Read The Death Ship of Dartmouth: (Knights Templar 21) Online
Authors: Michael Jecks
Tags: #blt, #General, #_MARKED, #Fiction
The Death Ship of Dartmouth: (Knights Templar 21)
Michael Jecks
Copyright © 2006 Michael Jecks
The right of Michael Jecks to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
First published as an Ebook by
Headline Publishing Group in 2014
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
eISBN: 978 1 4722 1982 4
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
An Hachette UK Company
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH
Table of Contents
About the Author
Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry to concentrate on his writing. He is the founder of Medieval Murderers, has been Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association, and helped create the Historical Writers’ Association. Keen to help new writers, for some years he organised the Debut Dagger competition, and is now organising the AsparaWriting festival for new writers at Evesham. He has judged many prizes, including the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. Michael is an international speaker on writing and for business. He lives with his wife, children and dogs in northern Dartmoor.
Michael can be contacted through his website:
www.michaeljecks.co.uk
.
He can be followed on twitter (@MichaelJecks) or on
Facebook.com/Michael.Jecks.author
.
His photos of Devon and locations for his books can be found at:
Flickr.com/photos/Michael_Jecks
.
The Last Templar
The Merchant’s Partner
A Moorland Hanging
The Crediton Killings
The Abbot’s Gibbet
The Leper’s Return
Squire Throwleigh’s Heir
Belladonna at Belstone
The Traitor of St Giles
The Boy-Bishop’s Glovemaker
The Tournament of Blood
The Sticklepath Strangler
The Devil’s Acolyte
The Mad Monk of Gidleigh
The Templar’s Penance
The Outlaws of Ennor
The Tolls of Death
The Chapel of Bones
The Butcher of St Peter’s
A Friar’s Bloodfeud
The Death Ship of Dartmouth
Malice of Unnatural Death
Dispensation of Death
The Templar, the Queen and Her Lover
The Prophecy of Death
The King of Thieves
No Law in the Land
The Bishop Must Die
The Oath
King’s Gold
City of Fiends
Templar’s Acre
‘Michael Jecks is the master of the medieval whodunnit’ Robert Low
‘Captivating … If you care for a well-researched visit to medieval England, don’t pass this series’
Historical Novels Review
‘Michael Jecks has a way of dipping into the past and giving it that immediacy of a present-day newspaper article … He writes … with such convincing charm that you expect to walk round a corner in Tavistock and meet some of the characters’
Oxford Times
‘Great characterisation, a detailed sense of place, and a finely honed plot make this a superb medieval historical’
Library Journal
‘Stirring intrigue and a compelling cast of characters will continue to draw accolades’
Publishers Weekly
‘A tortuous and exciting plot … The construction of the story and the sense of period are excellent’
Shots
‘This fascinating portrayal of medieval life and the corruption of the Church will not disappoint. With convincing characters whose treacherous acts perfectly combine with a devilishly masterful plot, Jecks transports readers back to this wicked world with ease’
Good Book Guide
The twenty-first novel in Michael Jecks’s medieval Knights Templar series.
Autumn, 1324: when a man is found dead in the middle of a Dartmouth road, many assume his demise to be the result of a drunken accident. Meanwhile, a ship is found ravaged by pirates out at sea, the crew killed or captured. Could this be the beginning of a new onslaught, or something even more sinister?
Sir Baldwin de Furnshill has been told of spies and messengers being sent to the great traitor Roger Mortimer in France. If this is true, then civil war in England is surely imminent. Together with his friend, Bailiff Simon Puttock, Baldwin is tasked by the most powerful men in the Kingdom with uncovering the truth. Fail, and they will be executed. Succeed, and others may be ready to silence them for ever.
This book is for Webb and Welk.
Good friends for more years than I can remember.
| Sir Baldwin de Furnshill | The Keeper of the King’s Peace, Sir Baldwin is known as a committed seeker after the truth. |
| Simon Puttock | A stannary bailiff, Puttock has been a friend of Baldwin’s for eight years, since 1316. Recently he was promoted to act as the Keeper of the Port of Dartmouth’s (see Glossary) representative in the town. |
| Rob | A teenaged youth who has been taken on by Simon as his servant while he lives in Dartmouth. |
| Stephen | The latest in a line of clerks to Simon. |
| Sir Andrew de Limpsfield | A man-at-arms in the service of Lord Hugh Despenser. |
| Sir Richard de Welles | Coroner to the King, from Lifton in Devon. |
| John Hawley | One of the four major merchants and shipowners in the town. |
| Peter Strete | Clerk to John Hawley. |
| Paul Pyckard | The second of the leading merchants of the town, Pyckard is suffering from a terminal illness. |
| Adam | Loyal and devoted to Pyckard, his master, Adam is an excellent captain and leader of men. |
| Gilbert | One of Pyckard’s best shipmasters, Gil is a well-known and respected captain. |
| Moses | Pyckard’s closest and most trusted servant, who is like a son to him. |
| Danny | Moses’s younger brother, Danny chose to serve their master by joining his fleet and became a good sailor. |
| Philip Kena | The third local merchant, Kena is eager to advance himself. |
| Hilary Beauley | The fourth of the leading merchants, Beauley is the youngest and most ambitious. |
| Hamo | Cooper to the ships in Dartmouth’s haven. |
| Hamund Chugge | A confessed murderer, Chugge has decided to abjure the realm (see Glossary). |
| Ivo le Bel | Although a sergeant and upholder of the law, Ivo is not known either for his courage or his intelligence. |
| Odo | Vincent’s closest companion, he is a good sailor, albeit a harsh leader. |
| Henry Pyket | Known in Dartmouth as one of the best shipbuilders and wrights. |
| Vincent | Despite his brutality, Vincent is nevertheless respected for his courage and seamanship. |
| Alred Paviour | A notable professional, Alred is a roadmaker, or paver. |
| Bill | Bill has worked with Alred for many years. |
| Law | The youngest of the trio, Law is apprenticed to Alred. |
| Cynegils | An old sailor fallen on hard times. |
| Emma | Cynegil’s daughter. |
| Sieur Pierre de Caen | A French knight who has recently been living in the Queen’s household. |
| Bishop Walter II | Baldwin’s friend, Walter Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter. |