In 1141, the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda reaches Shropshire when Sheriff Gilbert Prestcote is captured by Welsh forces after the Battle of Lincoln. An exchange is arranged for Elis ap Cynan, a young Welsh prisoner held at Shrewsbury, offering both sides a practical way to recover their men.
The agreement is thrown into crisis when Prestcote is murdered before the exchange can be completed. Suspicion falls on the captive whose freedom now depends on the dead sheriff, and Brother Cadfael must investigate before retaliation turns a negotiated ransom into another act of vengeance. The case unfolds against border loyalties and the wider uncertainty of the Anarchy, where political allegiance can determine how quickly guilt is assumed.
Bernard Knight
31 books
Ian Morson
21 books
Sharon Kay Penman
14 books
Elizabeth Chadwick
26 books
Cecelia Holland
20 books