Wolves of Savernake [Mass Market Paperback]

Edward Marston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1995

In 1086 England's mighty king, William the Conqueror; sends out surveyors and census takers to record the resources of his land and its people. Some welcome these inquisitive royal agents and their "day of judgment." Others hate them. But wherever the king's men go they bring excitement, and sometimes murder....

In ancient Bedwyn town, the kings Domesday researchers are suddenly faced with the violent death of the very man whose claims have drawn them there -- a wealthy miller, savaged by a wolf in Savernake Forest.

Now two clever king's men, soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret, must investigate not only questionable land claims but the miller's death as well. Have well-fed monks of Bedwyn Abbey somehow contrived the man's demise? Has his soft-eyed wife betrayed him? Is the dreaded Savernake wolf the familiar of the town witch, or is it the hound of heaven? No one knows except a dead man ....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Marston, whose previous mystery series features an Elizabethan theatrical troop, launches a medieval series with a servicably plotted tale set in 11th-century England after the Norman Conquest. Two of William the Conquerer's officials ride through Savernake Forest near Stonehenge with the aim of assessing the charter and holdings of Bedwyn Abbey for taxation. Tough Norman horseman Ralph Delchard, who fought at Hastings, is accompanied by young Chancery clerk Gervase Bret. In the woods, they find the corpse of the disliked miller Alric, his throat apparently torn out by a wolf. While four-footed predators are hunted in vain, a frenzied posse threatens to hack down an aged healer, Emma, the Witch of Crofton, and her dog. After a second identical murder, the sleuths are aided by the miller's widow and a beautiful young townswoman in whom Gervase takes an interest, spurred on by Ralph's seduction of a burger's wife. The wily monks of Bedwyn hamper an inquiry that might link the grisly deaths to their suspect charter. Period details and colorful venues, e.g., a subterranean mint run by a dwarf, help to make up for Marton's stodgy characterization.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The author of a series of bawdy theatrical whodunits set in the Elizabethan era now turns both his attention and his pen to a previous period. Marston revisits the England of William the Conqueror, forging a splendid historical mystery populated with plenty of self-righteous Normans and a host of resentful Saxons. When William authorizes a nationwide reassessment in 1086, Ralph Delchard, a lecherous Norman lord, and Gervase Bret, an intelligent and youthful Chancery clerk of Saxon origins, journey to the picturesque village of Bedwyn in order to settle a disquieting property dispute. After a successful merchant apparently falls prey to a vicious attack by a wolf, Ralph and Gervase uncover an all-too-human motive for murder. During the course of their investigation, the two friends and trusted colleagues unravel a cunning forgery and counterfeiting scheme that leads them indirectly to the local abbey. An artful and evocative adventure steeped in the local humor, lore, and legend of eleventh-century England. Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 243 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449223108
• ISBN-13: 978-0449223109
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Book in the Domesday Series, December 2, 2006

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wolves of Savernake (Mass Market Paperback)

Edward Marston is the pseudonym of Keith Miles, a fairly prolific and extremely good writer of mainly Elizabethan and medieval mysteries. He has also written mysteries under his own name with both sporting and golf backgrounds. However it is primarily the books that take place earlier in history that I am interested in. He read modern history at Oxford and has had many jobs, including university lecturer, but fortunately for all his readers, he turned to the writing profession.

This is the first book I ever read by Edward Marston. It is about a period of history that I love and once I had read it, I eagerly sought out all other books by the author and I have never been disappointed. His Elizabethan theatre series of books were wonderful and he has continued them through from 1988 to 2006. The Domesday series is also a great series and this is the first book in the series.

When a wealthy miller is murdered it prompts the attention of William I, better known as William the Conqueror. He immediately despatches two of his most able men to the town of Bedwyn to uncover the murderer and bring them to justice. It takes all of their knowledge and determination to uncover a two-legged killer, much more cunning and far more savage than any animal.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.25 Stars: Enjoyable, Medieval Mystery, May 25, 2011

By 

Jessica G. (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wolves of Savernake (Domesday Books) (Kindle Edition)

I.m surprised that I haven.t ever come across this author, Edward Marston, aka Kieth Miles, since he has been around since at least the mid-'80's and written quite a few historical mystery books. I stumbled on "The Wolves of Savernake" while looking for medieval fiction on my Kindle. I think I now have a new series to read, if the 1st book in the Doomsbook series is any indication of what is to follow.

I breezed through this book with great pleasure. The plot had twists and turns and was well planned and tight. The subplots enhanced this tale and were neither confusing nor superfluous. The characters were interesting and their actions/ motives/ backstories were, for the most part, believable.

I loved the two main characters: Ralph, a knight in his mid 40's, is headstrong, brawny, coarse, hormonal and a bit rowdy; Gervase, a 25 year old lawyer, is wise, driven, morally researved, and thinks before actimg. The fathe/son relationship between the two men was often refreshingly reversed; however, although the two sometimes disagreed, their true love and affection was never in doubt.

Complaints: There were a few typos, especially towards the end. Two of the characters (H. and L.) were too one-dimensional and therefore, not believable; if they appear in later books, maybe the author will 'flesh them out.' A few times the book dragged for a page or two. Also, the author has a bad habit of writting, "...and then the two people (insert characters' names) talked/ bantered/ argued/ (insert verb that means discussed) for a while/ an hour/ until sleep overtook them/ (insert words that defines a certain amount of time) ...." Maybe I.m the only one who feels this way, but shouldn.t the author write out some of the dialogue if he is going to mention it in his book. Maybe just write an example of the banter, arguement, talk... The author didn.t need to write out the entire discussion, just a bit so the reader can get the flavor and tone of the interaction.

Bottom line: I would recommend this book to a friend. I also think this would be a good book for young adults who can handle a very small amount of sex (not descriptive) and a moderate amount of physical longing ;-) I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done, October 5, 1998

By 

Jim T - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wolves of Savernake (Mass Market Paperback)

If historical mystery is part of your reading diet, then you cannot go wrong with Mr. Marston. If you read one, you will want to read all. The books show much referance done and well told stories...