Walk a mile in your own shoes

Random quote of the day:


"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."

—Matsuo Basho





(This is quoted all the hell over the place, but I couldn't find a citation for it. It's a nice quote, though, isn't it?)






( Illustrated version. )

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson

A very entertaining read. Ms. Westerson has taken the Raymond Chandler noir detective idea of a detective-knight with his own quixotic but unshakable moral code and a weakness for damsels in distress quite literally. Crispin Guest really is a disgraced knight, stripped of all rank and privilege because of crossing King Richard II. Now living on the margins of society, Crispin keeps himself from starving (barely) by working as a Tracker—usually of lost goods—and constantly running afoul of the law. But this time he becomes embroiled in unraveling a baffling murder.

The language is approachable, meaning it's a modernized version of Medievalspeak.  I know that tweaks some readers' chagrin, but I don't think overly formal language would work with this kind of story.  There was just enough formality to give the feel of the time, but not so much as to clog the arteries of the narrative.

This is a two-fisted story like any great noir, with a love interest and great puzzles to solve.   All the characters have their dark sides. Crispin is an interesting protagonist and I particularly like that the author has not tried to make him a politically correct modern man in Medieval clothing. He's a man of the 14th century, and his attitudes are those of someone from the upper class being forced to consort with the lower orders. Yet, Ms. Westerson still makes Crispin a likable hero.

Plus, the guy on the cover is really, really, really, really cute. That's as good a reason as any to buy a book, don't you think?