Medieval Murderers Books
In five interlinked chronological tales (and a prologue), a brilliant cast of medieval sleuths created by Michael Jecks, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Philip Gooden, and Simon Beaufort, pursues the bloody mystery of a relic powerful and cursed a fragment of the True Cross.
From its first arrival in Britain with the Norman forces of William the Conqueror, violence and revenge are the cursed sword's constant companions. From an election scandal in 13th-century Venice to the battlefield of Poitiers in 1356, the sword of shame brings bad luck and disgrace to all who possess it in this compelling collection of five interlocking mysteries.
Bermondsey Priory, 1114. A young chaplain succumbs to the temptations of the flesh - and suffers a gruesome punishment. From that moment, the monastery is cursed and over the next five hundred years murder and treachery abound within its hallowed walls. A beautiful young bride found dead two days before her wedding. A ghostly figure that warns of impending doom. A plot to deposes King Edward II. Mad monks and errant priests...even the poet Chaucer finds himself drawn into the dark deeds and violent death which pervade this unhappy place.
575 AD: A baby is washed up on the Irish coast and is taken to the nearest abbey. He grows up to become a scholar and a monk, but, in early adulthood, he appears to have become possessed, scribbling endless strange verses in Latin. When the Abbott tries to have him drowned, he disappears. Later, his scribblings turn up as the Book of Bran, his writings translated as portents of the future. Violence and untimely death befall all who come into the orbit of this mysterious book.
The bones of the legendary king are secreted throughout the centuries in the fifth volume from the acclaimed Medieval Murderers During excavation work at Glastonbury Abbey in the year 1191, an ancient leaden cross is discovered buried several feet below the ground. Inscribed on it are the words hic iacet sepultus inclitus rex arturius : here lies buried the renowned King Arthur. Beneath the cross are two skeletons. Could these really be the remains of the legendary King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere? As the monks debate the implications of this extraordinary discovery, the bones are spirited away by the mysterious Guardians, a group determined to keep King Arthur's remains safe until the legend is fulfilled and he returns to protect his country in the hour of its greatest need. As the secret of the bones' hiding place is passed from generation to generation, those entrusted to safeguard the king's remains must withstand treachery, theft, blackmail, and murder in order to keep the legend intact.
A mysterious meteor brings treachery, discord, and violent death to those who seek to possess it in the sixth volume of these thrilling interlinked medieval mysteries 1067. In the desolate wastes of Greenland, a band of hunters stumble across a strangely shaped object which has fallen from the sky. At first, the mysterious "sky-stone" seems to bring them good luck, healing a lame boy and guaranteeing a good catch of furs. But violence and murder soon follow in fortune's wake as the villagers fight and struggle among themselves to gain control of the precious stone. Over the next 600 years, the Sky-Stone falls into the hands of crusading knights, the wicked Sheriff of Devon, a group of radical young kabbalists, the dying King Henry III, and a band of traveling players.
Bath Abbey, 1199. The monks' peaceful existence is turned upside down when the Abbey's unpopular prior is found dead on Solsbury Hill. But when Sir Symon Cole and his wife, Gwenllian, arrive to investigate, they soon hear whisperings that the prior has met with divine punishment. For it is said that on Solsbury Hill, only those who are pure in heart can survive a night when the moon is full. Determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the prior's death, Gwenllian launches a daring investigation that puts her in great danger and Sir Symon accepts a challenge to visit the hill at night. Sacred treasures. Dangerous secrets. Plots against Church, Crown and Government. Solsbury Hill continues to be the scene of murder, theft and conspiracy throughout the ages. But what will today's archaeologists make of the mysteries uncovered on this haunted site?
Carmarthen, 1199 - A sudden snowstorm in late December means that two parties of travellers are forced to abandon their journeys and take refuge in the bustling market town of Carmarthen. Unfortunately, the two groups - one representing the Archbishop of Canterbury and one comprising canons from St David's Cathedral - are bitter opponents in a dispute that has been raging for several months. When an enigmatic stranger appears, and requests permission to stage a play, which he claims will alleviate tensions and engender an atmosphere of seasonal harmony, the castle's constable, Sir Symon Cole, refuses on the grounds that encouraging large gatherings of angry people is likely to end in trouble, but his wife Gwenllian urges him to reconsider. At first, it appears she is right, and differences of opinions and resentments do seem to have been forgotten in the sudden anticipation of what promises to be some unique entertainment. Unfortunately, one of the Archbishop's envoys - the one chosen to play the role of Cain - dies inexplicably on the eve of the performance, and there is another 'accident' at the castle, which claims the life of a mason. Throughout the ages, the play is performed in many guises, but each time bad luck seems to follow after all those involved in its production.
AD 848.Bernwyn of Lythe, the young daughter of an ealdorman, spurns marriage and chooses to remain a virgin dedicated to Christ. When she is found murdered in the chapel where she kept her nightly vigils, it is thought that she has fallen victim to the Viking raiders who are ravaging the country and the butterflies found resting on her body are taken to be a sign from God. But what if Bernwyn was not all she seemed? Could the saintly deeds attributed to her have been carried out by someone else and the people have set up a shrine to a false virgin? Throughout the ages, St Bernwyn comes to be regarded as the patron saint of those suffering from skin diseases, and many are drawn on pilgrimage to her shrines. But from a priory in Wales to the Greek island of Sifnos, it seems that anywhere that St Bernwyn is venerated, bitter rivalry breaks out. So when a famous poet is inspired to tell the story of the saint, perhaps it is little wonder that he finds himself writing a satirical piece on the credulity of man.
In the spring of 1348, tales begin arriving in England of poisonous clouds fast approaching, which have overwhelmed whole cities and even countries, with scarcely a human being left. While some pray more earnestly and live yet more devoutly, others vow to enjoy themselves and blot out their remaining days on earth by drinking and gambling. And then there are those who hope that God's wrath might be averted by going on a pilgrimage. But if God was permitting his people to be punished by this plague, then it surely could only be because they had committed terrible sins? So when a group of pilgrims are forced to seek shelter at an inn, their host suggests that the guests should tell their tales. He dares them to tell their stories of sin, so that it might emerge which one is the best.That is, the worst ...