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The Medieval Murderers #4
The Lost Prophecies
575 AD: A baby is washed up on the Irish coast and is taken to the nearest abbey. He grows up to become a scholar and a monk, but, in early adulthood, he appears to have become possessed, scribbling endless strange verses in Latin. When the Abbott tries to have him drowned, he disappears. Later, his scribblings turn up as the Book of Bran, his writings translated as portents of the future. Violence and untimely death befall all who come into the orbit of this mysterious book.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2008
19 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
The Medieval Murderers
22 books73 followersA pseudonym used for collaborative works by the following:
Simon Beaufort,
Philip Gooden,
Susanna Gregory,
Michael Jecks,
Bernard Knight,
Karen Maitland,
Ian Morson, and
C.J. Sansom.
Simon Beaufort,
Philip Gooden,
Susanna Gregory,
Michael Jecks,
Bernard Knight,
Karen Maitland,
Ian Morson, and
C.J. Sansom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 11, 2017
It was a chore to plough through this book. Each section was written by a different author and covered a different period in time so some parts were better than others - I enjoyed the 4th and 5th acts. I'm just glad I'm finally finished with it!!!
September 1, 2015
Another great set of short stories with a single artifact at their core. Loved it...
March 14, 2025
This is another in the series of books by a number of well-known historical mystery authors who call themselves the Medieval Murderers. This book has a prologue and six Acts, all surrounding a book of vague prophecies written in the sixth century by a crazed Irish monk. The Acts follow the fate of the book and its owners from the 12th century to a future time.
I've read many of these authors, some of whom I really like. There are a couple of characters I dislike, though the authors are good writers, so this series is always a mixed bag for me. This book is no exception.
The theme is of the Black Book of Brân, written by the monk of that name. He was found floating in a coracle that washed up from the Bay of Ballyheigue. He was taken in by the monks of Clonmacnois Abbey. At age 33, he begins furiously writing the rhyming quatrains, in Latin and beautifully illustrated, which his fellow monks consider blasphemous. He begins to have seizures and is chained in a cell. One day, a huge wave from the Bay strikes the Abbey, and when the brothers go to Bran's cell, they find it empty except for the chains and his robe!
Jump it 1196, and Coroner Sir John de Wolfe is informed that more treasure consisting of ancient coins is being found around reconstruction efforts at King Richard the Lionheart's castle. Sir John is staying at the nearby Abbey attached to Exeter Cathedral. That evening, an abbey proctor is killed, and the object he had was stolen. It was the Black Book of Brân. Now, Sir John must find the murderer and the book!
Act Two takes place in 1262, where Nicolo Zuliani finds himself stranded in a blizzard in the Crimea. His aim is to swindle the fellow travelers out of as much money as he can and get out of the country alive. Fellow traveler Friar Alberoni is in possession of the Black Book, which he'd stolen from the Vatican archives. Nick's plan is to steal it and sell it to the highest bidder. But in the morning, one of the travelers is found murdered and Nick is accused. How will he get out of this alive and get home?
Act Three, 1325, and Brother Alexander has tasked himself with hiding the Black Book of Brân. He would much rather burn the cursed thing. Soon, blood curdling screams are heard throughout the Abbey of Westminster. Bishop Walter Stapledon immediately calls in Sir Baldwin de Furnshill to investigate, and what he finds is shocking. Brother Alexander had been skinned alive, and the Black Book of Brân stolen! Can Sir Baldwin and his friend Simon Puttock solve the murder and retrieve the book? Only time will tell. As always, I enjoyed seeing Sir Baldwin at his best.
Act Four, 1350, during the reign of King Edward III and the Black Book of Brân is in the hands of the despicable William de Drayton who claims to have saved it from a fire. But Drayton is murdered after trying to sell it in Cambridge, and the book disappeared. Seven years later, the Bardolf brothers were involved in a deadly fight between their colleges over the ownership of the Black Book. Seven are killed. The Bardolfs had discovered the book on an alter at morning prayers. Now Matthew Bartholomew, Master of Medicine, at Michaelhouse, and official Corpse Examiner, must find the truth. This Act is the most complex of the six and a tangle of people and motivations. I really enjoyed it.
Act Five takes place in the 1600s with Nickolas Ravill, a player in the King’s Company at the Globe Theater as the main character. As usual, death and obsession follow the Black Book of Brân! Nick joins other travelers, one of whom is in possession of the book. His name is Thomas Cloke. They are attacked close to the house of Cloke's relatives' the Shaws, and he dies shortly after. The Shaws are recusant Catholics. So now Nick is in double jeopardy. How will he get out of it alive?
Act Six takes place in the year 2135 and is the most intriguing of all the tales. The late, wonderful writer, C. J. Sansom created this tale. I've read all of his Shardlake series, and we lost an outstanding author when he passed away. It is in this tale that the world is near the end. The arctic caps have melted. Most of the continents are flooded. There was a nuclear war between China and Russia killing millions upon millions. The survivors are huddled on the few lands left. Amidst the chaos, a band of true believers in the prophecies of the Black Book of Brân are poised to do the unthinkable. A government agent named Shiva, after the Hindu God, is sent to stop them. Will he?
I've read many of these authors, some of whom I really like. There are a couple of characters I dislike, though the authors are good writers, so this series is always a mixed bag for me. This book is no exception.
The theme is of the Black Book of Brân, written by the monk of that name. He was found floating in a coracle that washed up from the Bay of Ballyheigue. He was taken in by the monks of Clonmacnois Abbey. At age 33, he begins furiously writing the rhyming quatrains, in Latin and beautifully illustrated, which his fellow monks consider blasphemous. He begins to have seizures and is chained in a cell. One day, a huge wave from the Bay strikes the Abbey, and when the brothers go to Bran's cell, they find it empty except for the chains and his robe!
Jump it 1196, and Coroner Sir John de Wolfe is informed that more treasure consisting of ancient coins is being found around reconstruction efforts at King Richard the Lionheart's castle. Sir John is staying at the nearby Abbey attached to Exeter Cathedral. That evening, an abbey proctor is killed, and the object he had was stolen. It was the Black Book of Brân. Now, Sir John must find the murderer and the book!
Act Two takes place in 1262, where Nicolo Zuliani finds himself stranded in a blizzard in the Crimea. His aim is to swindle the fellow travelers out of as much money as he can and get out of the country alive. Fellow traveler Friar Alberoni is in possession of the Black Book, which he'd stolen from the Vatican archives. Nick's plan is to steal it and sell it to the highest bidder. But in the morning, one of the travelers is found murdered and Nick is accused. How will he get out of this alive and get home?
Act Three, 1325, and Brother Alexander has tasked himself with hiding the Black Book of Brân. He would much rather burn the cursed thing. Soon, blood curdling screams are heard throughout the Abbey of Westminster. Bishop Walter Stapledon immediately calls in Sir Baldwin de Furnshill to investigate, and what he finds is shocking. Brother Alexander had been skinned alive, and the Black Book of Brân stolen! Can Sir Baldwin and his friend Simon Puttock solve the murder and retrieve the book? Only time will tell. As always, I enjoyed seeing Sir Baldwin at his best.
Act Four, 1350, during the reign of King Edward III and the Black Book of Brân is in the hands of the despicable William de Drayton who claims to have saved it from a fire. But Drayton is murdered after trying to sell it in Cambridge, and the book disappeared. Seven years later, the Bardolf brothers were involved in a deadly fight between their colleges over the ownership of the Black Book. Seven are killed. The Bardolfs had discovered the book on an alter at morning prayers. Now Matthew Bartholomew, Master of Medicine, at Michaelhouse, and official Corpse Examiner, must find the truth. This Act is the most complex of the six and a tangle of people and motivations. I really enjoyed it.
Act Five takes place in the 1600s with Nickolas Ravill, a player in the King’s Company at the Globe Theater as the main character. As usual, death and obsession follow the Black Book of Brân! Nick joins other travelers, one of whom is in possession of the book. His name is Thomas Cloke. They are attacked close to the house of Cloke's relatives' the Shaws, and he dies shortly after. The Shaws are recusant Catholics. So now Nick is in double jeopardy. How will he get out of it alive?
Act Six takes place in the year 2135 and is the most intriguing of all the tales. The late, wonderful writer, C. J. Sansom created this tale. I've read all of his Shardlake series, and we lost an outstanding author when he passed away. It is in this tale that the world is near the end. The arctic caps have melted. Most of the continents are flooded. There was a nuclear war between China and Russia killing millions upon millions. The survivors are huddled on the few lands left. Amidst the chaos, a band of true believers in the prophecies of the Black Book of Brân are poised to do the unthinkable. A government agent named Shiva, after the Hindu God, is sent to stop them. Will he?
February 25, 2024
Great start, acceptable middle, awful ending. I guess it's reasonable to expect a mixed bag from a mixed group of authors (and this was the first of this series I have read, so I have no previous opinion on it).
The premise is enjoyable, the historical foundations engaging and sometimes educational (with varying degrees of historical accuracy). The wildly different points of view and methods of storytelling caught my interest but often jarred.
But taken as a whole, the storytelling was captivating enough to call it a page-turner.
However, the ending ruined it all, for me -- polemical, political, and packed to the rafters with obvious opinion on recent / current events ().
Even setting aside the dramatic change in tone to one of personal conjecture -- and even when you agree with the viewpoints, as they stick out at jags from the novel format, tripping you up in your reading -- the final section presents a subtle but definite change in viewpoint toward the subject of the book itself, the
In fact this turnabout casts the entire book retroactively in a questionable light, as now its meaning is dubious, its purpose possibly nullified.
This take, I recognize, is just my own point of view, but I think any reasonable reader will find similar conclusions (perhaps many have or have not, as I am late to the game as usual).
I expect I will read others of this series simply for the interest of the plotlines and the setting, but I sit in some disappointment at the frustrating conclusion to a variable, but considerably enjoyable, historical novel.
The premise is enjoyable, the historical foundations engaging and sometimes educational (with varying degrees of historical accuracy). The wildly different points of view and methods of storytelling caught my interest but often jarred.
But taken as a whole, the storytelling was captivating enough to call it a page-turner.
However, the ending ruined it all, for me -- polemical, political, and packed to the rafters with obvious opinion on recent / current events ().
Even setting aside the dramatic change in tone to one of personal conjecture -- and even when you agree with the viewpoints, as they stick out at jags from the novel format, tripping you up in your reading -- the final section presents a subtle but definite change in viewpoint toward the subject of the book itself, the
In fact this turnabout casts the entire book retroactively in a questionable light, as now its meaning is dubious, its purpose possibly nullified.
This take, I recognize, is just my own point of view, but I think any reasonable reader will find similar conclusions (perhaps many have or have not, as I am late to the game as usual).
I expect I will read others of this series simply for the interest of the plotlines and the setting, but I sit in some disappointment at the frustrating conclusion to a variable, but considerably enjoyable, historical novel.
July 27, 2017
Six authors who all write mysteries set during medieval times have collaborated on this collection of novellas, with a connecting thread — the prophecies of the title. Most of these stories are set in or around the the medieval era, and feature the authors' protagonists from their separate series. To set the scene, an Irish monk with a mysterious origin writes a collection of poetic prophecies, and down through the ages they seem to come true — or their readers attempt to make them happen. The only story not set in the past is the final one, and the best (in my opinion); it is set in the future when Earth has been ravaged by Global Warming and nuclear war. A religious sect appears, taking the final prophecy as their sacred text. They believe the world is about to end, and only believers will be "raptured" — and they will do just about anything to make the prophecy come true. This is a dire warning of where we may be heading in our own future if we aren't careful! Highly recommended.
March 24, 2022
Another cracking read in the Medieval Murders series.These authors really know how to transport the reader back to those long lost times.The smells,the sounds,the everyday lives of the people...they all come alive with such stark reality it's fascinating.My personal favourites of the six separate acts that make up the whole story were Act One by Bernard Knight and Act Four by Susanna Gregory but I think that's because I have read all the books in their own individual series which were all brilliant.Act Six by C.J.Sansom was a complete surprise and a direct contrast to the usual themes in this series but it was still a very fascinating read.I highly recommend this series of novels The Medieval Murders to anyone who enjoys reading about history and all its intriguing fascinating characters.I can't wait to start the next one !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2018
I’ve read all the other Medieval Murderers series and this one is every bit as well written. A monk in 6th century Ireland has a series of visions and writes prophetic visions of the world to its very end. Then 6 well-known authors carry the story forward, each moving forward in time within the context of their own series of stories, e.g., Bernard Knight writes of 12th century Devon, and Susanna Gregory writes of 14th century Cambridge. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the stories - really little murder mystery novellas - even to the final one, the end of the world. The story by C.J. Swanson is a true cautionary tale; it kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies, truth be told.
May 23, 2021
Good idea that didn't work. I kept on with it as I always feel I should finish a book and also hoped it might improve with the more experienced authors, but what a waste of reading time. Despite some well known names, none of the author's stories held my interest (and I like historical mysteries).
One of the well knowns, Sansom, should surely know better than to mix up flaunt and flout (comment on behaviour of two gay men: "...here they are flouting it in public", obviously also missed in the editorial process. The Sansom story had nothing at all to do with mediaeval murderers but was set in a dystopian future and would have struggled for publication without his name attached.
One of the well knowns, Sansom, should surely know better than to mix up flaunt and flout (comment on behaviour of two gay men: "...here they are flouting it in public", obviously also missed in the editorial process. The Sansom story had nothing at all to do with mediaeval murderers but was set in a dystopian future and would have struggled for publication without his name attached.
November 24, 2021
I have enjoyed this series so much. I hope I can find the rest. This series doesn't have to be read in order. Each book is a collection of short stories. They seem have some theme that has something to do with religion or theology. They're usually set way back in time but this one has a future dystopia story. This particular book is about a book of quadrangles that were written as prophecies by a monk, who was considered mad he suffered seizures then writes what he was bidden. His writing are immediately considered dangerous and there's a mystery of his fate but the book continues through the centuries.
July 2, 2017
I had high hopes for this book. It consists of 6 interlinked short stories by 6 different medieval murder authors. Everything was going so well until we reached the last chapter and then I felt let down because it became dystopian and suddenly wasn't what it said on the tin. :( I might consider reading another from the series but I'm not as enthusiastic about it as I thought I'd be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2025
1 star each for Crowner John and Matthew Bartholomew.
I gave up on the stories written by Ian Morson and Michael Jecks - just didn't enjoy them. Then I couldn't be bothered to read the rest and ditched the book.
Probably the last Medieval Murderers that I'll read. A good idea but hasn't worked out for me.
I gave up on the stories written by Ian Morson and Michael Jecks - just didn't enjoy them. Then I couldn't be bothered to read the rest and ditched the book.
Probably the last Medieval Murderers that I'll read. A good idea but hasn't worked out for me.
March 6, 2018
Really a set of short stories with a connection, this one being a book of prophecies. If you like the authors and their characters, you'll probably enjoy these, the last act leaves this theme and goes into the future, but that is interesting reading, although science fiction, not medieval.
August 14, 2019
Each individual story was good, but I found the final story completely out of sync with all of stories in the rest of the entire series. It was fine as a stand alone story, but it just didn't fit in with the whole theme of the series.
March 5, 2021
I found this a really good book that could have failed so badly. Several authors take part of the story and it becomes "a historical mystery"
This is well worth a read.
I have too much time on my hands, I have read three books in two days
This is well worth a read.
I have too much time on my hands, I have read three books in two days
January 1, 2020
This book features a book of prophecies called the Black Book of Bran written by a sixth century Irish monk. You follow the book through the ages.
May 7, 2020
Love this book
May 29, 2023
did not finish it
June 23, 2010
I didn't really have very high expectations for this book and was moderately okay with it for the most part, but the ending really derailed it for me. Since this book comprises six interlinked mysteries, I shall discuss each one separately.
The overarching concept of this book is a set of cryptic Latin quatrains written by a sixth- or seventh-century Irish monk named Brân (whose name without the accent always made me think of muffins), who was basically the Irish Nostradamus. Anyway, his likely-seizure-inspired prophecies cause havoc through the ages, as the six "acts" show.
Act 1 was all right. It adds the concept of someone copying out the Black Book of Brân (as it's known) and adding his own quatrain to the end to warn people that the book is basically a load of bollocks and that one should not read too much into it. This act features Bernard Knight's "Crowner John" and was actually not bad.
Act 2 did not hold my interest very much. While I appreciate the unique perspective on the 1200s or whenever it was by showing Tartars and setting the story in a very cold part of northern Europe/Siberia (sorry, I've returned the book to the library so my recollections of the book are already growing dim) instead of focusing on England, I did not really enjoy the story and thought the solution kind of came out of left field. It was a classic closed-circle mystery but damned if I would have been able to figure it out.
Act 3 actually managed to pique my interest, even though Michael Jecks did his damn "use a twee dating system involving the date in relation to feast days and years of kings' reigns, then put the real date in a footnote, instead of just PUTTING THE REAL DATE WITH THE TWEE DATE" thing that drives me up the wall. Unfortunately, the thing that piqued my interest was the fact that the victim was flayed alive. Ewwww, how horrifying. But other than that I was not really impressed. The killer came out of left field here too. Either I'm an idiot or these are not plotted very well. I'd rather it be the former, actually. It's a shame to have poorly plotted books.
Act 4's setting of Cambridge was very nice, but I really did not care about the characters AT ALL and nearly gave up on the book here. There's only so many times you can read about characters "asking curiously" and "frowning unhappily" before you snap.
Act 5 was actually quite good, comparatively speaking. I was a bit harsh on this author's act in King Arthur's Bones, but his contribution to this book was really neat. I think the plot and timing (around the time of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605) really helped sell this story for me. Easily my favourite act in this book.
Act 6 was, to be blunt, a load of tosh. Set in 2135, it is the usual hodgepodge of post-apocalyptic climate change doom-and-gloom fiction, except with a book of Irish prophecies thrown in. I did appreciate that the author didn't really add too many novel technologies, but I'm just so jaded with all of these climate change stories that I was really not impressed. It also felt very threadbare in terms of plot, and the protagonist was not very relatable, at least for me.
To sum up, I was not really enamoured of this book, but at least I borrowed it from the library. Had I bought it I would have been much more disappointed.
The overarching concept of this book is a set of cryptic Latin quatrains written by a sixth- or seventh-century Irish monk named Brân (whose name without the accent always made me think of muffins), who was basically the Irish Nostradamus. Anyway, his likely-seizure-inspired prophecies cause havoc through the ages, as the six "acts" show.
Act 1 was all right. It adds the concept of someone copying out the Black Book of Brân (as it's known) and adding his own quatrain to the end to warn people that the book is basically a load of bollocks and that one should not read too much into it. This act features Bernard Knight's "Crowner John" and was actually not bad.
Act 2 did not hold my interest very much. While I appreciate the unique perspective on the 1200s or whenever it was by showing Tartars and setting the story in a very cold part of northern Europe/Siberia (sorry, I've returned the book to the library so my recollections of the book are already growing dim) instead of focusing on England, I did not really enjoy the story and thought the solution kind of came out of left field. It was a classic closed-circle mystery but damned if I would have been able to figure it out.
Act 3 actually managed to pique my interest, even though Michael Jecks did his damn "use a twee dating system involving the date in relation to feast days and years of kings' reigns, then put the real date in a footnote, instead of just PUTTING THE REAL DATE WITH THE TWEE DATE" thing that drives me up the wall. Unfortunately, the thing that piqued my interest was the fact that the victim was flayed alive. Ewwww, how horrifying. But other than that I was not really impressed. The killer came out of left field here too. Either I'm an idiot or these are not plotted very well. I'd rather it be the former, actually. It's a shame to have poorly plotted books.
Act 4's setting of Cambridge was very nice, but I really did not care about the characters AT ALL and nearly gave up on the book here. There's only so many times you can read about characters "asking curiously" and "frowning unhappily" before you snap.
Act 5 was actually quite good, comparatively speaking. I was a bit harsh on this author's act in King Arthur's Bones, but his contribution to this book was really neat. I think the plot and timing (around the time of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605) really helped sell this story for me. Easily my favourite act in this book.
Act 6 was, to be blunt, a load of tosh. Set in 2135, it is the usual hodgepodge of post-apocalyptic climate change doom-and-gloom fiction, except with a book of Irish prophecies thrown in. I did appreciate that the author didn't really add too many novel technologies, but I'm just so jaded with all of these climate change stories that I was really not impressed. It also felt very threadbare in terms of plot, and the protagonist was not very relatable, at least for me.
To sum up, I was not really enamoured of this book, but at least I borrowed it from the library. Had I bought it I would have been much more disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2014
I enjoy the Medieval Murderers' books for what they are--short stories you can dip in and out of, some brilliant and some not entirely satisfying. The Lost Prophecies is one of the best of the bunch, following the adventures of people who come into contact with a manuscript of prophecies written by an otherworldly Irish monk.
By 'not entirely satisfying,' I mostly mean that I like to have more things tied up than are in most of these stories. This is the nature of short stories anyway, of course--you're left to imagine what happens to the characters after the final paragraph, including Bran himself. Some of the stories have more of a plot than others; a few just illustrate and incident and have done with it.
The introduction by Bernard Knight is short, sweet and haunting, but I just can't quite seem to get invested in his Crowner John--the story is really just John doing his job, without any tension or repercussions. This is followed by Ian Morson's Venetian con man in a captivating story with a lot going on. Michael Jecks is up next, and his story of murder in a monastery is dark but compelling; for all its gruesomeness it might be the best of the bunch. Then Susanna Gregory's Cambridge detectives appear, and this is a good read even though some parts seem superfluous. Philip Gooden moves us into the post-Elizabethan age, and while this is another story without much of an ending, it also is relatively relaxing after all the violence of the last couple. The book then jumps ahead several centuries into a post-apocalyptic future in a story that really grabs, even as it's a bit of a shock to the system in many ways.
I took this book travelling, so that I could have a story here and there on train journeys and still pull my head out of it. It's a good travelling book and well worth a read.
By 'not entirely satisfying,' I mostly mean that I like to have more things tied up than are in most of these stories. This is the nature of short stories anyway, of course--you're left to imagine what happens to the characters after the final paragraph, including Bran himself. Some of the stories have more of a plot than others; a few just illustrate and incident and have done with it.
The introduction by Bernard Knight is short, sweet and haunting, but I just can't quite seem to get invested in his Crowner John--the story is really just John doing his job, without any tension or repercussions. This is followed by Ian Morson's Venetian con man in a captivating story with a lot going on. Michael Jecks is up next, and his story of murder in a monastery is dark but compelling; for all its gruesomeness it might be the best of the bunch. Then Susanna Gregory's Cambridge detectives appear, and this is a good read even though some parts seem superfluous. Philip Gooden moves us into the post-Elizabethan age, and while this is another story without much of an ending, it also is relatively relaxing after all the violence of the last couple. The book then jumps ahead several centuries into a post-apocalyptic future in a story that really grabs, even as it's a bit of a shock to the system in many ways.
I took this book travelling, so that I could have a story here and there on train journeys and still pull my head out of it. It's a good travelling book and well worth a read.
January 31, 2012
A novel written by not one, not two, but six well known British crime writers who each take a turn in writing an 'act' all of which are connected by the main premise which is the book of prophecies written by a sixth century Irish monk.
Albeit with a central theme, this, when all is said and done, is a collection of short stories which, as many of you know, isn't a favourite genre of mine, but I decided to give it a go as I was interested to read something else by C.J. Sansom (I love his Shardlake series) AND, secondly, I was intrigued to read for myself just whether or not this style of writing a novel would work ....... so did it?
Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this but, on the whole, would have to say that I was quite surprised at just how well it did work.
Set in the past (apart from C.J. Sansom's offering, which, the last story in the book, was set in the not too distant future) I was quite impressed at the array of different settings, one moment I found myself in an English monastery, the next in a Tartar tent in Russia, AND then there was the way in which (most of) the authors managed to bring the events and characters to life in such a relatively short time.
On the negative side though ..... it has to be said that some of the authors style of writing suited this book more than others which didn't make for a 'constant' read in that I found myself really enjoyed one act, finding it difficult to put the book down, only to then find myself struggling laboriously with the next act.
All in all, an interesting reading experience, not one I'm sure I'd want to repeat any time soon though, I'd recommend this as something just that little bit different.
Albeit with a central theme, this, when all is said and done, is a collection of short stories which, as many of you know, isn't a favourite genre of mine, but I decided to give it a go as I was interested to read something else by C.J. Sansom (I love his Shardlake series) AND, secondly, I was intrigued to read for myself just whether or not this style of writing a novel would work ....... so did it?
Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this but, on the whole, would have to say that I was quite surprised at just how well it did work.
Set in the past (apart from C.J. Sansom's offering, which, the last story in the book, was set in the not too distant future) I was quite impressed at the array of different settings, one moment I found myself in an English monastery, the next in a Tartar tent in Russia, AND then there was the way in which (most of) the authors managed to bring the events and characters to life in such a relatively short time.
On the negative side though ..... it has to be said that some of the authors style of writing suited this book more than others which didn't make for a 'constant' read in that I found myself really enjoyed one act, finding it difficult to put the book down, only to then find myself struggling laboriously with the next act.
All in all, an interesting reading experience, not one I'm sure I'd want to repeat any time soon though, I'd recommend this as something just that little bit different.
December 17, 2010
An interesting concept (six mystery stories by different writers, strung together by a book of prophecies written by a 7th Century Irish Monk). Sadly, not as cool as advertized. About half of the stories didn't do much for me and most of them took a while to get into, which meant, that by the time a story had grabbed by interest, it was usually 2/3rds over. To be honest, I'd grabbed this book because I'm a fan of authors Gooden and Sanson (chapters V and VI)and I was expecting these writers' characters Nick Revill (who was the protagontist in V) and Matthew Shardlake - but Chapter VI turned out to be set in a post-global warming world rather than in Tudor England. Suprisingly, that was actually the story I liked best (that and Chapter II).
Prologue: 6-7th C. Ireland ***
Chapter I: 12th C. Devon **
Chapter II: 13th C. Russia ***
Chapter III: 14th C. Westminster Abbey **.5
Chapter IV: 14th C. Cambridge **
Chapter V: 17th C. London and countryside ***
Chapter VI: 22nd C. Birmingham and Tasmania ***
Prologue: 6-7th C. Ireland ***
Chapter I: 12th C. Devon **
Chapter II: 13th C. Russia ***
Chapter III: 14th C. Westminster Abbey **.5
Chapter IV: 14th C. Cambridge **
Chapter V: 17th C. London and countryside ***
Chapter VI: 22nd C. Birmingham and Tasmania ***
February 21, 2011
I am not a great fan of the short story, much preferring to immerse myself in longer narratives and more detailed character studies than the format allows.
Plus, although I quite enjoyed this collection of linked short stories, I think I would have enjoyed them more if I'd been more familiar with the characters in the stories who have made their appearances in the various historical murder mysteries series penned by the authors. I had heard of their books but not yet read any aside from Sansom's books.
Strangely enough the story I found most compelling was the one set in the future, written by Sansom. That may have been because the characters were created only for that story, so no back knowledge was required.
November 15, 2011
A pretty cool concept, with 6 English medieval mystery writers teaming up to write 6 loosely related short stories. A nice book if you know you will need to start/stop often. Each chapter/act can definitely live on its own and be read in any order... just need to read the prologue first.
I liked some of the stories much better than the others. For example, I enjoyed Bernard Knight and Ian Morson a bunch - they wrote the first two acts. The final act was actually into the future and gave an interesting view of the year 2035. Couple of the acts were not as enjoyable for me... so giving overall book 3 stars. However, I do plan to try another book by these set of authors as this is #4 in a series. Also will try a novel by Knight and Morson.
I liked some of the stories much better than the others. For example, I enjoyed Bernard Knight and Ian Morson a bunch - they wrote the first two acts. The final act was actually into the future and gave an interesting view of the year 2035. Couple of the acts were not as enjoyable for me... so giving overall book 3 stars. However, I do plan to try another book by these set of authors as this is #4 in a series. Also will try a novel by Knight and Morson.
July 18, 2016
Rarely have I enjoyed a string of historical stories so much as these. Strung together over time, these stories begin with the prophetic writings of a confused monk named Bran in the seventh century CE and end in a sci-fi Earth in 2135. The prophecies are written in much the same style as those of Nostradamus and are not really understood by those who read them until after they've been fulfilled. The book is not the work of one authors, but by 6 writers calling themselves the Mystery Murderers: C.J. Sansom, Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight, Susanna Gregory, Ian Morsan and Phillip Golden. Each brings a distinctive voice to their chapter but the whole hangs together like a well made necklace.
December 28, 2009
Interesting if you like to pick up a few details of life in medieval (mostly) England and Europe. Six writers each produce a mystery based on a theme - a 7th century fictional book of prophecies written by an Irish monk provokes people of later centuries to commit mayhem and murder. The writers possess varying degrees of talent - none brilliant. Some of the stories drag, others beggar belief. My favorite, and perhaps the most successful because the author limited the variables, takes place in a hut in 1262 in Sudak, Gothia (modern day Crimea).
July 30, 2010
Hmm....not a favorite, not one I'm going to recommend. But I did finish it so it had something to it because I will never waste my time on anything that doesn't give me something. As with many of my books lately due to summer driving back and forth between lake house and city I had this read to me in it's audio version. I think perhaps if I were reading the hard copy I may not have finished it. So it's a 2.5 out of 5 stars really. Much to be said for the audio narrator doing and excellent job.
(Others give the plot I so won't go over it again.)
(Others give the plot I so won't go over it again.)
October 11, 2010
A collection of short stories centred around the theme of the Black Book of Bran, containing various prophecies by a seventh century Irish monk. I didn't enjoy this as much as earlier collections by the Medieval Murderers although some stories were better than others. New boy on the block C.J. Sansom adds a futuristic tale on the subject and, as much as I love his writing and liked this story, I didn't think it sat well with the other stories.
January 14, 2009
An addled monk writes down his "prophecies" in the 7th Century. A series of mystery authors wrote stories revolving around these prophecies at different times in the book's life. I had high hopes and still enjoyed this read but found it lacking. I wish one of the authors had written the entire book so the writing would flow.
March 11, 2010
I've loved the previous books by this group of authors. This one, however, didn't meet my expectations. The final chapter by C.J. Sansome was particularly out of place. I do like his books, but this wasn't the place for this. His was set in the future, and it is written by the Medieval Murderers after all. Just not happy with it, but will continue to read their books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2011
It was a fun read. The Medieval Murderers are a collection of authors who write mystery novels set in Medieval times. I enjoyed this because each author used their own detectives, so I was introduced to some new authors, and read some favourites. I may or may not check out some others in the series, though.
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