THE AWFUL SECRET

Detective & Mystery Stories Historical Fiction

By Bernard Knight

Synopsis

Gilbert de Rideford, Knight of the Temple of Solomon, claims to have come into possession of a secret that could shake Christendom to its foundations. He asks for Crowner John's help to escape from the secretive order of warrior monks. Swept into a world of religious intrigue and dangerous politics, Crowner John finds himself undertaking a mission to the Island of Lundy - inhabited by notorious pirates - until finally the awful secret itself is revealed.

Sample Player

Narrator	Edward Peel
Length	12hrs
Catalogue No.	13673
Publisher	Pocket; 2006

Other audiobooks by Bernard Knight

CROWNER'S QUEST

Christmas Eve, 1194. County coroner Sir John de Wolfe is called on to examine the body of a canon who has been found hanged. Suicide is suspected, but it is soon apparent there’s more to this case than meets the eye. As always, John's investigations are hampered by Sheriff Richard de Revelle. But when a local lord is killed, John begins to suspect the cases are linked – and that Sir Richard’s reasons for delaying the investigation may be more serious than his usual acts of petty vengeance.

THE ELIXIR OF DEATH

When a Norman knight named Peter le Calve is foully murdered, his severed head stuck on the rood screen of Exeter cathedral, it's up to Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, to find a motive for the killing. And just what is his unscrupulous brother-in-law, the disgraced ex-sheriff and Prince John-sympathiser, Richard de Revelle, trying to hide?

FEAR IN THE FOREST

Another mystery featuring Devon's first County Coroner, the 12th Century Crowner John. In June 1195 an officer of the Royal Forest is killed, followed shortly after by another. What is the motive and why is the sheriff, Sir Richard de Revelle, taking such an interest in the case?

FIGURE OF HATE

Exeter, 1195: At a local jousting day, there's a serious altercation between Hugh Peverel, lord of Sampford Peverel, and a stranger by the name of Reginald de Charterai. Two days later, Hugh's body is found in a barn. Is de Charterai to blame? The county coroner, Sir John de Wolfe, soon finds plenty of other suspects for the killing of the almost universally hated Hugh Peverel..

THE GRIM REAPER

May 1195, and Sir John de Wolfe is called upon to unravel the mystery of a series of murders, all the victims brutally slain. The common factor is a Biblical text, left at each murder scene, which reflects the alleged sin of the victim. So the killer must be literate and Bible-learned, this can only mean one thing. The murderer is a priest...

THE LATELY DECEASED

When super-rich Margaret Walker is found dead after a wild party, people assume it was an overdose - until a knife wound, almost invisible, is discovered on her body. But who would have wanted to murder her? As the investigation progresses, it is discovered that some of the party guests may have had a motive to kill Margaret...but were those motives enough to make someone a murderer - or was it a case of mistaken identity?

THE MANOR OF DEATH

When a body is discovered in the harbour town of Axmouth, Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, is summoned to investigate. The manner of the young man's death is a matter of some dispute - but, as Sir John soon discovers, it was no accident...

THE NOBLE OUTLAW

Exeter, 1195. Renovations at the new school in Smythen Street are disrupted by the discovery of a mummified corpse - and Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner is called to investigate. With the victim's identity unknown and the motive a mystery, the murder remains unsolved. But then comes news of a second violent death - and Crowner John is forced to track down a 'noble outlaw' in order to find the answers.

A PLAGUE OF HERETICS

With the county of Devon ravaged by an outbreak of the 'yellow plague', Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, must divide his time between visiting his brother William who has been struck down by the disease, and dealing with a series of brutal murders in Exeter which appear to be linked to a revival of heresy in the city.

THE POISONED CHALICE

December, 1194. When Christina, the daughter of an Exeter businessman, is raped, Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, must bring the unknown assailant to justice. Then Lady Adele de Courcey dies after an illegal abortion, and John suspects the two events are related. But a final, brutal act of violence will bring a new twist to the investigation ...

THE SANCTUARY SEEKER

November, 1194. Sir John de Wolfe rides out to the lonely moorland village of Widecombe to hold an inquest on an unidentified body. However, on his return to Exeter, he finds that 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 THREAD OF EVIDENCE

In this classic murder mystery some boys find a human bone in a cave in Cardiganshire, Wales, and a case that has gone unresolved for over thirty years suddenly springs back into life. For that grisly find is only the start of things. When the rest of the skeleton is soon discovered, the disappearance of a local woman decades earlier comes back to public attention.

THE TINNER'S CORPSE

1195. When county coroner Sir John de Wolfe is summoned to the bleak Devonshire moors to investigate the murder of a tin miner, he has little idea how difficult the investigation will prove. A decapitated body, a missing tinner, a disgruntled band of miners – how can Crowner John sort all this out? Only Gwyn, John’s indispensable right-hand man, seems to be of any help at all – until Gwyn himself is arrested and tried for murder . . .

WHERE DEATH DELIGHTS

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. Set in 1950’s post-war Britain, this thrilling new series is set during the emergence of forensic science.

THE WITCH HUNTER

In Exeter, 1195, a prominent guild-master falls dead over his horse, after complaining of chest pains. When a straw-dolly with a spike through the heart is found under his saddle, his wife accuses a rival of having an evil spell cast. Gradually, in a climate of fear, several women are accused of witchcraft, including Crowner John's mistress.