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Series

Domesday

The Domesday mysteries are set in 1086, when William the Conqueror’s commissioners travel through England to investigate disputed landholding and verify evidence gathered for the royal survey. Norman soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret form the central partnership, assisted by the clerks, officials and local witnesses needed to unravel irregular claims.

Each case turns a regional inquiry into a murder investigation involving conquest, inheritance, monastic power and conflict between Norman lords and English communities. The series uses the machinery of the Domesday Survey to explore how royal administration reached into local feuds and how written records could conceal as much as they revealed.

Reading order

Books in this series (11 books)

The Wolves of Savernake cover

1. The Wolves of Savernake

Edward Marston

4.2(3,771)

Ralph Delchard, a soldier who fought at the Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a talented lawyer, have been commissioned by William the Conqueror to investigate irregularities uncovered during the compilation of the Domesday Book. Their work takes them across England, where disputes over land, loyalty…

The Ravens of Blackwater cover

2. The Ravens of Blackwater

Edward Marston

4.3(2,554)

Ralph Delchard, a veteran of the Battle of Hastings, and lawyer Gervase Bret press on with the mission entrusted to them by William the Conqueror: to investigate peculiarities revealed during the compilation of the Domesday Book, the great survey of England. Journeying throughout the kingdom the…

The Dragons of Archenfield cover

3. The Dragons of Archenfield

Edward Marston

4.4(2,279)

Ralph Delchard, a former soldier in the infamous Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a gifted lawyer, continue to investigate discrepancies raised during the gathering of information for the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Travelling the length of the…

The Lions of the North cover

4. The Lions of the North

Edward Marston

4.4(1,388)

"The two men were courting danger. They knew that. Throughout all their discussions, it had been an invisible presence at their shoulders but it remained silent when their brave words instilled a heady confidence. Strength of purpose brought them to the city and enabled them to…

The Serpents of Harbledown cover

5. The Serpents of Harbledown

Edward Marston

4.4(1,342)

Ralph Delchard, a former soldier in the era-defining Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, an accomplished lawyer, continue to travel the length of England investigating irregularities exposed during the collection of information for the Domesday Book. The pair frequently find that where matters of property are…

The Stallions of Woodstock cover

6. The Stallions of Woodstock

Edward Marston

4.4(1,441)

Three powerful Norman lords and a dispossessed Saxon thegn watch their steeds race close to the forest of Woodstock, each lusting for a win. But the first horse past the post has an empty saddle and his rider is lying in a copse with a knife…

The Hawks of Delamere cover

7. The Hawks of Delamere

Edward Marston

4.3(1,155)

The Earl of Chester is enraged when his hawk is killed by an arrow in the Forest of Delamere. When two poachers are caught nearby, he orders their immediate execution. Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret arrive in Cheshire to settle a series of land disputes brought…

The Wildcats of Exeter cover

8. The Wildcats of Exeter

Edward Marston

4.4(1,071)

As Nicolas Picard rides home from Exeter he is attacked by a snarling wildcat. Yet, when his body is discovered, there are lacerations on his neck that could only have come from human hands. When royal commissioners of William the Conqueror, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret,…

The Foxes of Warwick cover

9. The Foxes of Warwick

Edward Marston

4.4(984)

While hunting in the Forest of Arden, Henry Beaumont discovers the crushed body of a former member of his household. Flying into a rage, he soon arrests Boio, a local blacksmith, who was seen in the area, though the man disputes this. Ralph Delchard and Gervase…

The Owls of Gloucester cover

10. The Owls of Gloucester

Edward Marston

4.4(1,076)

The ordered calm of Gloucester Abbey is shattered by the murder of one of the monks. The Abbey becomes paralyzed with fear and the Abbot is ill-equipped to deal with such a heinous crime, especially as suspicion inevitably falls on the brothers themselves. Ralph Delchard, a…

The Elephants of Norwich cover

11. The Elephants of Norwich

Edward Marston

4.4(1,088)

It is the juiciest piece of gossip the citizens of Norwich have heard for a long time. The ruthless Richard de Fontenel is himself the victim of robbery. In addition to two priceless golden elephants that he was using to lure the beautiful Adelaide into marriage,…