Für mich wirklich ein Lesegenuss. Toll gezeichnete Charaktere. Fesselnder Schreibstil. Eine Story in der man sich verlieren kann. So muss ein Buch sein, abschalten vom Alltag und mittendrin statt nur dabei. Kann das Buch wärmstens empfehlen!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a fascinating read, very well researched. I highly recommend.

The title of this work is a little bit deceptive. Officially its about a Medieval Murder, but it actually explores Medieval society, social and gender roles, attitudes to sex and class in the 14th century. The murder of William Cantilupe opened up a proverbial can of worms in which everything from domestic violence to the treatment of intersex people (which William may have been) in Medieval society was laid bare. The author doesn't attempt to solve the mystery, but rather examine the social context in which it happened,

A readable debut by this author.

Thanks to Pen and Sword for granting my request for this title.

This is a fascinating study of a crime committed centuries ago, and the author goes through the evidence to try to determine the guilt and innocence of those accused of the crime.

William Cantilupe was found murdered, but all was not as it first appeared. The author provides a detailed examination of the evidence - sadly some of it has not been preserved and the motives are unclear, but she has researched the period thoroughly, and produces evidence of the social and economic conditions prevailing at that time. Its an interesting case, and well presented. The author does not try to persuade the reader one or way or another, nor does she jump to conclusions based on the preserved evidence, but offers all potential scenarios.

An interesting academic read, well presented.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first appearing to look like the victim had been set upon by bandits and left by the road, the murder of Sir William Cantilupe in 1375 proved to be something much closer to home. His wife, Maud, and fifteen members of his household were indicted for his murder, his butler and armour-bearer convicted and executed.

Melissa Julian-Jones’s Murder During the Hundred Years War is a study of the case, re-evaluating the long-accepted theory of Rosamund Sillem that the murder was a conspiracy led by Cantilupe’s wife so she could be with her lover and offering alternative scenarios. But Julian-Jones uses the case to explore aspects of life in 14th century England, from violence, domestic abuse, gender, marriage, adultery, networks of power, and the make up of a knight’s household.

I was very impressed by this – Julian-Jones’s work is thorough and scholarly and yet engaging and easy to read. She even manages to make what is effectively a genealogical table in prose with multiples of the same name not only readable but interesting. The first three chapters are lengthy and set the scene: the discovery of the body, the victim and his family history, and the suspects, going into detail about the make up of the household and the assigned roles found. The next three then explore the possible motivations for Cantilupe’s murder – adultery, material gain, revenge, vengeance – and look at similar cases in the medieval era. The final chapters then provide an exploration of justice in the medieval era and the outcome and aftermath of the trial. Appendices are included with modernised transcriptions of the (surviving) trial records and images.

Julian-Jones does not attempt to ‘solve’ this crime – six hundred years on, the evidence no longer exists (if it ever did) to determine what happened to Cantilupe, who was part of the conspiracy to kill him, or why he was murdered. This might be frustrating for a reader who wants answers but it is honest about the limitations of the available evidence. She does pour doubt on Sillem’s long-accepted theory that Cantilupe’s adulterous wife schemed to murder him in order to marry her lover. pointing out the attitudes of the 1930s that contributed to Sillem’s conceptualisation of the theory and the flaws in the theory (a gap of four years between the trial and the pardon granted to Maud for marrying without the king’s permission, suggesting the marriage was not conducted in haste after her trial). Julian-Jones also offers alternate scenarios, all deeply rooted in medieval society and crime in medieval era, but she does not indicate which theory she thinks is more likely but leaves it for the reader to decide for themselves.

Murder During the Hundred Years War is also a great touchstone for those who want to learn more about the societal attitudes of the day. Julian-Jones’s work is more about the darker side of medieval life that are not necessarily found in the typical ‘daily life in medieval England’ books I’ve come across. I certainly felt like I gained more of an understanding of the daily life of the minor gentry than I had previously.

There were a couple of small errors relating to the history of the royal family – Julian-Jones twice refers to Edward III “banishing” his mother and while this might, more or less, reflect the popular belief that Isabella of France was forced to retire from public life and lived secluded (and this belief has been challenged by new research on Isabella which shows she was not kept as a virtual prisoner) it seems a rather imprecise and clumsy term when ‘banishment’ was a real punishment with specific meanings that do not apply to Isabella’s situation. Julian-Jones also says the Black Prince earned that name from his armour which is incorrect – we do not know where that name came from, only that it first appears in the late 16th century and was not contemporary with him. These are minor errors that readers less knowledgeable than me will not pick up on and not spectacularly glaring errors. I did also query some of the dates being given in the format of ‘1368x9’ – I suspect that is a correction that hadn’t been integrated into the text, though.

All up, I have to recommend this book. It is an interesting, thorough exploration of a crime that should appeal to true crime buffs, those who enjoy a good medieval mystery and those who want to understand more about medieval life, especially the more grisly elements.

The murder of Sir William Cantilupe was a fun one to read about. While the circumstances were suspicious, and the body lay undisturbed for a length of time, going through the case - and so much more. This book really dives into the social nuances of the day, giving more information on the relationships between servants and masters, and then dissecting the case of Sir William, down to a degree that will appease any true crime lover. From history to crime - there is so much to love about this book, and it's one that you are going to truly enjoy reading!

It is a decent book on a topic that I never really thought about during this period. An introduction to people and events along with the murder of Sit William Cantilupe.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This book was fascinating and I’ve learnt quite a bit from it. I have quite a local interest in this as I live in the midlands so a lot of the towns mentioned are very familiar to me. I was previously unaware that there had been a title of Lord of Ilkeston- Ilkeston is one of the neighbouring towns to where I live, so the events in this book are all very close to home for me.
Pen & Sword pick some really interesting and unusual topics for their books, I always know I’m going to read something a little bit different when I pick up one of their books. And an investigation of a Middle Ages murder cold case certainly fits that description. Finding evidence from this time is no easy task, but I felt this book was well researched and presented in an interesting and engaging manner. I feel the author did a thorough job of analysing the likely suspects and suggesting motives and opportunities. We will never know for sure the answer to ‘who done it?’, but that doesn’t take anything away from this absolutely fascinating read. Highly recommend.

In 1375, the body of Sir William Cantilupe was found murdered in a field. He was stabbed multiple times, yet it looked like he was moved as his clothing had no marks on it. The initial investigation pointed to William Cantilupe’s immediate family and his household staff who appeared dissatisfied with how he ran his household. This particular case has been an area of fascination for medieval historians for centuries as it explores different aspects of life during the Hundred Years War. Some of these areas include domestic violence, social norms, law and order, and the punishment for crimes like murder. Melissa Julian-Jones explores every aspect of this case while combining contemporary sources to give readers a new approach to this murder in her book, “Murder During the Hundred Year War: The Curious Case of Sir William Cantilupe”.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I had never heard of this case, but after reading the Shardlake series, I was looking for another historical who done it. When I heard about this book, I thought I would give it a try.

Julian-Jones introduces her readers who may not be familiar with this case to the basic facts; when the sheriff and the coroner discovered Sir William Cantilupe’s body in a ditch in a field, which was not that uncommon for a medieval murder. At first, they assumed that it was a simple case of a highway robbery, which Julian-Jones does explore for a bit, but they quickly come to the conclusion that the murder occurred inside of his own household.

To explore the motives of those who might have killed William, which included his wife Maud and his household staff, Julian-Jones explores the family history of the Cantilupes and why people might have wanted to kill William. This part of the book was a bit difficult to read because she does not mince words when it comes to some of the graphic details of their lives, which includes elements of domestic violence. Sometimes when you do study history, you will confront things in history that will make you feel uncomfortable, but it is part of the learning experience to know that things in the past were not always black and white, there were a lot of grey areas.

Julian-Jones spends the bulk of her book exploring the lives of those who were considered the suspects of the murder. Since we don’t have much information about their particular lives because of their stations in life, Julian-Jones had to rely on similar cases from the same era to show what the motive might have been and what the punishment for the crimes were for the different stations of life. This was quite fascinating as we see how a medieval historian who studied criminal accounts had to act like a detective to figure out what the truth might have been and who might have committed the murder.

Julian-Jones takes her readers on a medieval murder mystery ride that affected the nobility, rather than the nobility, which is rather unusual. This book will expand your knowledge about the medieval nobility, their households, and the criminal justice system of their time. This was truly a fascinating study into a centuries old cold case mystery. If you want a good study into a medieval mystery,you should definitely check out, “Murder During the Hundred Year War: The Curious Case of Sir William Cantilupe” by Melissa Julian-Jones.

This book is an interesting look at many facets of Medieval life, all through the lens of one man's murder and the intrigue, theories, and people surrounding it. Expect glimpses into household life, the plight of an abused or unhappy wife, divorce norms (or lack thereof), legal systems, the consequences of infertility, and (of course) a number of murders and their context.

As a history buff who is not a historian, I enjoyed this read, but would encourage anyone who plans to read this book to get some additional context on the Hundred Years War first. I've been researching the period for a couple years and that additional context enriched the read for me when key figures or dates came up in passing.

i enjoyed that this was a sort of true crime book and a historical one. The author had written this well and well researched.

A fascinating look at a controversial murder that took place in the period known as The Hundred Years War.

Sir William de Cantelupe, a nobleman with a lineage dating back to the Conquest, was murdered, his body left in a ditch. His entire household, including his wife, was suspect; however, both at the time and today, there are difficulties in piecing together events and provide a suitable outcome.

Using contemporary documents and accounts, Melissa Julian-Jones presents the reader with various hypotheses, whilst examining in detail both the members of the household (including the wife) and the extended family connections "... to consider likely scenarios ..". As such, it is necessary to gather as much background information as possible to contextualise possible narratives. In this day and age, family and familial connections were very important and it is necessary to delve into the background of all associated with this case in order to eliminate possible suspects and motives.

There were no surviving records of the trials of the various suspects as testimonies were not required to be kept. And it is here that Julian-Jones brings to light similar criminal cases to illustrate each point she raises.

Medieval justice and criminal investigations is nothing like what we are used to today - social connections, social and financial position, and a person or family's good name counted for much. But the question still remains - "cui bono" - who benefits? And that is possibly something that we will never really know for sure.

This is an excellent and well researched investigation of a cold case. Those with an interest in the medieval period and obscure criminal cases will enjoy this very much.

*Many thanks to Dr Melissa Julian-Jones, Pen and Sword, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Throroughly researched case of a murder of a noble, William Cantilupe which took place in 1375. Dr Julian-Jones presents the background of the family history, not only of the murder itself, and sometimes I got confused with the names, the more that traditionally the names were repeated in the next generations.
It seems that after nearly seven hundred years the reconstruction of the murder, the trial and the fate of all main characters would be a mission impossible, however, Dr Julian-Jones draws on all surviving documents, and if there is none, she turns to the historic documents concerning the place of the nobility, the role of wives and their rights, interactions with the servans etc. These parts of the book were are as valuable to me as the case itself. Being interested in the Middle Ages, I found a lot of new information that will definitely enhance my understanding of the period.

Packed with intrigue, secrecy, deception, betrayal and murder, this well-researched book examines the complex murder of Sir William Cantilupe in 1375 and the history and events of the time.

The book includes the potential suspects, socioeconomic conditions, corruption, marriage, occupations, father to son succession and relationships of above and below stairs stairs which are all relevant and provide context.

Sir William's body is discovered in a ditch in Lincolnshire in 1375. As the crime rate in medieval England is extremely high, it appears at first glance (to me) it's a typical violent medieval murder but it quickly becomes apparent it is not...far from it. The complexities are mind blowing! So many plausible possibilities. I can almost envision the hushed scuffling and whispering of the suspects in the manor.

The entire household of fifteen are indicted but 600+ years later we still do not know with certainly who committed the murder. Several possible motives are listed as are motives and opportunities. Convictions were based on Sir William's wife, Lady Maud's testimony alone. Was it just? Was it sufficient? Did the real murderer(s) go free?

The author closes with a discussion on the trial's outcomes and what happened to those involved, including an escape and no shows. The appendix is important to read.

Do refer to the Cantilupe genealogy in the front while reading. I found the Williams and Augustines difficult to keep straight at first.

History and true crime readers will find unsolved mystery fascinating. It is evidently the first book ever written in this depth on this specific crime. Talk about fascinating!

Upon the author's recommendation I have requested The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher from the library, a book about a shocking Victorian era murder.

My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this intriguing book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

For me,this is a winner on several levels, I live in Lincolnshire and have always had an interest in the history of the county, particularly the medieval period.
Unusually Ms. Julian-Jones isn't playing the role of a modern day Sherlock Holmes, this isn't a miscarriage of justice story necessarily, it just there are other interpretations of the extant evidence than that evinced by most historians writing about the case.
What you get is an absorbing use of the murder of William Cantilupe to examine all sorts of dark crannies of medieval society from domestic violence and sexual assault of servants through to the treatment of intersex individuals in the late mediaeval period.

Excellent