The Yeoman's Tale
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Poet-sleuth Geoffrey Chaucer is caught up in the chaos of the Peasants' Revolt as he attempts to track down a brutal killer.
June, 1381. Embarking on his annual pilgrimage to Canterbury, Geoffrey Chaucer and his fellow travellers are forced to turn back when confronted with a horde of armed and angry peasants, intent on marching to London. Returning to the city to warn the authorities of the approaching danger, the pilgrims hole up at the Tabard Inn and prepare for the coming invasion.
That same night, a woman's body is fished out of the River Thames, her throat cut. When he discovers that the victim was the wife of one of his fellow pilgrims, Chaucer determines to investigate. Could the woman's henpecked husband be responsible for her death? A jealous business rival? Or was she murdered by one of the pilgrims? Does a cold-hearted killer lurk within the Tabard?
As the army of rebellious peasants approaches, Chaucer finds himself in a race against time to uncover the truth before anarchy descends.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 provides the backdrop for Trow's solid sequel to 2021's The Knight's Tale. While an unknown woman is murdered by Thames River, elsewhere in London, Geoffrey Chaucer, "Court Poet and Comptroller of Woolens," joins his fellow pilgrims on a planned journey to Canterbury. The entertainingly grumbling group, which includes a yeoman, is led by the energetic if penny-pinching owner of the Tabard Inn. The pilgrims haven't progressed too far when they run into an army of rebels and hurry back to warn London authorities. As some members of the group fortify the Tabard, the yeoman discovers the dead woman floating in the Thames with her throat cut. It turns out she was the wife of one of the pilgrims. Chaucer investigates her death as well as the subsequent throat-slicing of another pilgrim, all while trying to keep from becoming too important to a petulant Richard II and England's leaders as they confront Wat Tyler and the rebels. Touches of humor enhance this well-paced mystery as a string of clever clues leads to the killer's unveiling. Fans of medieval historicals will be satisfied.
