Tangled Web UK Review August 2008
The Lost Prophecies (Medieval Murderers Group 4) by
Medieval Murderers
hbk out July 08
Published by Simon Schuster
at £18.99
The Medieval Murderers is a group of authors within the Crime Writers Association who entertain historical mystery fans across the country, much as minstrels and troubadours did in the times they write about. The group comprises Philip Gooden, Susanna Gregory, Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, and C.J. Sansom. All are bestsellers in their own right, and their respective characters will be familiar to many crime fiction readers: Nick Revill (Elizabethan London), Matthew Bartholomew (14th century Cambridge), Sir Baldwin (reign of Edward II), Crowner John (12th century Devon), William Falconer (13th century Oxford), and Matthew Shardlake (reign of Henry VIII). Since 2005 the group has also produced anthologies of short stories linked by a shared subject. The Lost Prophecies is the fourth in the series, and - like the second and third - focuses on a pernicious artefact passed through the ages, in this instance a book of prophecies written by a mad Irish monk.
The collection begins with a prologue by Bernard Knight, which details the coming of Brân to the coast of Kerry in 574, and the writing of his Black Book at Clonmacnois Abbey. The First Act (story) of the six that follow is also by Mr Knight, as Crowner John crosses swords with the Black Book in Exeter in 1196. Act Two finds Mr Morson’s Venetian, Nick Zuliani, in Russia in 1262; Act Three, Sir Baldwin in London some sixty years later, and Act Four, Matthew Batholomew in Cambridge twenty-five years after that. Act Five takes the Book back to London, advancing forward into 1605. Act Six is the greatest surprise, however, as Mr Sansom concludes the misadventures of the Black Book in the future, in 2135 Yorkshire.
The concept is a fascinating one, and recalls the popular literature of the fin de siècle, where authors like Robert W. Chambers and Arthur Machen published collections which included short stories from different genres. Chambers’ The King in Yellow now has cult status as a horror classic, but the ten stories therein include science, fantasy, horror, historical, and romantic fiction. In this respect, The Lost Prophecies is a refreshing change from the norm, as well as a brave attempt to buck the current decline of the short story in crime fiction, as fewer and fewer mainstream publishers consider anthologies. On the other hand, the very quality of being different to the established norm, and the inclusion of a science fiction piece, may result in the prospective audience for this book being limited. The best advice for readers is probably to recommend it for the many established fans of the contributing authors, and suggest that newcomers take a browse through before deciding.
(
Rafe McGregor
Rafe's own site - www.rafemcgregor.co.uk)
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