The Hawks of Delamere

When Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, leads a hunting party into the Forest of Delamere his prized hawk is killed by an arrow. Two poachers are discovered hiding in the forest, and the Earl demands that they be imprisoned, but unanswered questions linger. Meanwhile, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, Domesday commissioners for the King, are guests of the Earl while they settle a land dispute in nearby Winchester. Exploring their new surroundings, they uncover secrets that bear directly on the shooting incident, and they discover that the intended victim was not the hawk, but the Earl himself. Inspired by genuine entries in the Domesday Book, this thrilling and richly evocative eleventh-century tale will appeal to crime and history lovers alike.