The Tournament of Blood

Knights Templar #11

by Michael Jecks

It is 1322, and Lord Hugh de Courtenay's plan to host a tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the money-lenders of Oakhampton. When the defeated knights find themselves unable to pay the traditional ransoms to their captors, they will have only one course open to them—accruing interest by the hour. But when the most prominent money-lender, Benjamin Dudenay, is found brutally murdered a month before the festivities, Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock find themselves on the trail of a most sinister killer. The Tournament of Blood is the eleventh tale in this superbly plotted medieval mystery series.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Medieval, Fiction, Historical, British Literature

362 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2001

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From 1998 he organised the CWA Debut Dagger competition for two years, helping unpublished authors to win their first contracts He judged the CWA/Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for three years.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

[Kate Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I’ve come to the party late. This book is number 11 of, I think, 30. I did enjoy this great medieval romp with blood, honour, chivalry, corruption and detectives thrown into the melee. Having read the details about tournaments I use the term melee figuratively rather than literally. I did learn quite a bit about the background to these events, which was interesting in itself. The initial murders derive from an awful accident, the death of spectators and the subsequent grief. Other deaths are incidental as the story progresses, yet appear connected, I suppose there’s a spider’s web of connection: love, loss and protection of honour. I will read some of the books when I come across them.

[Michael Jecks · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this is a special book for me. I'd always wanted to show what knights were really like. They were not gentle, kindly souls who sought to do the decent thing. By and large they were avaricious, for money, but for women and power too, and much of the average knight's life was spent in training for battles, and many probably longed to put their training into force. This is the story of some authentic knights, all set about the glorious, exciting stage of a tournament at one of my favourite castles, Okehampton in Devon.

[Tex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't start this thinking that you are getting a sanitized, Disney version of knights and squires and ladies. This is raw life in 1322 England when revenge calls a man to make hideous choices during a hastilude event. There are almost too many people to easily keep track. In a way, that adds to the atmosphere of the throng of people who could be the killer and how difficult it is to find him out. 3 1/2 stars

[Katy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 Pop Sugar Reading challenge-a book with an amateur detective.

5 or so murders set to the back drop of a jousting tournament. Pure Medieval fun.

[Jim Corbiere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading " The tournament of Blood ". A Knights Templar mystery. I enjoyed it like the rest of the series. I learned quite a bit about what tournaments and jousts and the like were really like back then, not how they are portrayed in the media.

Lord Hugh de Courtenay was setting up a tournament for the knights under his command. He had commissioned Simon Puttock to work the details and make sure everything was done correctly and on time. A money-lender was murdered! Then two of the men who are well known for building the setups needed for the tournaments. Accusations fly because there are many suspects. Simon himself has been accused and must clear his name or be hanged himself. It is up to Simon and his friend Baldwin to once again solve murders by using their wits, piecing together stories and seeing the evidence.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, The Tournament of Blood, Michael Jecks’ 11th volume in a series of medieval (14th century) mysteries featuring ex-Templar Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, and Simon Puttock, Bailiff for Lord Hugh de Courtenay’s demesne, offers plenty of blood both before and away from the ber frois where the tilts would occur. Dare I say that there is no simple answer to the murder(s) being investigated? And, though there seem almost as many motives as with the compound perpetrator of Murder on the Orient Express, one doesn’t find oneself chasing every “red herring” because one is overtly told who the murderer was from the start.

So, one may either follow the story wondering how Sir Baldwin and Bailiff Puttock are going to finally trace down the perpetrator that one knows is in the camp. As motive is piled upon motive and potentially inculpatory deed upon deed is peeled back from the layered onion of this plot, one cannot help but sense that something more is going on. Did the murderer have help? Does the murderer have more motives even than those the omniscient narrator has revealed? Would there be murders to cover up the murder? Would there be unrelated murders? Would the wrong man be hanged for the crime? Would the romantic ideal of chivalry be upheld or defiled as much as some of the characters would seem to have it either way? Who might die in the so-called Tournament of Blood for which the novel is entitled? Could certain catastrophes which had happened at previous tournaments repeat themselves? Will petty politics, or even the greed of gamblers, interfere with the attempt to bring justice?

Not all of the questions asked above are relevant to The Tournament of Blood, but taken together, enough of them are relevant enough to help one understand both the complexity of this unnerving “pageant” and the literary prestidigitation of the author. Frankly, I liked The Tournament of Blood, but I wasn’t engrossed in it. For all its complexity (usually something I appreciate in a mystery), I found the book all too easy to put down. It was worth finishing, but I’m not going to rush to grab the next one.

[Pedro Pascoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to admit right off the bat, I'm not a big fan of mysteries, historical or otherwise. I don't mind dipping my toe into the occasional historical mystery, and this was one of those indulgences. I recall reading an Ellis Peters medieval mystery ages ago and remembering it as being average. I quite enjoyed the two Stephen Saylor Roman mysteries that I'd read awhile back, and I'm actually quite fond of the Robert Van Gulik Judge Dee series. I picked up The Tournament of Blood a few months back, along with another in the series, moreso for the medieval angle, particularly the insight into everyday life around tournaments I'd hoped to glean, than for the murder mystery. I tend to glaze over the clues and characters, and trust that the author will bring it home for me, so I'm quite a lazy mystery reader when it comes to it.
At first, possibly more so for this being my first Jecks book, I didn't feel it read as a particularly good immersive medieval read, but that did get better for me as I got further into the book. It chugged along ok without being an amazing read. It did strike me as a well researched topic jumping on an average tale with a bare-bones minimum mystery that seemed to have named the murderer right from the start. Characterisation was adequate enough to be able to distinguish characters without any compelling stand-outs or particularly memorable characters. Which, as stated, was probably fine for my immediate purposes of getting a bit of a feel about medieval English tournaments. I must admit to having been grateful for the suggested few books on the topic in the author's intro.
I must admit Jeck's description of the initial joust was probably the most immersive part of the book, giving you a knight's eye view on proceedings. But on the whole I don't think I'd be able to recommend this book to anyone without any interest in medieval England, or the Middle Ages in general.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: England 1322

If you’ve ever seen a movie with two knights jousting in single combat, you might think you know all about medieval tournaments. You’d be wrong. That was just one event of the whole contest, and the contest itself was only a part of a huge series of events that took place. This book, which cites references for the curious, describes in detail everything that went into the pageantry of a real tournament. Our main character, Sir Baldwin, is a former Knight Templar. By this time in history, though, that order has been declared outlaw and excommunicate, which means that Sir Baldwin is living incognito in rural England, serving as a Keeper of the Peace. (Which is apparently like a sheriff, but not quite.)

Sir Baldwin and his wife are awaiting the birth of their first child, so talk of a tournament doesn’t really interest them. Once the baby girl safely arrives, Baldwin is happy to escape for a few days and join friends. But almost as soon as he gets there, his friend the bailiff Simon Puttock gets into a quarrel with a builder about the stands for the event. Then the builder is found dead. And that’s just the beginning.

Other bodies follow – the builder’s partner, a squire or two. The event was supposed to be a chance for knights to improves their combat skills, for squires to impress and maybe earn a knighthood of their own, for merchants to make some money and for the common people to have a little hard-earned fun. Instead, it’s turning into chaos.

I really enjoy this series. It’s really long and very popular among historical mysteries. This one was bloodier than usual. By the end of the book (slight spoiler) I was surprised by the way justice was administered. It’s a little different from the previous books I’ve read.

If you’re interested in this author, I would recommend starting with the first one, The Last Templar. Some fascinating stuff about the religious order, about the whole issue of holy wars and politics. There’s a lot of religion and politics in these books, so if you like your mysteries to have plenty of meaty historical details, you’d eat these up. I’d give this one 3.9 stars

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent mystery set in a medieval England. While we think we know the identity to the killer, the author does an excellent job of demonstrating things are not always as they seem. Along the way he manages to educate the reader on customs and superstitions of the era. He also provides a bridge to historical background that causes the reader to dive into other sources to pick up a bit more. Always entertaining, always informative. The author provides a plethora of interesting characters, some good and some bad, and none perfect.

This is another great historical novel. If you aren’t reading Jecks you are missing out on some really good stuff.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jecks' writing continues to improve. Baldwin and Simon do much more detective work now instead of just wandering back and forth between suspects asking stupid questions. He also weaves a more complex story. I did take issue, however, with the idea that Lady Helen enjoyed the abuse she received from her violent husband. I hope he becomes more sensitive as the series develops.

[K.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Simon arranges a tournament for Lord High... I enjoyed the fact that Simon for once came under suspicion, and that Baldwin stood as his champion in trial by combat. Enjoyable but I figured out whodunit quite early on

[Babylon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author gets it, but only most of the time. The descriptions of the medieval times it are set in a great. The characters are a bit flat, however, and the story could have been sharper. But a relaxing historical cosy crime novel.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adoro i libri ambientati nel medioevo, questo è uno tra quelli. L'ho letto molti anni fa ma mi ricordo benissimo la trama avventurosa ma soprattutto investigativa che lo caratterizza. Colpo di scena finale degno di Sherlock Holmes...

[Amanda Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read of this style and I was amazed at how a short time span of events soon filled the pages. Living in Okehampton meant I had to read it and I’m pleased I did.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bello, interessante, ottimo giallo.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, interesting plot and characters.

[Sue Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story.
Although motive was known at the start it kept the reader guessing as to the identity of the killer. Great setting of the Tournament.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with with different looks of the main characters

[Bill Meehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jecks throws a bit of a curve ball in this edition. The normally level headed Simon, under the stress of organizing a tournament, acts like quite an a$$, and brings about the ire and accusations from many around him as a result. Thankfully, Baldwin, though he gets quite rattled, literally, at one point, keeps the ship moving calmly through the stormy seas of murder, teen lust, cowardliness, revenge, and trial by battle.

[Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s no secret that I like The Knights Templar series very much. The Tournament of Blood is no exception, it may even be one of the best. It provides a nice insight in the world of medieval tournaments, and the rules and organization surrounding them. The only disappointment was the end, which was a bit too soft for my liking.

[PeterK B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read every book in this series, and would give most of them a 4 or 5 star review... but I really did not enjoy this one.

It starts with a murder but instead of focusing on the investigation, it goes on and on and on about a Joust tournament and about everything a dozen characters are doing. Becomes tedious and boring... but hey, there are several additional murders. And eventually, some of the book does focus on the investigations.

But the sub plot, about Simon's daughter Edith, is simply too long and becomes tedious. Frankly, the entire book is at least 100 pages too long.

I hate to say this since I have been a huge Jecks fan for years.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE TOURNAMENT OF BLOOD (Hist Mys-Sir Baldwin Furnshill/Bailiff Simon Puttock-England-1322) – G+
Jecks, Michael – 11th in series
Headline, 2001, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 0747272484

First Sentence: Benjamin Dudenay, known to most people as “Ben the moneylender”, was not popular, so his murder caused no distress except to his three outstanding creditors, whose demands for compensation where stolidly rejected by his widow, Maud.

Lord Hugh de Courtenay is hosting a tournament and Bailiff Simon Puttock has been tasked with organizing it. He is there at Oakhampton with his wife, Margaret, new baby, and rebellious daughter, Edith. Simon’s friend, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, is also in attendance. They have more than the tournament to occupy them.

First there is the murder of Benjamin Dudenay, money-lender to many of the participants. Shortly thereafter, Wymond, the carpenter preparing the grounds for the tournament, is murdered. When Simon is accused, his and Baldwin must find who is behind the killings.

Jecks is such a wonderfully visual, descriptive writer. His sense of time and place add so much to the reading of his books. I also appreciate that Jecks, rather than present the fairy-tale version of the middle ages, provides a very realistic view of the life and people of the time. While chivalry and honor may have been the aspiration for knights, the reality was a far cry from it.

This book was interesting as you knew the motive from the beginning, but not the identity of the killer. There were multiple threads and characters under threat for various reasons. An interesting element was dealing with homosexuality in that Baldwin, a knight, former Templar and widely traveled, was much more tolerant than his friend Simon.

There were a lot of characters in this story and it would have been confusing if not for the Cast of Characters in the beginning of the book. The primary characters of Simon and Baldwin are ones I very much enjoy, particularly the banter between them. Jecks has done an excellent job of giving life progression and growth to both characters through the series.

The plot was interesting, the dialogue always well done, and the ending unexpected but appropriate for the period. I often think of Christie when I finish a book by Jecks in that both end of with a lot of bodies.

My one critical point is that there seemed to be a fair amount of redundancy. I assume this was done to make a point, but it did become tiresome. This was another solid book in a very well-done series.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tournament of blood is a mystery with no real mystery. The plot and characters are so muddled that it is impossible to find just one suspect. The inept bailiff Simon accuses everyone and only at the very end mostly through some blind twists is the murder revealed. Maybe if you have read other books in this series then this book might have some meaning, but as the first of these books I have read it will be the last. I slogged through to the end but wish this book would have never found its way to me.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the most personal of the whole series. Simon and Sir Baldwin are actually threatened with death in this one. Simon is accused of murder, and Sir Baldwin defends him in mortal combat. Their friendship is sealed forever. And Hugh, the servant, kills for his master's daughter's honor. It really brings to life how you were considered guilty or innocent with no proof, only a battle of arms. How times have changed.

[Nancy Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series so much! The books are not just entertaining, as well as educational regarding life in 14th Century England, but they are so full of delightful characters, "good" ones and "bad" ones, and situations that draw you in and make you feel as if you're there. This particular book is so full of both murderers and suspects, it's almost confusing trying to keep them all straight! A most enjoyable read!

[Cece · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a dreadful title! Not a vampire book at all-a historical mystery.
It felt a little modern, with a teenage rebellion understory, but I suppose even then adolescent boys tried their lines out on girls and girls "fell in love" at the drop of a hat. Or lance. Excellent battle scenes, though. Certainly not all neat and tidy and Renaissance-Faire.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time the author has used the `f' word, totally unnecessary,1st, spoken by a women it was out of her character, the anger of the carpenter using it was perhaps understandable but still I don't think they would have used this word in the 14th century
Excellent suspense mystery, couldn't put it down

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Michael Jecks' medieval mystery series-they don't give anything away until the very end and provide a good insight into a particular aspect of medieval life (the jousting tournaments/history/terminology).

[Wazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

book 11

[Mary G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful. Very good.