Series: Domesday

The small village of Maldon is controlled by the wealthy and rapacious Fitzcorbucion family. When the eldest son, Guy, is found murdered, his father demands justice and will stop at nothing to get it. Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret arrive into a charged atmosphere and are entangled in a case far more dangerous than their original task.

The Hawks of Delamere

by Edward Marston

Published 11 February 2000

Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, is enraged when his hawk is killed by an arrow in the Forest of Delamere. When two poachers are caught, he orders their execution yet neither of them fired the arrow. As Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret come to Cheshire to settle a series of disputes between Church and State, they are guests of the Earl. But when they explore the castle and discover that the Prince of Gwynedd is being held there as a hostage, a number of questions arise. Who is trying to rescue him? Why is Idwal, the over-zealous Welsh priest, lurking in the city? And whose arrow is responsible for a gruesome human death in the forest?

The Wildcats of Exeter

by Edward Marston

Published 18 January 2001

Nicolas Picard is riding home from Exeter when he's attacked by a snarling wildcat. Yet, when the body is found, there are lacerations on his neck put there by a human hand. He is involved in a land dispute and his wife claims to be the benefactor on his behalf. Picard's mistress emerges to stake her claim then a third woman - wife of the deceased original owner of the land - comes forward. Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret have three human wildcats trying to tear out each other's throats. They wonder if one of the women committed the murder to get her hands on the land, but the root of the mystery lies far deeper than mere avarice.

The Lions of the North

by Edward Marston

Published 24 September 2009

One island of wealth and luxury remains in the war-torn lands of Yorkshire, the castle of merchant Aubrey Maminot which holds two great terrors: the rogue Olaf Evil Child, a hero of the poor and conquered Saxon people, and the ravenous lions Maminot keeps as pets. The lions make a feast of an anonymous young man who tries to sneak into the castle. Why would someone commit such an act of suicide?

v. 3

The Dragons of Archenfield

by Edward Marston

Published 1 September 1995

Ralph Delchard, a soldier who fought at the Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a talented lawyer, have been commissioned by William the Conqueror to look into irregularities brought to light during the compilation of the Domesday Book, the great survey of England. Their investigations take them throughout the kingdom, but the pair often find themselves embroiled in more sinister mysteries in the towns they visit. The King's work is a dangerous business.

The frontier zone of Archenfield in Herefordshire is a no-man's-land, which acts as a bulwark between Norman-controlled English soil, and the Welsh border. Soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret arrive in Hereford for what looks like one of their more straightforward assignments from the crown, to settle conflicting claims to land in Archenfield. Ralph and Gervase are shocked to discover the murder of a principal witness, a wealthy landowner who was burned alive in his own home. No clues remain except an enigmatic red dragon cut into the turf in front of the house.

v. 1

Wolves of Savernake

by Edward Marston

Published 1 September 1993

A man's body is found mutilated in Savernake Forest and the residents of Bedwyn sleep uneasy at night, fearing a monster stalking the town. When Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret arrive, they soon discover that the locals are harbouring dark secrets and that the real killer may be a little closer to home.

v. 11

The Elephants of Norwich

by Edward Marston

Published 31 December 1999

The two golden elephants that robber baron Richard de Fontenel was using to lure the beautiful Adelaide into marriage, have been stolen. But questions arise - how did Fontanele come into possession of the elephants, and what has happened to his steward, Hermer?

The Serpents of Harbledown

by Edward Marston

Published 15 May 1998

When a young girl is found in a holly patch, dead from a snakebite, her premature death shocks the entire town of Canterbury on the day that Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret arrive about the king's business. But when astonishing truths come to light, the pair must look for a force more vicious than a mere reptile.

v. 6

The Stallions of Woodstock

by Edward Marston

Published 15 December 1998

Three powerful Norman lords and a dispossessed Saxon thegn watch their steeds race close to the forest of Woodstock, each lusting for a win. But the first horse past the post has an empty saddle and his rider is lying in a copse with a knife in his back. Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, Domesday commissioners on behalf of the King, are guests of the Sheriff of Oxford while they settle a land dispute. But soon their attentions are focused on a stretch of grass outside Woodstock where a murderer's secrets are to be found.

The solution will not be easy; from the powerful lords with their dynastic ties, to the downtrodden Saxons, living beneath the heavy Norman yoke, Oxfordshire is teeming with malice, hatred and struggles for power. More than one man has reason to wise the rider of the black stallion unseated from his horse. But who would go so far as murder?

v. 8

The Wild Cats of Exeter

by Edward Marston

Published 21 October 2010

The Foxes of Warwick

by Edward Marston

Published 26 May 2011

Henry Beaumont keeps a renowned pack of foxhounds, quick, brave and ruthless at the kill. One December hunt, the dogs uncover more than a fox in the woodlands - brushing aside dead leaves, Beaumont finds the crushed body of Martin Reynard, a former member of his own household. Enraged, Henry, though he has no experience in such matters, swears to find the killer, but his impetuosity and rudimentary investigative skills lead him to arrest a man of questionable guilt. Fortunately, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, in the area to settle a land dispute, are available to lend their expertise.

v. 10

The Owls of Gloucester

by Edward Marston

Published 9 April 2003