The Parisian Prodigal
A Fools' Guild Mystery by Alan Gordon
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Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of The Parisian Prodigal for this review.
Location(s) referenced in The Parisian Prodigal: Toulouse, France
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The Parisian Prodigal by Alan Gordon
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0-312-38414-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-38414-2
Publication Date: January 2010
List Price: $25.99
Synopsis (from the publisher): In 1205, Theophilos — fool by trade, family man by choice, and spy by design — is ensconced as the Chief Fool in Toulouse. Known by many names, but rarely his own, he and his foolish family — his wife, Claudia; their fifteen-month-old daughter, Portia; and their apprentice, Helga — give the appearance of being the entertainers they claim to be. But they are also members of the Fools' Guild — declared anathema by the Pope — and working behind the scenes to stabilize, as much as possible, a turbulent Europe.
The ruler of Toulouse, Count Raimon VI, is favored by the guild, which hopes he will have a long and enlightened rule. But their plans are threatened unexpectedly when a man arrives claiming to be Baudoin, Raimon's previously unknown full brother. While the count attempts to verify his would-be brother's claim, Baudoin awakes one morning in a local bordello, next to a dead whore, killed with Baudoin's dagger. Proclaiming his innocence, he asks for Theophilos's help in finding out the truth behind the murder for which he is being framed. And truth is something that only fools can be trusted to uncover.