Blood Royal

A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris

By: Eric Jager

Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting true story of murder and detection in 15th-century Paris, by one of the most brilliant medievalists of his generation.

On a chilly November night in 1407, Louis of Orleans was murdered by a band of masked men. The crime stunned and paralyzed France since Louis had often ruled in place of his brother King Charles, who had gone mad. As panic seized Paris, an investigation began. In charge was the Provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, the city's chief law enforcement officer - and one of history's first detectives. As de Tignonville began to investigate, he realized that his hunt for the truth was much more dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

A rich portrait of a distant world, Blood Royal is a gripping story of conspiracy, crime and an increasingly desperate hunt for the truth. And in Guillaume de Tignonville, we have an unforgettable detective for the ages, a classic gumshoe for a cobblestoned era.

©2014 Eric Jager (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Great Medieval True Crime Narrative

This was written so well, especially given the sometimes dry “dates-and-places” subject matter, which is sometimes all we have from this time period. I found this story fascinating and had no idea that this one event became so pivotal in French history. To be more specific, I had heard of the battles fought between Burgundians and Orleans, but never knew that it all stemmed from the actions taken by these two cousins. And thank you, thank you Hachette Audio for finding someone to read this book who actually knows how to pronounce French words and names. (Other books I’ve listened to recently were painful in this regard.) René Auberjonois does a great job of reading this book.

Historical True Crime

14th Century true crime. I especially enjoyed the witness interviews which gave perspective on how similar the average person was then as now. Their accounts weren’t all that different from 21st century eye witness interviews.

I really enjoy history and true crime so this strange combo worked well for me but I think you need to like both genres to really appreciate this book.

Worth a listen

A good bit of medieval history, contributing to the prolongation of the Hundred Years War.

Fascinating

What made the experience of listening to Blood Royal the most enjoyable?

Rene Auberjonois is a fantastic narrator for this book because he is able to pronounce the French names without stumbling.

What other book might you compare Blood Royal to and why?

Blood Royal reads almost like some of Ann Rule's true crime novels. It does a great job of laying the foundation for the crime and discussing the climate and culture of the times.

Any additional comments?

I thought the book was very interesting. In some ways it was more like a thriller than a nonfiction work.

Narrative Non-fiction at its Best

A beautiful listen - Jager tell what could be dry facts from compelling point of view and Rene Auberjonios heartfelt reading.

Reader can't pronounce French

The producer of the audiobook should have paid attention. French names and places so garbled it is an embarrassment. Otherwise for those who don't care about this, the reading is lively.

Finally some "Medieval true crime!"

if you're looking for Medieval Paris, History, Crime and a detective "who-done-it?"- look no further.

highly recommended.

This would be a fascinating movie or series

So well written I thought it was fiction. I hope someone has film rights!

Medieval Crime Investigation

I really liked this book, it's very accurate in the descriptions and very worthwhile effort to bring back the voices of the witnesses of the murder. Was super interested in the procedural aspects of the investigation and the whole criminal justice system at the time but, I will admit, it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
The author draws interesting causality between the murder itself and the wider political implications in the history of France and Europe, making the whole investigation efforts even more relevant.
Narration was ok but the French pronunciation a little jarring. I am not a particularly fluent French speaker but even I can read Chantier du Roi correctly!

Could not stop listening

This book was excellently researched and excellently written. It is a subject, medieval justice, that I don't read much about. I found it fascinating and the narration is some of the best I have ever listened to.

I highly recommend this book