A widowed academic investigating strange historical practices gets drawn back in time and into the year 1299 in Oxford. Join a cast of compelling characters-nuns, novices and outsiders-as they battle the forces of darkness. Enter their struggle against evil, clandestine organizations. Join their life-threatening fight to protect each other, be willing to die for each other, and occasionally fall in love.
Will heroic love and righteous pursuit of justice triumph? Will the horror-inducing villain be found out and overthrown? Or will the courageous troop of those fighting for what is good be overpowered and taken captive?
Set in Oxford, England, in the year 1299, a struggle takes place between the sisters of the local convent and a strange, terrifying local evil society. They discover a secret organization of men who perform unspeakable deeds. The lives of several sisters are in danger.
Join Mother Alice, Sister Agnes and Isabel, along with Lady Beatrix and Lady Harriet, as they confront and do battle with an evil, secret society intent on attacking them, taking over the convent and sacrificing a young woman.
If you love stories that keep you turning pages while imparting fascinating accounts of the past, this latest mystery in the "Murders in the Abbey" series will tingle your spine.
Praise for The Witch of Godstow Abbey:
'Richly atmospheric and quietly gripping, "The Witch of Godstow Abbey" is a worthy addition to your bookshelf.'
~ Yarde Book Promotion, 5* Editorial Review
From Chapter 5 - A Summoning by the Abbess
“Sisters… Mother… there is a man without,” she stammered, her breath coming in quick gasps. “His robes—they mark him as a man of high station. He demands… he demands an audience with you, Mother… and with you, Sister Agnes.”
She scarce finished before a tall figure darkened the threshold, stepping into the chambers unbidden. Clad in the stark robes of a Dominican friar, he was a man of formidable presence—broad-shouldered, silver-gray hair, his face lined with purpose.
His long white tunic, bound at the waist with a simple belt, stood in stark contrast to the heavy black cappa that draped his form. With a slow, deliberate motion, he cast back his hood, revealing a tonsured pate.
His keen gaze swept the chamber, lingering on each woman in turn. The weight of the Church had arrived.
Then, in a voice that tolerated no contradiction, he spoke, addressing only Mother Alice.
"By order of His Holiness, Pope Boniface, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff, I am bid to speak with you at once regarding matters of grave concern to Holy Mother Church. I am his emissary, Friar Thomas de Glanville, a Dominican inquisitor in disciplina. (Inquisitor charged with matters of Church discipline.)
“Mother Alice de Gorges, this abbey stands at the pleasure of His Holiness. Should these whispers that have reached the ears of His Holiness bear truth, Holy Church may strip you of your charge, excommunicate you, and name you among the heretics.”
A silence fell over the chamber, heavy as the stones that framed its walls.
Lady Harriet holds the legal title “Lady of the Manor,” as defined under English law, and traces her ancestry to Charlemagne’s royal line.
As she puts it: “I’m old enough for Medicare, but not quite old enough to get a birthday card from King Charles—were I a Brit.”
The Witch of Godstow Abbey, written in partnership with Dr. Peter Stephenson, marks her first (but certainly not last) foray into historical fiction. With photography, she creates books of images; with storytelling, she creates images made of words.
A lifelong reader and devoted genealogist for nearly fifty years, Harriet has always had a passion for stories, whether they are buried in the past or found in the pages of a good book. She is the co-author of We Are Manx, a self-published family saga that explores her Manx heritage and the history of the Isle of Man in rich detail.
She’s also a photographer who prefers being behind the lens, a word lover addicted to word games, and a fan of wooden jigsaw puzzles. She has traveled extensively, with a deep appreciation for history, diverse cultures, and the unexpected joys that can be found away from home. Her career spanned volunteerism, real estate, and systems administration, but now she happily devotes her time to more creative pursuits.
