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Blog postIn our twenty-first century urbanised world, buildings of enormous height and size are all around us and are so familiar a sight that we rarely pay them much attention. We are accustomed to living, working and shopping in them. When a new one is built, we see huge cranes and other heavy machinery employed, with elevators and lifts taking contractors up to where they need to be.
Canterbury Cathedral © E.M. Powell
Anybody time-travelling from the medieval world to now w2 weeks ago Read more -
Blog post'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…
…and especially not Brother Cuthbert of Fairmore Abbey in my second Stanton and Barling novel, The Monastery Murders. It opens on Christmas Eve, with poor Cuthbert dispatched in the most grisly manner by an unknown hand.
I would love to be able to state here that there was a profound reason for setting the book at Christmas. But it was a totally p4 months ago Read more -
Blog postWhen I introduced Hugo Stanton and Aelred Barling to the world back in 2018, I hoped that readers would enjoy my unlikely pair of sleuths' first outings as much as I enjoyed writing them. It would appear that you did, but in numbers I could never have imagined. Over 120,000 copies of The King's Justice and The Monastery Murders have now been sold worldwide.
Find on Goodreads here. While this has been incredible and I wish I could express my gratitude personally, all I can do6 months ago Read more -
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Blog postKing Henry II of England is best known in the popular imagination for the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket, a murder for which the King was blamed. Four knights broke into Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 and slew Becket in the most brutal manner.
The Murder of Thomas Becket c 1480 Public Domain- British Library
Whatever one’s view of the volatile Henry, there is one achievement from his thirty-five-year reign that stands above all others: his reform of the English l2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe medievals were well acquainted with the Seven Deadly Sins, one of which was/is gluttony—the vice of excessive eating and drinking.
It is therefore no surprise that it was one of the vices that Saint Benedict, a key figure in starting the monastic movement in the early Christian Church, wanted to avoid. Benedict was a Roman nobleman who in around 500 AD, chose to leave Rome and worship Christ in an isolated setting. His popularity grew and he founded his own monastery, writing hi3 years ago Read more -
Blog postIt was my great pleasure to host Ruadh Butler, fellow author of historical fiction set in Medieval Ireland, to my blog last year. Ruadh's excellent post on the arrival of the Normans in Ireland has proved really popular with readers and, in case you missed it, you can find it here.
Ruadh guested to celebrate the release of the first in his Invader series, Swordland, which was published by Accent Press. I'm delighted to say that book #2, Lord of the Sea Castle is now out a4 years ago Read more -
Blog postYou probably can't have failed to notice that wherever you turn at present, your senses are assailed by objects of the red, heart-shaped variety. Although it's not a particular wave I personally like to get swept up in, I couldn't fail to be halted by this gem in a local card shop: 'To My Gran on Valentine's Day.' I did brace myself for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to come crashing through the door at any second, but all remained calm. And just as I was about to deride twenty-f4 years ago Read more
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Blog postI would like to bet that not many readers of this blog have had the experience of being brought together by King John-- on Twitter. But that is how I came across historical novelist Erica Lainé. Both Erica and I have written about John in our novels: in mine, he is the eighteen year old sent by his father Henry to sort out medieval Ireland. (Spoiler: he doesn't. Or may be not a spoiler. He is John, after all.) In the first in Erica's The Tangled Queen series, we meet t4 years ago Read more
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Blog postEvery writer knows the amount of work that goes into a 100,000 word novel. The research, the plotting, the writing, the rewriting, the editing, the proofing, the cover design and more. All add up to many hundreds of hours before your story, that tale that started life in your head, becomes a reality and hits the electronic/physical book shops. Then comes the miracle of readers discovering what was in your head and even more miraculously, loving it. It’s all good. Your story is out there, and rea4 years ago Read more
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Blog postI'm sure it's glaringly obvious to those who read this blog that I'm just a bit interested in* (*trans: obsessed with) all things medieval, so to host somebody who has also been bitten by the medieval bug is marvellous.
I'm delighted to host fellow historical fiction author, Anna Belfrage. Anna has had great success with her acclaimed time-slip series The Graham Saga. That series has won multiple awards, including the HNS Indie Award 2015. But Anna has turned medieval fo4 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe word manuscript literally means ‘written by hand’ and medieval manuscripts refers to those books produced in Europe between about the fifth century and the late fifteenth century. Illuminated manuscripts are works which are decorated with a variety of pictures and ornamentation.
Psalm 27 from the Vespasian Psalter- 8th Century Kent.
It is the earliest surviving English biblical example of an initial with a narrative scene.
The word ‘illuminated’ comes from a usage of5 years ago Read more -
Blog postI doubt if King John, youngest son of Henry II, needs much introduction. The 800th anniversary of his issuing of Magna Carta was celebrated only last year. Being referred to as Bad King John also tends to stick in people’s minds. As for Robin Hood, I will say nothing.
Royal Mail Magna Carta Stamp.
© E.M. Powell
But I’d like to share one of the lesser known episodes in John’s life: his first campaign in Ireland. For on April 25, 1185, John landed at the port of5 years ago Read more -
Blog postAnyone who loves history will tell you that one of the most enjoyable things to do is to visit actual historical sites. An added bonus of writing historical fiction is that one can do quite a lot of this in the name of research. One of my more recent trips was to the wonderful Dunmore Cave in Co. Kilkenny in Ireland.
Dunmore Cave, Co. Kilkenny
© E.M. Powell
Dunmore Cave has been used for refuge and storage for hundreds of years. A Viking massacre here is recorded in5 years ago Read more -
Blog postYes, it's April 5 2016. Not a red-letter day on the calendar for most, but for me, a very special day indeed. For today is the day that Book #3 in my Fifth Knight medieval thriller series, The Lord of Ireland, is out. Yes, Sir Benedict Palmer is back- and this time he's off to Ireland!
Ta-da!And here's what it's about:England, 1185. John is a prince without prospect of a crown. As the youngest son of Henry II, he has long borne the hated nickname ‘Lackland’. When warring tribe5 years ago Read more -
Blog postI think that most lovers of history would agree that very little beats a first-person account. There is something very special about reading the words of someone who was there, who witnessed momentous events or who was in the presence of individuals famous and infamous. And the further back in history one goes, the scarcer such accounts are. Yet in the world of the twelfth and early thirteenth century, we have the work of a prolific chronicler to bring much of it to life.
Scri5 years ago Read more -
Blog postI always enjoy hosting guests on my blog, as do many historical fiction writers I know. But I wonder how many can claim that their guest has written the Origins story of their current novel? Yes, I’m delighted to be joined by Edward Ruadh Butler, author of the Invader series, the first of which is Swordland.
Swordland is the story of Cambro-Norman warrior, Robert FitzStephen. FitzStephen was the first warlord to land in Ireland in 1169, brought there at the behest of an Irish King.5 years ago Read more -
Blog postIn around 530 A.D, the Roman Christian, Benedict of Nursia, sickened by the sinfulness of Rome, decided to live apart from the world as a hermit. And he wasn’t just apart: one of his early holy dwellings was a cave half-way up a cliff face. Although a community grew up around him and he established a group of monasteries, it’s doubtful that he could have envisaged just how popular his vision for monastic life was to become.
By the medieval period, those who inhabited monasteries mad5 years ago Read more -
Blog postI write novels set in the 12th century, a time period that I love and am fascinated by. I have had a few comments from other historical fiction writers along the lines of ‘Oh, I could never go back that far- too difficult.’ I’ll admit it has its challenges, as the further back in history you go, the more challenging it can be to get a handle on it. And my guest on this post is Matthew Harffy, author of The Bernicia Chronicles series, which are set in Britain in 633 A.D- half a millennium before5 years ago Read more
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Blog postAs writers, we of course do a lot of this:
But in the world of scribble-scribble-scribble (well, tap-tap-tap) there are certain occasions of huge excitement. One of those is when you finally get to release the cover of your latest novel to the world. I'm so thrilled with what my wonderful publishers, Thomas & Mercer, have produced.
So here it is, The Lord of Ireland, Book #3 in the Fifth Knight series!
And here's what it's all about:England, 1185. John5 years ago Read more -
Blog postNo matter how ardent a fan of natural history documentaries you might be, you may struggle to identify the creature on the right portrayed in this medieval manuscript.
Yes, it's the serra, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as 'a fabulous marine monster.' The entry in the 1527 Noble Lyfe Bestes describes it thus: 'Serra is a fysshe with great tethe and on his backe he hathe sharpe fynnes lyke the combe of a cocke and iagged lyke a sawe.' While I think the s5 years ago Read more -
Blog postI'm delighted to welcome a guest to my first blog post of 2016, and one who is celebrating a special event. Fellow Thomas & Mercer author T.K. Roxborogh's A Crown of Blood & Honour series is based on the aftermath of the story of Macbeth. The first novel, Banquo's Son, was released in 2015. The second in the series, Bloodlines, is out today, hence the celebrations.
Welcome, T.K.! The premise of your A Crown of Blood and Honour series is intriguing. What inspired5 years ago Read more -
Blog postIf I were to ask you to name a twelfth-century figure who was known to be afraid of dogs, you are unlikely to come up with Genghis Khan. Yes, he of the Mongol hordes infamy and conqueror of twelve million square miles had a fear of our four-legged friends. But before we pour too much scorn on the mighty conqueror's head, it's worth reminding ourselves of the animals which he feared. Mongol dogs were a type of large mastiff, know for their savagery. Travellers reported that the dogs could leap a5 years ago Read more
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Blog postI'm delighted to welcome a guest to my blog today: author, academic and unashamed romantic, Eliza Redgold. Her medieval, Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva, was released by St Martin’s Press in 2015.
We all know the legend of the eleventh-century Lady Godiva, who famously rode naked through the streets of Coventry, covered only by her long, flowing hair. As the story goes, she begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to p5 years ago Read more -
Blog postCollections of exotic and curious animals have a long history, with Menageries known from ancient times. Yet most medieval people had never seen such animals in real life. They knew they existed, having heard of them from the Bible, or seeing them represented in carvings or pictures. The other source of knowledge about animals came from bestiaries. A Bestiary is a collection of descriptions of a wide variety of animals, birds and fish- real and imaginary. And because this was the medieval perio5 years ago Read more
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Blog postThe 26th of July marks the anniversary of the death of one of Henry II's most successful lords, the Anglo-Norman Hugh de Lacy. De Lacy died on that day in 1186 at Durrow, now part of County Offaly, in the Republic of Ireland. His obituary in the Irish annals calls him "King of Meath, Bréifne and Airgialla".
De Lacy did not meet a peaceful end or even one in the heat of battle, where he might have been prepared. His was a brutal and sudden end, even by medieval6 years ago Read more
A murder that defies logic—and a killer on the loose.
England, 1176. Aelred Barling, esteemed clerk to the justices of King Henry II, is dispatched from the royal court with his young assistant, Hugo Stanton, to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York.
The case appears straightforward. A suspect is under lock and key in the local prison, and the angry villagers are demanding swift justice. But when more bodies are discovered, certainty turns to doubt—and amid the chaos it becomes clear that nobody is above suspicion.
Facing growing unrest in the village and the fury of the lord of the manor, Stanton and Barling find themselves drawn into a mystery that defies logic, pursuing a killer who evades capture at every turn.
Can they solve the riddle of who is preying upon the villagers? And can they do it without becoming prey themselves?
Easter, 1177. Canterbury Cathedral, home to the tomb of martyr Saint Thomas Becket, bears the wounds of a terrible fire. Benedict, prior of the great church, leads its rebuilding. But horror interrupts the work. One of the stonemasons is found viciously murdered, the dead man’s face disfigured by a shocking wound.
When King’s clerk Aelred Barling and his assistant, Hugo Stanton, arrive on pilgrimage to the tomb, the prior orders them to investigate the unholy crime.
But the killer soon claims another victim–and another. As turmoil embroils the congregation, the pair of sleuths face urgent pressure to find a connection between the killings.
With panic on the rise, can Barling and Stanton catch the culprit before evil prevails again—and stop it before it comes for them?
THE CANTERBURY MURDERS is the third book in E.M. Powell’s Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. Combining intricate plots, shocking twists and a winning–if unlikely–pair of investigators, this series is perfect for fans of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael or C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake.
Their lives are ones of quiet contemplation—and brutal murder.
Christmas Eve, 1176. Brother Maurice, monk of Fairmore Abbey, awaits the night prayer bell. But there is only silence. Cursing his fellow brother Cuthbert’s idleness, he seeks him out—and in the darkness, finds him brutally murdered.
Summoned from London to the isolated monastery on the Yorkshire Moors, Aelred Barling, clerk to the King’s justices, and his messenger Hugo Stanton, set about investigating the horrific crime. They quickly discover that this is far from a quiet monastic house. Instead, it seethes with bitter feuds, rivalries and resentments. But no sooner do they arrive than the killer strikes again—and again.
When Barling discovers a pattern to these atrocities, it becomes apparent that the murderer’s rampage is far from over. With everyone, including the investigators, now fearing for their lives, can Barling and Stanton unmask the culprit before more blood is spilled?
England, 1176. King Henry II has imprisoned his rebellious Queen for attempting to overthrow him. But with her conspirators still at large and a failed assassination attempt on his beautiful mistress, Rosamund Clifford, the King must take action to preserve his reign.
Desperate, Henry turns to the only man he trusts: a man whose skills have saved him once before. Sir Benedict Palmer answers the call, mistakenly believing that his family will remain safe while he attends to his King.
As Palmer races to secure the throne for the King, neither man senses the hand of a brilliant schemer, a mystery figure loyal to Henry’s traitorous Queen who will stop at nothing to see the King defeated.
The Blood of the Fifth Knight is an intricate medieval murder mystery and a worthy follow-on to E.M. Powell’s acclaimed historical thriller The Fifth Knight.
England, 1185. John is a prince without prospect of a crown. As the youngest son of Henry II, he has long borne the hated nickname ‘Lackland’. When warring tribes and an ambitious Anglo-Norman lord threaten Henry’s reign in Ireland, John believes his time has finally come. Henry is dispatching him there with a mighty force to impose order.
Yet it is a thwarted young man who arrives on the troubled isle. John has not been granted its kingship—he is merely the Lord of Ireland, destined never to escape his father’s shadow. Unknown to John, Henry has also sent his right-hand man, Sir Benedict Palmer, to root out the traitors he fears are working to steal the land from him.
But Palmer is horrified when John disregards Henry’s orders and embarks on a campaign of bloodshed that could destroy the kingdom. Now Palmer has to battle the increasingly powerful Lord of Ireland. Power, in John’s hands, is a murderous force—and he is only just beginning to wield it.
Episode List
This book was initially released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. All episodes are now available for immediate download as a complete book. Learn more about Kindle Serials
»Das Blut des fünften Ritters« ist ein packender historischer Roman und ein gelungener Nachfolger von E. M. Powells erfolgreichem Debut »Der fünfte Ritter«.
England, 1176. König Heinrich II. hat seine rebellische Königin wegen ihres Versuchs, ihn vom Thron zu stürzen, in Haft setzen lassen. Doch ihre Mitverschwörer sind noch auf freiem Fuß, und nach einem gescheiterten Mordanschlag auf seine wunderschöne Mätresse Rosamund Clifford ist der König unter Zugzwang. Verzweifelt wendet sich Heinrich an den Einzigen, dem er vertraut: Sir Benedict Palmer, der Mann, dessen Fähigkeiten den Herrscher schon einmal gerettet haben. Doch weder er noch der König ahnen, dass sie es mit einem hinterlistigen Widersacher zu tun haben, der loyal zu Heinrichs verräterischer Königin steht und vor nichts zurückschreckt. Während Sir Benedict dem Ruf seines Königs folgt, gerät seine Familie in größte Gefahr.
Um einem Leben in Armut zu entkommen, nimmt der Söldner Sir Benedict Palmer einen letzten lukrativen Auftrag an: Er soll den Rittern König Heinrichs II. helfen, den Verräter Erzbischof Thomas Becket in der Kathedrale von Canterbury zu verhaften. Aber was als heimliche Festnahme beginnt, endet als kaltblütiger Mord. Und als Fitzurse, der Anführer der Ritter, Theodosia, eine schöne junge Nonne und Zeugin des Verbrechens, entführt, kann Palmer nicht länger stillschweigend zusehen. Denn nicht nur Theodosias Tugend steht auf dem Spiel, sondern auch das Geheimnis, das sie unwissentlich hütet – ein Geheimnis, das Fitzurse ihr mit allen Mitteln entreißen will. Jetzt befinden sich Palmer und Theodosia auf der Flucht, Fremde aus verschiedenen Welten, die nun aufeinander angewiesen sind, während sie sich gemeinsam daranmachen, das verborgene Motiv hinter Beckets grausiger Ermordung aufzudecken – und die schockierende Wahrheit, die ein Königreich zerstören könnte.
A murder that defies logic—and a killer on the loose.
England, 1176. Aelred Barling, esteemed clerk to the justices of King Henry II, is dispatched from the royal court with his young assistant, Hugo Stanton, to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York.
The case appears straightforward. A suspect is under lock and key in the local prison, and the angry villagers are demanding swift justice. But when more bodies are discovered, certainty turns to doubt—and amid the chaos it becomes clear that nobody is above suspicion.
Facing growing unrest in the village and the fury of the lord of the manor, Stanton and Barling find themselves drawn into a mystery that defies logic, pursuing a killer who evades capture at every turn.
Can they solve the riddle of who is preying upon the villagers? And can they do it without becoming prey themselves?
Um einem Leben in Armut zu entkommen, nimmt der Söldner Sir Benedict Palmer einen letzten lukrativen Auftrag an: Er soll den Rittern König Heinrichs II. helfen, den Verräter Erzbischof Thomas Becket in der Kathedrale von Canterbury zu verhaften. Aber was als heimliche Festnahme beginnt, endet als kaltblütiger Mord. Und als Fitzurse, der Anführer der Ritter, Theodosia, eine schöne junge Nonne und Zeugin des Verbrechens, entführt, kann Palmer nicht länger stillschweigend zusehen. Denn nicht nur Theodosias Tugend steht auf dem Spiel, sondern auch das Geheimnis, das sie unwissentlich hütet – ein Geheimnis, das Fitzurse ihr mit allen Mitteln entreißen will. Jetzt befinden sich Palmer und Theodosia auf der Flucht, Fremde aus verschiedenen Welten, die nun aufeinander angewiesen sind, während sie sich gemeinsam daranmachen, das verborgene Motiv hinter Beckets grausiger Ermordung aufzudecken – und die schockierende Wahrheit, die ein Königreich zerstören könnte.