In the twelfth century, merchants gather at a summertime fair--but
when one of them is found dead in a river, a crime-solving monk must
step in.
St. Peter's Fair is a grand, festive event, attracting merchants from
across England and beyond. There is a pause in the civil war racking the
country in the summer of 1139, and the fair promises to bring some
much-needed gaiety to the town of Shrewsbury--until the body of a
wealthy merchant is found murdered in the river Severn. Was Thomas of
Bristol the victim of murderous thieves? And, if so, why were his
valuables abandoned nearby?
Brother Cadfael, that shrewd but kindly monk, offers to help the
merchant's lovely niece Emma. But while he is searching for the killer,
Thomas of Bristol's wares are ransacked and two more men are murdered.
Emma almost certainly knows more than she is telling--as others will
soon realize. Cadfael desperately races to save the young girl, knowing
that in a country at war with itself, betrayal can come from any
direction, and even good intentions can kill.