man in London?

THE DEAD MERCHANT

When previously unknown brothers arrive—the unpleasant and bombastic Lionel, his snooty wife Maude, and the drunk and ineffectual Clarence—they make an astonishing declaration.

It all unravels like a worn tapestry. With double-crosses, an international plot set to bankrupt England’s cloth trade, and two murders, Crispin must untangle it all and keep one step ahead of the point of a sword.   

Comments

[Jane Stein]

I just found your site and it's very interesting. So you mean that you have to abandon your first book in the series? How does that work?

[Jeri]

Hi Jane,
thanks for commenting. Well, yes, it looks like the book will be set adrift...for now. Who knows? It might someday become a prequel. Actually, I wrote the second in the series with this scenario in mind; that the first might not be accepted. That's sometimes how these things work out. I have heard of similiar situations from many other mystery writers. Let's hope for better things from this novel.