Bøger af Candace Robb

Is an innocent act behind a tragedy? Owen Archer investigates when a drowning in the River Ouse leads him on a chilling trail involving a boy's stolen scrip and a valuable golden cross.York, 1372. When river pilot Drogo stole young Hubert's scrip, Hubert's friends swore they would get it back. But their worthy endeavour is brought to an abrupt end when Drogo is viciously attacked and left to drown in the River Ouse. DEADLY SECRETS RISE TO THE SURFACE . . . Is Drogo's murder linked to the missing scrip? And where is Hubert? As the scrip is recovered and the river gives up a terrible secret, Owen becomes intrigued by a missing gold cross pendant Hubert carried in his scrip to remind him of his mother. A GOOD LUCK CHARM OR A SINISTER WARNING? Hubert's seemingly innocent act leads to dark revelations as Owen unravels a shocking chain of misfortune and murder linked to Hubert's precious possession. Can he discover the truth in time to prevent more deaths?

Will the death of a prominent knight lead to the Bishop of Winchester's downfall? Owen Archer investigates threats, scandal and murder after Sir Ranulf Pagnell dies in France.York, 1371. William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, has made many enemies since York knight Sir Ranulf Pagnell died imprisoned in France while Wykeham negotiated his ransom. After escorting Sir Ranulf's body back to the city, Wykeham realises that his own life is in grave danger. VENGEANCE IS COMING . . . The bishop's woes increase when one of his properties in the city is set alight, with horrific consequences. Was it a thoughtless act of revenge or a deliberate murder? Why was someone searching for important documents in the house just before the fire, including those linked to the Pagnells? A DEADLY DECEPTION. As Owen investigates, he uncovers a shocking secret linked to Sir Ranulf's terrible fate. A secret someone is prepared to go to any lengths to keep hidden . . .

Will the Archbishop of York's final days be spent in peace? As the race to be his successor gathers pace, Owen must catch a determined killer who dwells among the archbishop's guests at Bishopthorpe Palace.York, 1373: While the Archbishop of York, John Thorseby, lies gravely ill, the Princess of Wales visits him at Bishopthorpe Palace with an entourage from the royal household. A GATHERING TO DIE FOR. Princess Joan's presence in York gives the king's enemies an opportunity to strike, but it seems that danger lies closer to home when one of her servants is discovered dead. Was it an accident, or does a murderer lurk among the guests? THE STAKES COULDN'T BE HIGHER . . . As Owen investigates the other members of the princess's travelling party, a heinous act is discovered in the palace woods. Someone is determined to influence the choice of Thoresby's successor . . . Can Owen Archer catch the culprit and ensure that the archbishop's final days are spent in peace?

Does absence always make the heart grow fonder? An unexpected death and a chilling murder extend Owen Archer's stay in Wales, with dramatic consequences for both himself and his wife, Lucie.Wales, 1370. Owen has completed his latest mission for the Duke of Lancaster, but his plan to return home is thrown into peril when the young stonemason carving the tomb of Owen's late father-in-law, English knight Sir Robert D'Arcy, is discovered hanged. A TREASONOUS ACT. The Archdeacon of St David's wants Owen to find out whether Cynog was executed due to his support for the would-be Welsh redeemer, Owain Lawgoch's, rebellion against English rule. Prolonging his stay in Wales means that Owen will be unable to deliver the news of Sir Robert's death to Lucie in person, but can he really leave her father's tomb unfinished? LOYALTIES QUESTIONED . . . As Owen investigates Cynog's links to Lawgoch, he finds himself questioning his own purpose and is tempted by an unthinkable proposal. While in Owen's absence, Lucie also faces a difficult dilemma . . .

Is nowhere safe in York? As the plague wreaks havoc on the city, Owen Archer must solve a puzzle involving scandal, theft and murder sweeping through a local hospital.York, 1369. As pestilence rages through the city of York, strange things are afoot at St. Leonard's Hospital. Corrodians are dying in mysterious circumstances and riches belonging to the hospital have been stolen. AN EVIL THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDS. When a fire claims the life of a corrodian and badly injures another, it's clear it was no accident - both men were violently attacked. With a suspicious death and a lay sister suspected of being behind the thefts, Sir Richard de Ravenser, Master of St. Leonard's, appeals to his uncle, the Archbishop of York, for Owen Archer's help. A RIDDLE WITHIN A RIDDLE . . . Can Owen restore harmony to the hospital? To solve the riddle of St. Leonard's, Owen must first solve a puzzle linked to one of the victims . . .

A blood-curdling murder in the minster grounds proves to be a difficult case for Owen Archer when a young witness goes missing.York, 1365. The Corpus Christi Day pageant is winding down when Owen Archer is summoned to see John Thoresby, Archbishop of York. Wool merchant Will Crounce has been violently murdered - his throat slit and his right hand cut off. Terrified eight-year-old, Jasper de Melton, saw it all - including the woman in a hooded cloak who led Crounce to his death. A MYSTERIOUS WOMAN. A GRUESOME WARNING. The archbishop wants Owen to speak to Gilbert Ridley, a fellow mercer who was seen arguing with Will the night he died. But when Ridley dines with the archbishop in recognition of his generous gift to the minster's Lady Chapel, a terrible event follows. YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE . . . Where are the mysterious woman and young Jasper? As Owen attempts to unlock the mystery, he uncovers a deadly conspiracy that leads to the upper echelons of power.

Friend or foe? The character of Owen's old friend is called into question when he mysteriously vanishes from the king's mission after a page is murdered.York, 1367. Owen Archer and his old comrade, Ned Townley, are each leading companies of the king's men north of York to Fountains and Rievaulx abbeys respectively, on a mission to win the support of the powerful abbots for William of Wykeham becoming the Bishop of Winchester. A CRIME OF PASSION? But trouble stalks Ned Townley - Sir William of Wyndesore's men at Windsor suspect he killed a page in a jealous rage over his betrothed. Is the rumour true? SOME SECRETS MUST BE PROTECTED AT ANY COST. When Ned and a friar in his party go missing, Owen is drawn into the intrigue surrounding his friend. As further disturbing events occur, Owen uncovers a dangerous, scandalous secret that stretches to the highest level of the court.

A healing remedy or a deadly poison? Owen Archer confronts a lethal mix of dangerous attraction and troubling secrets when two knights die unexpectedly.York, 1363. Master apothecary Nicholas Wilton provides a healing potion for a wounded soldier at St. Mary's Abbey. A KILLER CURE? When Brother Wulfstan administers the special physick to the pilgrim and a fellow knight, tragedy strikes. Is the poisonous potion an accident, or a deliberate act of murder? Owen is sent to investigate by the Archbishop of York, disguised as an apothecary apprentice assisting Wilton's wife, Lucie. THE SINS OF A KNIGHT He soon learns that the first victim, Sir Geoffrey Montaigne, travelled to York to atone a past sin, and had crossed paths with Nicholas before. What was the knight's past misdeed, and what is his connection to the apothecary? IS FORBIDDEN LOVE A DEADLY DRUG? Owen uncovers troubling links between the knight and others close to Nicholas - including Lucie, who has captured his heart. But is he falling in love with a killer?

An act of kindness or unforgivable treason? Owen Archer investigates a murder in Wales with links to a controversial offer of refuge.Wales, 1369. Owen Archer is travelling to Wales on a mission for the Duke of Lancaster, recruiting archers in anticipation of King Charles of France's invasion of England. Joining him are Brother Michaelo, Geoffrey Chaucer and his father-in-law, Sir Robert D'Arby, who is on pilgrimage to the shrine of St David. A JOURNEY DEEP IN THE FOREST ENDS WITH A TERRIBLE DISCOVERY. When the body of John de Reine, one of the Duke of Lancaster's men, is found at the gate of St David's, the bishop asks Owen to return the corpse to John's father, Sir John Lascelles. TREACHERY. PASSION. MURDER. Could John's death be linked to his father's decision to grant sanctuary to a man accused of harbouring a French spy and the wounding of a mysterious pilgrim? As Owen investigates, he uncovers betrayal, treason, acts of passion and dark secrets . . .

God's will or the Devil's work? Owen Archer investigates a young runaway nun who claims to have been resurrected, setting a series of dark discoveries and violent deaths in motion.York, 1365. Dame Joanna Calverley of Leeds fled St. Clement's Priory with its precious relic - the milk of the Virgin - and died of fever soon after in Beverley. A MIRACLE RESURRECTION? Joanna is dead and buried . . . isn't she? Not according to housemaid Maddy, who finds Joanna in her master's house almost a year after her burial. Joanna claims to have risen from the dead and is seeking to return to the convent with the relic. Why did she disappear? Where is Will Longford, the master of the house? And how is the trail of death and destruction that follows linked to her supposed resurrection? THE TRUTH WON'T STAY BURIED FOR EVER . . . As Owen attempts to make sense of Joanna's troubled riddles, he unravels a dark family secret and the shocking truth behind the nun's tale.

Originally published: New York: Mysterious Press, 2002.

May, 1375. Owen Archer returns from London to find York in chaos. A new physician has arrived, whipping up fear and suspicion against Magda Digby, the wise woman who has helped and healed the people of York for many years. Magda's troubles deepen when she discovers a body in the river near her home - and finds herself under suspicion of murder.

December, 1374. With the great and the good about to descend on York for the enthronement of Alexander Neville as the new archbishop, the city is in a state of high alert. When two bodies are discovered in the grounds of York Minster, Owen Archer is summoned to investigate. But before he can make headway, a third body is fished out of the river ...

This tale of courtly intrigue and murder in fourteenth-century England is ';a superb medieval mystery thoroughly grounded in historical fact' (Booklist). From the marshy Thames to the misty Yorkshire moors, murder stalks Welsh soldier-sleuth Owen Archer and one of his oldest friends. On a snowy morning in 1367, Sir William of Wyndesore's page is found in the icy moat of Windsor Castle, and some whisper that the murderer was Ned Townleya former comrade-in-arms of Owen Archer. Burdened with a reputation as a notoriously jealous lover, Ned cannot hope to clear his name; even Mary, his ladylove, is unsure of the truth. Hoping to put Ned out of harm's way while solving the murder, Owen places his friend in charge of a mission to Rievaulx Abbey at the edge of the moors. But when the travelers receive news of Mary's drowning, Ned vanishes into the wild. Riding out in search of his old friend, Owen does not know whether he will be Ned's savior or executioner. With his one good eye, Owen sees more than most, but now he must find a way to penetrate the curtains of power that surround the Church and England's royal court and discover the truth of Ned's innocence or guilt... ';Robb continues to adeptly blend politics with period detail and three-dimensioned characterizations in the Owen Archer tales.' Publishers Weekly

';Engrossing... Imbued with the flavor of English medieval life, Robb's story melds true events with fiction to create a gripping historical mystery' (Publishers Weekly). When young nun Joanna Calverley dies of a fever in the town of Beverley in the summer of 1365, she is buried quickly for fear of the plague. But a year later, Archbishop Thoresby learns of a woman who has arrived in York claiming to be the resurrected nun, talking of relic-trading and miracles. And death seems to ride in her wake. The archbishop sends Owen Archer to retrace the woman's journey, an investigation that leads him across the north from Leeds to Beverley to Scarborough. Along the way he encounters Geoffrey Chaucer, a spy for the king of England, who believes there is a connection between the nun's troubles, renegade mercenaries, and the powerful Percy family. Back in York, however, Owen's wife, Lucie, pregnant with their first child, has won the confidence of the mysterious nun and realizes that there are secrets hidden in the woman's seemingly mad ramblings... Based on an enigmatic entry in the records of Clementhorpe Nunnery, this authentic, gripping mystery conjures a fourteenth century ripe with forbidden passions and political intrigue. ';[Robb] lives up to the standard set by master medievalist Ellis Peters.' Booklist

A wool merchant's murder may unmask a sinister plot in this novel of medieval England by an author who ';puts the history back into the historical mystery' (Kirkus Reviews). Summer in the year of our Lord 1365: On the night after the Corpus Christi procession, a man is brutally murdered on the steps of York Minster. The next morning his severed hand is found in a room at the York Taverna room hastily vacated by a fellow guild member who had quarreled with the victim. Archbishop Thoresby calls on Owen Archer to investigate. As Owen tracks the fleeing merchant, he uncovers a conspiracy involving a powerful company of traders, but his only witness is a young boy who has gone into hiding, and his only suspect is a mysterious cloaked woman. When Owen discovers a link between the traders and a powerful coterie in the royal court, he brings his apothecary wife, Lucie, into the race to find the boy before he is silenced forever by the murderers. ';[Robb] lives up to the standard set by master medievalist Ellis Peters.' Booklist

This mystery in medieval England is ';suspenseful, historically accurate, and blessed with a wonderful cast of characters... An absolute delight' (Charles de Lint, author of the Newford Series). It is Christmastide, 1363, and two suspicious deaths in the infirmary of St. Mary's Abbey catch the attention of the powerful John Thoresby, Lord Chancellor of England and Archbishop of York. One victim is a pilgrim, while the second is Thoresby's ne'er-do-well ward, both apparently poisoned by a physic supplied by Master Apothecary Nicholas Wilton. In the wake of these deaths, the archbishop dispatches one-eyed spy Owen Archer to York to find the murderer. Under the guise of a disillusioned soldier keen to make a fresh start, Owen insinuates himself into Wilton's apothecary as an apprentice. But he finds Wilton bedridden, with the shop being run by his lovely, enigmatic wife, Lucie. As Owen unravels a tangled history of scandal and tragedy, he discovers at its center a desperate, forbidden love twisted over time into obsession. And the woman he has come to love is his prime suspect. ';Essential for historical fans.' Library Journal ';[Robb] lives up to the standard set by master medievalist Ellis Peters.' Booklist

Espionage and intrigue light the fuse of rebellion in medieval Scotland for sleuth Margaret Kerr. '; This is history as it should be told' (Good Book Guide). In late summer 1297, Margaret Kerr heads to the town of Stirling at the request of William Wallace's man James Comyn. Her mission is to discover the fate of a young spy who had infiltrated the English garrison at Stirling Castle, but on the journey Margaret is haunted by dreamsor are they visions?of danger. He who holds Stirling Castle holds Scotlandand a bloody battle for the castle is imminent. But as the Scots prepare to cast off the English yoke, Margaret's flashes of the future allow her to glimpse what is to comeand show her that she can trust no one, not even her closest friends. A Cruel Courtship is a harrowing account of the days before the bloody battle of Stirling Bridge, and the story of a young woman's awakening.

';Intrigue abounds' in the series starring sleuth Margaret Kerr. ';Robb's captivating blend of history and mystery vividly evokes medieval Scotland' (Booklist). Scots are gathering in Murdoch Kerr's Edinburgh tavern, plotting to drive out the English forces. Margaret takes her place there as innkeeper, collecting information to pass on to William Wallaceuntil murder gives the English an excuse to shutter the tavern. The dead man was a witness to the intruders who raided chests belonging to Margaret's husband and her father, the latest in a string of violent raids on Margaret's family, but no one knows the identity of the raiders or what they're searching for. Margaret's uncle urges her to escape to Edinburgh, but as she flees north with her husband Roger, Margaret grows suspicious about his sudden wish to speak with her mother, Christiana, who is a soothsayer. Margaret once innocently shared with Roger one of Christiana's visions, of ';the true king of Scotland' riding into Edinburgh. Now she begins to wonder if their trip is part of a mission engineered by the English crown.. .

The acclaimed author of the Owen Archer Series ';lovingly re-creates medieval Edinburgh' in a novel that introduces Scottish sleuth Margaret Kerr (Publishers Weekly). In the spring of 1297, the English army controls lowland Scotland and Margaret Kerr's husband Roger Sinclair is missing. He had gone to Dundee in autumn, writing to Margaret with a promise to be home for Christmas, but it's past Easter. He could be caught up in the swelling rebellion against the Englishif he's even alive. When his cousin is murdered on the streets of Edinburgh, Roger's last known location, Margaret coerces her brother, a priest, to escort her to the city. She finds Edinburgh scarred by warhouses burnt, walls stained with blood, shops shutteredand the townsfolk simmering with resentment, harboring secrets. Even her uncle, innkeeper Murdoch Kerr, meets her questions with silence. Desperate, Margaret makes alliances that risk both her own life and that of her brother in her search for answers. She learns that war twists love and loyalties, and that, until tested, we cannot know our own hearts, much less those of our loved ones. ';Robb's writing is so rich and historically true that this is a must for all lovers of historical mysteries.' Historical Novel Society ';Thirteenth-century Edinburgh comes off the page cold and convincing, from the smoke and noise of the tavern kitchen to Holyrood Abbey under a treacherous abbot. Most enjoyable.' The List (Edinburgh)

Expertly recreating the social and political upheavals of late medieval Europe, Candace Robb introduces a new series starring Kate Clifford, a woman forged on the warring northern marches of fourteenth century England.

A ';fascinating [and] evocative' novel of crime and intrigue in fourteenth-century England and Wales (The Plain Dealer). It is late spring in the year of our Lord 1370, and Owen Archer is anxious to leave Wales for home. His mission for the Duke of Lancaster complete, he attempts to arrange safe passage on a ship sailing for Englandbut the hanging of a stonemason interrupts his plans. On the surface, it appears the young man was driven to suicide by a broken heart, but to Owen the signs all point to murder. As his investigation stretches on, however, Owen finds himself drawn into the influence of the leader of a Welsh rebellion whose manifesto speaks to his heart, and a choice is offered to him: join or die. Meanwhile, at home in York, Owen's wife, Lucie, is troubled by rumors that her husband's long absence is permanentas well as threats by a customer who claims she was poisoned by a physic from the Wilton apothecary. And while her husband remains distant, Lucie will be sorely tempted by the attentions of a friend's steward, even as she uncovers a shattering betrayal in her own household... ';A pleasing medieval series.' Library Journal

Owen Archer, Thoresby's master of the guards, is determined to ensure that his lord's last days are as peaceful as possible, but his plans are thrown into disarray when Thoresby agrees to a visit from Joan, Princess of Wales, wife of the Black Prince and mother of the young heir to the throne of England.

But why would anyone want to kill a humble river pilot?As the crowds around the murdered man thicken, one-eyed spy Owen Archer is quickly brought to the scene by his adoptive son, Jasper.

Owen Archer, ex-soldier and spy, is preparing to depart Wales, his work for John of Gaunt completed. Increasingly desperate, she accepts the company of a stranger, who proves invaluable when they face danger. Angered by Owen's prolonged absence, aware of malicious rumours, John Thoresby, Archbishop of York, orders his return.

But terrifying raids and a brutal murder bring the wrath of the English to Margaret's door. Roger's sudden disappearance enables Margaret to escape from the city, but she soon suspects that his new-found concern is nothing more than a charade.

In the cathedral city of York people are dying in mysterious circumstances. But there seems to be a common thread - the herbal remedies dispensed by Nicholas Wilton, Master Apothecary. Dispatched to York, in disguise, to unravel the mystery, Owen Archer, apprentices himself to the Apothecary. Slowly but surely Owen begins to uncover the truth.