Alys Clare

In the Great Wealden Forest, power has fallen into the wrong hands. It is Midsummer 1195. A ruthlessly ambitious man has fallen deeply into debt, his desperate situation made even more difficultby the contribution he has had to pay towards King Richard's ransom. To make matters worse the beautiful wife he tricked into marriage has tired of him and her mother hates his guts.But then he makes an extraordinary discovery that dramatically changes his fortunes ...until his lifeless body is found hidden in the undergrowth. Which of his many enemies loathed him enough to resort to murder? Josse d'Acquin, driven by his love for the Abbess Helewise and for the other mysterious woman whom he holds in his heart, knows that he has no choice but to investigate. But the personal cost will be high ...

An elderly pilgrim dies in Hawkenlye Vale. Nothing suspicious about that: he was gravely ill when he arrived. Meanwhile Josse dAcquin has a visit from Prince John. Accompanied by his seer, the Prince urgently seeks news of a stranger, Galbertius Sidonius. Hurrying to Hawkenlye Abbey to enlist the Abbess Helewises help, Josse finds that she has a problem of her own: a decomposing body has been discovered. Naked, and killed by an expert hand.Josses brother, Yves, arrives; a visitor at Acquin has been asking for the brothers father, Geoffroi, who went to Outremer with King Louis and Queen Eleanor. Josse, Yves and the Abbess are hurled into a mystery whose roots stretch back much further than the Second Crusade. And, watching them with his strange dark eyes, is the enigmatic figure of the Princes Magister...

Gripping . . . Vividly evokes 17th-century Devon' Publishers Weekly 'An engaging cast and plenty of genuine suspense' Booklist Starred Review Devon, 1607. Gabriel Taverner, former ship's surgeon turned country physician, is called to examine a rotting body found impaled on a blade. Identifying the corpse seems a hopeless task and the death is declared a suicide. But Gabriel is not satisfied and re-examines the body - making the first of a series of shocking discoveries that will lead him deep into the dark underbelly of the lucrative silk trade. As he investigates, Gabriel realises that not only was the death a murder - but even worse, he had a personal connection with the corpse.

Josse DAcquin and the Abbess Helewise are appalled by the views of the fanatical new priest, Father Micah, but are even more horrified when his body turns up by the side of the road. Whatever his methods he was a man of God. And, when it appears that a band of evangelical heretics, who Micah condemned to the stake, might be behind his death, the Abbess is torn by her compassion for their suffering and her duty to the church. When Josse realises that his desires to save the heretics she cannot possibly condone, he is forced to act against her wishes, risking the greatest friendship he has. For the Abbess, her friendship with Josse is deepening the longer he stays at the abbey, as is her awareness of his attractions as a man. Meanwhile Joanna, Josses former lover, lives hidden in the forest with their baby girl, Meggie. Joanna continues to learn the skills and secrets of the pagan forest people but it is only at her initiation that she realises what mysterious powers have been unleashed. Despite their wisdom however the forest people are both feared by and vulnerable to outsiders. When Joanna nurses an injured woman back to health, she and Meggie find themselves in mortal danger.

En tonbridge, un valle cercano a la abadía de Hawkenlye, descubren a una novicia degollada. Los habitantes del lugar sospechan que el brutal asesinato es obra de unos de los presos liberados por el rey Ricardo plantagenet, futuro Ricardo Corazon de Leon, quien para ganarse la simpatia del pueblo, ha concedido la amnistia a todos los reclusos. Este envia a su emisario, el valiente y leal caballero Josse dAcquin, a investigar la espeluznante muerte.Josse descubre que la abadesa Helewise es una inteligente aliada: sensata y pragmatica, nada suele pasarsele por alto. Combinando sus dotes, Josse y la superiora dejan al descubierto lo que se oculta tras la tranquila vida en la Inglaterra rural del medioevo y descubren la amenaza que encierra el asesinato.

The new priest who has arrived at Hawkenlye Abbey is a cruel fanatic. When he is found dead in a ditch after threatening the abbess few mourn his passing. Unfortunately his assailants have as little love for the abbey as they had for the deceased and that spells danger for everyone.

An expertly plotted and richly atmospheric medieval murder mystery, featuring the Abbess Helewise. A new jacket style saw sales of the hardback edition increase by 25% on the previous title in the se

La serie de misterios de la abadía de Hawkenlye recrea magistralmente la belleza y la violencia del medioevo, a través de las aventuras de una singular pareja de detectives medievales.El sheriff de Tornbridge da por sentado que Hammes fue asesinado por los moradores del bosque un grupo de personas que habitan en la espesura y que mantienen costumbres paganas y matriarcales. Pero a la abadesa no le safisface esta hipotesis. Una nueva muerte y la preocupacion por la posible implicacion de dos muchachas de la abadia de Hawkenlye incitan a Helewise y a Josse a unirse de nuevo a fin de descubrir que fuerzas se ocultan relamente en la misteriosa oscuridad del antiguo bosque.

Un hombre ha sido envenenado con un trozo de pastel en la posada de Tornbridge. Al no lograr convencer al sheriff de que se trata de una muerte sospechosa, recurre a su vieja amiga, la abadesa Helewise, que colabora con su habitual agudeza mientras Josse sigue el rastro del crimen hasta lo profundo del gran bosque de Wealden, y encuentra alli algo que cambiara toda su vida.

Es día de mercado y la posada de Tonbridge ha sido un hervidero desde muy temprano. Al caer la noche, un hombre yace en la habitación de huéspedes, envenenado por un trozo de pastel preparado por Anne, la posadera. Josse dAcquin, un habitual de la taberna y admirador de las dotes culinarias de su dueña, acude con la intención de investigar el suceso. Al no lograr convencer a sheriff de que se trata de una muerte sospechosa, recurre a su vieja amiga, la abadesa Helewise, que colabora con su habitual agudeza mientras Josse sigue el rastro del crimen hasta lo profundo del gran bosque de Wealden, y encuentra en él algo que cambiará toda su vida. 

En un valle cercano a la abadia de Hawkenlye descubren a una novicia degollada. El rey, el futuro Ricardo Corazón de León, envía al caballero Josse dAcquin a investigar el asesinato. Él y la abadesa Helewise descubren lo que se oculta tras la tranquila vida en el Kent rural del Medievo y la amenaza que encierra el asesinato.

El caballero Josse visita a la abadesa Helewise al encontrar el cádaver de un furtivo atravesado con una arcaica lanza. El sheriff de Tonbridge cree que lo hicieron los denominados "moradores del bosque", pero a la abadesa no le satisface esta hipotesis. Una nueva muerte y la posible implicacion de dos muchachas de la abadia de Hawkenlye incitan a Helewise y a Josse a unirse de nuevo.

Shortly before his unexpected coronation, King Richard passed a law letting all of Englands prisoners go free. Shortly afterwards a young nun is found, gruesomely murdered. Richard swiftly employs an old military colleague of his, Josse dAcquin, to unravel this hideous mystery. Who could have wanted to kill this innocent young novice, and, more worryingly, why?Josse goes to Hawkenlye Abbey to find out the answers to these questions. He is having little success until meets the Abbess Helewise, a woman who quickly proves herself to be his equal, both as an amateur sleuth, and as a figure the community can rely on during this turbulent time for England.This duo have to find the murderer, and find him quickly, or theyll have the King of England to answer to...

A grove of huge oak trees in the Wealden forest is felled. And, as if some ancient curse is being brought alive, the man who wielded the axes meets with a violent end.The Sheriff claims the Forest People did it, but Abbess Helewise believes a supernatural solution is too easy an answer. She consults Josse dAcquin, whose manor house in the Weald is now being renovated, and he, concerned about the safety of two girls from the abbey, enters the forest himself - to find something in this ancient part of Britain that terrifies even him.

The young beautiful Galena and her husband, the much older Ambrose are trying for a child but to no avail. When Josse dAcquin tells her of the healing waters of Hawkenlye she is overjoyed and sets off with her escort. But she arrives alone. A few days later her husband, befuddled and unwell, arrives and within hours she dies in agony on the infirmary floor. On examination it appears she has been poisoned and that she was pregnant after all. Josse and Helewise are determined to solve the riddle of her death even if it leads themselves also into danger.

The serenity of Hawkenlye Abbey has been disturbed by the arrival of a new nun and her two young sisters. Recently orphaned, Alba has had to leave her convent at Ely to take her grieving sisters far away from the scene of their sorrow. However Abbess Helewise cannot quite believe in the selflessness of this gesture; Sister Alba is, everyone agrees, a mean-spirited and turbulent presence.The Abbesss anxieties grow when her old friend Josse dAcquin is brought to Hawkenlye, half dead from blood poisoning. Then a body is discovered. And one of the sisters goes missing. In order to discover what really lies behind Albas flight to Hawkenlye, Helewise sets off to visit Ely. She uncovers not only a clever network of lies, but also, hidden in a burnt-out cottage, the horrific remains of a dead man. . .

With Richard the Lionheart still being held hostage after his crusade, his people have been made paupers paying his ransom. The Abbess Helewise is struggling to keep her abbey going through a cold, brutal winter as she fends off starvation of her nuns and the local people.Then her son returns to her in desperate need of help after a seperation of nearly twenty years. He claims his wife is suffering mental torments and his son is mute. But when a man is found strangled, dangling from a tree near the abbey, her son and his family flee the very next day.Helewise and a local Knight, Josse d Acquin, must investigate deep into the past to the time before Helewise took the veil. Were her handsome husband and enigmatic father-in-law all that they seemed? And can she prevent another terrible murder or will the sins of the fathers be laid upon her innocent son?

In the Great Wealden Forest, power has fallen into the wrong hands. It is Midsummer 1195. A ruthlessly ambitious man has fallen deeply into debt, his desperate situation made even more difficult by the contribution he has had to pay towards King Richards ransom. To make matters worse the beautiful wife he tricked into marriage has tired of him and her mother hates his guts. But then he makes an extraordinary discovery that dramatically changes his fortunes . . . until his lifeless body is found hidden in the undergrowth. Which of his many enemies loathed him enough to resort to murder? Josse dAcquin, driven by his love for the Abbess Helewise and for the other mysterious woman whom he holds in his heart, knows that he has no choice but to investigate. But the personal cost will be high . . .

It is February 1194. A desperately ill man is making for Hawkenlye Abbey in the hope of a miracle cure. In his delirium he sees the Virgin Mary and, sinking to his knees, he begins to pray. She is the last person he will ever see. The winter cold intensifies and the Vale lake freezes over. It is only when the thaw sets in that a corpse is discovered in the icy waters, its skull crushed by a lethal blow. With no clues on the body but an apothecarys remedy, Abbess Helewise asks her trusted friend Sir Josse dAcquin to find out the mans identity. As Josse sets out on his mission, a party of sick people arrive seeking help, and their sickness looks terrifyingly like plague . . .

Mientras a Inglaterra llegan noticias sobre la captura de Ricardo Corazón de León, una mujer desconocida, también cautiva en tierras extranjeras, yace en una oscura y sucia celda de Tonbridge. Con su frente marcada con hierro candente y su espalda cubierta de brutales señales de azotes, no espera otra cosa más que su ejecución. La abadesa Helewise, mientras tanto, se enfrenta a otros problemas.