Domesday Series by Edward Marston

"An artful and evocative adventure steeped in local humor, lore, and legend of eleventh-century England."--BooklistDOMESDAY IS COMINGIn 1086 England's mighty king, William the Conqueror, sends out surveyors and census takers to record the resources of his land and its people. Some welcome these inquisitive royal agents and their "day of judgment." Others hate them. But wherever the king's men go they bring excitement, and sometimes murder... more"An artful and evocative adventure steeped in local humor, lore, and legend of eleventh-century England."--BooklistDOMESDAY IS COMINGIn 1086 England's mighty king, William the Conqueror, sends out surveyors and census takers to record the resources of his land and its people. Some welcome these inquisitive royal agents and their "day of judgment." Others hate them. But wherever the king's men go they bring excitement, and sometimes murder....In ancient Bedwyn town, the king's Domesday researchers are suddenly faced with the violent death of the very man whose claims have drawn them there--a wealthy miller, savaged by a wolf in Savernake Forest.Now two clever king's men, soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret, must investigate not only questionable land claims but the miller's death as well. Have well-fed monks of Bedwyn Abbey somehow contrived the man's demise? Has his soft-eyed wife betrayed him? Is the dreaded Savernake wolf the familiar of the town witch, or is it the hound of heaven? No one knows except a dead man...."A story that invites comparison to the crystalline novels of Ellis Peters."--Kirkus Reviews less

DOMESDAY IS COMINGIn 1086, England's mighty king, William the Conqueror, sends out surveyors and census takers to record the resources of his land and its people. Some welcome these inquisitive royal agents and their day of judgment. Others hate them. But wherever the king's men go they bring excitement; *and sometimes murder. . . .Calamity smolders on the Welsh-English frontier, where three powerful men squabble over the same rich tract of land... moreDOMESDAY IS COMINGIn 1086, England's mighty king, William the Conqueror, sends out surveyors and census takers to record the resources of his land and its people. Some welcome these inquisitive royal agents and their day of judgment. Others hate them. But wherever the king's men go they bring excitement; *and sometimes murder. . . .Calamity smolders on the Welsh-English frontier, where three powerful men squabble over the same rich tract of land. When King William's clever agents; *soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret; *arrive to settle the dispute, one of the claimants has been brutally burned alive, and the king's men are saddled with a formidable murder investigation. Before the frightful truth shines clear, everyone will be scorched by the flames of violence. . . ."Marston is a marvel at re-creating the atmosphere of the times while constructing a fascinating murder case".; *Anniston Star"[An] outstanding medieval mystery brimming with intrigue, suspense, and authentic historical detail".; *Booklist less

Ralph Delchard, a former soldier in the era-defining Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, an accomplished lawyer, continue to travel the length of England investigating irregularities exposed during the collection of information for the Domesday Book. The pair frequently find that where matters of property are concerned, there are often unpleasant and criminal consequences. The king's work is a dangerous business... moreRalph Delchard, a former soldier in the era-defining Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, an accomplished lawyer, continue to travel the length of England investigating irregularities exposed during the collection of information for the Domesday Book. The pair frequently find that where matters of property are concerned, there are often unpleasant and criminal consequences. The king's work is a dangerous business.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 Delchard and Bret arrive. But when astonishing truths come to light, the duo must look for a force more vicious than a mere reptile. less