Traitor's Codex

by Jeri Westerson

Overview

An ancient and mysterious book leads Crispin Guest into a deadly maze in this latest medieval noir mystery.

Crispin Guest, Tracker of London, is enjoying his ale in the Boar’s Tusk tavern – until a stranger leaves a mysterious wrapped bundle on his table, telling him, "You'll know what to do." Inside is an ancient leather-bound book written in an unrecognizable language. Accompanied by his apprentice, Jack Tucker, Crispin takes the unknown codex to a hidden rabbi, where they make a shocking discovery: it is the Gospel of Judas from the Holy Land, and its contents challenge the very doctrine of Christianity itself.

Crispin is soon drawn into a deadly maze involving murder, living saints, and lethal henchmen. Why was he given the blasphemous book, and what should he do with it? A series of horrific events confirm his fears that there are powerful men who want it – and who will stop at nothing to see it destroyed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780727888754
Publisher:	Severn House
Publication date:	06/01/2019
Series:	Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Series , #11
Edition description:	First World Publication
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Jeri Westerson was born and raised in Los Angeles. As well as ten previous Crispin Guest medieval mysteries, she is the author of a paranormal urban fantasy series and several historical novels. Her books have been nominated for the Shamus, the Macavity and the Agatha awards.

Editorial Reviews

'Lively... Brisk prose and well-drawn characters propel the nimble excursion into religious thriller territory.'

Publishers Weekly

'Grim, gritty and utterly enthralling, Westerson's gripping narrative pulls the reader deep into the dark underbelly of the Middle Ages.'

Booklist

'Grim, gritty and utterly enthralling, Westerson's gripping narrative pulls the reader deep into the dark underbelly of the Middle Ages.'

Booklist

2019-03-18
Religion and politics prove to be a volatile combination for Crispin Guest.

London, 1394. Guest, disgraced knight and clever detective—a man lucky to escape with his life, though not his property or station, when he backed the Duke of Lancaster, in whose home he was raised, to become king over his nephew, the volatile Richard II—has been making ends meet by taking on any case that promises payment. Sitting in his favorite tavern, he's approached by a man who gives him a book and says that he'll know what to do with it. The leather-bound book is obviously very old, but Crispin can't read its language, so he and his longtime apprentice, Jack Tucker, who shares Crispin's small house along with his wife and children, go to a book dealer who tells him it's a papyrus written in Coptic. His next stop is a goldsmith, who suggests he try the barber surgeon Peter Pardeu, a learned rabbi who's stayed hidden in England since the expulsion of the Jews. Pardeu identifies the codex as the gospel of Judas, one of several rejected by the Council of Nicaea. Crispin knows the volume is dangerous but can't bring himself to destroy it. While he's still pondering his options, he literally runs into Lancaster, who takes him to the palace to make sure the queen's death was not murder. Meantime, all the men he's consulted about the book are killed and Crispin himself is attacked several times. When Richard discovers him in the palace, their conversation, a revelation to Crispin, leaves him in greater favor with the king but still a traitor. Back in London, he must escape those who want the codex and deal with an imposter using his name while trying to solve three murders.

Fans of this long-running series (The Deepest Grave, 2018, etc.) will revel in the insights into their favorite characters' lives while enjoying the historical background and a challenging mystery.

Kirkus Reviews

Lively ... Brisk prose and well-drawn characters propel this nimble excursion into religious thriller territory - Publisher's Weekly

Grim, gritty, and utterly enthralling, Westerson's gripping narrative pulls the reader deep into the dark underbelly of the Middle Ages - Booklist

From the Publisher