Bradecote & Catchpoll

August 1144. Osbern de Lench is known far and wide as a hard master whose temper is perpetually frayed. After his daily ride to survey his land, his horse returns to the hall riderless, and the lifeless body of the lord is found soon after. Was it the work of thieves or something closer to home? With an heir who is cast in the same hot-tempered mould, sworn enemies for neighbours and something amiss in the relationship between Osbern and his wife, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, the wily Serjeant Catchpoll and apprentice Walkelin have suspects aplenty.

Midsummer, 1145. Walter, the steward of Evesham Abbey, is found dead at the bottom of a well pit. The Abbot, whose relationship with the lord Sheriff of Worcestershire is strained at best, dislikes needing to call in help. However, as the death appears to have not been an accident, he grudgingly receives Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin. The trio knows how to step carefully with the contentious undercurrents at play. As the sheriff's men investigate the steward's death, they discover that truth is in short supply. With the tensions between the Abbey and the local castle guard reaching boiling point, another killing will force the investigation down a dangerous path.

September, 1145. The body of a Templar knight is discovered in the Forest of Wyre on Worcestershire's northern border, and concealed upon his person is a bloodstained document that reveals the identity of a traitor. Undersherif Hugh Bradecote, Sergeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin must discover who the dead man was and whether his death was personal, political or an outlaw killing. They are surprised to find that the locals believe the killer to be the Raven Woman, a shape-changer, who lurks in the woods, and when they discover the identity of the dead knight, Ivo de Mitton, long ago believed to have killed his own kin, there are more questions than answers. Does the tale of the Raven Woman contain a kernel of truth? Is the suspected traitor really guilty, and if not, who gains most by his fall from grace? Ultimately, can Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin see the wood from the trees and bring a killer to justice?