Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

Summary and Reviews of The Jester by James Patterson

The Jester by James Patterson, Andrew Gross

The Jester

by James Patterson, Andrew Gross
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Mar 1, 2003, 400 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Feb 2004, 416 pages
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About This Book

Book Summary

With the breakneck pace and dizzying action of a thriller and the timelessness and romance of an Arthurian legend, The Jester is a pulse-pounding and enchanting novel.

Every thousand years or so, a great adventure comes along....

Hugh De Luc, a poor innkeeper, returns home from the 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.

With the breakneck pace and dizzying action of a thriller and the timelessness and romance of an Arthurian legend, The Jester is a pulse-pounding and enchanting novel. This classic tale of good against evil and the search for love is the grandest story yet from the writer the San Francisco Chronicle calls "the page-turningest author in the game right now."

Prologue

WEARING A BROWN TWEED SUIT and his customary dark tortoiseshell sunglasses, Dr. Alberto Mazzini pushed through the crowd of loud and agitated reporters blocking the steps of the Musée d'Histoire in Boréée.

"Can you tell us about the artifact? Is it real? Is that why you're here?" a woman pressed, shoving a microphone marked CNN in his face. "Have tests been performed on the DNA?"

Dr. Mazzini was already annoyed. How had the press jackals been alerted? Nothing had even been confirmed about the find. He waved off the reporters and camera operators. "This way, Docteur," one of the museum aides instructed. "Please, come inside."

A tiny dark-haired woman in a black pantsuit was waiting for Mazzini inside. She looked to be in her mid-forties and appeared to almost curtsy in the presence of this prestigious guest.

"Thank you for coming. I am Renée Lacaze, the director of the museum. I tried to control the press, but . . ." she shrugged. "They ...

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Just who is writing the coauthored Patterson novels makes for interesting water-cooler chat, but whether the majority of words are contributed by Patterson or Gross, this terrific new novel is prime Patterson all the way....From start to finish, this is supersmart popular fiction, slick yet stirring, packed with colorful details of medieval life....Patterson's fans will adore this one.

Booklist - Kristine Huntley
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.

Library Journal
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.

Reader Reviews

book reader

Great easy read
I do a lot of reading and this novel is my all time favorite. I have read The Jester at least 5 or 6 times. It is a well told story that reads like you are watching a movie.
Meagan

The Jester
I was given "The Jester" as a summer reading assignment for my high school Humanities class...it's very well written and the characters seem to almost be real people speaking to the reader through the story. I very much enjoyed reading it,...   Read More
doug

best book
I have read over 20 Patterson books an I have to say this is the best book I have ever read - period. It's got total nonstop action from beginning to end. I read the whole book in 8 hours..if you wanna read a great book pick The Jester..the guy goes ...   Read More
cloudpreacher

The Jester
One of his better books, one of those books you cannot put down until you have finished. I was introduced to this author by a friend. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Write your own review!

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked The Jester, try these:

  • Holy Fools jacket

    Holy Fools

    by Joanne Harris

    Published 2005

    About this book

    More by this author

    In the year 1605 a young woman, hiding from her past, takes up the veil becoming Soeur Auguste. Five years later the past has found her and to protect herself and her beloved child she'll have to perform one last act of dazzling daring more audacious than any she has previously attempted.

  • Heretic jacket

    Heretic

    by Bernard Cornwell

    Published 2004

    About this book

    More by this author

    A roiling saga about love, honor, belief and bravery in its many forms, in which a young warrior's religious heritage sets him on a quest for a mysterious treasure rumored to be the Holy Grail itself.

Read-Alikes are one of the many benefits of membership. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member.
More books by James Patterson More books by Andrew Gross
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Graveyard Shift
    Graveyard Shift
    by M. L. Rio
    Following the success of her debut novel, If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio's latest book is the quasi-...
  • Book Jacket: The Sisters K
    The Sisters K
    by Maureen Sun
    The Kim sisters—Minah, Sarah, and Esther—have just learned their father is dying of ...
  • Book Jacket: Linguaphile
    Linguaphile
    by Julie Sedivy
    From an infant's first attempts to connect with the world around them to the final words shared with...
  • Book Jacket
    The Rest of You
    by Maame Blue
    At the start of Maame Blue's The Rest of You, Whitney Appiah, a Ghanaian Londoner, is ringing in her...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

Courage - a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

F the M

and be entered to win..