Maureen Ash - Murder for Christs Mass

Table of Contents

Praise for Death of a Squire

[An] engrossing series... The author takes great care to detail the everyday life of the time, but weaves these details through the narrative in a very natural way. The social structure, the class differences, and daily life in a keep are very much a part of the mystery, and readers will feel that theyve made a trip back through time to witness these events. CA Reviews

The Alehouse Murders

An excellent mystery, very suspenseful and clever, with a sympathetic sleuth sure to captivate readers.

Sharon Kay Penman,
New York Times bestselling author

I loved The Alehouse Murders. Combining marvelous period detail with characters whose emotions and personalities would ring true in any era, Maureen Ash has launched a terrific new historical mystery series. Ill be standing in line for the next Templar Knight Mystery.

Jayne Ann Krentz,
New York Times bestselling author of Sizzle and Burn

A deft re-creation of a time and place, with characters youll want to meet again.

Margaret Frazer, national bestselling
author of A Play of Lords

A delightful addition to the medieval mystery list. It is well researched and, even better, well written, with distinct, interesting characters and plot twists that I didnt expect... I look forward to more books in the series.

Sharan Newman, author of The Shanghai Tunnel

Fans of quality historical mysteries will be delighted with this debut... the first in what will hopefully be a long-running series of Templar Knights whodunits.

Maureen Ash masterfully creates a medieval world full of rich historic detail and peopled with fascinating characters. Her complex hero, Sir Bascot de Marins, immediately engages the reader as he tracks a ruthless killer in a mystery that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.

Victoria Thompson, national bestselling author of
Murder on Bank Street

A perplexing mystery with its flawed but sympathetic hero... An enjoyable read.Gumshoe Review

Good, old-fashioned mystery. I look forward to more.

Maureen Ashs series will be very popular if the future novels are the quality of The Alehouse Murders.

Interesting reading.San Jose Mercury News

THE ALEHOUSE MURDERS
DEATH OF A SQUIRE
A PLAGUE OF POISON
MURDER FOR CHRISTS MASS

List Of Characters

Bascot de MarinsA Templar knight

GianniA mute Italian boy, servant to Bascot

Nicolaa de la HayeHereditary castellan of Lincoln castle

Gerard CamvilleNicolaas husband and sheriff of Lincoln

Richard CamvilleGerard and Nicolaas son

RogetCaptain of Gerard Camvilles town guard

ErnulfSerjeant of Lincoln garrison

John BlundSecretary to Nicolaa de la Haye

LambertClerical assistant to John Blund

Everard dArderonPreceptor of the Templar enclave in Lincoln

Miles de LaxtonA knight in Gerard Camvilles retinue

Gilbert BassettLord of Drayton in Oxfordshire

Egelina BassettGilberts wife

Eustachia BassettElder daughter of Gilbert and Egelina

Lucia BassettYounger daughter of Gilbert and Egelina

Ralph of TurvilleEgelina Bassetts cousin

Maud of TurvilleRalphs wife

Stephen of TurvilleRalph and Mauds son

Walter LegertonExchanger in the Lincoln mint

Silvana LegertonWalters sister

Helias de StowMoneyer in the Lincoln mint

Blanche de StowHeliass wife

Peter BrandClerk to Helias de Stow

Simon PartagerAssayer in the employ of Walter Legerton

Iseult PartagerSimons wife

CerloA Lincoln stonemason

Warner TasserA Lincoln silversmith

Roger FardeinApprentice to Warner Tasser

One

THE STONE QUARRY LAY STILL AND SILENT UNDER THE maelstrom of wind and raging clouds scudding in the skies above. The early darkness of a winter evening had already fallen and the deep pit was shrouded in gloom. At intermittent moments, the racing clouds parted for an instant and allowed the beams of a full moon to dance a chiaroscuro of flickering shadows across the steep walls of stone. The night air was cold, its intensity heightened by a bitter wind blowing from the northeast. To the man who stood at the top of the cliff face overlooking the quarry, it was an eerie scene and made him apprehensive. In the daytime, when quarrymen were at work cutting and hauling blocks of stone, the huge pit would be full of activity, but now, in the darkness, it was a lonely place. Although he was only a few hundred yards from the walls of Lincoln town, it seemed as though he were stranded in a desolate spot far from the comforting presence of civilization. He started suddenly as the distant cry of a wolf was borne to him on the gusting wind. Wrapping his cloak closer about him, he damned the person he expected to meet for being late. It must be nearly an hour past the time agreed for their appointment.

A short distance from where he stood was a small shack. It was only large enough to contain a few small tools and some coils of rope but, nonetheless, the door was fastened with a stout lock. A few flakes of wind-driven snow blew onto the mans cheeks, stinging his exposed flesh like needles. If he was going to wait any longer, he needed to find shelter, and the shack was the only place available. Even if he could not break the lock to gain entry, there might be some relief from the wind on the leeward side of the walls.

Deciding he would wait just a few more minutes, he turned to make his way towards the shed when he thought he saw a movement on the narrow track leading from the main road to the cliff top. The shifting shadows caused by the passage of the clouds made it difficult to be sure, and he stopped and stared in that direction, shielding his eyes from the wind by cupping his hands on either side of his face. After a few moments, he decided he was mistaken. Patting the leather sack tied to his belt to make sure it was still securely in place, he resumed his steps towards the shed.

He had almost reached the small building when he was hit from behind, a heavy clout that took his breath away and brought him to his knees. Instinctively he tried to roll away but was too slow, and again a crushing blow descended on his skull, this time on the side of his head. As he struggled to regain his reeling senses, a booted foot pushed him onto his back and there was the brief glimmer of a knife arcing towards his chest. The blade took him directly in the heart. He was dead within seconds.