First edition as new

Definitely very different for Patterson. It took me a long time to get into the book. First 100 pages were very slow reading. It did pick up and become interesting though. This is not a detective story or even a mystery.

This is a Crusades story about a man trying to find his wife and revenge his sons death and in the process becomes a Jester to the very men that are his enemies. ( )

Crusades story of an innkeeper, who joined the Crusades, left with a simply staff/walking stick taken from a fallen priest. This staff turns out to be the lance that pierced Jesus on the cross and is highly coverted by all. Hugh, the Jester, seeks revenge for the killing of his wife and newborn son, and ends up leading a revolution of farmers and craftsmen, against the all powerful and totally heartless Lords of the area of France.

I picked this book out to read because it was Patterson, and with a title like The Jester, I figured it would be an awesome thriller. Surprise! It was about a peasant, Hugh, who joins the Holy Wars in eleventh-century France, then becomes a jester to survive after returning home with a relic he doesn't realize he has. The plot story was predictable and silly. The only redeeming quality was Hugh's wit and his jokes. They were funny. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. Very different from what I am used to reading by him. Set in a great time period I love to read about I could not put this one down. ( )