Oathbreaker

Cnut has left Oxford for Canterbury.  Halfdan and Winston have stayed behind, in part because Winston has become comfortable there.  It isn't long before Cnut orders the pair to Peterborough to be his eyes and ears there.  Winston is also tasked with illuminating a book for the abbot in Peterborough.

They travel north in the company of Prior Edmund and Brother Simon and their guards who are returning home to their monastery in Peterborough.  The group takes a small detour to the monastery at Brixworth.  Edmund and Simon get into an argument with one of the monks at the monastery.  He is sent by his abbot to pray in the church over the argument, and is later found dead before the altar.  Winston and Halfdan are asked to investigate.

The issue at hand is that the monastery is gated, therefore the killer is still within its walls.  The sword used in the murder belongs to a mute man.  Is he the killer or did the killer try to make him appear the killer because he is unable to speak for himself?

Amongst the victim's possessions is found a pewter plate with his name scratched on it.  But it doesn't reveal why he was killed.  Both Halfdan and Winston are surprised when Alfilda shows up in Brixworth.  She had sold her inn in order to join Winston.  Can she provide some insight into the murder, or will she take Winston's mind off the case?

However, it is Alfilda and Halfdan who come to the realisation of who the killer is.  Author Martin Jensen provides a thrilling historical murder mystery well worth the read with a surprising conclusion.  I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.