Bernard Knight has long been one of the most reliable and sheerly entertaining practitioners of the historical crime novel, and it's not hard to see why. His particular skill is the marrying of astute historical detail with ingenious plotting, and The Noble Outlaw is a perfect example of that synthesis. In 12th century Exeter, a school is in the process of being renovated when a mummified body is discovered in the rafters. Inevitably, it is the county coroner Sir John de Wolfe who is commissioned to investigate. In fact, it is Sir John's brother-in-law, Richard de Revelle, the founder of the school, who supplies an instant (and rather too glib) an explanation, blaming a youthful rebel knight who has been reduced to sleeping rough on Dartmoor. Sir John discovers other corollary evidence against the young man, but he is never one to accept the obvious explanation, and digs deeper. And then a second violent murder takes the whole investigation into a critical phase.

All of the things that have made Bernard Knight's previous outings in the historical crime field so pleasurable are evident here (without, perhaps, quite the verve of earlier books); the best writing involves that crucial sleight-of-hand of the genre: refracting ancient sensibilities through modern modes of speech (who could accept a whole novel written in the authentic idiom?), but convincing us -- at every opportunity -- of the verisimilitude of what we're reading. The Noble Outlaw adds more lustre to Bernard Knight's already solid reputation. --Barry Forshaw

2008-02-27 From a girls point of view

Like the others who have written reviews, l also have now read all the Crowner John books...l too wish l could read at a slower pace...Dr Knight, has the ability to incorporate actual facts from the 12th centuary, with fun, laughter and a real sense of taking you into the castles, taverns and villages, bringing the characters to life, and no, l defy anyone to guess who done it before being well into their lives.
Although John De Wolfe is a real man's man, Bernard Knight also shows that he has a soft spot for the ladies, one in particular. So girls, turn the phone off, put the kettle on and get into the life, loves and mysteries that are Crowner John.