The Crediton Killings

by Michael Jecks Book 4 in the Last Templar Mysteries series.

First published 1997

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A band of mercenaries arrives in Crediton as the Bishop of Exeter visits the town. When a servant girl is found dead inside a chest and the soldiers’ treasure disappears, hostility grows between townspeople, churchmen and armed strangers who are accustomed to settling disputes by force.

Simon and Baldwin investigate the theft and murder before further deaths make public order impossible. The case examines the uncertain position of discharged fighters and the difficulty of enforcing local law when military violence, clerical authority and commercial interests all claim protection.