In Gordon's fourth engaging historical (after 2002's Thirteenth Night), it's 1204 and jester Theophilos, his wife, Claudia, and their baby are fleeing to Innsbruck, Austria, from the disastrous Fourth Crusade and papal forces sent to destroy the Guild of Fools. At Claudia's request, Theo tells her the story of how he and the Scarlet Dwarf, his superior in the guild, got caught up in political intrigue and murder in Tyre while Richard the Lionhearted was leading the Third Crusade to free Jerusalem from Saladin in 1191. Once again, the author blends fact and fiction to create an absorbing tale—this time using a frame reminiscent of Chaucer—with the humorous and daring Theo as hero. This latest should reinforce Gordon's place in the top rank of medieval historicals. (Mar. 12)
