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- The Last Templar
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- Author: Michael Jecks
- Reviewer: Sonali T. Sikchi
- Publisher: Avon Books, New York
- Format: Adult, Fiction, Paperback, 374 Pages, 1995, $7.50
- ISBN: 0060763442
- Rating: * * *½ Quills
- www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0060763442/scriquil
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- The story title and book cover set the stage — the Knights Templar, a medieval village, a fire and a murder — for a fast-paced whodunit in the late Middle Ages. This is a story of two detectives pooling their resources together to catch the perpetrators of a crime. It is also the story of the friendship between the two men: Sir Baldwin Furnshill, former Knight Templar now lord of Furnshill Manor, and Simon Puttock, newly made bailiff of Lydford Castle and its environs.
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- The first death in the story is of Harold Brewer in a house fire. While Sir Baldwin is convinced by a single glance at the crime scene that this is a murder, Simon is more cautious, willing to sift through clues and interview the residents of Blackway Village before deciding between an accidental death or a murder.
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- The brutal killings of an abbot and then a group of travelers, however, convinces Simon that a vicious killer or a set of cruel outlaws are on the loose. Simon's compassionate nature is not prepared for the horrific assault on his senses from witnessing the aftermaths of the crimes. Despite it all, he provides the leadership required of his new post as bailiff with stoic calm and dedication. He organizes a posse of men under the leadership of John Black the tanner and Stephen Tanner the sheriff to search the forests and hamlets.
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- Simon is confounded by the similarities and differences between the three crimes: Are they related or not? As he delves deeper into the abbot's identity and past life, the mystery surrounding his death intensifies. Who is this man? Nothing is what it seems at first glance. Adding to the enigma is Sir Baldwin's disinterest in this group murder — in complete contrast to his avid interest in the brewer's death.
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- By locating his story in Devon, Michael Jecks takes advantage of being able to frequently visit the different places in his book from his home in Dartmoor. Thus, he is able to portray an excellent sense of place, which he conveys convincingly to the reader. His meticulous research into the history of the place allows him to accurately fill in details of dress, manner, food, architecture and law. The use of the Knights Templar history spices up an already exciting tale. Jeck's characters are well-developed individuals with their own voices and personality quirks. He has expended considerable effort in creating three-dimensional characters even for the smallest parts in his tale.
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- The main distraction is his amateurish use of the year (spelled out to orient the reader) in a character's inner dialogue. "Last year, thirteen hundred and fifteen, had not been so bad..." No one thinks like that! His omniscient observer viewpoint also needs work, while clear demarcations are needed when points of view switch from one person to the other.
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