Blood Royal
A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris
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4.1 • 27 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A riveting true story of murder and detection in 15th-century Paris, by one of the most brilliant medievalists of his generation.
On a chilly November night in 1407, Louis of Orleans was murdered by a band of masked men. The crime stunned and paralyzed France since Louis had often ruled in place of his brother King Charles, who had gone mad. As panic seized Paris, an investigation began. In charge was the Provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, the city's chief law enforcement officer -- and one of history's first detectives. As de Tignonville began to investigate, he realized that his hunt for the truth was much more dangerous than he ever could have imagined.
A rich portrait of a distant world, Blood Royal is a gripping story of conspiracy, crime and an increasingly desperate hunt for the truth. And in Guillaume de Tignonville, we have an unforgettable detective for the ages, a classic gumshoe for a cobblestoned era.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
UCLA professor and expert in medieval literature Jager (The Last Duel) examines the sensational assassination which rocked 15th Century France, as he explores the life, death, and legacy of Louis of Orleans. Drawing on extensive reports detailing the murder and its subsequent investigation, Jager reconstructs the chain of events, motives, and political squabbling that lit the spark. Though the story is ostensibly about the murder of Louis, brother to mad King Charles and frequent regent of France, it takes on a much larger scope as the uncovering of the mastermind leads to political maneuvering, civil war, and ultimately invasion by England. The purported hero of the piece, Guillaume de Tignonville, provost of Paris, quickly takes a backseat to royal infighting, brazen public manipulation, and outright treason, revealing the dark, unstable side to society of that era. Jager's attention to atmosphere and detail allows the setting to come to life in all its gruesome detail, especially as he explores the nature of crime and punishment and the many grisly repercussions for the those held responsible. Despite the misleading focus on Tignonville's investigation, this is a fascinating and complex look at the tumultuous events of early 15th century France.
Customer Reviews
Would make a great novel...
This is the story of the murder of the Duke of Orleans in 1407. It seems to have been marketed as fiction at some point: in fact this is a work of non-fiction. Nevertheless, with a little work it would make a great novel. The police, led by Guillaume de Tignonville, conducted a remarkably thorough investigation that at times used methods that were surprisingly modern. Most of the records of the interrogations and investigations survive, and are incorporated into the book in a way that gives the story a gripping immediacy. The police quickly tracked down the culprit. Only problem was, he was someone too powerful to arrest, so the crime went unpunished. The political repercussions of this are gone into at some length, showing how a common crime can have a lasting - and disastrous -political impact. Guillaume would suffer disgrace for having done his job, and reading about the things a Prince of the Blood could get away with make you understand the motives for the French Revolution almost four centuries later.
Blood Royal
I didn't know what to expect, but on the advice of the New York Times book reviewer, I read Margaret Tutmans A Distant mirror before reading Blood Royal. Both were great reads, with Blood Royal placing the reader in 14th century Paris. I throughly enjoyed this tale of murder and the true story of how it was solved. You could not have made this up.
Great Factual Yarn!
If you are a history buff interested in royal intrigues and perfidies during the Middle Ages in France, you will love this true, well documented retelling of brutal assassination, shrewd investigation, betrayal and mayhem that saw murder got away with, wars of revenge and ambition, invasion, slaughter of thousands (many innocent) and unbounded lawlessness by "nobles." Highly recommended. Cannot wait for the movie!