Oswald the Thief

A Medieval Caper

De: Jeri Westerson

Narrado por: Noah James Butler

London, 1308. “All I need is a plan!” So says Oswald of Harlech, a misplaced Welshman in the heart of London. Besides his trade as a tinker, he also robs houses, cuts purses, plays a crooked shell game, and has a way with the ladies. But this time, caught in the act of robbing a house, he is blackmailed by the scheming Keeper of the King’s Wardrobe into stealing the Crown Jewels from the impenetrable Tower of London.

Gathering his gang of friends—his half-wit companion who is uncannily adept at picking locks, his greedy landlord, a mad alchemist, a desperate but beautiful alehouse owner, and a man-of-few-words blacksmith—Oswald must steal the jewels, avoid the gallows, skirt some unscrupulous moneylenders, get the girl, and escape the sheriff's clutches, all with sly wit and good humor. It’s Ocean’s 11 in the Middle Ages!

©2022 Jeri Westerson (P)2023 Jeri Westerson

Okay story, just not for me

I very much enjoyed Jeri Westerson's Crispin Guest series and I tend to love a good heist story. This one disappointed me. The story, written in first person, is alright. The narrator does a solid job overall. But for me, the combination of the two left me wanting more. Story wise, I hoped for a little more on the caper side. More importantly, I did not enjoy Noah James Butler's performance. He does different voices for the characters and gives a clear performance...but I just could no stay engaged in this story. As I believe both the story and the narration are technically good, I have come to the conclusion that it's a personal preference thing. That special something in a story and performance that "speaks" to an individual and makes a story great, is missing for me. Give it a try, you may love it. Unfortunately as much as I wanted to, this one is not for me.