Medieval Mystery Fiction

England, 1154. With King Henry II taking the throne, the long civil war that has ravaged England has finally come to an end. But conflict is now coming from overseas. Henry has inherited territories over the English Channel that are being contested by King Louis VII of France. And the new king's marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine is strained—and becomes even more so when he threatens the Church of England and Thomas Beckett.

Virginia Henley's historical romances have won praise for their ability to "illuminate and entertain" ( Publishers Weekly). It is 1322, and the Marcher lords are rebelling against King Edward II. Lady Brianna de Beauchamp, daughter of a powerful Marcher, knows she should not involve herself in the battle. But when she meets dangerously handsome Wolf Mortimer, who has the gift of second sight, she cannot deny her passions.

Why would ‘Constance’ travel between the exotic ‘powerhouse’ of the ancient Assyrian and Roman Empires, only to finally journey to the wild, inhospitable and barbaric lands of Northumberland? This is a story based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s Man of Law’s Tale from The Canterbury Tales and tells of the travels of ‘Constance’. The question is, what secret was Chaucer trying to tell in this unlikely journey and where ‘Constance’, suggested as being one of the most recognised of biblical artefacts, continues to be hidden to this day. The book also reveals that to conceal this and ...

Get the next two compelling books in the series. Richard and Jack are set on a mission to sell a stolen arms shipment to the Knight's of St John - how badly wrong could it go? Follow their adventures through Europe and the Malta to the Island fortress of the Knights. The backdrop to their own struggle is the political tension in England. Mary I, convinced God has given her the task of returning England to the true faith sends the Protestant reformers a stark and violent message.

Edward Courtenay, the last Plantagenet, has a claim to the throne of England that he must never be allowed to make. Courtenay has already tried to bolster his right to rule by backing Wyatt's failed uprising, and then by trying to wed the Princess Elizabeth, embroiling her in his treasonous plots. Richard, his conscience torn by what he must do, returns to Italy to find Courtenay. Once he completes his task he intends to hand himself to the Order and secure the release of Lizbet and the rest of his men.

Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, hastens to the Dominican Priory at Blackfriars where Gaveston's corpse awaits burial. But, on arrival, Corbett discovers that a series of macabre murders has turned the priory into a mansion of death, and a killer is roaming free. Meanwhile, rumours spread that the pirate ships of the Black Banner Fleet are intent on entering the River Thames and, if the Sea Beggars succeed in their mission, they will weaken the king's power throughout the city.

As a child, Gruoch’s grandmother prophecies that she will one day be Queen of Alba and reclaim the lands of her Pictish kin. When, many years later, she is betrothed to Duncan, the heir-elect, the prophecy appears to come true. Determined to never to be as powerless as her parents, Gruoch leaves behind her home, her family and her friend MacBethad, and travels to the royal seat at Scone to seal her fate.

Medieval Europe, 996 AD. Fifteen-year-old Galen survived a horrendous assault, only to be exiled by his family. Taken in by monks and grateful to be spared as a suspected sinner from the execution block, he ekes out a lonely existence of unrelenting pain. But he gains a chance to prove himself worthy when a famous young illustrator arrives at the abbey and selects him to help with an important manuscript.

Sword of Shame is the second collaboration by five of the UK's finest historical mystery writers. Each brings their own characters to these interlinked tales, which tell the story of a cursed Norman sword. From its first arrival in Britain, with the Norman forces of William the Conqueror, violence and revenge are the cursed sword's constant companions.

A hidden hoard of Saxon gold. A poisoned priest. A monk skinned alive in Westminster Abbey. Only one thing is certain: whoever comes into possession of the cursed book meets a gruesome and untimely end.

When King Claudio sends Mangus the Magician and his faithful servant, Fabrizio, to Venice to steal a manuscript that explains a magical method of making money, they must succeed in their mission or risk death. The manuscript is key to obtaining great profits for the king-and a secure future for Mangus and Fabrizio.

London, 1471. The War of the Roses rages on. Edward of York has claimed the English throne, and his Yorkist supporters gleefully slaughter their adversaries; there's no mercy for anyone who supported the Lancastrian cause. Margaret Beaufort - mother of Henry Tudor, the only hope for the House of Lancaster - knows her enemies are closing in. Desperate for help, she turns to Christopher Urswicke for protection. But when ruthless scheming and pitiless killings are the only routes to survival, Urswicke will have to choose where his loyalties truly lie.

A murdered man, a lingering spirit and a spate of disappearances. Myles Devereux's makes a profit where he can, and possesses a conscience that rarely stops his actions. When an opportunity to acquire a murdered man's business comes his way the circumstances surrounding his death don't bother Deverereux. Not until, that is, the murders continue, and rumour begins to whisper that the murdered man, Eldrige Slouch, had been cursed and his spirit lingers intent upon revenge. Devereux, intent of retaining his new investment, needs to find out who is behind the killings and stop the rumours. ...

As the year 1349 approaches, the Black Death continues its devastating course across England. In Dorseteshire, the quarantined people of Develish question whether they are the only survivors. Guided by their beloved young mistress, Lady Anne, they wait, knowing that when their dwindling stores are finally gone they will have no choice but to leave. But where will they find safety in the desolate wasteland outside? One man has the courage to find out. Thaddeus Thurkell, a free-thinking, educated serf, strikes out in search of supplies and news.

With Isabella and Molay both trapped in Paris, the weight of the world hangs on the shoulders of two unsuspecting nuns who are caught up in a game of control for the medieval world. Sister Fransie and Sister Caroline must flee France and smuggle the key to the Templars' greatest secret across the Camino de Santiago. On their pilgrimage, the sisters are forced to face the seven deadly sins, which have taken on a physical form and threaten to stop them at every turn.

King Edward IV trembles as he decides the fate of his sibling. And Richard, Duke of Gloucester tries to find a way to save George from being put to death by their eldest brother, the King. So when the Duke sees his loyal servant Roger the Chapman at his trial, he recognises that he has a chance.

Wales, 1369. Owen Archer is travelling to Wales on a mission for the Duke of Lancaster, recruiting archers in anticipation of King Charles of France's invasion of England. Joining him are Brother Michaelo, Geoffrey Chaucer and his father-in-law, Sir Robert D'Arby, who is on pilgrimage to the shrine of St David. When the body of John de Reine, one of the Duke of Lancaster's men, is found at the gate of St David's, the bishop asks Owen to return the corpse to John's father, Sir John Lascelles.

An Epic Clash of Faith and Reason Amid the Ravages of the Black Death The spellbinding prequel to Terminal Warfare: Lady, Scientist, Lover, Spy in which the ancient world grapples with the collision of faith and reason in the shadow of a devastating pandemic. Delve into the enchanting world of the ancient Icelandic sagas at one of the landmark events in world history: the era of the Black Death which decimated Europe and has lessons for today and our collective future as the human race. As the Black Death sweeps across 14th-century Europe, a mysterious dark rider appears on the glacial ...

1348. The Black Death enters England through the port of Melcombe; the people of the county start to die in the thousands. In the demesne of Develish, Lady Anne takes control of her people's future, chooses a bastard slave, Thaddeus Thurkell, to act as her steward, and together they decide to quarantine Develish by bringing the serfs inside the walls. With this sudden overturning of the accepted social order, where serfs exist only to serve their lords, conflicts soon arise....

Penda, a warrior of immense renown, has much to prove if he is to rule the Mercian kingdom of his dead father and prevent the neighboring king of Northumbria from claiming it. Unexpectedly allying with the British kings, Penda races to battle the alliance of the Northumbrian king, unsure if his brother stands with him or against him as they seek battle glory for themselves, and the right to rule gained through bloody conquest. There will be a victor and a bloody loser and a king will rise from the ashes of the great and terrible battle of Hædfeld.