Chaucer and the House of Fame

Rating:
Summary: a wonderfully absorbing read
Review: In this wonderfully readable and engaging debut mystery novel, Philippa Morgan has penned a book where actual historical events share the stage with a suspenseful intrigue subplot and a murder-mystery subplot, making "Chaucer and the House of Fame" a thoroughly exciting and absorbing read.

When it begins to look as if the fragile peace between the French and the English are about the breakdown over the lands in Aquitaine, the Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt, sends one of his most trusted diplomats, Geoffrey Chaucer, in order to persuade the Comte de Guyac, a very influential French landholder from the region to continue his support of the English. But almost from the very beginning of the dangerous journey to Aquitaine, Chaucer senses that he is being shadowed. And he is right, for a very dangerous and determined spy-assassin is on his tail. Will the spy-assassin get to Chaucer before he can carry out his mission of persuasion? Soon, however Chaucer finds that he has exchanged one set of dangerous circumstances for another. For the household of Guyac is quite divided about whether or not they should support the English; and soon after Chuacer's arrival his gracious host is murdered during a boar-hunt. Was the Comte de Guyac murdered so that he would not throw his support behind the English? And was he murdered by the spy-assassin who has been dogging Chaucer's footsteps, or by someone from within the Guyac household? As Chaucer struggles to come up with answers, he uneasily begins to realise that his life is in even more danger than ever...

Set in 1370 and during the 100 year war, Philippa Morgan does a wonderful job of making the historical and political realities of the period a vital part of the novel, and not in a dense and uninteresting manner, but in a very vital, vivid and exciting way. You can really feel the suspense mount as you read of the spy-assassin closing in on Chaucer and his party, and feel the dread deep in your stomach as you realise that some other innocent or the other would be killed off by our villain in his murderous quest to get closer to Chaucer. The mystery subplot of who killed the Comte and why was rather well handled too -- there were plenty of suspects to keep one happily absorbed in speculating as to the identity of the murderer! But for me what really kept the novel humming and exciting was the suspenseful intrigue subplot as Chaucer and his cohorts to their level best to evade those who seem to have murderous plans for them. All in all, with factors like a good story fantastically told, colourful and vivid historical detail, and wonderfully realised characters, "Chaucer And The House Of Fame" is a read not to be missed by any avid mystery fan.