The year is 1303, and the Benedictine monks of the abbey of St. Martin's-in-the-Marsh are accustomed to a comfortable existence within their sprawling, peaceful estate. But that begins to change when Abbot Stephen, a well-respected leader and a personal friend of King Edward I, is found brutally murdered in his chamber-with the door and windows locked from the inside. Soon Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the King's Seal, arrives with his two henchmen to investigate.
Rumors about the ghost of robber baron Sir Geoffrey Mandeville riding through the Lincolnshire fens with a retinue of ghastly horsemen have been circulating by way of explanation; Mandeville's ghost is also thought to be responsible for the corpse candles glowing in the dark, supposedly forewarning men of their own deaths. But Corbett disregards the tales, suspecting that someone much closer to home is responsible for the bloody acts. As the mysterious death toll mounts, Corbett sets about unearthing the dark secrets that the abbey and its inhabitants have been hiding for far too long.
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About the Author:
P.C. Doherty is the author of several acclaimed mystery series including The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan, the Hugh Corbett medieval mysteries, and the Canterbury Tales of mystery and murder. He lives in England.
From Booklist:
Sir Hugh Corbett, keeper of the king's seal, finds that the monastery at St. Martin's-in-the-Marsh is anything but a peaceful sanctuary in the woods. He is there to investigate the death of Abbot Stephen, a former knight who took holy orders. Bandits hide in the surrounding forests and marshes, and the locals think that the ghost of robber chieftain Geoffrey Mandeville haunts the area. Sir Hugh soon learns that the monks are engaged in a bitter power struggle over land that may contain holy relics and a philosophical dispute over the value of exorcism. The escalating body count forces him to use his powers of deduction and observation to uncover the abbey's dark secrets. This series maintains a delightfully satisfying consistency, offering compelling plots, well-developed characters, and plenty of colorful historical detail. Fans who are eagerly awaiting this eleventh installment will be overjoyed, and first-time readers will certainly want to check out Doherty's earlier novels. Barbara Bibel
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"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherMinotaur Books
- Publication date2002
- ISBN 10 0312300875
- ISBN 13 9780312300876
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages320
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Rating