Серия книг «A Knights Templar Mystery» — 14 книг

A Knight Templar weeps as he watches his friends, broken by torture, go to their deaths at the stake. Pope Clement has destroyed the Order, persuaded of corruption within it. All that remains is the desire for vengeance on those who defiled the Order's name.

Two years of heavy rains and poor harvests have driven many to a life of thieving; bands of outlaws known as "trail bastons" rove the countryside, spreading terror in their wake.

The newly appointed Bailiff of Lydford Castle, Simon Puttock, has had little experience of violence. When the charred body of Harold Brewer is found in his burned-out cottage, Simon assumes it's accidental death. It's the new master of the local manor, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, recently returned from Europe, who deduces that Brewer was dead before the fire began.

With the assistance of the astute yet strangely reticent knight, Simon begins to piece together the events of Brewer's last days. Then word comes of another murder, more horrible by far – for in this case, the victim was undoubtedly burned alive. Are the two incidents connected, and will the killers strike again?

A Knight Templar weeps as he watches his friends, broken by torture, go to their deaths at the stake. Pope Clement has destroyed the Order, persuaded of corruption within it. All…

As midwife and healer, Agatha Kyteler is regarded as a witch by her superstitious neighbours in the village of Wefford in Devonshire, yet she has no shortage of callers, from the humblest villein to the most elegant and wealthy in the area. But when Agatha's body is found frozen and mutilated in a hedge one wintry morning, there seem to be no clues as to who could be responsible. Not until a local youth runs away and a hue and cry is raised.

Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, is not convinced of the youth's guilt, and soon he manages to persuade his close friend Simon Puttock, bailiff of Lydford Castle, to help him continue with the investigation. As they endeavour to find the true culprit, the darker side of the village, with its undercurrents of suspicion, jealousy and disloyalty, emerges. And while Sir Baldwin becomes increasingly distracted by the beauty of a neighbouring merchant's wife, Simon finds himself wondering what happened to the foreigner who visited the normally sleepy area only to disappear shortly after Agatha's death, riding down towards the moors ...

As midwife and healer, Agatha Kyteler is regarded as a witch by her superstitious neighbours in the village of Wefford in Devonshire, yet she has no shortage of callers, from the…

In fourteenth-century Devon, villeins were as much the property of their masters as manor houses and land; runaways were routinely apprehended and brutally punished. But when Peter Bruther flees from the home of Sir William Beauscyr, he has the cunning to set up as a tin miner on the moors, putting himself automatically in the protection of the king, who rakes in a fortune in taxes from the tinners. When the bailiff of Lydford, Simon Puttock, informs Sir William that he has no legal claim on his wayward servant, the knight is furious, fearing an uprising amongst his other men.

Before any dissent can spread, Bruther's body is found hanging from a tree on the moors, and Simon, assisted by former Knight Templar Sir Baldwin Furnshill, finds himself investigating cold-blooded murder. There is no shortage of suspects, amongst them Sir William's two feuding sons, Robert, the heir, with much to lose, and John, a cynical mercenary soldier contemptuous of the lower orders; Sir William himself, who finds the king's support for the tinners intolerable; and Thomas Smyth, a wealthy tinner whose men ruthlessly enforce a protection racket funded by landowners.

In an already tense atmosphere, the pressure is on Simon and Baldwin to unravel the truth before further violence ensues – and the scene is set for an excellent mystery which sheds new light on the people and ways of medieval Devon, and tells a fast-paced and exciting tale of murder, blackmail and revenge.

In fourteenth-century Devon, villeins were as much the property of their masters as manor houses and land; runaways were routinely apprehended and brutally punished. But when…

… Peter Clifford, priest of the bustling town of Crediton in Devonshire, is an anxious man. Already nervous about the impending visit of the Bishop of Exeter, he is disturbed to see that a company of violent mercenaries has taken up residence at the inn. They threaten to make the visit a disaster. Mercenaries are an unpleasant reality in the fourteenth century, but this group seems particularly bent on havoc. Not only do they show no respect to the priest, but other travellers are terrified to come near them, and there's a rumour that a local girl has been seduced by their leader…

Simon Puttock, bailiff of Lydford, and Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, are invited to Peter's house to help welcome the bishop, though both have their own reasons to want to avoid this. They welcome the diversion offered by a sudden commotion outside but when they find there's been a robbery among the mercenaries, they are less grateful for the interruption. Then a young girl is discovered murdered, hidden in a chest – and this is only the first of the Crediton killings.

As murder follows brutal murder, Simon and Baldwin must discover the killer's identity before he can murder again – and before their own lives, dangerously caught up in the intrigues, are put at risk…

… Peter Clifford, priest of the bustling town of Crediton in Devonshire, is an anxious man. Already nervous about the impending visit of the Bishop of Exeter, he is disturbed to…

The year is 1319 and Tavistock's fair has drawn merchants to Devon from all over England and beyond. Keeping the streets clean and the locals in order is no easy task, for the influx of visitors and their money puts temptation in the way of cut-purses and other villains. But no one expects a murder, and butcher Will Ruby is stunned to discover a corpse – a headless corpse at that.

Former Knight Templar Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and Simon Puttock, bailiff of Lydford, have just arrived in Tavistock as guests of Abbot Robert Champeaux when the body is found. The crime falls within the Abbot's jurisdiction, and when he asks Simon and Baldwin to investigate, they can hardly refuse. But with an unidentifiable victim, they're badly hampered in their inquiries.

Nonetheless there's no shortage of suspicious behaviour to spur them on. Elias, the cook near whose shop the gruesome remains were found, clearly has something to hide. A surprisingly aggressive young monk has been behaving in an ungodly fashion. And the town is awash with strangers, any one of whom could be concealing a sinister past.

Can Simon and Baldwin unravel the complex web of intrigue that has brought death to Tavistock, as the undercurrents of anger and violence that lie beneath the bustling activity of the fair grow ever fiercer?

The year is 1319 and Tavistock's fair has drawn merchants to Devon from all over England and beyond. Keeping the streets clean and the locals in order is no easy task, for the…

The Knights Templar
They were warrior monks, dedicated to the protection of pilgrims in the Holy Land—until an avaricious king destroyed the order. One knight, however, escaped the stake, vowing justice for his murdered brothers.
A fatal tide of intolerance
With civil war looming, tensions are high in the town of Crediton—and the foul murder of a local gold merchant and assault on his daughter merely feed the flames. Keeper of the King's Peace and former Knight Templar, Sir Baldwin Furnshill, and his partner, Simon Puttock, bailiff of Lydford, must find the culprit and resist the temptation to quickly condemn the most obvious suspect. But their cool heads may not prevail, for rumors are spreading that suggest the lepers of St. Lawrence's hospital—the shunned outcasts of society—are somehow responsible for Crediton's current ills. And any delay on the part of Furnshill and Puttock in apprehending a killer may well lead to a full-scale slaughter of the despised unfortunates.

The Knights Templar
They were warrior monks, dedicated to the protection of pilgrims in the Holy Land—until an avaricious king destroyed the order. One knight, however, escaped…

It is 1321, and Lady Elizabeth of Topsham, prioress of St. Mary's, is fighting to retain her position in the face of devastating opposition. She has been accused by Sister Margherita, St. Mary's treasurer, of giving much-needed funds to the new vicar, a man she often sees alone at night. Many of the nuns are convinced that Margherita would make a better prioress—especially now that it is certain that Moll, a young nun, was murdered in her sick bed. Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, together with his old friend Simon Puttock, are summoned to investigate. There is no doubt that the threefold vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty are being broken with alarming frequency. Then, when a second nun is murdered, they find themselves facing their most difficult case yet.

It is 1321, and Lady Elizabeth of Topsham, prioress of St. Mary's, is fighting to retain her position in the face of devastating opposition. She has been accused by Sister…

1321 Simon and Baldwin are rewarded for their efforts by a summons to Exeter over the Christmas period to receive gloves from the Boy-Bishop.
However, they learn that Ralph, the glove maker, has been murdered and robbed. Soon, a Secondary named Peter is poisoned at the cathedral. Suspicion falls on him, supposing that he slew Ralph and then committed suicide, but Simon and Baldwin are unconvinced.
Their research shows that the intense rivalries at the top of the Freedom of the city can lead to an explosion of violence.

1321 Simon and Baldwin are rewarded for their efforts by a summons to Exeter over the Christmas period to receive gloves from the Boy-Bishop.
However, they learn that Ralph,…

It is 1322, and Lord Hugh de Courtenay's plan to host a tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the money-lenders of Oakhampton. When the defeated knights find themselves unable to pay the traditional ransoms to their captors, they will have only one course open to them—accruing interest by the hour. But when the most prominent money-lender, Benjamin Dudenay, is found brutally murdered a month before the festivities, Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock find themselves on the trail of a most sinister killer. The Tournament of Blood is the eleventh tale in this superbly plotted medieval mystery series.

It is 1322, and Lord Hugh de Courtenay's plan to host a tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the money-lenders of Oakhampton. When the defeated knights find themselves unable…

1325: England is a hotbed of paranoia under the reign of the increasingly unpredictable Edward II and his lover, Sir Hugh le Despenser. When the Queen's lady-in-waiting is slaughtered and a man's body, hideously mutilated, is discovered behind the throne, the King demands to be avenged. Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, an experienced investigator of murders, is appointed to track down the killer, aided by his friend, Simon Puttock. In an age of corruption, when the king's friends can use torture, blackmail and murder to promote their ends, a rural knight and bailiff must fight to stay alive.

1325: England is a hotbed of paranoia under the reign of the increasingly unpredictable Edward II and his lover, Sir Hugh le Despenser. When the Queen's lady-in-waiting is…

Isabella, Queen of England, has been dispatched to France in an attempt to bring about peace between the two countries, and Baldwin must accompany her. But the day after their arrival, a servant is found murdered, with Baldwin's dagger lying next to the body. As Baldwin struggles to prove his innocence, the killer strikes again. With so many English enemies gathering in Paris, will Baldwin be able to expose the culprit in time to protect the English King?

Isabella, Queen of England, has been dispatched to France in an attempt to bring about peace between the two countries, and Baldwin must accompany her. But the day after their…

As the year 1326 draws to a close, London is in flames. King Edward II is a prisoner, and the forces of his vengeful queen, Isabella, and her lover Sir Roger Mortimer, are in the ascendant. The Bardi family, bankers who have funded the King, must look to their future with the Queen, steering a careful course between rival factions – if, that is, they can keep themselves alive.

Others, too, find their loyalties torn. Guarding the deposed King on behalf of Mortimer, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and bailiff Simon Puttock find themselves entangled in a tightening net of conspiracy, greed, betrayal and murder.

As the year 1326 draws to a close, London is in flames. King Edward II is a prisoner, and the forces of his vengeful queen, Isabella, and her lover Sir Roger Mortimer, are in the…