The Hour of the Fox
by Cassandra Clark

Introducing reluctant spy and friar-sleuth Brother Rodric Chandler in the first of a brand-new medieval mystery series.

London. July, 1399.
As rumours spread that his ambitious cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, has returned from exile in France, King Richard’s grip on the English throne grows ever more precarious. Meanwhile, the body of a young woman is discovered at Dowgate sluice. When it’s established that the dead woman was a novice from nearby Barking Abbey, the coroner calls in his friend, Brother Chandler, to investigate.

Who would cut the throat of a young nun and throw her remains in the river? And what was she doing outside the confines of the priory in the first place? Secretly acting as a spy for Henry Bolingbroke, Chandler is torn by conflicting loyalties and agonising self-doubt. As the king’s cousin marches towards Wales and England teeters on the brink of civil war, Chandler’s investigations will draw him into affairs of state – and endanger not only himself but all those around him.

Reviews

The history is meticulously researched and depicted, with sprinklings of fact on almost every page, so much so that Brother Chandler’s sleuthing may appeal to nonfiction readers looking for variety in their reading just as much as the fans of Clark’s popular Abbess Hildegard of Meaux series

Booklist

A fresh series launch … whenever the focus is on Chandler, the story grips. Readers will want to see more of this highly original protagonist

Publishers Weekly

The mystery is a slender thread woven through rich historical detail in this intriguing introduction to a conflicted hero

Kirkus Reviews

Excellent ... Definitely a standout in the crowded medieval mystery field

Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Murder at Whitby Abbey

One of the heroine's most perilous and exciting adventures

Kirkus Reviews on Murder at Whitby Abbey

Outstanding ... Clark pulls everything together in a moody, atmospheric whodunit while sustaining a high level of tension throughout

Publishers Weekly on The Dragon of Handale

A dramatic mystery lavishly studded with period details: Clark's best to date

Kirkus Reviews on The Dragon of Handale

Clark expertly blends murder and Machiavellian politics in this stellar 14th century historical ... Fans of strong female sleuths like Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma will feel right at home

Publishers Weekly on A Parliament of Spies

Highly recommended for fans of medieval mystery series like Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries

Library Journal on The Law of Angels

Cassandra Clark

Cassandra Clark is an award-winning scriptwriter for theatre, radio and television, and the author of nine previous novels in the Hildegard of Meaux medieval mystery series. Running wild near the ruins of the Abbey of Meaux in the East Riding as a child became her inspiration for the series while the discovery in a dusty archive of the Chronicle of Meaux written in 1395 is the secret source for her research.

View author page

Editions

The Hour of the Fox by Cassandra Clark is available in the following formats

Hardback978072788958428th February 2020145 X 222mm256£20.99
Hardback97807278895842nd June 2020145 X 222mm256$28.99
Ebook97814483041101st April 2020N/A256$14.99
Ebook97814483041101st April 2020N/A256£4.99
Hardback - Large Print978178029157430th March 2021144 X 221mm368$38.99
Hardback - Large Print978178029157429th January 2021144 X 221mm368£22.99
Paperback978178029686931st December 2020140 X 218mm256£13.99
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