Vespers of Bone

VESPERS OF BONE A Medieval Mystery by Jason Hawthorn Some vows are made to be broken. North Yorkshire, 1349. The Great Mortality has passed, leaving the world broken, the graves full, and the survivors hollow. Brother Cyprian is a man of logic in an age of superstition. A monk with the scarred hands of a soldier and a faith that is rapidly crumbling, he is sent to the remote Abbey of St. Jude to investigate a gruesome crime. A high-ranking priest has been found murdered, his throat cut, his mouth stuffed with rowan berries—a pagan sign of silencing. The Church cries witchcraft. Cyprian suspects something far more human, and far more dangerous. His only lead is Rowan, a village healer with hair like copper wire and a defiance that burns brighter than any holy fire. She is the only one who knows the secrets of the dead, and the only one brave enough to challenge Cyprian's authority. Forced into an uneasy alliance, the Monk and the Witch uncover a conspiracy that rots the Abbey from within. The Order of the Fractured Sun has returned, hiding a terrifying weapon known only as "The Red Horse"—a biological terror that threatens to unleash the pestilence once more. Framed for murder and hunted by a killer known as The Wolf, Cyprian and Rowan must flee into the frozen, lawless north. Trapped in the wild, stripped of their titles and their defenses, the line between duty and desire begins to blur. As the winter closes in, Cyprian faces a terrifying choice: save his soul by keeping his vows, or save the woman who has become his only sanctuary. Perfect for fans of the intricate mysteries of C.J. Sansom and the gritty, forbidden romance of The Thorn Birds**.** Vespers of Bone is a story of faith, flesh, and the fire that burns between them.