1. Fortune Like the Moon
England, 1189. As Richard I prepares for his coronation, a royal act of clemency releases prisoners across the realm. At Hawkenlye Abbey, however, the promise of a new reign is darkened when the novice Gunnora is found murdered, and Abbess Helewise must protect her community while…
2. Ashes of the Elements
In the Wealden Forest near Hawkenlye, a man is found killed with a spear, and the death intensifies old fears about the mysterious people said to live beyond the settled clearings. Abbess Helewise and Sir Josse d’Acquin are drawn into the case as suspicion falls uneasily…
3. The Tavern in the Morning
A traveller dies after eating a poisoned pie at a tavern south of Tonbridge, and the discovery of wolfsbane raises the possibility that the wrong man may have been killed. Sir Josse d’Acquin begins to untangle the victim’s identity and the household around the inn, while…
4. The Chatter of the Maidens
The peace of Hawkenlye Abbey is disturbed when the newly arrived Sister Alba brings her two younger, recently orphaned sisters from Ely. Abbess Helewise distrusts Alba’s harsh and turbulent manner, but her attention is divided when Sir Josse d’Acquin is brought to the abbey dangerously ill…
5. The Faithful Dead
An elderly pilgrim dies after reaching Hawkenlye Vale, while a second and far more suspicious corpse is discovered nearby: naked, decomposing and killed by an expert hand. At the same time Prince John approaches Sir Josse d’Acquin in search of a stranger named Galbertius Sidonius, drawing…
6. A Dark Night Hidden
When the fanatical priest Father Micah is murdered, Sir Josse d’Acquin and Abbess Helewise face a case shaped by fear of heresy and the willingness of religious zealots to condemn those whose beliefs fall outside accepted doctrine. The dead man’s hostility has left many possible enemies,…
7. Whiter Than the Lily
The beautiful Galena has married the much older Ambrose, but their failure to conceive makes the marriage increasingly fraught. After seeking help connected with Hawkenlye’s healing waters, Galena becomes pregnant and then falls dangerously ill, and the circumstances suggest that someone has tried to poison her.…
8. Girl in a Red Tunic
Richard the Lionheart remains a captive after the Third Crusade, and the enormous ransom demanded for his release has pushed communities across England towards hardship. At Hawkenlye, Abbess Helewise struggles to feed her nuns and the poor through a brutal winter when her long-estranged son arrives…
9. Heart of Ice
February 1194. A desperately ill man reaches Hawkenlye hoping for a miracle cure, but before he can find sanctuary he is struck on the head and his body disappears beneath the frozen water. When the thaw reveals the corpse, an apothecary’s remedy provides one of the…
10. The Enchanter’s Forest
Midsummer 1195. In the Great Wealden Forest, an ambitious man burdened by debt believes he has discovered a way to transform his fortunes. His difficulties have been sharpened by the contribution demanded towards King Richard’s ransom and by a marriage built on deception, but his apparent…
11. The Paths of the Air
Autumn 1196. A badly injured stranger reaches New Winnowlands, and Sir Josse d’Acquin suspects that he is a returning crusader. Josse takes him to Hawkenlye for treatment, but the man refuses to explain who he is or why dangerous pursuers seem to be closing in behind…
12. The Joys of My Life
Abbess Helewise is summoned by Eleanor of Aquitaine to discuss the building of a chapel at Hawkenlye, bringing the abbey into direct contact with one of the most powerful women of the Angevin dynasty. At the same time Sir Josse d’Acquin follows rumours of mysterious knights…
13. The Rose of the World
Autumn 1210. King John has been excommunicated for a year, and royal officers arrive to take control of Hawkenlye Abbey, leaving Abbess Caliste struggling to sustain the community and its charitable work. Helewise now lives at Hawkenlye Manor with Sir Josse d’Acquin, but political pressure on…
14. The Song of the Nightingale
Winter 1211. Former abbess Helewise returns to her cell near Hawkenlye to care for the needy, while Sir Josse d’Acquin is called to three deaths marked by a complex symbol of vengeance. The killings suggest a deliberate pattern, but the investigation unfolds alongside a crisis affecting…
15. The Winter King
All Saints’ Eve, 1211. A wealthy nobleman desperate to secure an heir dies during a feast, and although the death appears natural, the healer Sabin cannot dismiss her doubts. She turns to Meggie, daughter of Sir Josse d’Acquin, whose own healing knowledge gives her a way…
16. A Shadowed Evil
February 1212. Sir Josse d’Acquin and Helewise travel to Southfire Hall, where Josse’s elderly uncle Hugh is dying among a family already strained by the marriage of his heir Herbert to the widowed Lady Cyrille. Their arrival coincides with the discovery of an injured young man…
17. The Devil’s Cup
September 1216. England is in civil war: rebel barons have invited Prince Louis of France to take the crown, while King John struggles to retain control. John summons Sir Josse d’Acquin to his side, placing Josse directly inside the conflict as French forces and English loyalties…