Amidst the myth and folklore of Tavistock, one tale above all others strikes fear into the hearts of the townspeople—that of the murders on the Abbot’s Way. One cold winter, many years ago, a young acolyte led a group of fellow novices in the theft of their abbot’s wine store. Later, consumed by guilt and fear of discovery, he was driven to commit still more crimes. As legend has it, the devil himself meted out his punishment, leading the acolyte and his cohorts to their deaths on the treacherous Devon moors. Now, in the autumn of 1322, it looks as if history is repeating itself. Abbot Robert has found his wine barrel empty, and a body has been discovered on the moors. Furnshill and Puttock are called upon to investigate, but the case seems only to become increasingly complicated. It soon becomes apparent that it’s not just wine that’s missing from the abbey—and that the body on the moors isn’t the last.
Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry when he began writing the internationally successful Templar series. There are now twenty books starring Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock, with more to follow. The series has been translated into all the major European languages and sells worldwide. The Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association for the year 2004-2005, Michael is a keen supporter of new writing and has helped many new authors through the Debut Dagger Award. He is a founding member of Medieval Murderers, and regularly talks on medieval matters as well as writing.
