Wolf at the Door

Name: Wolf at the Door
Rating: 4.53 (1830 reviews)

by Sarah Hawkswood Book 9 in the Bradecote & Catchpoll series.

First published 2021

Amazon

4.5(1,830)

All Hallows’ Eve, 1144. Durand Wuduweard, the unpopular keeper of the royal Forest of Feckenham, is discovered dead beside his hearth, his body apparently torn by animal teeth. Villagers attribute the killing to a wolf, but the attack inside a cottage and the condition of the corpse persuade Bradecote and Catchpoll that a human intelligence shaped the scene.

Raids on nearby manors and further deaths spread fear through settlements already governed by restrictive forest law. Walkelin helps separate tracks, testimony and superstition as the investigators examine Durand’s enemies and official duties. The killer’s use of an animal legend makes every shadow threatening, but the underlying motive belongs to the human conflicts surrounding land, punishment and revenge.