Kate Sedley crafts compelling medieval historical whodunnits centered around Roger the Chapman, a man who traded his monastic cell for the freedom of a traveling salesman. Her narratives immerse readers in the era's intricate plots and mysteries that Roger endeavors to solve. Sedley skillfully weaves historical accuracy with suspenseful storytelling, making her works captivating for enthusiasts of both history and detective fiction.
When the remains of Isabella Linkinhorne, who disappeared 20 years earlier, are discovered on nunnery land, Roger the Chapman is called in. Faced with the task of tracking down her three secret lovers, Roger nicknames them Caspar, Balthazar, and Melchior--the Three Kings of Cologne.
Despite the wintry weather, Roger the traveling Chapman is once again relishing the freedom of his calling. As he journeys west, he finds himself following in the footsteps of an itinerant preacher, Brother Simeon, whose fiery sermons are the talk of the countryside. Roger, who has met the Dominican friar before, and finds his zeal wearying, is less than enthused when they meet at Cederwell Manor, where Simeon has come to pray with Lady Cederwell and Roger to sell her his wares. But scarcely have the two men arrived when Lady Cederwell is found dead, sprawled on the frozen earth beneath the ancient tower she had converted into her private chapel, the circumstances strangely fulfilling the prophecy of a babbling hermit Roger had met on the road. Suddenly the friar and the Chapman are united by their aim-to discover the truth behind the death at Cederwell Manor. Amazon
England, 1471: A 19-year-old peddler called Roger the Chapman travels throughout the country selling trinkets. When a wealthy Bristol elderman asks him to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his only son, Roger embarks on an adventure that takes him from England's country roads to its grandest establishments--and into the villainy within. Martin's.