The Tolls of Death

Knights Templar #17

by Michael Jecks

After their grueling journeys to Galicia and Scilly, Simon Puttock and Baldwin Furnshill are at last back on the English mainland, dumped unceremoniously when their shipmaster partakes of his intoxicating cargo and almost sinks the ship. Eager to get home, Baldwin and Simon set off on horseback, but they only get as far as Cardinham Castle on Bodmin Moor. Here, they are detained by the castellan who requires their help in solving two murders on the estate. The first victim is a widow, found dead with her two children. The second is the miller, who has recently been discovered embezzling castle money taken in tolls. As Baldwin and Simon begin a double investigation, they must delve deep into village friendships and family loyalties to find Cardinham’s evil killer.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Medieval, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Crime

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Michael Jecks is a best-selling writer of historical novels. The son of an Actuary, and the youngest of four brothers, he worked in the computer industry before becoming a novelist full time in 1994

He is the author of the internationally popular Templar series, perhaps the longest crime series written by a living author. Unusually, the series looks again at actual events and murders committed about the early fourteenth century, a fabulous time of treachery, civil war, deceit and corruption. Famine, war and disease led to widespread despair, and yet the people showed themselves to be resilient. The series is available as ebooks and all paper formats from Harper Collins, Headline and Simon and Schuster. More recently he has completed his Vintener Trilogy, three stories in his Bloody Mary series, and a new Crusades story set in 1096, Pilgrim's War, following some of the people in the first Crusade on their long pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He has also written a highly acclaimed modern spy thriller, Act of Vengeance.

His books have won him international acclaim and in 2007 his Death Ship of Dartmouth was shortlisted for the Harrogate prize for the best crime novel of the year.

A member of the Society of Authors and Royal Literary Society, Jecks was the Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association in 2004-2005. In 2005 he became a member of the Detection Club.

From 1998 he organised the CWA Debut Dagger competition for two years, helping unpublished authors to win their first contracts He judged the CWA/Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for three years.

Michael Jecks is a popular speaker at literary festivals and historical meetings. He is a popular after-dinner and motivational speaker and has spoken at events from Colombia to Italy, Portugal to Alaska.

His own highlights are: being the Grand Marshal of the first parade at the New Orleans 2014 Mardi Gras, designing the Michael Jecks fountain pen for Conway Stewart, and being the International Guest of Honour at the Crime Writers of Canada Bloody Words convention.

Michael lives, walks, writes and paints in North Dartmoor.

Reviews

[Shar]

I have read many books in this series over the years. Many of them take place in Devon, where my mother is from. The setting of this novel is Cornwall, at the edge of the moors. During the first half of the book, I got immersed in the story and didn’t want to put it down. Towards the end, as the improbable coincidences and miscommunications piled up one after the other, I became frustrated with the storytelling. During the last few chapters, I no longer cared about the plot or any of the characters as it all seemed so unreal to me. I did make it through to the end.

When our duo are questioning someone for information that becomes very important, they get a very vague or misleading answer.

At other times, while they are asking someone a question that turns out to be very important, the person can not answer it because they are interrupted by an emergency at that exact instance. This happens too many times in this story.

In the “Author’s Note”, we are told about Mortimer’s rebellion against the King, his capture, and his escape. Jecks states that, “the main thing for me was the idea that they might become embroiled in the turbulent politics of their times”. However, the portrayal of how our duo and the villagers of Cornwall get “caught up in national affairs” did not seem plausible to me somehow. That storyline was not resolved satisfactorily, in my opinion.

I recommend this author and this series, and most of his books have been great fun to read.

[Dolores]

A great historical mystery taking place in 1327 in the Cornish village of Cardinham. Bailiff Simon Puttock and Keeper of the King's Peace, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, find themselves assisting Sir Jules, the Coroner with several deaths. The first, Athelina and her two boys were found in their little rented cottage. An inquest is started. Then the miller and his infant son die. Soon the investigators find themselves with their hands full as more deaths are discovered. Are these deaths related? Which are suspicious? What really happened in this village? Who would be responsible for such crimes?

Definitely one that is hard to put down and keeps one guessing to the very end.

[Kathleen Bianchi]

This was book #17 of Medieval West Country Mystery Series. I got it out of the library and decided it would be nice to read the whole series starting with book #1. Imagine my disappointment to find that my library only carries a few of Michael Jeck's books! There were a lot of enjoyable murders in this book and I think the murderer was a surprise at the end.

[Tea]

Was I supposed to hate all the characters? Because I hated all the characters, NGL. The detailed "meet the characters" in the beginning was nice but definitely didn't tell me much, if anything, about these people.

Except Aumrie and Ham. When Ham got scalded to death I nearly died, especially since my little one is almost the same age and is currently in the "grab everything to explore" phase.

[Sharon L. Cooper]

Jecks is always a good read

Jecks has created a series worthy of Agatha Christie. The recurring characters are people I would enjoy having dinner with. The people they meet along the way are interesting and believable. The books are a little too long, but sometimes I want a long book to read on vacation.

[Sadie Lewis]

I picked this book up at the library as I couldn't find any thing else I wanted, but I must admit I enjoyed the thriller. It made me chuckle as it was based in medieval times and let's be honest we haven't really learned from the mistakes that were made there about class and gender issues, they still exist. Good plot and outcome.

[Robert Anastasiades]

Brilliant

Another great tale of Sir Baldwin and the Bailiff they got there in the end and I never guessed who the killer was till the end , brilliant and look forward d to the next tale

[Gerry Connolly]

Another medieval whodunnit by Michael Jecks The Tolls of Death. A series of gruesome deaths stalks a village while Sir Baldwin and Simon, the Bailiff, block a new coroner from taking the easy way to accusation and conviction of innocent subjects. Good trip back in time.

[Dave Coates]

Another great book

[Puzzle Doctor]

A complex and rewarding historical mystery. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com

[Carolyn Rose]

Fascinating time period, but I felt the fast wrap-up didn't do justice to the rest of the book.

[Nora]

I so enjoy reading about Sir Baldwin and Simon in each book. Love getting to "know" them

[Linda]

Better than the previous installment, but am still waiting to see how the "Baldwin issue" is dealt with.

[Michael Jecks]

This book I always think of as the last in a trilogy of travelling tales. The first was "Templar's Penance", the second was "Outlaws of Ennor", and this was the return journey for the friends. They have been forced to land in Cornwall and continue their journey on foot, which, since I am a terrible sailor, I can quite understand. But at the little village of Cardinham and all about on Bodmin Moor, they discover a particularly unpleasant murder.
I still remember the research for this book. It was the first research trip at which I was accompanied by my daughter. The weather was miserable, but the little Templar church was lovely. And the visitor's book there is filling quickly with wonderful comments from people who have sought it out after reading my book!

[Nan]

The more I read this mystery series, the more I enjoy it. Still on their way home from their pilgramage, they decide to go the rest of the way home on horseback. Of course, they get just a few days into their journey when they come upon a small vill. Spending the night, they waken to find out 3 deaths have occured. Given their penchant for solving crimes thoroughly and fairly, they are caught up once again in the mystery, which ends up with several more murders before the cases are solved.

[Molly]

Meh. I kept wanting to put this down, but I couldn't because it was just tantalizing enough to keep stringing me along. It keeps moving along pretty well, but the resolution (while delightfully surprising) was hardly plausible so it felt a little hollow. Not bad, but probably wouldn't recommend it too highly.

[Jenny Pauley]

Really enjoyed this one. Fast moving plot with twists and turns everywhere. I've enjoyed reading how the law of the time was. It is distubing how peasants lives really seemed to have little value to the ruling class. Not that we're much more evolved today, but it's an eye opener to the cruelties we inflict upon one another.

[Eileen]

Another satisfying medieval murder mystery from Michael Jecks. He just never disappoints!

[Wazz]

book 17

[lewis king]

Certainly well done by this author. It kept me guessing until the end and then surprised.

[Susan]

The detail in these medieval mysteries is so good you could almost believe the author has paid a visit or lived in the 14th century.
Excellent `who done it' guessing to the last chapter.

[Mavis Hewitt]

Up to Jeck's usual standard and I've a bit more about that period in history