1154. When the first performance of The Play of Adam ends in tragedy, the author is compelled to pen a grim warning for the generations that follow. But his words are not heeded and as the play is performed in many guises throughout the ages, bad luck seems to strike those involved in its production. Does the story of man's first murder somehow infect all who re-enact it?
1067. In the desolate wastes of Greenland, a band of hunters discover a strangely-shaped meteor which has fallen from the sky. At first, the mysterious 'sky-stone' seems to bring 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 get control of the precious stone. Over the next six hundred years, the Sky-Stone falls into the hands of crusading knights, the wicked Sheriff of Devon, a group of radical young kabalists, the dying King Henry III and a band of travelling players. Each time, the stone brings treachery, discord and violent death to those who seek to possess it.
The ninth instalment in this thrilling series from The Medieval Murderers uncovers and attempts to solve age-old mysteries AD 848. Bernwyn of Lythe spurns marriage and chooses to remain a virgin, dedicated to Christ. When she is found murdered in a chapel, butterflies found resting on her body are taken to be a sign from God. But what if Bernwyn was not all she seemed? Could her saintly deeds have been mistakenly attributed to her, and the people have set up a shrine to a false virgin? 'With the combined imaginations of Bernard Knight...Susanna Gregory, Ian Morson, and Philip Gooden, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read' DAILY MAIL on The Sacred Stone 'The various excellent crime writers each weave a clever and inventive tale around a central theme' GOOD BOOK GUIDE on King Arthur's Bones
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-rigging scandal in 13th century Venice to the battlefield of Poitiers in 1356, as the Sword of Shame passes from owner to owner in this compelling collection of interlinked mysteries, it brings nothing but bad luck and disgrace to all whoever possesses it.
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.
A mysterious book of prophecies left by a sixth century Irish monk has baffled scholars through the ages. Foretelling wars, plagues and rebellions, it is said to have predicted the Black Death and the Gunpowder Plot. Some believe it foresees the Day of Judgement. But is it the result of divine inspiration or the ravings of a madman?
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-rigging scandal in 13th century Venice to the battlefield of Poitiers in 1356, as the Sword of Shame passes from owner to owner in this compelling collection of interlinked mysteries, it brings nothing but bad luck and disgrace to all whoever possesses it.
Bath Abbey, 1199. The Abbey's unpopular prior is found dead on Solsbury Hill. When Sir Symon Cole and his wife, Gwenllian, arrive to investigate, they 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. 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. What will today's archaeologists make of the mysteries uncovered on this haunted site?
The anthology centres around a piece of the True Cross, allegedly stained with the blood of Christ, which falls into the hands of an English knight, Geoffrey Mappestone, in 1100 at the end of the First Crusade. The relic is said to be cursed and, after three inexplicable deaths, it finds its way to England in the hands of a thief. After several decades, the relic appears in Devon where it becomes part of a story by Bernard Knight, involving his protagonist Crowner John. In Oxford, in 1269, the discovery of a decapitated monk leads Ian Morson's academic sleuth, William Falconer, to discover a link to the relic. In 1323 in Exeter, Michael Jecks' Sir Baldwin, has reason to suspect its involvement in five violent deaths. Thirty years later, several suspicious deaths occur in Cambridge. As Susanna Gregory's Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael are to discover, the tainted relic has a crucial part to play. Finally, it's despatched to London, where Philip Gooden's Nick Revill will determine its ultimate fate.
A mysterious book of prophecies, written by a sixth century Irish monk, has puzzled scholars through the ages. Foretelling wars, plagues and rebellions, the Black Book of Bran is said to have predicted the Black Death and the Gunpowder Plot. But is it the result of divine inspiration or the ravings of a madman? 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...
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