The Cross-Legged Knight (Owen Archer, #8) by Candace Robb

The Cross-Legged Knight (Owen Archer, #8) Reviews

• 
  Clemens Schoonderwoert

  This amazing medieval mystery is the 8th volume of the astonishing "Owen Archer" series, from the US author, Candace Robb.
  
  Story-telling is once again of a top-notch quality, the atmosphere of York itself and its people inhabiting the place come superbly off the pages, while all figures, whether great historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly and very lifelike to life within this great mystery.
  
  At the beginning of the book you'll find well-drawn maps of 14th Century York, and certain spots that will play an important part in this astounding medieval story.
  
  At the back you'll notice an Author's Note, and in there the historical details concerning this tale are superbly documented and explained by the author.
  
  The book starts with a short prologue set in October, AD 1371, in which William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, escapes with his life after nearly being (deliberately) hit by falling debris from the scaffolding at York Minster.
  
  After this incident Bishop William will get ever more frantic about his life, seeing enemies everywhere, especially Lancastrians, even the Lady Pagnell, widow of the late Sir Ranulf Pagnell, a Knight who died in France and who's heart has been brought by Bishop William to York, to be buried there, but when Bishop William's home in York gets burned down and a woman, Cisotta, is found murdered there, Owen Archer is summoned by Archbishop John Thoresby with the request to investigate this case and solve this murder as quickly as possible.
  
  What is to follow is an intriguing and exciting mystery, and although having domestic problems with his wife, Lucie, due to their heartbreaking loss of their unborn child, problems that will certainly exhaust him, his investigations will take him towards various suspects, and after some twists and turns that is followed with a very convincing plot the culprit will finally be revealed of the murder of the woman called, Cisotta, a woman who was very dear to both Lucie and Owen, and justice be done.
  
  Highly recommended, for this series is getter better all the time, and what this episode is concerned, I like to call it: "A Magnificent Owen Archer Medieval Mystery"!
• 
  Eustacia Tan

  I realised that I haven’t read any mysteries by Candace Robb recently, so I bought one of the Owen Archer mysteries! I’ve previously read The Apothecary Rose, which is the first book in the series, so while The Cross-Legged Knight was a bit of a leap forward (it’s the 8th book in the series), I enjoyed it very much.
  
  The Cross-Legged Knight starts with the arrival of William of Wykeham, the Bishop of Winchester and the former Lord Chancellor of England. He came to return the remains of Sir Ranulf Pagnell and negotiate with his widow over a piece of land. However, his loss of power has affected him and he sees the shadow of the Duke of Lancaster everywhere. So when a fire is started in his townhouse and a murdered woman found in it, he becomes very worried and Captain Owen Archer is called to investigate.
  
  One thing about jumping ahead in a series is that one tends to miss a lot. In this case, I was heartened to see many of the characters that appeared in Book 1, so while I was curious about all that happened between The Apothecary Rose and The Cross-Legged Knight, I wasn’t lost. Instead, it felt like seeing friends after a very long absence and observing the way that they changed.
  
  The characters that stood out to me were Own and his wife Lucie. Owen is a meticulous and clever investigator, and it was a joy to see him slowly work through the case. Lucie is just as capable as Owen and I was really glad to see that he took her seriously and let her help in the investigation. I especially appreciated the way Owen and Lucie responded to a tragedy that happened just before the start of the book. While I don’t have personal experience with their tragedy, I thought the way that they reacted was very realistic (especially Lucie’s fears and how she overcame them), and that it was a testament to the depth of their relationship that Owen was also affected by it. It made the two of them feel very real to me.
  
  As usual, this book was filled with details of medieval York. It was fascinating and made me want to revisit the city! The author’s note was also very illuminating because although I knew about John of Gaunt, I didn’t realise that he was the Duke of Lancaster that William of Wykeham had so much enmity with!
  
  Overall, this is a great medieval mystery that I think would appeal to both fans of mysteries and fans of historical novels! I’m definitely going to go back and read the Owen Archer mysteries from Book 2 onwards.
  
  This review was first posted at
  Eustea Reads
• 
  Gareld Butler

  Another great book in this series. Not as many red herrings as in some of the previous books but considerably more character development involving both Owen and his wife, Lucie. Owen is a classic workaholic who consistently puts work ahead of home and family, to the point that he sometimes leaves his wife in dangerous situations because he is busy chasing down witnesses. It was nice to see Lucie finally get a chance to get involved in some of the sleuthing, but Owen seems to discount much of her work. The true history around which this story is built is remarkably interesting. It must be hard to build a good fictional mystery around so many actual historical people and events, but the author does a great job of it.
• 
  Joanna

  Nachdem ich vor einigen Monaten Band eins beendet hatte, beschloss ich, der Reihe noch eine Chance zu geben. Das Buch war damals für mich "ganz ok" gewesen - aber reicht das aus, um eine acht oder neun Bände lange Reihe zu lesen?
  
  Antwort: nein.
  
  Denn obwohl ich nun Band acht gelesen habe, hatte ich nicht das Gefühl, dass sich die Figuren gross weiterentwickelt haben. Sie schienen grösstenteils immer noch dieselben zu sein wie sieben Bücher zuvor. Deswegen war dieses Buch für mich sogar etwas weniger als ok.
  
  Und das ist auch der Grund, weshalb ich diese Reihe definitiv nicht weiterlesen werde. Denn "ganz ok" reicht definitiv nicht dafür aus.
• 
  Peter

  Another very good Owen the Archer mystery, set in York in 1371. It’s the background historical and social details and the plausible settings and relationships that make up for a mystery where information is gradually uncovered with suspects and observers often interrupted or hiding relevant detail which helps prolong the story. A woman is murdered immediately before a fire destroys the Bishop’s town house as ex-Chancellor Wykeham visits and the forces of Lancaster lurk. Some excellent characters, particularly Owen’s wife, Lucie, help engage.
• 
  Kathy

  I came to number eight in the series late due to cost. Then, finally, the two Owen Archer books I had yet to read became available on Kindle Unlimited. These books are rich in historic detail, something I appreciate. A death mixed with fire present complicated mystery to untangle for Owen and Lucie who is physically and emotionally hurting throughout the tale after a recent miscarriage.
• 
  Morgana LeFay

  Ho deciso, cosa mai fatta prima, di recensire insieme gli ultimi libri di questa serie. Il motivo è molto semplice: non ne posso più.
  Per quanto brava, l’autrice mi ha esasperata, ha esaurito tutta la mia passione e pazienza di lettrice.
  Basta, basta, basta!
  Non se ne può più di questa storia trascinata fino allo spasmo.
  Non sono casi distinti, come quelli di Hercule Poirot, qui è una telenovela infinita costellata di morti e casi sempre più improbabili e meno credibili.
  Manca lo slancio, l’evoluzione dei personaggi, la fantasia creativa.
  Molte parti dei libri sono descrizioni noiose e ridondanti, le scene d'azione hanno perso il loro effetto.
  A un certo punto sembra che Candace Robb abbia scritto questi libri perché doveva scriverli e non perché voleva scriverli.
  Li rileggerei? No.
• 
  Cathy

  Another great installment in the Owen Archer/Lucy Wilton historical mystery series. In this book, Archer is tasked with protecting William of Wykeham, who has insulted and angered John of Gaunt, thus pitting him against the Lancaster faction. Wykeham is not a very likable character and Archbishop Thorsby hopes to have his visitor return to London safely.
  
  But, of course, intrigue and violence ensue. Who's behind it?
• 
  Susan

  1371 William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester arrives in York with the remains of Sir Ranulf Pagnell. His arrivals brings tension to York, but soon the burning of one of his homes uncovers a dead female. Owen Archer investigates.
  Enjoyable and well-written historical mystery
• 
  Nancy

  . . . A satisfying medieval mystery for those of us who enjoy getting lost in the complexities of another time, another place and a world equally complex as the one we inhabit.
• 
  Morris-Ken Hines

  I really enjoyed the help that Owen got in this book
  
  I enjoyed the characters of York helping out in this book. Owen's family members and neighbor helped too. This was a big change from the last two. It was great to have Owen working at home.
• 
  Deb

  I couldn't decide how to rate this one but choose to go with the high points as it did keep me reading at a quick pace, eager to see the conclusion. It was well researched, the historical points that have some question were decided clearly. I enjoyed a couple of the characters immensely, especially The Riverwoman, Magda. There was a bit too much physical description of nastiness for my taste but it surely put me right into the moment! The main trouble for me was Owen Archer himself...I'm not too sure I like him. He's quick enough, sure enough for his role but he seemed a very selfish man at times (aren't we all though?) and there was a bit of harping on his wife's illness...honestly he couldn't have solved things nearly so well without her! I read reviews on Amazon and see that this might not have been the best of the book series and will certainly give it a second go.
• 
  Cynthia

  I first read this book in 2015, and enjoyed it. I enjoyed reading it, again.
  Candace Robb writes so well, one becomes involved in the story.
  Ms. Robb adds more substance to the prime characters in each story.
  Here, Owen has to provide security to William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, former Chancellor of England, as he visits with Archbishop Thoresby in York.
  There is a fire, and a woman is killed. Bishop Wykeham believes the fire is against him, caused by the followers of the Duke of Lancaster.
  Lucie has had a fall, causing her to lose the babe she was carrying. Lucie feels the miscarriage is caused by some sin and God is punishing her. Owen is very concerned.
  Magda Digby is on hand, and she has sent Alisoun to assist with the tending of Lucie's children. (We met Alisoun in a previous book.)
  With much grief at the end, several matters are resolved.
• 
  Maria Elmvang

  This book had been on my to-read list for so long, that I no longer have any recollection why it made it on there in the first place. Somebody must have recommended it to me, and I'm a bit puzzled as to why, as it turned out (half way through the book) that it's the 8th book in a series!!! Thankfully the books seem to be only very loosely connected, so the lack of a background didn't matter too much.
  
  It was an okay story, but I'm really not big on whodunnits, so it only gets an "average" rating from me. I also felt that the climax and the conclusion were poorly done and not compelling enough to warrant 300 pages' worth of build-up.
  
  While I may check out some of the author's other works, I doubt I'll be reading more in this series.
  
• 
  Jen

  The Cross-legged Knight by Candace Robb in the 8th in the Owen Archer series. This is one of my favorite medieval mystery series because Candace Robb not only evokes the 14th c city of York in such detail, but has managed to create such interesting characters (both fictional and historic) who develop from one book to another.
  
  The title comes from the legend that knights who have been on a Crusade were often depicted with crossed legs. As in her previous books, Robb manages to introduce history without being pedantic, as well as plot an intriguing mystery.
  
  I've reviewed several of Robb's novels, and even if this is not my favorite, I continue to love this series.
  
  Purchased.
  
  Historic Mystery. Print length: 316 pages.
• 
  Bill

  This is my first Owen Archer novel, although I think its the sixth in the series. I was able to jump right in without an issue; despite the fact that there was so much rich history behind these characters.
  
  This was a very good medieval mystery with some raw emotion and some slow healing between the main characters. I found it fairly realistic and entertaining. Some characters were especially endearing (like Magda) and have obviously been part of the pre-existing storyverse.
• 
  Heather

  I love the Owen Archer mysteries and I can't remember the last time I read one. This one kept me guessing. It was a little depressing because Owen and Lucie go through some tough emotional times, but that adds to the realism.
  
  The story takes place among the secular and sacred worlds of 14th-century York and weaves an interesting mystery.
• 
  deni Tomgirl

  Another recommendation from work I loved the characters and the historical details plus the fact that it's set in a city I know quite well and intend to visit again this summer. Managed to find the first in the series in a charity shop, will be taking on my trip to Cornwall next week. Did find the title rather amusing, visions of a desperate knight in his armour kept springing to mind :-D
• 
  Kristin

  I love Candace's historical fiction (as Emma Campion), and this book was likewise thoroughly researched and flawlessly situated in its historical context. The story didn't excite me, though. I gave it a try, but I am really not into mysteries.
• 
  Carol

  Historical mystery set in York, 1371. Owen Archer is given the task of protecting a visiting bishop. There's a fire, death, deceit.
• 
  Susan Moore

  Another good one in the history of England.
• 
  Susan

  Her books contain everything; mystery thriller, adventure, history with a touch of romance