German author Schatzing, best-known for his environmental SF thriller The Swarm
(2006), uses the death of real-life architect Gerhard Morart, the designer of the cathedral of Cologne, as his starting point for this compelling historical suspense novel. Work on what would become the most famous church in Germany has been underway for a dozen years in 1260 when Morart falls from the unfinished building’s roof—murdered, in the author’s fictional scenario, as the result of a shadowy conspiracy. Unfortunately for the plotters, Jacob the Fox, a thief known for his fiery red hair, witnesses the act and actually hears the victim’s dying words, leading the murderers to target Jacob and anyone he might have spoken to. The main mystery revolves around the motives of the plotters, whose identities aren’t kept secret. Strong action sequences and a dramatic look at a time and place unfamiliar to most readers should help solidify Schatzing’s reputation as a versatile storyteller. (Sept.)
