The Field of Blood

Athelstan has just finished confessions when the local bailiff bursts into the church announcing something about murder.  When Athelstan exits the church he finds that the bailiff has brought three corpses.  A young man, a man who appears to be a sailor and a young man.  He finds out that the young woman was a whore, so the older man must have been his customer, while the young man, he can only determine that he has been robbed.

Just as Athelstan has begun his examination of the scene of the crime, he is interrupted by Sir John Cranston, coroner of London.  Cranston has need of Athelstan’s services in the city.  He is sure that he has seen on of the victims before, but he has more important things on his mind.

A woman accused of murder, which she claims as self defence, in order to escape the noose has accused her former employer of killing two people and burying them in a meadow behind her tavern.  She even hints that there may be more bodies in the meadow.  The head of the court assigns Cranston to investigate.

Cranston’s men find more than two bodies in the meadow.  Cranston also remembers that the young man killed near Athelstan’s community was a royal messenger.  If the town can’t find the killer, they will pay an exacting price!

Cranston has two days to solve his mystery, while Athelstan’s community has forty days to find the killer of the messenger or pay a fine of two hundred pounds!

Will time run out on this pair?  Will an innocent woman hang and a community be forced into penury?  Author Paul Doherty’s historical murder mystery is a good read, and the Field of Blood will reveal the truth.  Quite an enjoyable read.