Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson
Jan. 12th, 2010 11:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pjthompsonA 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?
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?
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Date: 2010-01-12 08:30 pm (UTC)Sho nuff.
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Date: 2010-01-12 08:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 10:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-12 09:12 pm (UTC)Sounds like a fun story, too. I'll keep my eye out for it.
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Date: 2010-01-12 10:21 pm (UTC)And the guy on that cover is even hotter. *sigh*
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Date: 2010-01-13 12:56 am (UTC)Sure. As Oscar Wilde said, "It is only very shallow people who do not judge by appearances."
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Date: 2010-01-13 05:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-13 02:39 am (UTC)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.
That especially appealed.
And yes, absolutely--I've bought books for their covers :-)
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Date: 2010-01-13 05:10 pm (UTC)And it is a fun read.