Murder for Christ’s Mass
In this fourth of the Templar Knight mysteries, the body of a clerk who worked for the local Lincoln mint is discovered in a stone quarry on Christmas morning in the year 1201. The only clue to his murder is a pristine coin minted in the reign of King Stephen. The sheriff of Lincoln, Gerard Camville, afraid this indicates the discovery of a treasure trove which must be recovered before King John gets word, asks Templar Bascot de Marins to conduct a discreet inquiry. Bascot’s investigations lead him from the top of Lincoln Cathedral to the depths of the stone quarry, from the lavish manor houses of the nouveau riche to the brush piles called home by the city’s destitute children. His task is bittersweet, for he knows soon he must leave the city that has restored his body and spirit, and the young serving boy he regards as a son.
With a sympathetic protagonist, plenty of suspects and false leads, a complex web of guilty parties, and a wealth of information about life in medieval England, this book should please readers who enjoy traditional historical mysteries – especially with a little added wassail!
