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The King's Justice
- A Stanton and Barling Mystery, Book 1
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Series: A Stanton and Barling Mystery, Book 1
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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Summary
A murder that defies logic - and a killer on the loose.
England, 1176. Aelred Barling, esteemed clerk to the justices of King Henry II, is dispatched from the royal court with his young assistant, Hugo Stanton, to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York.
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What listeners say about The King's Justice
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- KAH
- 04-10-18
Great murder mystery
Loved listening to this great story. It is really well read, great performance. Looking forward to the next one.
4 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 12-09-21
my first encounter with Stanton and Barling
Really enjoyed this book. Excellent narration brought the characters to life. Can't wait to hear more of these 2 King's Justice men. if you like CJ Samson's Hugh de Singleton and the novels of Mel Starr you will enjoy this book
2 people found this helpful
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- Macey
- 10-02-21
Very enjoyable
I picked this title as a bit of a lucky dip and I’m glad I did. A good novel to wind down with at the end of the day.
I enjoyed the narration.
2 people found this helpful
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- J. Birtles
- 03-06-20
Well read page turner
A good story that keeps you listening although the first few chapters are gruesome. Well read with a measured tone and good character voices
1 person found this helpful
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- Christine
- 09-02-20
Too many murders
This book had way too many murders for my liking (although that is often the case in medieval murder mysteries). Also, there was not enough to hint at who the murderer was, if you like to try and work it out yourself.
1 person found this helpful
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- Just Me
- 13-05-21
A well structured story with good characters.
I enjoyed this story and felt that its depth and plot were, on the hole, well written. There were a few parts that I thought could be improved upon but it didn't spoil the experience. I am not easily pleased and this did that at least. Worth a listen or read for me.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-06-19
Ok. But hard to invest in.
It was an odd choice to choose for the main protagonist to be an insecure, cowardly alcoholic. Stanton’s only redeeming quality seems to be that he occasionally happens to “notice” something. There are no characters who the reader really likes or gets invested in.
7 people found this helpful
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- Gothic_Potato
- 09-01-19
Loved it!
This is a mystery book set in the time where the King's Law used the ridiculous concept of testing if one was guilty or innocent based on whether you drown or not if dropped into water. The idea being that if you died, you were innocent.
If you lived, you were be guilty and therefore hanged or otherwise dispatched. Stanton and Barling are two men that end up being sent off to determine the innocence or guilt of a beggar accused of a vicious murder; one being the representative of the King as a judge and the other as his steward.
The mystery is well written. The pieces are given as Stanton and Barling would discover them. I felt the ending was well summed up and satisfying. The characters are consistent in behavior, wording, and are smart. At least they are smart of enough to be disturbed by some of the punishments. The judge looks for ways to determine the truth using the Laws of the King without necessarily putting the into action these questionable methods of finding out innocence. On the other hand, the steward questions his intelligence as his rank in life is so beaten into him that coming to conclusions is actually concerning to him. The narration is excellent and brings the book to life. Definitely a fan and happy to discover a future series to enjoy.
5 people found this helpful
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- Debbie
- 08-10-18
Medieval England and Barbaric Justice
The King's Justice begins with prisoners being tossed into water with crazed on lookers jeering and cheering. If the prisoner floated, he was guilty and would be hanged. If he sunk, he was innocent . . . but dead . . . in the water . . . all twelve feet of it. It took me a while to get in to the story, but once I did, I really liked it. The two kings men, Stanton and Barling, are sent out to find a murderer . . . and it is quite the adventure, in a crude and raucous England of the late 1100s . . . I would think I had it figured out and then another twist or turn, and nope, I didn't . . . the book picked up speed in the second half and I found myself anxious to know what would happen next . . . I was totally surprised with the outcome . . . great resolution to the crime . . . never saw it coming . . .
5 people found this helpful
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- David Ducolon
- 09-12-19
classic tale of good and evil loved it
good characters that were excellently developed. A who did it take for history lovers. recommend
2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-02-19
Good story, fun read
I enjoyed this book and I liked the characters. the story moves along well. for those of you who liked the Name of the Rose, it reminded me of this book. i will read the next one and look forward to future stories.
2 people found this helpful
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- No
- 18-08-18
good book
great story . Hard to put down. cant waite for the next book in the series
7 people found this helpful
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- Gordon T.
- 19-07-21
Lack lustre
Did not finish it. The characters are dull and the narrator’s monotone style put me to sleep..
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- 2Ponds
- 19-06-21
just didn't care for it
I couldn't bring myself to finish the book. unable to isolate a reason, just didn't care for it.