Blessed Are the Dead
The History Press
ISBN: 9781803993065
Written under the name C. B. Hanley
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April 1219: Edwin Weaver finds himself at Tickhill Castle under false pretences. Earl Warenne wants Tickhill for himself and is convinced that a royal order for the castle to be handed over has been hidden, so he’s sent Edwin to find it and told him not to come back until he does. Frantic with worry about the danger to his family, Edwin is forced to lie to everyone around him while searching for a document that might not even exist.
The situation escalates when a body is found and the earl musters armed troops to take the castle by force; Edwin must race against time to discover the crucial information so he can stop the violence and bloodshed. But his quest for the truth is more dangerous than he could possibly have anticipated, and he must endure tragic and wrenching loss before his duty is complete.
By the Edge of the Sword
The History Press
ISBN: 9780750998161
Written under the name C. B. Hanley
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Christmas, 1218: Conisbrough is shrouded in deep snow and a stranger’s body is found frozen to death. The cryptic letter it carries is from Joanna, an old friend of Edwin Weaver’s, who is in danger and pleading for his help. Edwin and his friend Martin undertake a perilous winter journey to discover that Joanna stands accused of a heinous crime; if convicted, she will be burned at the stake.
A furious Martin is determined to clear Joanna’s name even if it means resorting to violence. Edwin must control him while attempting to solve a puzzle he is only seeing at second hand; he knows nothing of any of the locals and can only work with the conflicting stories they tell him. Their vicious accusations and unshakeable belief that Joanna is guilty might result in her being killed by gossip, so Edwin must find out what really happened before it is too late …
Cast the First Stone
The History Press
ISBN: 9780750991957
Written under the name C. B. Hanley
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November 1217: Edwin Weaver is back in his home village of Conisbrough. But if he thinks life is going to be peaceful, he’s wrong: the new bailiff is unpopular and cruel, and soon his murdered corpse is discovered. Everything points to the culprit being a foreigner, and the villagers are happy to have an outsider take the blame; Edwin isn’t so sure and is determined to investigate. However, his former friends, all with something to hide, are increasingly hostile to him and resent his interference. The more he discovers, the more he is convinced that the stranger is innocent, but this comes with dangers of its own. With the sheriff due to arrive any day expecting to supervise a swift execution, Edwin and his wife Alys must join forces to solve the mystery before it is too late.
Give Up the Dead
The History Press
ISBN: 9780750982597
Written under the name C. B. Hanley
Commoner-turned-earl’s-man Edwin Weaver joins the earl’s army as it marches for the Kent coast to defend the realm against an invading French fleet. But when a series of accidents puts the earl’s life in danger, he soon realises that the enemy is closer at hand. Before he can solve the mystery, however, Edwin finds he must face a double horror: not only a bloody battle, but one that will take place on the high seas. As the bodies pile up, Edwin discovers that it is not just the French who are trying to kill him …
Brother’s Blood
The History Press
ISBN: 9780750966146
Written under the name C. B. Hanley
August, 1217. The war for the throne of England is far from over, but as commoner-turned-earl’s-man Edwin Weaver waits to see which way his lord William de Warenne will turn next, a messenger arrives from Roche Abbey: one of the monks has been murdered. The abbot needs help to find the killer, and he needs it quickly. Edwin and his friend Martin, the earl’s squire, soon find themselves trapped in the unfamiliar and claustrophobic confines of the abbey, where faces are hidden, where a calm exterior can mask inner pain and seething resentment, and where a killer walks among his brothers. As he finds himself drawn deeper into the abbey’s web, Edwin realises that his future might lie along a different path from the one he anticipated. Torn, he must not only discover the identity of the murderer, but must also decide where his real duty lies.
Whited Sepulchres
The History Press
ISBN: 9780750956826
Written under the name C. B. Hanley
1217: Commoner-turned-earl’s-man Edwin Weaver has returned to Conisbrough Castle after his blood-soaked adventure in Lincoln. Shaken, and now carrying a dagger for protection, he has no chance to rest, for preparations are already underway for a noble wedding. But his weapon will be little help against the armed band of outlaws terrorising the area. The situation escalates when the household marshal is murdered under the earl’s own roof, and Edwin is asked to resolve the situation before the wedding plans can be jeopardised. The marshal was an unpopular man, but Edwin is convinced that there is more to his death than meets the eye. As he digs deeper, he realises that the killer’s true target might be someone much closer to home. With few likely to believe his theory, Edwin must choose between public ridicule, humiliation and even banishment if he speaks out, or staying silent, and praying that no one else will die.
The Bloody City
The History Press
ISBN: 9780752497044
Written under the name C. B. Hanley
1217: Lincoln is not a safe place to be. A French army has captured the city, and the terrified citizens huddle in the rubble of their homes as the castle, the last remaining loyal stronghold in the region, is besieged. Edwin Weaver finds himself riding into grave danger after his lord volunteers him for a perilous mission: he must infiltrate the city, identify the traitors who are helping the enemy, and return to pass on the intelligence. The last man who attempted such a thing was captured by the French, his head hacked off and catapulted over the castle wall as a warning. The city is awash with violence and blood, and Edwin is pushed to the limit as he has to decide what he is prepared to do to protect others. He might be willing to lay down his own life, but would he, could he, kill?
The Sins of the Father
The History Press
ISBN: 9780752480916
Written under the name C.B. Hanley
In the darkness of an underground cell, a boy is murdered. The very next day, a husband and wife are slaughtered in their home, which is burnt to the ground. The memory of these dark deeds is hidden forever, or so it is thought …
Edwin Weaver has led an uneventful life until now. His father is the bailiff at Conisbrough castle, responsible for law and order on the estate, but the most exciting thing which ever happens is a dispute over a few yards of land. All this changes when his father becomes ill and when the earl their master becomes involved in the civil war which is tearing the realm asunder. Suddenly Edwin is propelled into a different world, one which he finds hard to understand.
A visiting lord seeking evidence of treachery is murdered, and Edwin is given the arduous task of finding the culprit. His findings may have an effect not only on the people of Conisbrough, but also on the outcome of the war and the future of the kingdom, and he has only been given two days to come up with an answer.