Publisher's Weekly Review
A grisly discovery sets the stage for Morson's solid sixth whodunit to feature William Falconer (after 1999's Falconer and the Great Beast). In 1271, workmen tearing down a house to make way for Oxford University's first residential college uncover skeletal remains in a wall. The body's age forces Falconer to probe events two decades earlier when the house was first built. England in 1250 was beset by rumors that the End of Days was coming, and that the Jewish community was responsible for a child's horrific ritual murder. The cold case becomes much warmer after one of the men who found the remains turns up dead himself. The academic sleuth comes to suspect that the truth behind the killings may revolve around closely guarded secrets about the Knights Templar. Morson, who does a nice job conveying the bigotry of 13th-century England, convincingly renders the period through well-chosen detail. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
1271. A long-dead body is discovered in a building being removed to make way for a college in Oxford. Given his extensive experience in solving difficult puzzles (Falconer and the Face of God, 1997, etc.), Oxford University Regent Master William Falconer is more than happy to help his old friend, constable Peter Bullock, identify the long-immured corpse. In fact, he already knows the death must have occurred in 1250, when the building was under construction. With help from a colleague, Master Bonham, he persuades the bones, and indeed the missing head, to disclose a tale of murder. Falconer, who enjoys a strong relationship with the despised Jewish community, well remembers 1250 as the year he arrived in Oxford and proved that Jews accused of ritual murder were innocent. Now that King Henry is once more squeezing the Jews for money to pay a crusader's ransom, the same charge is being leveled again. Twenty-one years ago, the original collector went missing along with a large sum of money. Now, even though (or because?) a mysterious Knight Templar has appeared on the scene, Bullock seems curiously uninterested in solving the case. So Falconer renews his relationship with beautiful Jewish widow Saphira Le Veske, who puts herself in serious danger in an attempt to solve it first. This welcome return of the long-dormant Falconer series is a pleasantly simplified but intriguing look at historical Oxford, spiced with a dash of romance. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Morson is back with another suspenseful adventure in his popular thirteenth-century mystery series featuring William Falconer. An old building is being demolished to make way for Oxford University's new collegium when a skeleton is discovered between the foundation walls. Master Falconer, known for his keen-eyed investigative skills, is called upon to identify the skeleton. Falconer can pin down the likely time frame for the death (the building was built 20 years ago), but when he discovers that the back of the skeleton's skull is bashed in, he realizes he's investigating a murder. Working without a contemporary crime lab, he still does an impressive job using his own version of forensic science to ferret out the facts of the case. As usual, Morson offers well-researched period detail, a revealing look at life in thirteenth-century England, a riveting plot, and an intriguing cast of characters. Recommend this series to historical-mystery buffs.--Melton, Emily Copyright 2009 Booklist