The Sacred Stone

The Medieval Murderers #6

by The Medieval Murderers

1067. In the desolate wastes of Greenland, a band of hunters discover a strangely-shaped meteor which has fallen from the sky. At first, the mysterious 'sky-stone' seems to bring good luck, healing a lame boy and guaranteeing a good catch of furs. But violence and murder soon follow in fortune's wake as the villagers fight and struggle among themselves to get control of the precious stone. Over the next six hundred years, the Sky-Stone falls into the hands of crusading knights, the wicked Sheriff of Devon, a group of radical young kabalists, the dying King Henry III and a band of travelling players. Each time, the stone brings treachery, discord and violent death to those who seek to possess it.

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

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

A 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.

Reviews

[Mark Higginbottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book in the Medieval Murders series.I am so glad I discovered this collection because every single one in the series so far has been brilliant.I find the individual stories absolutely fascinating and almost can't put the book down once begun.It's no surprise really when the stories are by such talented writers as Ian Morston,Phillip Gooden,Bernard Knight,Susanna Gregory ,Karen Maitland and Simon Beaufort.The connecting story in this particular novel concerns an ancient stone thought to be a meteorite that is also suspected to have healing qualities for whoever holds /possesses the thing.It maybe sounds a little odd but it really is so clever the way the writers all use this plot and weave a story around it using their own individual story characters.I ploughed through this and am itching to begin the next one,The Hill Of Bones .I definitely recommend this series to anyone with an interest in history however slight as they are so well written I fail to see how anyone could be disappointed..... brilliant.

[Linda Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follows the usual plan for this series. Short stores written by various authors with a common theme. I didn't think this was quite up to the same quality as others in the series but I enjoyed it nonetheless. There was a slight change with this one as the last story was dystopian-set
A monk writes down prophesies he has been given. He cannot explain where they come from and his malady (we'd probably call it epilepsy) means he cannot remember anything of these episodes. His fellow monks are frightened of him and the abbot decides to have him killed for safety. But where is he when the soldiers enter the hut to do the deed? Later stores follow the book, now bound in leather-covered wooden boards, and some of the events which are predicted.

[hpboy13 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book, despite a very clear and very good premise just does not work. The "mysteries," such as they are, are more an excuse for a period piece vignette about characters in Medieval Times. None of the mysteries are adequately solved by anyone except the omniscient narrator on the last page, there never seems to be any reason for what happened beyond "kill for personal gain." I got through the prologue and the first two mysteries, then understood that there was absolutely no point to this book and DNFed. A disappointing way to end my 2017 reading.

[Joane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. I liked the way the short mystery stories were all brought together with the final story in the book. I like the idea of these authors co-writing this book and look forward to reading more of their books.

[Karen Hockemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found each of the stories very enjoyable and easy to follow. It was also nice that a couple of the stories had happy endings.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buts of this book were really good but other parts not so good depending on the writers.

[Karen Charlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Sacred Stone’ by the Mediaeval Murderers and found it a fascinating concept. Five different historical novelists take the single idea of a strange stone, reputed to possess curative powers and – in the wrong hands – the power to summon demons, and they write about its progress through the Middle Ages. Each author specialises in a different period of history and created a unique story around the mystique of the stone.

A shard from an ancient Arctic meteorite, the sacred stone becomes legendary and the centre of controversy and crime. Theft, mayhem and murder follow it wherever it goes - and it goes a long way. From Greenland to Ireland, England and France the stone is handed from one distinctive character to another. The five stories are rich in historical detail and take the reader on an enjoyable romp through six centuries. Every aspect of Mediaeval life is portrayed from the court of Edward III to the plight of the persecuted Jews in Norwich and the subjugation of the serfs in rural Devon. I was a little surprised that the final story took us out of the Mediaeval era and into the world of Shakespeare’s London, but as it contained the best description of a hangover I have ever read, I am not unduly bothered by this anomaly.

My only complaint is that the eBook contained no details about which author wrote which section, and it required detective work on my part to find out more about the writers of my favourite characters and stories.

[Alison C · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Medieval Murderers are a group of British historical crime fiction writers (in this case, Karen Maitland, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Philip Gooden, Ian Morson and Simon Beaufort) who start with a particular object and take it through its criminal history from, say, the Dark Ages to the present. In The Sacred Stone, that object is a curiously shaped meteorite, a small but heavy rock that sometimes looks like a ship and sometimes looks like a bird in flight. It falls from the sky onto a field in Greenland in 1067, and it both cures and curses the Viking settlement living nearby. As time goes on, it sometimes heals and sometimes destroys - but always, there are people prepared to murder to possess it....In this entry to the series, we range from the 11th Century to the 21st, sticking mostly in the Middle Ages with stories set in 1101, 1236, 1241, 1272, 1606 and 2010 respectively; most of the stories feature the authors' series characters (actor Nick Revill in Philip Gooden's story, Oxford don William Falconer in Ian Morson's tale set in 1272, and so on). Karen Maitland is new to the series and to me as a reader; her story deals with Jews in 13th Century England, but I don't know if any particular character is set up as a series personage. I find these volumes to be quite entertaining and this one is no exception. Not the type of book where you want to buy multiple copies for all your friends and relatives, but a pleasant way to while away an evening or three. Recommended.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a chronological series of separate stories, each written by a different author, linking what happens to a 'sky-stone' as it passes from person to person during the medieval period 1067 to 1606.
I am enjoyng this as it's moving through history, giving snippets of life in each period. Just been through the persecution of Jews in England in the late 1200s, time of Henry III.
I am reading the book in my lunch break at work, so you can see it is easy to pick up for half an hour to take you away from the annoyances of the 21st century!
Really enjoyed it right to the end.

[Jules The Book Junkie Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a whim while at my local library. I thoroughly enjoyed this work of fiction, and I especially liked the notes of historical fact at the end of each story/act. Until reading others' reviews, I did not know that each act/story was written by a different author.

The chronological acts/stories link the history of a "sky stone" and how its ownership changes during a time period of approximately 600 years. The religious and healing powers attributed to the stone create opportunities and misfortune for the possessor of the stone.

[BookAddict · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would probably have preferred to read this rather than listen to it. In fact, for the first time ever, I did not finish an audiobook. I just could not get into this and I adore every single one of the authors. I loved the premise and really liked the first story. The second one didn't enthrall me but I hung in there until about halfway through the fourth. Just could not go on. It's possible that the narration of connected short stories just isn't something I like.

[Peg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked this although I was unaware it's part of a series. Apparently a group of writers about fictional detectives in the medieval era got together. They each write a chapter about an object or element through time. Well-written and interesting tidbits about the era. But I won't go looking for the next one in the series.

[Astrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up because Karen Maitland is one of the writers. A stone is found a thousand years ago in Greenland, and it is passed on through the ages, causing good stuff and bad stuff to happen, depending on who has it. Each time period changes characters, but I had to laugh when at the end, and spoiler alert here, the thing ends up on eBay. HAH!

[Glynis O'halloran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another pageturner from the Medieval Murderers. These books are rather similar in storyline but still seem to have enough of a difference to keep me glued to the book. I love the way the stories are brought up to date at the end. A good easy read but don't read them all in succession because you will find them too much the same.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the other books of this series that I have read, there are a few authors whose style or character I don't like. But for the most part, I enjoyed it and found a new "medieval detective" - William Falconer.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun.Take an object, in this case a small meteorite and then let several well known historical crime writers each write a story about its progress through time. it makes for very interesting reading. I liked the unexpectedness of the last story.

[Sonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love these books! The stories all have a common ingredient but take place in different time periods. I haven't yet read a story that i didn't find interesting and well written. I will be sorry when I have finished the series....maybe the authors will write more....please!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, all the stories blended well together

[Ice Bear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get the impression that I am warming to the format and the characters of these tales. Some of the mysteries can be solved early on, for some they twist and turn. The review score is probably 3½.

[E.J. Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazon recommended this one to me and while most of the stories didn't do much for me, Ian Morson's story was so well-written that I went and bought his William Falconer series.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the fact that different authors continued the story, one following the other. Of course, I liked som ebetter than others. Butr I appreciated the common thread running through the stories.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways the layout is similar to King Arthur's Bones, so I wouldn't recommended reading one Medieval Murders book straight after another.