Bernard Knight Books In Order

Sixties Mysteries Books In Publication Order

  1. The Thread of Evidence (2015)
  2. Mistress Murder (2015)

Crowner John Mystery Books In Publication Order

  1. The Sanctuary Seeker (1998)
  2. The Poisoned Chalice (1998)
  3. Crowner’s Quest (1999)
  4. The Awful Secret (2000)
  5. The Tinner’s Corpse (2001)
  6. The Grim Reaper (2002)
  7. Fear in the Forest (2003)
  8. The Witch Hunter (2004)
  9. Figure of Hate (2005)
  10. The Elixir of Death (2006)
  11. The Noble Outlaw (2007)
  12. The Manor of Death (2008)
  13. Crowner Royal (2009)
  14. A Plague of Heretics (2010)
  15. Crowner’s Crusade (2012)

Crowner John Mystery Books In Chronological Order

  1. Crowner’s Crusade (2012)
  2. The Sanctuary Seeker (1998)
  3. The Poisoned Chalice (1998)
  4. Crowner’s Quest (1999)
  5. The Awful Secret (2000)
  6. The Tinner’s Corpse (2001)
  7. The Grim Reaper (2002)
  8. Fear in the Forest (2003)
  9. The Witch Hunter (2004)
  10. Figure of Hate (2005)
  11. The Elixir of Death (2006)
  12. The Noble Outlaw (2007)
  13. The Manor of Death (2008)
  14. Crowner Royal (2009)
  15. A Plague of Heretics (2010)

Dr. Richard Pryor Mystery Books In Publication Order

  1. Where Death Delights (2010)
  2. According to the Evidence (2011)
  3. Grounds for Appeal (2012)

Tom Howden Serirs Books In Publication Order

  1. Dead in the Dog (2012)

Standalone Novels In Publication Order

  1. The Lately Deceased (1963)
  2. Russian Roulette (1968)
  3. Policeman’s Progress (1969)
  4. Tiger at Bay (1970)
  5. Lion Rampant (1972)
  6. The Expert (1976)
  7. Madoc (1977)
  8. Brennan (2003)

Non-Fiction Books In Publication Order

  1. Murder, Suicide Or Accident (1971)

Medieval Murderers Books In Publication Order

  1. The Tainted Relic (2005)
  2. Sword of Shame (2006)
  3. House of Shadows (2007)
  4. The Lost Prophecies (2008)
  5. King Arthur’s Bones (2009)
  6. The Sacred Stone (2010)
  7. Hill of Bones (2011)
  8. The First Murder (2012)
  9. The False Virgin (2013)
  10. The Deadliest Sin (2014)

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Crowner John Mystery Book Covers

Crowner John Mystery Book Covers

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Standalone Novels Book Covers

Non-Fiction Book Covers

Medieval Murderers Book Covers

Bernard Knight Books Overview

The Sanctuary Seeker

November, 1194. Appointed by Richard the Lionheart as the first coroner for the county of Devon, Sir John de Wolfe, an ex Crusader, rides out to the lonely moorland village of Widecombe to hold an inquest on an unidentified body. On his return to Exeter, the coroner is incensed to find that his own brother in law, Sheriff Richard de Revelle, is intent on thwarting the murder investigation, particularly when it emerges that the dead man is a Crusader and a member of one of Devon’s finest and most honourable families.

The Poisoned Chalice

In December of 1194, the well born ladies of Exeter are not having a good week. First, Christina Rifford, the daughter of a rich merchant, is raped. Then, just months before her marriage, Lady Adele de Courcy is found dead in one of the poorest areas of the city. The common factor is Godfrey Fitzosbern, the local silversmith. But despite Crowner John’s suspicions and the vengeful accusations of the families, it is John’s duty to protect Godfrey until he can find definite proof of his guilt. Aided by his mistress Nesta, and hindered by his social climbing wife Matilda and her power hungry brother, Sheriff Richard de Revelle, John slowly begins to put the pieces together. But a final, brutal act of violence will bring a new twist to the investigation.

Crowner’s Quest

Christmas Eve, 1194. Sir John de Wolfe gratefully escapes a party being given by his wife to examine the body of a canon who has been found hanged. Suicide is suspected, but it is soon apparent that there is far more to this case than meets the eye. As always, his investigations are hampered by his brother in law, the sheriff Sir Richard de Revelle. But John must tread carefully, for it is not merely petty revenge that Richard has in mind this time, he is plotting treason and John is getting far too close to the truth for comfort…

The Awful Secret

Gilbert de Rideford is a Knight of the Temple of Solomon, and an old acquaintance from Crowner John’s crusading days. He claims to have come into possession of a secret that could shake Christendom to its foundations and he desperately needs John’s help to escape from the secretive order of warrior monks. Suddenly swept into a world of religious intrigue and dangerous politics, Crowner John finds himself undertaking a life threatening mission to the Island of Lundy inhabited solely by notorious pirates until finally The Awful Secret itself is revealed.

The Tinner’s Corpse

When coroner Sir John de Wolfe is summoned to investigate the murder of a tin miner, he has little idea how difficult this new investigation will prove to be. The victim worked for the powerful mine owner, Walter Knapman, and the motive seems to be sabotaging Walter’s business. But the tinners have their own laws, and they are none too pleased at Crowner John s interference. And then Walter Knapman disappears. Only Gwyn, Crowner John s right hand man, seems to be of any help until he s arrested for murder and put on trial for his life.

The Grim Reaper

Sixth novel in the increasingly popular mediaeval mystery series featuring Crowner John, Devon’s first county coroner. May 1195, and Sir John de Wolfe is faced with a strange series of serial murders, which begins with the suffocation of a Jewish money lender and proceeds through that of a London harlot, a dissolute priest and a burgess suspected of abusing young boys. The common factor is that an appropriate Biblical text is left at each murder scene, the mode of which reflects the alleged sin of the victim. This means that a literate and Bible learned killer is involved which, in an age where only 1 of the population can read or write can only be a priest. There are seventeen parish churches in Exeter, so the killer could be any one of about a hundred clerics. Crowner John sets about to discover the identity of the homicidal priest.

Fear in the Forest

The seventh gripping medieval murder mystery featuring Crowner John, Devon’s first county coroner. C12th Devon. Much of the country lies under the iron rule of the Royal Forest laws, with all hunting reserved to the King. The penalty for killing a deer on the King’s land is mutilation or death. These harsh laws are rigorously upheld by the King’s foresters, notorious for their greed and corruption. June 1195. A tall, brown mare gallops into the sleepy village of Sigford, its rider dragged by the stirrup, the broken shaft of an arrow protruding from his back. The embroidered badge on the dead man’s tunic identifies him as a senior officer of the Royal Forest. But, with plenty of money still in the victim’s purse, the motive for the murder is a mystery. When a second forest officer is violently attacked, Sir John de Wolfe begins to uncover evidence of a sinister conspiracy. And why is his unscrupulous brother in law, the sheriff Sir Richard de Revelle, taking such an interest in the case?

The Witch Hunter

Exeter, 1195. When a wealthy mill owner falls dead across his horse, Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, declines to hold an inquest. The man was considerably overweight, had been complaining of chest pains, and showed no signs of injury. A clear cut case of death from natural causes. But events take a sinister turn when a straw doll is discovered hidden beneath the man’s saddlebag, a thin metal spike piercing its heart. Convinced that her husband’s death was caused by an evil spell, the victim’s strident widow begins a campaign against witchcraft and the so called ‘cunning women’ who practice it. Soon Exeter is in turmoil, a hysterical mob is on the loose, and several local women are in danger. Still, the coroner declines to get involved until his own mistress falls under suspicion. Can Crowner John discover the real cause of the merchant’s death, unearth the culprit and save his beloved Nesta from the hangman’s noose?

Figure of Hate

October, 1195. High spirited young knights, drunken squires, pickpockets, and horse thieves are pouring into Exeter for a one day jousting tournament. Not even the discovery of a naked corpse in the River Exe can spoil the excitement. During the tournament, there is a serious altercation between Hugo Peverel, a manor lord from Tiverton, and a Frenchman by the name of Reginald de Charterai. When, two days later, Sir Hugo’s blood soaked body is found in a barn on his estate, de Charterai would seem the obvious culprit. But there s no shortage of people who wished the despised Hugo dead. All three of his brothers have a motive, as do his stepmother and his attractive young widow. And just what is the connection between Sir Hugo s murder and the battered body in the River Exe? With so many suspects from which to choose, Sir John is confronted with one of the most difficult cases of his distinguished career.

Medieval England is powerfully evoked in these gritty forensic investigations, with Sir John de Wolfe, Devon s first county coroner, at the heart of each riveting tale.

The Elixir of Death

County Coroner Sir John de Wolfe investigates a series of brutal murders in 12th century England. The discovery of the murdered crew from a shipwreck is just the first in a string of atrocities. The captain was the husband of Sir John’s former mistress, Hilda, and his investigation troubles both his shrewish wife Matilda and his current mistress After a series of horrific murders, all related by the use of an unusual knife and crossbows with Arabic lettering, Sir John realizes that all the victims were connected to a disastrous crusade. Meanwhile, Sir John’s disgraced brother in law Richard de Revelle is involved in a scheme to make money for Prince John, who’s trying to seize his brother’s throne. The King of France has sent a Mohammedan alchemist to work with a Scot to turn base metal to gold, and Richard is providing them supplies and a secret place to work. When Hilda goes on her own crusade to track down her husband’s killers, she’s made a prisoner, along with Matilda and Richard Knight’s tenth populates a detailed study of the period with well drawn characters.’ Kirkus Reviews

The Noble Outlaw

Renovations of a school in 12th-century Exeter are disrupted by the shocking discovery of a partially mummified corpse hidden in the rafters, and the county coroner Sir John de Wolfe is called in to investigate. Richard de Revelle, Sir John’s brother-in-law and founder of the school, immediately blames Nicholas de Arundell, a young outlawed knight. As Sir John discovers, Nicholas has good reason to bear a grudge against the unscrupulous de Revelle. With the victim’s identity unknown and the motive a mystery, however, the murder remains unsolved. But then comes news of a second violent death, and Sir John is forced to track down the culprit in order to find the answers.

The Manor of Death

When an unidentified body is discovered in the harbor town of Axmouth, the county coroner Sir John de Wolfe is summoned to investigate. The manner of the young man’s death is a matter of some dispute, but it was clearly no accident. In the ensuing murder investigation, Sir John is frustrated by what appears to be a conspiracy of silence among the seamen and townsfolk. There are many inhabitants of Axmouth who seem willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure that the shocking truth behind the death remains hidden. Sir John will need courage, cunning, and determination if he is to solve the case and escape from the town with his life.

Crowner Royal

London, 1196. At the command of Richard the Lionheart, Sir John de Wolfe has left his beloved West Country for the Palace of Westminster, where he has been appointed Coroner of the Verge. But with the king overseas, embroiled in a costly war against King Philip of France, Sir John is dismayed to discover that the English court is a hotbed of greed, corruption and petty in fighting. The murder of one of the palace clerks, stabbed in broad daylight and thrown into the River Thames, leads John to suspect that there’s a conspiracy underway to overthrow King Richard. And with the visit of the dowager Queen Eleanor fast approaching, the new Coroner must risk his life to prove his suspicions are right, root out the traitors within and prevent a national catastrophe.

A Plague of Heretics

The 14th gripping murder mystery to feature 12th century coroner, Crowner JohnWith the city of Exeter ravaged by an outbreak of the ‘yellow plague,’ Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, must divide his time between visiting his sick brother, William, who has been struck down by the disease, and dealing with a series of brutal murders that appears to be linked to a revival of heresy in the city. When some of the cathedral canons begin a crusade against this danger to the Church, Sir John finds himself accused of being too sympathetic to the heretics, bringing him into conflict with the ecclesiastic authorities. As the situation worsens, the coroner must seek sanctuary in order to save his skin. Can he survive long enough to unmask the real killer?

Where Death Delights

The first in a new series from author of the Crowner John books 1955. Forensic pathologist Richard Pryor uses his golden handshake to set up in private practice with scientist Angela Bray. A friendly coroner gives them a start, and when two women both claim that human remains found near a reservoir are their relatives, the dilemma is given to them to investigate. Written by a former Home Office pathologist, the story carries the stamp of forensic authenticity.

According to the Evidence

A forensic mystery of the 1950s – After starting their risky venture of a private forensic consultancy, Doctor Richard Pryor – now a Home Office pathologist – and forensic biologist Angela Bray have now become firmly established. An apparent bizarre suicide in a remote Welsh farm starts them on a new investigation, which is followed by an unusual request from the War Office. And when a Cotswold veterinary surgeon is charged with poisoning his ailing wife, can Pryor’s expert evidence save him from the gallows?

The Tainted Relic

A spellbinding collaboration from six masters of the medieval mystery. In five interlinked chronological tales and a prologue, a brilliant cast of medieval sleuths pursues the bloody mystery of a relic both powerful and cursed a fragment of the True Cross.

July, 1100: Jerusalem has fallen to the Crusader armies, the Holy City lies ransacked. Amidst the chaos, an English knight named Geoffrey Mappestone is entrusted with a precious religious relic: a piece of the True Cross, allegedly stained with the blood of Christ. The relic is said to be cursed: anyone who touches it will meet a gruesome end as soon as it leaves their possession. Several decades pass, and the Cross turns up in the possession of a dealer robbed and murdered en route to Glastonbury. Investigating the death, Bernard Knight’s protagonist, Crowner John, learns of the relic s dark history. Oxford, 1269: the discovery of a decapitated monk leads Ian Morson s academic sleuth William Falconer to uncover a link to the relic. Exeter, 1323. Michael Jecks Sir Baldwin Furnshill has reason to suspect the relic s involvement in at least five violent deaths. Thirty years on, suspicious deaths occur in Cambridge during a contentious debate about Holy Blood relics. Once more, as Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael are to discover, The Tainted Relic has a crucial part to play. Finally, the relic is dispatched to London, where it falls into the hands of an unscrupulous book dealer and where Philip Gooden s Nick Revill will determine its ultimate fate. An enthralling read, perfect for mystery lovers, history buffs, or anyone who appreciates an intricately plotted tale.

Sword of Shame

The Latin inscription carved on the gleaming blade read He who lives in falsehood slays his soul; he who lies, his honor. If only they had known how true those words would prove to be. The Sword of Shame was lovingly crafted by a Saxon swordsmith shortly before the Norman invasion, and its constant companions are treachery and deceit. From the Norman Conquest of 1066, to an election rigging scandal in 13th century Venice, to the bloody battlefield of Poitiers in 1356 at the heart of every treasonous plot, every murder and betrayal, is the malign influence of the cursed sword. And as it pas*ses from owner to owner, ill fortune and disgrace befall all who wield the deadly blade. The Medieval Murders are Philip Gooden; Susanna Gregory, author of the Matthew Bartholomew series; Michael Jecks, author of the Templar series; Bernard Knight, author of the Crowner John series; and Ian Morson, author of the Falconer mystery series.

House of Shadows

Bermondsey Priory, 1114: A young chaplain succumbs to the temptations of the flesh and suffers a gruesome punishment. From that moment the monastery is cursed and over the next 500 years, murder and treachery abound inside its hallowed walls. A beautiful young bride found dead two days before her wedding; a ghostly figure warns of impending doom; there is a plot to depose King Edward II; all the while mad monks and errant priests abound. Even the poet Chaucer finds himself drawn into the dark deeds and violent death which pervade this unhappy place.

The Lost Prophecies

575 AD: A baby is washed up on the Irish coast and is taken to the nearest abbey. He grows up to become a scholar and a monk, but, in early adulthood, he appears to have become possessed, scribbling endless strange verses in Latin. When the Abbott tries to have him drowned, he disappears. Later, his scribblings turn up as the Book of Bran, his writings translated as portents of the future. Violence and untimely death befall all who come into the orbit of this mysterious book.

King Arthur’s Bones

The bones of the legendary king are secreted throughout the centuries in the fifth volume from the acclaimed Medieval Murderers

During excavation work at Glastonbury Abbey in the year 1191, an ancient leaden cross is discovered buried several feet below the ground. Inscribed on it are the words hic iacet sepultus incli*tus rex arturius: here lies buried the renowned King Arthur. Beneath the cross are two skeletons. Could these really be the remains of the legendary King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere? As the monks debate the implications of this extraordinary discovery, the bones are spirited away by the mysterious Guardians, a group determined to keep King Arthur’s remains safe until the legend is fulfilled and he returns to protect his country in the hour of its greatest need. As the secret of the bones’ hiding place is passed from generation to generation, those entrusted to safeguard the king’s remains must withstand treachery, theft, blackmail, and murder in order to keep the legend intact.

The Sacred Stone

A mysterious meteor brings treachery, discord, and violent death to those who seek to possess it in the sixth volume of these thrilling interlinked medieval mysteries 1067. In the desolate wastes of Greenland, a band of hunters stumble across a strangely shaped object which has fallen from the sky. At first, the mysterious ‘sky stone’ seems to bring them good luck, healing a lame boy and guaranteeing a good catch of furs. But violence and murder soon follow in fortune’s wake as the villagers fight and struggle among themselves to gain control of the precious stone. Over the next 600 years, the Sky Stone falls into the hands of crusading knights, the wicked Sheriff of Devon, a group of radical young kabbalists, the dying King Henry III, and a band of traveling players.

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