Susanna Gregory

Historical crime fiction. Medieval murder mysteries.
    Restoration intrigue and treachery.

Sword of Shame

Sword of ShameLovingly crafted by a Saxon swordsmith shortly before the Norman invasion, treachery and deceit are the Sword of Shame’s constant companions. From the Norman conquest in 1066 to the murder of Thomas Becket, from an attempted coup against Richard the Lionheart to the bloodstained Battle of Poitiers: at the heart of every treasonous plot, murder and betrayal lies the malign influence of the cursed sword.

As it passes from owner to owner in this intriguing series of interlocked mysteries, fortune and disgrace befall all who wield this glittering but deadly blade.

Amazon.co.ukHardcoverKindle Edition
Amazon.comUS Kindle Edition

Sword of Shame is also available as an audio CD, read by Paul Matthews. It can be ordered from either Amazon.co.uk or Whole Story Audiobooks.

Amazon.co.ukWhole Story

 

Prologue: In which Michael Jecks tells of the creation of the sword and its first shameful use.

Act One: In which Bernard Knight’s Crowner John buys his officer a new sword, but soon regrets his generosity.

Act Two: In which Ian Morson relates Nick Zuliani’s deadly involvement in election fraud and murder in Venice in 1262.

Act Three: In which Michael Jecks’ Keeper Sir Baldwin and Bailiff Puttock learn how the sword could have been used in martyrdom.

Act Four: In which Susanna Gregory’s Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael are sent to the remote Cambridgeshire village of Ickleton to investigate why the manor is behind with its rent. They discover passions and tempers running high.

Act Five: In which Philip Gooden’s Nick Revill arrives at a snow-bound house to discover that even after several hundred years, the Sword of Shame can still wreak havoc and murder.

Epilogue: In which Ian Morson brings the tale up to modern times.