The Alehouse Murders
AD 1200. In the bustling town of Lincoln, summer heat and drenching rain threaten to mar the festivities of the annual fair – only days away. But weather is not the biggest concern of the castle’s chatelaine, Nicolaa de la Haye, and her husband, Gerard Camville, sheriff of Lincoln. A taverner and two guests are found stabbed to death. Two more murders follow – with the same M.O. Tension builds as the fair’s opening approaches and the killer is still on the loose.
Sir Bascot deMarins is a knight just returned from captivity in Outremer. Nicolaa has welcomed him into her household so he might regain his health. She requests his assistance in solving the murders. Bascot’s wit and perseverance yield success, but not before he exposes himself to fatal danger in a dramatic closing scene.
Apprehensions about yet another Templar Knight story quickly dissolve as Sir Bascot and the inhabitants of Lincoln emerge as fresh and complex characters. With an adopted Italian orphan and a fondness for candi, this Templar is his own man. The story is also fresh and complex with enough twists and red herrings to keep the reader thinking right to the end. Absolutely recommended to all medieval mystery fans.
