The Parisian Prodigal by Alan GordonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of my favorite series and this may be the last installment--or at least I haven't seen any others listed. Each book is stand alone but it is nice to have read the series from the start to see the progression in the life of Theophilos ( the name of one of my ancestors also and one that my husband nixed if we should have a son, sigh) a fool and spy belonging to the Fool's Guide of the 13th century. In this installment his daughter, Portia, is already 15 months old and quite precocious; his apprentice, Helga, is fast becoming ready to become a full-fledged fool as well as a teen with an eye for the boys; his wife, Claudia, is missing her royal children whom she left behind when her first husband, a duke, died and Theophilos is in the middle of a mystery involving the sudden appearance of a 40 year old Parisian who claims to be the long lost brother of the ruler of Toulouse, where Theo is the Chief Fool.
Seems the prodigal, Baudoin, is found asleep in a brothel, next to the corpse of his companion of the evening, La Rossa. His dagger is in her breast but he claims not to be the murderer, of course. In his usual fashion, Alan Gordon, takes us on a merry but dangerous caper to find the truth. This author is so amazing--whenever I read one of the books I feel as though I am right there alongside the characters and that I could walk the cobbled streets without them and be recognized. It is the most extraordinary sense of immersion I've ever experienced with any author. It all feels so real and the dialog so natural. Just a day's delight. I hope there will be a new installment soon.
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