I enjoyed this book of medieval times and investigating jesters. The use of two points of view in telling the story added an excellent depth. This is the most recent book in a series and has stimulated me to go back to the beginning of the series. Humorous and human characters coupled with a nicely woven plot made this a very rewarding read. I always like learning about times and places of which I know little through the conduit of an engaging story. I could have done without the historical footnote at the end as it seemed to close the door on an interesting character, but it was in keeping with the overall style of the book, so all is forgiven. I would recommend this to anyone who likes detective stories set in unusual time frames with unusual detectives involved. This book had a kinship with Steven Saylor's mysteries set in ancient rome and those set in ancient Egypt by others. The added dimension of the organization called the Fool's Guild gives this story another level of complexity that I look forward to exploring in the earlier books in this series. There is a certain style of books which I suspect is promoted by American creative writing courses, to which this, and probably the rest of the series it forms part of, belong. It has a certain smugness, of the main characters who are cleverer and in on secrets, in a very modern, but definitely not medieval fashion. The whore as all beautiful, the fools are all brilliant acrobats and entertainers and the nobles are either roud and good leaders or somehow sociopathic, but in a modern way. The anachronistic effect of such modern people in a medieval setting is really a theme which has been handled much better by L Sprague De Camp in Lest Darkness Falls, which while being a slightly different genre of alternative history, is really the model for fiction like this. It is meant to be a murder mystery, set in medieval France. The author continually lets us know that he is aware that southern France spoke Languedoc and not the Parisian French. Let up already! We know that in people in medieval France spoke many languages but because you have learned a little about this don't stuff it in our faces all the time-it didn't add to the plot, the characters or the background. In the end I finished this but was not surprised by the denouement. This is only for the fans I think.
What do You think about The Parisian Prodigal (2010)?
I love the history and the humor of the tales of this jester and his family in the middle ages.
—Chum
I love the Fools Guild mysteries, especially the repartee between Theo and his wife, Claudia.
—Pam
Very entertaining and satisfying mystery: two fools (jesters) in 1200s England.
—rashida
Another entertaining read from the Fool's Guild!
—ngedert
