They were warrior monks, dedicated to the protection of pilgrims in the Holy Land -- until an avaricious king savagely destroyed the order. One knight, however, escaped the stake, vowing justice for his murdered brothers.

With scores of merchants streaming into Devon to participate in the Tavistock fair of 1319, a goodly amount of unlawful activity is expected. No one, however, anticipates a murder. The guests of Abbot Robert Champeaux, former Knight Templar Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Simon Puttock, bailiff of Lydford, have been asked by their host to investigate the grisly discovery of a headless corpse by a local butcher. Hunting a killer in the din and bustle of the fair could prove a daunting task, especially with the victim's identity a mystery. But Sir Baldwin and Simon are determined to unravel the complex weave of intrigue, rage, and violence that has brought death to Tavistock -- even if it means courting their own destruction.

The sun was almost unbearably hot, the journey distinctly uncomfortable. Arthur Pole wiped his face with the hem of his cloak to clear the fine dust that rose from the road in thin clouds as hooves and cartwheels stirred it.

"Is it far now, Arthur?"

Marion, his wife, was a few yards behind him on her new mare. An amblere, it was trained to give a lady a smooth ride, swinging first the legs of one side of its body, then the other, always moving left together, then right. It had been ruinously expensive, for training a horse in such a gait was difficult, but the gift was necessary to compensate her for having to make this journey at the height of the humid summer heat.

"Not far, dear," he said. "Would you like to halt and refresh yourself? We have wine, if . . ."

"Father, if you give her any more of your wine, Mother won't be able to stay on her horse," his daughter called cheerfully.

Arthur stifled a smile as his wife snapped back waspishly. After two days travelling from Exeter, where he had been engaged on business, his backside ached, but his excitement made him want to get on. It was two months since he and his family had left their home on the coast and made the journey to Exeter to meet a steward of the King, and in his purse he had a written authority to buy wine on behalf of the royal household for when King Edward II visited later in the year. Now he was on the way to Tavistock Fair to acquire the best available, and his profit should be enough to stock another ship with fleece to be sold in Flanders. With any luck he wouldn't have to visit any more fairs for two or three years, but could rest at his home living on the proceeds.

His daughter interrupted his musings as she came alongside him with her maid, and he could see her gaze fixed firmly ahead. "Looking forward to it, my dear?"

"Of course I am. It's the first fair I've been to for five years, Father."

"I only hope it justifies your enthusiasm."

"Oh, it will! You've always told me that Tavistock has the best fair in the land."

"Your mother will insist that I buy you the best, too."

"Don't sound so sour!" she laughed. "You wouldn't want me to dress like a beggar, would you?"

"Certainly not, especially for your wedding."

His feelings for his daughter ran very deep. Partly it led from comparison with his wife. Where Marion could snap, Avice was gentle; where his wife was careful with money, Avice was generous; where his wife sought his errors and corrected them, Avice always congratulated him on his successes. In short, for Arthur Pole, the most important woman in his life was his daughter, and he would move heaven and earth to please her, no matter what the cost -- and yet he wanted to make sure that his wife was not discountenanced. If she was upset, he would be the first to hear, every time, and he had no wish to see her with her nose out of joint over the matter of his daughter's marriage. She had set her heart on having her daughter, her only daughter, marry a squire, and join herself to a decent, noble family. It was her only desire, and he did love his wife and respect her wishes.

His words made Avice quiet a moment. She had always been a dutiful daughter, but the thought of marrying John of Hatherleigh was not thrilling. John was the son of a knight, but the purpose of the match was advancement, not love: John was related to the de Courtenays.

The family was the most powerful in Devon, and any attachment to them could only reflect well on Arthur, and as Marion had pointed out, with the dowry Arthur would grant, Avice need not worry about John's income.

MICHAEL JECKS gave up a career in the computer industry when he began writing the internationally successful Templar Series. There are now twenty books starring Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock, with more to follow. The series has been translated into all the major European languages and sells worldwide.

The Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association for the year 2004­2005, Michael is a keen supporter of new writing and has helped many new authors through the Debut Dagger Award. He is a founding member of Medieval Murderers, and talks regularly on medieval matters as well as writing.

Michael lives in northern Dartmoor with his wife and family. Visit his website at www.michaeljecks.co.uk.

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