Fear in the Forest

by Bernard Knight Book 8 in the Crowner John Mysteries series.

First published 2003

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In June 1195, the body of a senior royal forest officer is dragged into a Devon village by his riderless horse, an arrow lodged in his back. The victim still carries his money, and the harsh forest laws have created so many enemies that robbery provides no useful explanation.

After a second officer is attacked, John investigates foresters, villagers and officials who profit from the king’s hunting preserves. Sheriff Richard de Revelle’s unusual interest points toward a conspiracy in which resentment of forest law is being exploited for a political purpose connected with Prince John’s challenge to Richard I.