Medieval Mysteries

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Simon Beaufort

• Murder in the Holy City, 1998. In 1100, Sir Geoffrey de Mappstone of England is a Crusader in Jerusalem. When he hears a scream and investigates, he finds a murdered Norman knight. Geoffrey is soon charged by the Norman Prince Tancred to investigate this murder and try to discover if it is an isolated event or part of a series of recent murders.
• A Head for Poisoning, 1999. Geoffrey returns home to Wales from the first Crusade to see his father before he dies. When he arrives he finds both his father and sister poisoned. Geoffrey soon discovers the murders are motivated by more than the division of the family estate but also threaten the crown itself.

Edward Marston: Domesday Series

• 1. The Wolves of Savernake, repr. 1995. In 1086, William the Conquour commissions Ralaph Delchard and Gervase Bret to take an extensive land survey of his new kingdom. They begin by journeying to the village of Bedwyn to settle a land dispute between a local man and the abbey. When the man is found dead, they have a mystery to solve.
• 2. The Ravens of Blackwater, repr.1996. Ralaph and Gervase travel to Blackwater castle to catalog the land holdings of the Fitzcorbuncion family and possible illegal annexations by the estate. When the oldest son is mutilated and murdered, suspects abound.
• 3. The Dragons of Archenfield, repr. 1997. Ralaph and Gervase travel to the Welsh march where three parties claim the same piece of land. Tensions erupt into murder and kidnapping threatening to engulf the region in a bloodbath. Ralaph and Gervase must find the motive, murderer, and settle the land dispute to keep the peace.
• 4. The Lions of the North: A Novel. (Out of Print)
• 5. The Serpents of Hambledown. St. Martin's Trade 1998. Ralaph's traveling company expands to include Canon Hubert, Brother Simon, and his new Saxon bride Golde. Ralph and company travel to Canterbury to settle a land dispute and find a murdered young woman. When Golde is kidnapped and threatened, Ralaph and Gervase must rescue Golde and unravel a plot engulfing Canterbury.
• 6. The Stallions of Woodstock, 1999 (hardcover). While in Oxford to settle a land dispute, Ralaph and Gervase learn of a murder during an important horse race.
• 7. The Hawks of Delamere, 2000 (hardcover). Ralaph and Gervase must find out who is trying to assassinate the king's nephew the Earl of Chartier, Hugh d'Avranches, before he attackes the Welsh in retribution.

Ellis Peters: The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael

• A Rare Benedictine,  Although this book was the last written, it contains three short tales which are prequels to the series explaining among another things why Cadfael left his life as a mercenary to enter the church.
• A Morbid Taste for Bones, Brother Cadfael, a Crusader turned monk, travels to the Welsh village of Gwytherin to obtain the relics of St. Winifred.  Cadfael must investigate the murder of his leading rival for St. Winifred's relics and navigate his internal conflicts over the removal of the bones.
• One Corpse Too Many, Among 94 victims on a battlefield which Brother Cadfael is called to minister to, he finds a 95th strangled corpse. He vows to find the murder who discarded his victim among the dead on a battlefield.
• Monk's Hood, Brother Cadfael finds himself in a spot of trouble when a guest at Shrewsbury abbey is poisoned with Monk's Hood oil from Cadfael's laboratory.  The man happens to be the husband of a woman Cadfael had been betrothed to years earlier.  Cadfael must prove her son innocent of his step-father's murder.
• Brother Cadfael's Penance, Cadfael and his son Oliver are caught up in a feud between Empress Maud and the supporters of her cousin Stephen.
• The Confessions of Brother Haluin, On his deathbed, Brother Haluin confesses to the murder of a former lover and then recovers.  In atonement, Haluin and Cadfael undertake a difficult journey to find his lover's mother that leads to another murder.
• Dead Man's Ransom, During the civil war of 1141, Cadfael becomes involved in defending a young Welshman against the charge that he murdered the sheriff.
• The Devil's Novice, In 1140, Cadfael seeks the murder of a young brother who is the emissary of King Stephen.
• An Excellent Mystery, In 1141, Cadfael seeks the unravel the strange relationship between two brothers who arrive at Shrewsbury after their abbey in Winchester is destroyed. The answer threatens not only lives but also their Holy Order.
• The Heretic's Apprentice, In 1143, two visitors at Shrewsbury involve Brother Cadfael in a murder on sacred ground.
• The Hermit of Eyton Forest, On the death of his father Lord Ludel, Richard a student at Cadfael's abbey becomes the Lord of Eaton. A hermit soon arrives in the forest creating chaos among the monks as Richard disappears and a corpse is found in the forest.
• The Holy Thief,  In 1145, Brother Cadfael becomes involved in the search for the stolen reliquary of St. Winifred and a murder as Shrewsbury abbey copes with a threatening flood.
• The Leper of St. Giles, In 1139, an investigation of a murder which interrupts a marriage at Shrewsbury abbey leads Cadfael to the Leper Colony at St. Giles. Cadfael is aided by the victims former mistress who becomes a nun after his death.
• The Pilgrim of Hate, Brother Cadfael must solve the mystery of a murdered Winchester knight as Shrewsbury abbey prepares to celebrate an important anniversary.
• The Potter's Field, In 1143, a discovery of an unconsecrated woman's grave on a field newly acquired by the abbey which was formerly owned by a new monk whose wife disappeared before he entered the abbey sets Cadfael out to find the truth.
• A Raven at the Foregate, At Christmas time 1141, a priest from London joins the abbey only to be found drowned in the millpond soon after. A young man who traveled with the priest and who now works in Cadfael's herb garden is the prime suspect.
• The Rose Rent, A wealthy widow donates a house to Shrewsbury abbey in return for an annual rent of one white rose.  Her many suitors see the donation as a loss of dowry which could be regained if the rent is not paid.  When the priest who delivers the rose rent is found murdered and the rose bush cut down, Cadfael must find the culprit.
• The Sanctuary Sparrow,
• St. Peter's Fair,  In 1139, during a pause in the civil war the town hopes to have a successful St. Peter's Fair until a wealthy merchant is found murdered.
• The Summer of the Danes, In the summer of 1144, a pause in the civil war allows Cadfael to travel to Wales on church business where he is captured by Danish mercenaries.  A murder exposes the divisions between two mercenary brothers which must be resolved before they plunge the kingdom into chaos.
• The Virgin in the Ice, Winter 1139, the civil war has sent refugees fleeing from Worcester.  When a young boy, his 18 year old sister and a young nun disappear en route to Shrewsbury abbey, Cadfael must find them.

Rosemary Rowe.

• The Germanicus Mosaic: A Mystery of Roman Britain. Headline, UK 1999. Libertus a free pavement maker has a reputation for solving mysteries. When his patron asks him to investigate a murder he can't refuse.
• A Patturn of Blood, UK 2000. Libertus is imposed on again to investigate threats against Quintus Ulpius he has no choice but to comply. When Quintus is murdered Libertus must find the culprit before more lives, including his own, are at risk.

Peter Tremayne: The Sister Fidelma Mysteries

• Absolution by Murder: A murder mystery set at the Synod of Whitby in 664.[Amazon.co.uk]
• Shroud for the Archbishop: The designated Archbishop of Canterbury is murdered while awaiting ordination in Rome. The culprit must be found before Britain erupts in war at the news of his murder.[Amazon.co.uk]
• Suffer Little Children, 1995: The murder of a respected Leinster scholar threatens war between Leinster and Munster unless the murder can be found.[Amazon.co.uk]
• The Subtle Serpent: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland, October 1999. Sister Fedelma must unravel a murder mystery at a remote abbey which is complicated by the mysterious disappearance of a ship and its entire crew.[Amazon.co.uk]
• The Spider's web, June 1999 (Hardcover). In 666, Sister Fedelma comes to the aid of her brother the king of Muman when his chieftain Eber of Araglin and his sister are found murdered.  Fidelma finds a family feud that spreads the bloodshed even farther, risking her life and Brother Eadulf's.[Amazon.co.uk]
• Valley of the Shadow, UK 1998. Sister Fidelma is dispatched by her brother King Colgu of Cashel to negotiate with a chieftan for permission to build a Christian church and school. Her mission is complicated by plots from both local pagans and a representatives from the Bishop of Armagh and the Ui Neill.
• The Monk Who Vanished, UK 1999. Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf are sent to the abbey of Imleach to investigate the disappearance of a an elderly monk and the relics of St. Ailbe, who was the first missionary to Munster and baptised the king of Cashel in 448.
• Act of Mercy, UK May 2000. Fidelma sets out on a religious pilgramage to reflect on her commitment to religious life. When a fellow pilgram dies, Fidelma is caught up in another mystery.
• Hemlock at Vespers: Fifteen Sister Fidelma Short Stories, St. Martin's Minotaur 2000. [Amazon.co.uk]

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