The Tracker expands his investigations!

Tintagel Castle and the sword Excalibur! When I think about it, with all the relics Crispin Guest has either fallen in the way of, or had thrust upon him in his time as the Tracker, of course this is a place he would eventually be led to!
1396, Crispin and Jack run into a stranger, a Cornishman, Carantok Teague, who knew much about Crispin. Carantok, is a seeker of lost artifacts, who had 'permission from the crown to find such diverse treasures across the kingdom as could be found.' That the decree had been signed in 1377 by Edward III, the present king's grandfather did seem to be stretching things just a little, to me and to Crispin.
Nonetheless Crispin and Jack find themselves heading to Cornwall in search of the legendary sword of King Arthur!
A long journey with a few mishaps. On the way they meet up with a musical troupe and then a more perilous situation as they near Tintagel. But as they enter that place, what grabs their immediate attention is the dead body they stumble over.
Tintagel is a place where Druid and Christian ways are paper thin. Crispin and Jack not only are caught up in the thrill of the search for the sword, but now murder. Add to the mix further intrigues associated with mysterious villagers living beyond the forest, disappearing local women, and the appearance of the attractive Kat Pyke, a swindler, and a previous flame of Guest's. We first met Kat in 'Season of Blood.' At that time Kat had said to Crispin, 'You should have a woman. That woman should be me.’ ...and this time? I've always rather liked Kat.
So who has Crispin Guest, ex lord and traitor, now the Tracker become?
He's mellowed and matured in many ways. He's far more accepting and less prone to act the lording he once was, although it's there and flares up occasionally. He reads the words of the philosophers and is thoughtful. Once again we see his integrity. He and Jack's family are enmeshed, forming a new family-like group. Crispin's come far, but still no ongoing female companionship.
I'm still in love with Crispin. I always will be. He's a character that's earned my loyalty and occasional anger. "Crispin who has a hard boiled honourable edge, coating the occasional softness inside." Maybe here lies part of the reason why so many religious and otherwise relics seem to find a path to him.
And Jack Tucker? Jack is now the Tracker's apprentice, father of three with a fourth on the way. I'm just so fond of Jack having seen him grow from a homeless boy who dogged Crispin's footsteps and installed himself as his servant and assistant, to the family man we now know, even with the frustrations and communication problems within his marriage, that are true for all.
Jack and Crispin are real, tried and true characters that I trust and enjoy.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley ( )