Autumn 1142. A ten-year-old boy arrives at Shrewsbury Abbey as the new lord of Eaton after inheriting an estate whose future is controlled by the adults around him. At the same time, a respected hermit living in nearby Eyton Forest is found dead, and Brother Cadfael suspects that the killing is connected to the child’s inheritance.
The boy’s guardianship, marriage prospects and property create motives that a child cannot fully understand. Cadfael must examine the claims of relatives, retainers and neighbours while determining who has been acting in the young lord’s name. The mystery turns on the vulnerability of medieval heirs, whose lands and marriages could make them valuable prizes long before they were old enough to exercise authority themselves.
Bernard Knight
31 books
Ian Morson
21 books
Sharon Kay Penman
14 books
Elizabeth Chadwick
26 books
Cecelia Holland
20 books