Hugh De Luc, a poor innkeeper, returns home from the First Crusade wearied from battle and disillusioned by carnage. After journeying from the Holy Land back to his own small village, he finds his nightmare is just beginning. In his absence, Hugh's son has been killed and his beloved wife, Sophie, abducted by a ruthless duke in search of a priceless relic dating back to the Crucifixion. Taking on the role of a jester, Hugh infiltrates the court where he believes Sophie is held captive. There he confronts men more evil than he ever imagined and embarks on an epic battle to restore his broken life. Another departure for Patterson after Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas: home from the Crusades, Hugh must play the jester to find his wife, abducted by knights. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Patterson takes a break from his two police-thriller series to tell the story of a very different character: Hugh De Luc, a common man who goes to fight in the Crusades in 1096. Hoping to win his freedom from the tyrannical Lord Baldwin, Hugh leaves his beloved wife, Sophie, to head for the Holy Land. The Crusades wear Hugh down, and he is horrified when a brutal Tafur warrior slaughters a Turk who has just spared him. Discouraged, Hugh takes a few relics and heads home, only to discover his home has been burned down, and his wife taken by knights he suspects were sent by Baldwin. Convinced his wife is still alive, Hugh sets off for Baldwin's castle, Treille. Along the way, he is attacked by a wild boar and saved by Emilie, a lady-in-waiting to Anne, a noblewoman whose husband is also fighting in the Crusades. Emilie and Anne take him back to Boree, where he recovers. When Hugh finally tells his story to Emilie, she comes up with a novel idea for getting him into Baldwin's castle: he can pose as a jester. Replete with his trademark short chapters and surprising twists and turns, Patterson, along with coauthor Gross, keeps the excitement levels high in this rousing adventure tale. Kristine Huntley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "From start to finish, this is supersmart popular fiction, slick yet stirring...unforgettable characters...Patterson's fans will love this one." -- Publishers Weekly, 2/3/03 James Patterson is the author of many international bestsellers, including "Along Came a Spider," "Roses Are Red," "Violets Are Blue," and "1st to Die." He lives in Florida. Andrew Gross coauthored "2nd Chance" with James Patterson. He lives in New York. Two 6-Inch SeaSuckers combine for 400+ pound of pull strength Attaches and removes in seconds without damaging the mounting surface White HDPE handle is strong and durable