December, 1389. Arriving at Whitby Abbey in order to bid to purchase a priceless Holy Relic, Hildegard of Meaux finds it a decidedly unwelcoming place. But before the bidding war can begin, a body is discovered in the monastery's apple store shed. Something is rotten in the heart of Whitby Abbey - and it's up to Hildegard to discover the truth.
In this chilling investigation of foul deeds and mysterious deaths, former police inspector, Peter N Walker leads the reader through this native countryside in search of the truth behind many unexplained mysteries and unsolved murders. Isolated moorland inns and quiet dales conceal memorable tales of passion and despair from ancient times right up to the present day. This wide-ranging and breathtaking collection of murders and mysteries are intriguing and informative, whether you know the North York Moors or not.
The ruthless reign of Henry IV and the clerical tyranny of Archbishop Arundel keep Brother Chandler and his friends under constant threat in this gripping medieval mystery featuring friar-sleuth Rodric Chandler. "Clark’s use of period detail is unparalleled, and the plot remains taut and brisk til the end" Publishers Weekly Starred Review Chester, 1400. Riding for his life, with a copy of Chaucer's heretical Canterbury Tales in his possession, friar-sleuth Brother Chandler is ambushed on the road and wakes up in a stranger's house. Is his 'rescuer', wool merchant John Willoughby, friend . . . or foe? Willoughby declares that he, like Chandler, has renounced the self-crowned King Henry IV and will help Chandler get his dangerous belongings to safety. He seems trustworthy, but Chandler knows that if he's caught by the King's merciless censors together with the Tales, he'll be burned at the stake. But then Willoughby's young wife perishes in a terrible accident at their house - or so it seems . . . Willoughby asks Chandler to help investigate if it was indeed an accident or if someone had a hidden agenda. All Chandler wants to do is find safe haven for Chaucer's Tales and return to London, but he accepts the case. Little does he know that it will lead to secrets being uncovered which will put not only Chandler but also those around him in unimaginable peril. The Night of the Wolf is the third book in the Brother Chandler mystery series, following The Hour of the Fox and The Day of the Serpent. A great read for history lovers who enjoy puzzling murder mysteries with twists!
The murder of a loyal king’s man threatens the self-crowned King Henry’s new regime in this second gripping medieval mystery featuring friar, sleuth and reluctant spy Brother Chandler. January, 1400. The bowman strikes at night, slaying one of King Henry’s loyal garrison men before melting back into the darkness. Was the murder the result of a personal quarrel? Or is it, as Henry’s stepbrother, Swynford, fears, the start of an uprising against England’s self-crowned king? Swynford orders Brother Chandler to investigate, before the spark of rebellion can set the whole country alight. Friar, reluctant sleuth, and even more reluctant spy, Brother Chandler is a man with dark secrets and divided loyalties. To the murdered King Richard. To his paymaster, the usurper King Henry. And to beautiful, naïve Mattie, a maid in the household of heretical poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who holds dangerous secrets of her own. Trusted by no one, Chandler must walk a tightrope of secrets and lies if he is to uncover the truth about the murder, while ensuring he – and the few people he cares about – stay alive. Combining rich historical detail with deep characterisations and enthralling mystery, this medieval puzzler is a perfect choice for fans of sleuthing monks and nuns like Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael and Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma.
A storm is coming . . . Can nun sleuth Hildegard solve the murder of a lay sister before the rising flood waters trap her with a cunning killer? Autumn, 1394. All is not well at Swyne Priory. Dissension has arisen amongst the nuns. The new novices whisper in corners, spreading malicious rumours and sharing dark secrets. The Prioress gives Hildegard an order: search out the cause of this unrest, and put a stop to it. But before Hildegard can investigate, she's forced to deal with a new problem: the arrival of a mysterious stranger in the middle of the night, claiming his life is in danger. Hildegard isn't sure whether to believe him, but when a body is discovered near the priory, she's soon plunged into a dark and dangerous puzzle where nothing is as it seems. All she knows for certain is that a storm is coming, threatening to cut the priory off from the outside world and trap them with a killer . . . Medieval mystery at its finest - and a great pick for readers who love sleuthing monks and nuns like Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma, Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael and Cora Harrison's Reverend Mother.
Introducing reluctant spy and friar-sleuth Brother Rodric Chandler in the first of a brand-new medieval mystery series. London. July, 1399. As rumours spread that his ambitious cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, has returned from exile in France, King Richard's grip on the English throne grows ever more precarious. Meanwhile, the body of a young woman is discovered at Dowgate sluice. When it's established that the dead woman was a novice from nearby Barking Abbey, the coroner calls in his friend, Brother Chandler, to investigate. Who would cut the throat of a young nun and throw her remains in the river? And what was she doing outside the confines of the priory in the first place? Secretly acting as a spy for Henry Bolingbroke, Chandler is torn by conflicting loyalties and agonising self-doubt. As the king's cousin marches towards Wales and England teeters on the brink of civil war, Chandler's investigations will draw him into affairs of state – and endanger not only himself but all those around him.
