Falconer’s Judgement

Name: Falconer’s Judgement
Rating: 4.4 (90 reviews)

by Ian Morson Book 2 in the William Falconer Medieval Mysteries series.

First published 1995

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4.2(90)

Oxford, spring 1261. While Pope Alexander IV lies dying and church factions manoeuvre over the succession, a student protest at Oseney Abbey ends with the death of Bishop Otho’s brother. The authorities arrest the protesters, but Falconer sees no convincing motive and doubts the official account.

The apparent suicide of the principal suspect confirms that the killing is part of a wider design. Working with constable Peter Bullock, Falconer follows the conflict from Oxford’s streets into papal politics, where ambition, money and loyalty make both the intended victim and the murderer difficult to identify.