The first thrilling novel in Raymond Khoury’s New York Times bestselling Templar series. In 1291, a young Templar knight flees the fallen holy land in a hail of fire and flashing sword, setting out to sea with a mysterious chest entrusted to him by the Order's dying grand master. The ship vanishes without a trace. In present day Manhattan, four masked horsemen dressed as Templar Knights stage a bloody raid on the Metropolitan Museum of Art during an exhibit of Vatican treasures. Emerging with a strange geared device, they disappear into the night. The investigation that follows draws archaeologist Tess Chaykin and FBI agent Sean Reilly into the dark, hidden history of the crusading knights—and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with ruthless killers—as they race across three continents to recover the lost secret of the Templars.
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR COLLECTION: VOLUME 2 brings together three more of Michael Jecks' most popular Knights Templar mysteries. Join Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Baliff Simon Puttock as they journey from England to France, and back again, in three riveting tales of murder and intrigue. The Templar, the Queen & Her Lover: Queen Isabella, wife to Edward II of England, has been dispatched to France in an attempt to bring about peace between the two countries, and Sir Baldwin de Furnshill must accompany her with his friend Simon Puttock. But the day after their arrival, a servant is found murdered, with Baldwin's dagger lying next to the body. As Baldwin struggles to prove his innocence, the killer strikes again. With so many English enemies gathering in Paris, will he be able to expose the culprit in time to protect the diplomats and their mission? The Prophecy of Death: It's 1325, and in England turmoil is rife. But could the Prophecy of St Thomas's Holy Oil be the key to saving the ill-fated reign of King Edward II? It is believed the one anointed with it will be a lion among men: he will conquer France, unite Christendom and throw the heathens from the Holy Land. Meanwhile, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and his friend Simon Puttock return from France with urgent messages for the King himself. Soon they find themselves at the centre of a deadly court intrigue involving the most powerful and ruthless men in the country, who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to achieve their ambitions... The King of Thieves: 1325: Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and his friend Simon Puttock are in France guarding King Edward's son on his perilous journey to meet the French king, Charles IV. But they are unaware that King Edward's wife Isabella is disaffected and plotting her revenge... What first appears a simple diplomatic mission is fast becoming lethally dangerous. Meanwhile, two murders in Paris are causing alarm. Is there a connection between the killings and the shadowy 'King' of thieves? Simon and Baldwin know the future of the English crown is at risk. And in order to protect it they must put their own lives in jeopardy. What readers are saying about The Knights Templar mysteries: 'Full of twists and turns right up until the end' 'Superb, with a diverse and fantastic cast of characters, mixing historical fact with the author's creations - and they blend beautifully' 'Jecks continues to astonish me in adherence to historical accuracy but also in his ability to write a tale so well'
The first thrilling instalment in a legendary historical adventure series. Paris, 1307. The Knights Templar have been destroyed by Pope Clement, having been persuaded by a jealous king that they are corrupt devil worshippers. There is one survivor – a knight who swears vengeance. Devon, 1316. A charred body is discovered in a burned-out cottage, and newly appointed Bailiff, Simon Puttock, believes it to be accidental. Until the new master of the local manor, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, deduces that they were dead before the fire began. With the assistance of the astute yet strangely reticent knight, Simon begins to piece together the events of the man’s last days. Then word comes of another, far more sinister murder – for in this case, the victim was undoubtedly burned alive. Are the two incidents connected, and will the killer strike again? An absolutely sensational historical mystery by a true master of the genre, ideal for fans of S. J. A. Turney, K. M. Ashman and Bernard Cornwell. Praise for Michael Jecks 'Marvellously portrayed' C. J. Sansom 'Michael Jecks is the master of the medieval whodunnit' Robert Low 'The most wickedly plotted medieval mystery novels' The Times
From New York Times bestselling author Raymond Khoury comes a “a full-throttle action-adventure thriller” (Library Journal) that's even more shocking and explosive than The Last Templar… Constantinople, 1203: As the ravaging armies of the Fourth Crusade lay siege to the city, a secretive band of Templars infiltrate the imperial library. Their target: a cache of documents that must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the Doge of Venice. They escape with three heavy chests, filled with explosive secrets that these men will not live long enough to learn... Vatican City, present day: FBI agent Sean Reilly infiltrates the Pope's massive Vatican Secret Archives of the Inquisition. No one but the Pope's trusted secondi is allowed in--but Reilly has earned the Vatican's trust, a trust he has no choice but to violate. A vicious, uncompromising terrorist bent on revenge has kidnapped Tess Chaykin, and the key to her freedom lies in this underground crypt, in the form of a document known as the Fondo Templari—the secret history of the infamous Templars...
As a knight battles to protect the Holy Land, his beloved lies captive in a convent in the 2nd entry in this thrilling historical epic trilogy. Among the last bastion of God’s holy warriors determined to save Jerusalem from the Muslims, Arn Magnusson of the Nights Templar is renowned as a man of compassion, strength, and faith, even among the enemy Saracens—Saladin and his Muslim followers. Yet, neither time nor distance can lessen Arn’s pain of separation from his beloved Cecilia; confined to a cloister back home in western Götaland, his betrothed, the mother of their newborn son, is a pawn in a war between clans vying for control of the crown. And when an accident of fate brings together Arn and Saladin, an unlikely friendship is froged that will alter the course of the Templar knight’s life, and the history of Jerusalem itself. Praise for The Templar Knight “The political intrigue, military action, and exotic setting will appeal to both historical fiction readers and adventure buffs. Although part of a trilogy, this can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone entry, but most readers who happen upon this title first will surely want to go back for the beginning and will eagerly await the final volume.” —Booklist
In 1191, fifteen-year-old Tristan, a youth of unknown origin raised in an English abbey, becomes a Templar Knight's squire during the Third Crusade and soon finds himself on a mission to bring the Holy Grail to safety.
One of the greatest mystery of all time is about to be revealed.When John Henry "Doc" Holiday joined the SEALs, he swore, "If knocked down, I'll get back up, every time." So he wasn't ready to go quietly and just fade away when a bullet abruptly ended his military career. And you can bet that when he gets knocked down while searching for the lost treasure of the Knights Templar, all hell breaks loose as he gets back up!The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar leads the reader on a roller-coaster ride in search of a legend. Packed with breathtaking suspense and nerve-shredding action, The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar is a thrilling read for all fans of action, suspense, and intrigue.Join a cast of characters that will keep you entertained long into the night... Adventure awaits just one click away. Start reading NOW!Always FREE on Kindle UnlimitedIf you like Indiana Jones, Clive Cussler or Dan Brown's Robert Langdon novels, you will love this series ...
1326. In an England riven with conflict, knight and peasant alike find their lives turned upside downby the warring factions of Edward II, with his hated favourite, Hugh le Despenser, and Edward's estranged queen Isabella and her lover, Sir Roger Mortimer. Yet even in such times the brutal slaughter of an entire family, right down to a babe in arms, still has the power to shock. Three further murders follow, and bailiff Simon Puttock is drawn into a web of intrigue, vengeance, power and greed as Roger Mortimer charges him to investigate the killings. Michael Jecks brilliantly evokes the turmoil of fourteenth-century England, as his well-loved characters Simon Puttock and Sir Baldwin de Furnshill strive to maintain the principles of loyalty and truth.
The untold story of the secret alliance behind the “discovery” of America • Reveals how a utopian dream of brotherhood among Christians, Muslims, and Jews fueled a murderous power struggle involving secret societies, popes, and kings • Explains why King Ferdinand of Spain supported Columbus’s voyages openly, but, secretly, sought to undermine their purpose • Shows how Columbus knew, sailing west, he would find the “New World,” not Asia Was Columbus a Templar? According to the historic documents and maps revealed by Ruggero Marino, Columbus shared their dream of Christians, Muslims, and Jews living in peace in a New Jerusalem, and his voyage across the Atlantic was both to find a new passage to Asia and to find the place where the New Jerusalem could be built. Marino draws parallels between Marco Polo’s journey east over the Silk Route and Columbus’s sea voyages and reveals that Columbus studied ancient texts and maps from the Vatican Library, access to which was granted by Pope Innocent VIII--who Marino shows to be Columbus’s true father. Innocent VIII (whose own father was Jewish and grandmother was Muslim) was the perfect individual to further the Templars’ plan to create a universal religion combining the spiritual wisdom of the three faiths. Marino shows that Innocent’s “disappearance” and the story that Columbus merely stumbled onto the New World were part of a calculated political and theological cover-up. While King Ferdinand (the model for Machiavelli’s The Prince) and Queen Isabella of Spain are heralded with funding Columbus’s “discovery” of America, it was Innocent VIII who was the main sponsor and master-mind of the expedition. To obscure the purpose of the voyages, and give Spain the credit for the New World discovery, Ferdinand and his agent Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), Pope Innocent VIII’s successor, initiated the disinformation campaign that has lasted for over 500 years.
