Kate Sedley

Roger the Chapman series #16 Alderman John Foster wishes to give his home city of Bristol a gift of almshouses, together with a chapel dedicated to the Three Kings of Cologne. To this end he purchases a piece of land from the Magdalen Nunnery, but when this is cleared and dug over, the murdered body of a young woman is unearthed. This is later identified as the remains of Isabella Linkinhorne, who disappeared twenty years earlier. It was known at the time that she had three secret lovers, who now become the main suspects. John Foster employs Roger the Chapman to discover the identity of these men, and to find out which one of them killed Isabella. Faced with the almost impossible task of tracking down three people of whom he knows next to nothing, Roger nicknames them Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior after the Magi--the Three Kings of Cologne--and begins his search...

Roger the Chapman series #15 When Roger the Chapman discovers he has a hitherto unknown half-brother, he has mixed feelings about the matter. But when John Wedmore is accused of being the young page who, six years earlier, robbed his mistress and murdered a fellow servant, and is thrown into prison, Roger feels obliged to investigate the charge. His enquiries take him into Somerset, to the Manor House at Croxcombe, home of the Bellknapp family. But his search for the truth is complicated by the sudden and unexpected arrival of Anthony Bellknapp, the elder son--missing, presumed dead for the past eight years--to claim his inheritance. Anthony succeeds in antagonizing almost all the Manor's inhabitants; and when he is murdered, Roger finds himself with too many suspects from which to choose. But he is convinced that the past and present killings are linked; and if he can prove the connection, his half-brother's name will be cleared.

Roger the Chapman series #10 King Edward IV trembles as he decides the fate of his sibling. And Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plots, trying to find a way to save George from being put to death by their eldest--and powerful--brother, the King. So when the Duke sees his old and loyal servant, monk turned travelling salesman Roger the Chapman, among the crowd at his trial, he recognises that he has a chance. If only the chapman-sleuth could prove that the kinswoman of the King's favourite leman hadn't poisoned her taciturn husband. If Isolda Bonifant, the daughter of a well-established London goldsmith, were innocent and her name cleared, then Edward's chief mistress--and cousin of the accused Isolda--would be more than willing to do the wily Duke's bidding. But Roger the Chapman must act fast and, in a complex case like this one and with the pressure of Richard of Gloucester upon him, he can't only rely on his intuition.

Roger the Chapman series #6 Chapman book 06 - After journeying through the wintry weather, he arrives at Cedarwell Manor to sell his wares. On finding his customer, Lady Cedarwell, dead, he teams up with a preacher to investigate her demise.

Roger the Chapman series #7 Chapman book 07 - A historical mystery featuring Roger, the travelling chapman. After accompanying a bride to meet her betrothed, they find that the bridegroom and his brother have vanished. Roger links the disappearances to the discovery of an ancient manuscript that could lead to the Holy Grail.

Roger the Chapman series #5 Chapman book 05 - Set in 1475 when King Edward IV is about to invade France, Roger learns of a plot to kill Richard of Gloucester and tries to discover who is behind it.

Roger the Chapman series #4 When the Skelton children were deprived of their wealthy mother, they were left to the care of their much-disliked stepfather, then the children mysteriously vanished. How did they leave the house? Why did they leave? Are outlaws responsible? These are the questions that haunt Roger the Chapman.

Roger the Chapman series #3 New Year's 1474 finds Roger the Chapman collapsed with fever after wandering the roads of Western England peddling his wares amidst December's snow and freezing rain. Sheer exhaustion forces him to rest in the home of the widow Margaret Walker and her daughter, Lillis, in the ancient trading port of Bristol. Roger awakens, weakened but on the road to recovery, to find himself in the middle of yet another mystery. His kind hostesses, who have nursed him gently back to health, will not hear of him leaving the comfort of their modest cottage until spring. But Roger's keen senses soon detect the shadow of tragedy looming over the house: The two women seem mistrusted by villagers and uneasy even at home. Coaxing the story from them, he learns that Margaret's father vanished last year, and was presumed dead. A man was hanged for his murder, but not two months later the old man wandered back into town, unable to account for his disappearance. Prompted either by his own grateful (and restless) nature or by the importance of keeping busy under the amorous eyes of Lillis, Roger vows to root out the evil at work in the Walker home. He puts his God-given talent for solving mysteries to good use, once more unravelling the complex web before him: a town plagued by secret allegiances and rivalries among its merchants, churchmen, and ruling family.

Roger the Chapman series #2 Roger the Chapman has been royally commanded to escort a King's messenger who is carrying a vital despatch aboard his ship in Plymouth. When the messenger is murdered, he is appalled to find himself the chief suspect in a world of double-dealing, past sins and political chicanery.

Roger the Chapman series #1 The political situation in 1471 is complex and the war between the Yorkist and Lancastrian factions still rages. Roger the Chapman has recently given up a monk's cell to be found peddling his wares on the open road. Until he gets caught up in the strange disappearance of Clement Weaver.

Roger the Chapman series #3 (a.k.a. The Weaver's Tale)

Cycle Roger le colporteur 1

Roger the Chapman series #20

Roger the Chapman series #22 (final book in the Roger the Chapman series)

Roger the Chapman series #11 It's July 1478, and business is good for Bristol's bakers during the lead up to Lammastide--'Loaf-mass', the ancient harvest festival. But the shady Jasper Fairbrother's baking days are over when he's found face down with a knife in his back. Suspicion immediately falls on the mysterious Breton who'd arrived that day. But when it emerges that the Breton is also a suspected Lancastrian spy, Roger the Chapman begins to wonder if suspicion of murder is merely a convenient pretext for the authorities to hunt the man down.

Roger the Chapman series #9 Chapman 09 - It is October 1477 and Roger the Chapman is surprised to find himself feeling restless again. He is driven towards Plymouth, and on arrival is confronted by the brutal murder of a wealthy old man. The chief suspect has completely vanished and Roger is on the trail.