Every May Day, the Obby Oss dances through the streets of Padstow. Thirza and her brothers join in, with the whole village. But Thirza never sees her father on May Day. In this particular year, the men sail off to fight the King's war against the French. The town of Padstow is left to the women and children. Then one day Thirza sees a French warship coming to attack Padstow. Turnning to warn the others, she bumps into the frightening figure of Aunt Ursula Birdhood. Aunt Ursula tells the boys to grab musical instruments and the girls and women to put on their red Sunday cloaks. She puts on the Obby Oss skin and makes Thirza dance in front of her. Together they save the village and Thirza learns the secret of what her father does on May Day.

Genealogy-enthusiast Suzie Fewings and her family are on a family-history trip to Saddlers Wood Farm when they hear a gunshot ringing out. The local farmer and his wife, Philip and Eileen, seem strangely agitated and upset, and direct them to a ruined cottage in the wood ...where Suzie gets the strangest feeling she's being watched. Two days later, they hear that Eileen has been shot dead and her husband arrested. Suzie is convinced there is more to this than meets the eye, and she and her family investigate. But the police seem uninterested in their findings, and Suzie soon begins to feel as if wherever she goes there is someone watching her ...

Amateur sleuths Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor face a real-life murder mystery at a crime writing weekend. Is a dark conspiracy unfolding on a West Country estate? Friends Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor are eager to embark upon their weekend-long masterclass in crime writing at the evocative, fourteenth-century Morland Abbey, hoping to gain inspiration for their own novels. The queen of crime fiction herself, Dinah Halsgrove, is the guest of honour, giving the opening talk. But when Dinah suddenly falls ill later that evening, the pair can't help being suspicious. Has her mysterious illness been staged by the organisers, or does someone in their writing group have murderous intent? A series of sinister incidents draw Hilary and Veronica into a real-life murder mystery as gripping as any bestselling crime novel, but the biggest twist is yet to come . . . Can they separate fact from fiction to solve a deadly puzzle?

Amateur sleuths Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor face a real-life murder mystery at a crime writing weekend. Is a dark conspiracy unfolding on a West Country estate? Friends Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor are eager to embark upon their weekend-long masterclass in crime writing at the evocative, fourteenth-century Morland Abbey, hoping to gain inspiration for their own novels. The queen of crime fiction herself, Dinah Halsgrove, is the guest of honour, giving the opening talk. But when Dinah suddenly falls ill later that evening, the pair can't help being suspicious. Has her mysterious illness been staged by the organisers, or does someone in their writing group have murderous intent? A series of sinister incidents draw Hilary and Veronica into a real-life murder mystery as gripping as any bestselling crime novel, but the biggest twist is yet to come . . . Can they separate fact from fiction to solve a deadly puzzle?

Recently retired teacher Hilary decides that the best way to stop herself worrying about her husband, who's away doing voluntary work in war-torn Gaza, is to distract herself with a holiday. She invites her good friend Veronica, a recent widow, to accompany her on a trip to Glastonbury, to see the ancient sights.The pair are saddened to discover that the sacred Glastonbury Thorn tree has been severely damaged, and they wonder whether other local sites are under threat too. But even they are unprepared for the shocking discovery Hilary makes at the Chalice Well: an abandoned bag, containing a bomb . . . Who is to blame? A foreign tourist? An eccentric pagan author? Or an angry local who resents that a Christian place has been 'overun' by other beliefs? Hilary and Veronica just want to be on holiday, but they can't help but be sucked in to the investigation.

Grieving the loss of wife and mother, Aidan and Melangell visit the renowned spiritual retreat center on the British island of Lindisfarne so Aidan can share with bright eight-year-old Melangell one of the places that inspired Jenny to write her books.

There they meet up with Jenny's friend Lucy, a Methodist minister, who is teaching a course on the local Northumbrian saints. Lucy has brought Rachel, a troubled teenager, to the Holy Island in hopes that the remoteness and peace of the location will help her.

But when Rachel is found dead on the beach, everyone on the island is under suspicion. As investigators and Rachel's "friends" come to the island, Aidan and Lucy learn more about Rachel, and Lucy's past as a policewoman is revealed.

And so Aidan is drawn into his second mystery. Masterfully told by award-winning author Fay Sampson, Death on Lindisfarne explores the complicated motivations of fallen people against the backdrop of ancient holiness.

The hamlet of Pennant Melangell consists of a church and a few cottages and lies in a mountainous part of North Wales that is so remote that it is, even today, only barely accessible to cars. It is the ancient pilgrimage site for the medieval Saint Melangell and is still visited by those seeking healing.

The Davison family has come to Pennant Melangell seeking spiritual refuge as their family faces the reality of Jenny Davison's terminal cancer. Jenny and Aidan have visited before, but this is the first time they have brought their daughter, seven-year-old Melangell, to the place which inspired her name.

New since their last visit is a lavish hotel--The House of the Hare--a grand project conceived and financed by local businessman Thaddeus Brown. The Davisons are impressed by the extensive facilities developed with the needs of the sick, weak, and disabled in mind. Jenny is particularly excited by the archery range with modifications that will enable her to shoot arrows even in her extremely weakened state.

But instead of a place of healing, this sacred location becomes a place of doom when Thaddeus Brown is found dead, an arrow in his eye. Suspicion falls on those who have used the archery range, including Jenny along with Brown's vulnerable young niece Lorna. As Aidan works to clear his wife's name, young Melangell goes missing. Is the murderer also a kidnapper? Or does The House of the Hare harbor more mysteries? And who might be the next victim?

The first of a series of new mysteries featuring Aidan Davison and set in what celebrated fantasy novelist Fay Sampson describes as the "thin" places of the Celtic world.

As the Roman Empire began to crumble, Celtic Christians began to embark more often on pilgrimages and quests. They found visionary islands on Skellig Michael, Iona, and Lindisfarne, yet their spirituality was largely concerned with politics and people. Brigid ruled a monastery for women and men, princesses and slaves, while Arthur was defending Celtic Britain against English invaders, and Aidan died protesting against his king. While some Celtic Christians did slam the monastery gates on the sinful world, most tramped into the hills to stand alongside ordinary people. Drawing on historical documents and a thoughtful examination of legends, this is an insightful resource that unveils the development of and tenets behind the various strands of Celtic Christianity.

Teilo is a Cumbrian blacksmith, high in the secret Old Religion. When his young king Urien marries an unknown princess from Cornwall, he sees that Morgan is another of his kind. He forms an ambition to link her power to his. But he fatally misunderstands Morgan's desire to hold the balance between male and female, pagan and Christian, death and life. His life is irrevocably shattered by that mistake. Running wild in the forest, he comes upon Merlyn and young Arthur. Yet Morgan's power is summoning him back. Will this put Arthur in danger at the very outset of his career?

The teenage Luned left her farm with the dream of becoming a scholar-nun on Tintagel. Her hard-won success is now thrown into danger by the arrival of a bitter nine-year-old. Accused of trying to kill her baby brother Arthur, Morgan is imprisoned on this island nunnery. Luned is appointed her guardian. The Abbess Bryvyth battles for Morgan's soul. But Tintagel is visited secretly by Morgan's nurse Gwennol, a wise woman of the Old Religion. Luned herself is endangered as she is caught up in the struggle between them. She is coming ever more surely under Morgan's power. As she grows towards womanhood, Morgan must decide how to use that power.

Amateur sleuths Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor face a real-life murder mystery at a crime writing weekend. Is a dark conspiracy unfolding on a West Country estate? Friends Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor are eager to embark upon their weekend-long masterclass in crime writing at the evocative, fourteenth-century Morland Abbey, hoping to gain inspiration for their own novels. The queen of crime fiction herself, Dinah Halsgrove, is the guest of honour, giving the opening talk. But when Dinah suddenly falls ill later that evening, the pair can't help being suspicious. Has her mysterious illness been staged by the organisers, or does someone in their writing group have murderous intent? A series of sinister incidents draw Hilary and Veronica into a real-life murder mystery as gripping as any bestselling crime novel, but the biggest twist is yet to come . . . Can they separate fact from fiction to solve a deadly puzzle?

The young bard Taliesin comes to the court of King Urien and Queen Morgan. His dream is to make an immortal song about the deeds of King Arthur. His fear is that he was born too late. Arthur is ageing. He uncovers the dark secret of the birth of Morgan's foster-son, Modred. He aches for both, as Morgan tries to bring Arthur and Modred together. But treachery has already been done. The song Taliesin sings may be of Arthur's last battle.

'I am Morgan the Fay. The wicked witch, the embodiment of evil. And yet. I am the queen who takes Arthur in my arms for healing. Some editing of the story will clearly be necessary.' Morgan stands by Dozmary Pool after the Battle of Camlann, pleading with the dying Arthur to trust her. Only she can heal him. Is her price too high? As she retraces the bitterness and misunderstanding between them, she throws new light on the tales which the first four narrators have told. But that's not all. There have been countless other versions of her story, from prehistoric myths to contemporary novels. With scornful irony Morgan show us how their authors have changed her from a wise and healing ruler to a malignant sorceress and derided temptress. Can Arthur see the truth in time?

Morgan le Fay is the neglected daughter of the Duke of Cornwall and his beautiful wife Ygerne. Her childhood is tragically altered when King Uther Pendragon sets eyes on her mother. He kills her adored father. By Merlyn's magic, he enters the convent of Tintagel and tricks Ygerne into giving him a child. Morgan's upbringing, and that of her sisters, is in the hands of their nurse. Gwennol is a wise woman, who teaches them her craft. But she soon realises that Morgan will become far more powerful in magic than herself. How will Morgan react when the baby Arthur is born?