The Martinmas Plot

Name: The Martinmas Plot
Rating: 4.5 (328 reviews)

by Robert Broomall Book 3 in the Miles Edwulfson in the 12th Century series.

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4.4(328)

In 1117, Miles Edwulfson has become a lord, but his status does not protect him from old enemies. Galon, earl of Trent and councillor to King Henry, orders Miles to uncover a suspected plot against the crown, forcing him into the forest and into the role of outlaw. The novel follows Miles as he gathers loyal men, evades the sheriff and tries to determine whether he is investigating treason or being manoeuvred into his own destruction.

Miles’s outlaw status gives the investigation an important ambiguity: he is serving royal authority while appearing to violate it. That makes recruitment and intelligence difficult, because men who help him may believe they are joining either a loyal covert force or a genuine rebellion. The novel uses the forest and the machinery of local justice to explore how easily political conspiracy can be manufactured through reputation.