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This page lists novels by Alys Clare and Elizabeth Harris.

Alys Clare is the pen name used by Elizabeth Harris for mystery novels set in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Elizabeth Harris has also written a number of novels using her name.

- novels as Alys Clare
- novels as Elizabeth Harris

Fortune Like the Moon

Alys Clare

1999

A Hawkenlye novel

"Shortly before his unexpected coronation, King Richard passed a law letting all of England's prisoners go free. Shortly afterwards a young nun is found, gruesomely murdered. Richard swiftly employs an old military colleague of his, Josse d'Acquin, to unravel this hideous mystery. Who could have wanted to kill this innocent young novice, and, more worryingly, why? Josse goes to Hawkenlye Abbey to find out the answers to these questions. He is having little success until meets the Abbess Helewise, a woman who quickly proves herself to be his equal, both as an amateur sleuth, and as a figure the community can rely on during this turbulent time for England. This duo have to find the murderer, and find him quickly, or they'll have the King of England to answer to."

Ashes of the Elements

Alys Clare

2000

A Hawkenlye novel

"A grove of huge oak trees in the Wealden forest is felled. And, as if some ancient curse is being brought alive, the man who wielded the axes meets with a violent end. The Sheriff claims the Forest People did it, but Abbess Helewise believes a supernatural solution is too easy an answer. She consults Josse d'Acquin, whose manor house in the Weald is now being renovated, and he, concerned about the safety of two girls from the abbey, enters the forest himself - to find something in this ancient part of Britain that terrifies even him."

The Tavern in the Morning

Alys Clare

2000

A Hawkenlye novel

"Market day, and the inn at Tonbridge has been busy since early morning. As night closes in, a man lies dying in the guest chamber, poisoned by a piece of pie made by Goody Anne herself. Josse d'Acquin, a regular vistor to the tavern and an admirer of Mistress Anne's culinary skills, arrives to investigate. He discovers wolf's bane in the remnants of the pie. And learns that, among all the strangers through the tavern that day, one stood out - a charming, handsome nobleman, who asked for the same chicken and vegetable pie. . . When he fails to persuade the Sheriff that the death is suspicious, Josse turns to his old friend, Abbess Helewise. Weakened from a severe bout of fever, she nonetheless provides a thread of common sense as Josse follows the trail of murder into the great Wealden Forest, and finds something there that will change his life forever."

The Chatter of the Maidens

Alys Clare

2001

A Hawkenlye novel

"The serenity of Hawkenlye Abbey has been disturbed by the arrival of a new nun and her two young sisters. Recently orphaned, Alba has had to leave her convent at Ely to take her grieving sisters far away from the scene of their sorrow. However Abbess Helewise cannot quite believe in the selflessness of this gesture; Sister Alba is, everyone agrees, a mean-spirited and turbulent presence. The Abbess's anxieties grow when her old friend Josse d'Acquin is brought to Hawkenlye, half dead from blood poisoning. Then a body is discovered. And one of the sisters goes missing. In order to discover what really lies behind Alba's flight to Hawkenlye, Helewise sets off to visit Ely. She uncovers not only a clever network of lies, but also, hidden in a burnt-out cottage, the horrific remains of a dead man."

The Faithful Dead

Alys Clare

2002

A Hawkenlye novel

"An elderly pilgrim dies in Hawkenlye Vale. Nothing suspicious about that: he was gravely ill when he arrived. Meanwhile Josse d'Acquin has a visit from Prince John. Accompanied by his seer, the Prince urgently seeks news of a stranger, Galbertius Sidonius. Hurrying to Hawkenlye Abbey to enlist the Abbess Helewise's help, Josse finds that she has a problem of her own: a decomposing body has been discovered. Naked, and killed by an expert hand. Josse's brother, Yves, arrives; a visitor at Acquin has been asking for the brothers' father, Geoffroi, who went to Outremer with King Louis and Queen Eleanor. Josse, Yves and the Abbess are hurled into a mystery whose roots stretch back much further than the Second Crusade. And, watching them with his strange dark eyes, is the enigmatic figure of the Prince's Magister."

A Dark Night Hidden

Alys Clare

2003

A Hawkenlye novel

"Josse D'Acquin and the Abbess Helewise are appalled by the views of the fanatical new priest, Father Micah, but are even more horrified when his body turns up by the side of the road. Whatever his methods he was a man of God. And, when it appears that a band of evangelical heretics, who Micah condemned to the stake, might be behind his death, the Abbess is torn by her compassion for their suffering and her duty to the church. When Josse realises that his desires to save the heretics she cannot possibly condone, he is forced to act against her wishes, risking the greatest friendship he has. For the Abbess, her friendship with Josse is deepening the longer he stays at the abbey, as is her awareness of his attractions as a man."

Whiter Than the Lily

Alys Clare

2004

A Hawkenlye novel

"The young beautiful Galena and her husband, the much older Ambrose are trying for a child but to no avail. When Josse d'Acquin tells her of the healing waters of Hawkenlye she is overjoyed and sets off with her escort. But she arrives alone. A few days later her husband, befuddled and unwell, arrives and within hours she dies in agony on the infirmary floor. On examination it appears she has been poisoned and that she was pregnant after all. Josse and Helewise are determined to solve the riddle of her death even if it leads themselves also into danger."

Girl in a Red Tunic

Alys Clare

2005

A Hawkenlye novel

"With Richard the Lionheart still being held hostage after his crusade, his people have been made paupers paying his ransom. The Abbess Helewise is struggling to keep her abbey going through a cold, brutal winter as she fends off starvation of her nuns and the local people. Then her son returns to her in desperate need of help after a seperation of nearly twenty years. He claims his wife is suffering mental torments and his son is mute. But when a man is found strangled, dangling from a tree near the abbey, her son and his family flee the very next day. Helewise and a local Knight, Josse d' Acquin, must investigate deep into the past to the time before Helewise took the veil. Were her handsome husband and enigmatic father-in-law all that they seemed? And can she prevent another terrible murder or will the sins of the fathers be laid upon her innocent son?"

Heart of Ice

Alys Clare

2006

A Hawkenlye novel

"It is February 1194. A desperately ill man is making for Hawkenlye Abbey in the hope of a miracle cure. In his delirium he sees the Virgin Mary and, sinking to his knees, he begins to pray. She is the last person he will ever see. The winter cold intensifies and the Vale lake freezes over. It is only when the thaw sets in that a corpse is discovered in the icy waters, its skull crushed by a lethal blow. With no clues on the body but an apothecary's remedy, Abbess Helewise asks her trusted friend Sir Josse d'Acquin to find out the man's identity. As Josse sets out on his mission, a party of sick people arrive seeking help, and their sickness looks terrifyingly like plague."

The Enchanter's Forest

Alys Clare

2007

A Hawkenlye novel

"It is Midsummer 1195. A ruthlessly ambitious man has fallen deeply into debt, his desperate situation made even more difficult by the contribution he has had to pay towards King Richard's ransom. To make matters worse the beautiful wife he tricked into marriage has tired of him and her mother hates his guts. But then he makes an extraordinary discovery that dramatically changes his fortunes . . . until his lifeless body is found hidden in the undergrowth. Which of his many enemies loathed him enough to resort to murder? Josse d'Acquin, driven by his love for the Abbess Helewise and for the other mysterious woman whom he holds in his heart, knows that he has no choice but to investigate. But the personal cost will be high."

The Paths of the Air

Alys Clare

2008

A Hawkenlye novel

"A secretive stranger arrives at New Winnowlands, and Sir Josse d'Acquin guesses that he is a returning Crusader. Josse seeks the assistance of Abbess Helewise of Hawkenlye to have the man's injuries treated in the infirmary. But then the various demons who are on the man's trail begin to turn up, and Josse realizes that his mysterious guest has brought with him a terrible secret."

The Joys of My Life

Alys Clare

2009

A Hawkenlye novel

"May 1199. Abbess Helewise has been summoned by Queen Eleanor to discuss the building of a chapel at Hawkenlye Abbey. Meanwhile, Sir Josse d’Acquin is on the trail of a group of mysterious knights rumoured to be devil worshippers. As Helewise heads for home, Josse follows his quarry to Chartres, where he meets the last person he expects: Joanna. And she has grave problems of her own."

Out of the Dawn Light

Alys Clare

2009

An Aelf Fen novel

"A brand new medieval mystery from the author of the Hawkenlye series - England, 1087. On her sister's wedding day, Lassair meets an attractive and enigmatic stranger who brings a breath of the fascinating outside world to her backwater Fenland village. When he asks Lassair to use her unique talents to help locate a mysterious treasure she accepts, despite the dangers. But this is no ordinary treasure hunt; the object of the perilous search is five hundred years old and has a terrifying power of its own."

Mist Over the Water

Alys Clare

2009

An Aelf Fen novel

"On Ely Island, the Normans are proclaiming their authority with the construction of a magnificent cathedral. When Morcar, fishing for eels nearby, is attacked, his cousin Lassair is sent to nurse him. Morcar tells Lassair a frightening tale of assassins in the dark and a brief vision of horror. Then the killers strike again, and, as the secret hidden within the walls of Ely Abbey claims more victims, Lassair is forced to face a challenge that she fears is far beyond her."

Music of the Distant Stars

Alys Clare

2010

An Aelf Fen novel

"Very early one summer morning, Lassair slips out of her Fenland village on a deeply personal mission and discovers the body of a young woman, hidden where it has no place to be. The girl's identity is quickly discovered but, as she wonders who killed her and why, Lassair swiftly becomes mystified and frightened. Why did a sweet-natured seamstress have to die? Suspicion soon creeps uncomfortably close to home; then another body is found."

The Way Between the Worlds

Alys Clare

2011

An Aelf Fen novel

"Come to me! I need you! These words bring apprentice healer Lassair awake one morning in the spring of 1092, trembling with terror. Soon Lassair is certain that one of her loved ones is in terrible danger . . . and when the news comes that a nun at Chatteris Abbey where her beloved sister Elfritha lives has been murdered, Lassair fears the worst. She sets off immediately, but the danger she will have to face may be greater than she is ready for."

The Rose of the World

Alys Clare

2011

A Hawkenlye novel

"Autumn, 1210. A year ago, King John was excommunicated and now his men have come to Hawkenlye Abbey to take it over. Abbess Caliste, Helewise's successor, worries how she is to feed the nuns under her care, let alone conduct her usual good works. Meanwhile, Helewise has moved into Hawkenlye Manor with Josse, and their lives are full of family and warmth. But after a visit to St Edmund's Chapel, Helewise's eleven-year-old granddaughter, Rosamund, goes missing and soon all that they hold dear is threatened."

The Song of the Nightingale

Alys Clare

2012

A Hawkenlye novel

"Winter, 1211. Former abbess Helewise moves back to her cell near Hawkenlye Abbey to help the needy, putting a strain on her relationship with Sir Josse D'Acquin, who is called to examine the bodies of three men, one of whom bears a complicated symbol carved into his chest: a symbol that signifies vengeance. Meanwhile, far from home, Sir Josse's son Ninian has become involved in the cause of the doomed Cathar people; soon to be swept up in a fight that they cannot hope to win."

The Winter King

Alys Clare

2013

A Hawkenlye novel

"All Saint's Eve, 1211. An overweight but wealthy nobleman, desperate for an heir, dies at a celebration feast. The death seems natural, but healer Sabin is beset by doubts. There is only one person Sabin can turn to for help: fellow healer Meggie, daughter of Sir Josse d'Acquin. But what she requires of her is dangerous indeed."

Land of the Silver Dragon

Alys Clare

2013

An Aelf Fen novel

"Apprentice healer Lassair isn't too alarmed when a travelling peddler relates a grisly tale of a red-bearded giant breaking into a woman's home and caving in her skull like an eggshell; peddlers, she has observed, tend towards the dramatic. But her attitude changes when she learns that the dead woman is a distant relation. The incident makes Lassair's family uneasy, for the intruder seemed to be searching for something. What could it be? Lassair has no idea. But as the stranger grows increasingly desperate, his search brings violence to her very home."

Blood of the South

Alys Clare

2014

An Aelf Fen novel

" When Lassair encounters a veiled noblewoman on the quay at Cambridge one morning, set on by an angry mob, she assumes involvement with her will be brief. She has no idea that the woman, alone but for her infant child, brings both mystery and peril. Then a devastating flood hits the fens, and among the wreckage and debris washed up at Aelf Fen is a body; Lassair, in the company of a sheriff's officer, wonders if she is dealing with murder . . . Meanwhile, in the south, Lassair's partner Rollo is moving with relief towards the conclusion of his mission for King William in the Holy Land. But then disaster strikes, and, with the mighty forces of an emperor on his heels, abruptly he turns from hunter to hunted. In order to escape alive, he risks help from a stranger, and embarks on a voyage that turns out to be far more dangerous than he could ever have imagined."

A Shadowed Evil

Alys Clare

2015

A Hawkenlye novel

"February, 1212. Sir Josse d'Acquin and Helewise are summoned to Southfire Hall, where Josse's elderly uncle, Hugh, lies dying, surrounded by his children. But the pair soon discovers that Hugh's ill health is not the only cause of distress in the house, and the longer they remain there, the more they feel that something is very wrong."

The Night Wanderer

Alys Clare

2016

An Aelf Fen novel

"Called out to attend a body found on a lonely stretch of river bank, its throat torn out, apprentice healer Lassair is sceptical of the sheriff's verdict that this was the result of a wild animal attack. But when a second body is discovered, similarly mutilated, rumours engulf the town that the legendary demon known as the Night Wanderer has returned to wreak havoc. Determined to stop the fear spreading and prove that the killer is human, Lassair and lawman Jack Chevestrier investigate. If they could only find out what links the victims, they would be one step closer to discovering the Night Wanderer's identity - and what it is he really wants. But when the killer turns his sights on Lassair herself, can she survive long enough to find out?"

A Rustle of Silk

Alys Clare

2016

A Gabriel Taverner novel

" Introducing physician-sleuth Dr Gabriel Taverner in the first of an intriguing series of mysteries set in early 17th century Devon. 1603. Former ship's surgeon Gabriel Taverner is attempting to re-establish himself as a country physician in rural Devon. But it's not easy to gain the locals' trust, and a series of disturbing incidents, increasing in menace and intensity, convinces him that at least one person does not welcome his presence. Called out to examine a partially decomposed body found beside the river, Gabriel discovers that he has a personal connection to the dead man. Teaming up with Coroner Theophilus Davey to find out how the man died, Gabriel uncovers some darker aspects of the lucrative silk trade which operates from nearby Plymouth. The more he finds out, the more frighteningly apparent it becomes that the people closest to him have been keeping dangerous secrets."

The Devil's Cup

Alys Clare

2017

A Hawkenlye novel

"September, 1216. A foreign army has invaded England. The country is divided. Some support the rebel barons and Prince Louis of France; others remain loyal to the king. His rule under threat, King John summons Sir Josse d'Acquin to support him. But can Sir Josse save the king from himself? Meanwhile, Josse's daughter Meggie is summoned to Hawkenlye Abbey to attend a sick patient in a very distressed state. The elderly woman is warning of terrible danger unless she can complete her mission. What she learns from her patient will set Meggie on a perilous journey to retrieve a cursed treasure. But will she be in time to prevent a tragedy?"

The Herb Gatherers

Elizabeth Harris

1991

"All his life Rafe has been haunted. The spirit of Alienor, abandoned by her Crusader lover centuries ago, will not leave him alone. Despite a growing sense of danger, Rafe follows a trail to the countryside of Kent where Nell, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Alienor, is waiting. Who is Alienor? What does she want? And what lengths will she go to seek her revenge?"

The Egyptian Years

Elizabeth Harris

1992

"In 1892, the newly married and vivacious Genevieve Montsorrel disappeared into the Egyptian desert. Only her parasol was ever found — the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, and assumed death, were never explained. A century later, Willa Jamieson comes into the possession of a trunk of Genevieve’s possessions. Hidden in a secret compartment she finds Genevieve’s diary…which holds the key to her secret life and her sadistic husband, her strength and her ability to survive everything life threw at her. As she’s drawn further and further into the diary, Willa realises that it might just hold the answers to what really happened to Genevieve Montsorrel."

The Sun Worshippers

Elizabeth Harris

1993

"The long-awaited Grecian escape has finally arrived but when Fay Leary arrives in Corfu after nightfall with nowhere to go, she fears that the dream holiday planned for herself and her two young sons may quickly become a disaster. Her panic turns to surprise when she manages to secure local accommodation with ease at the airport with the mysterious Bull-man. The stranger offers them accommodation in the elegant Twins’ House whose namesakes, a handsome duo, smoothly take over the organisation of her trip. Then out of the shadows steps the mysterious Aaron, who rescues Fay from a seemingly innocent cultural evening which turns out to be a meeting of hostile strangers. Not only does he stir up a peculiar feeling of recognition inside Fay, but she feels strangely attracted to him. During the idyllic weeks of her holiday, Fay and her sons spend more and more time with Aaron and the twins and the suspicion that she is being drawn into something predestined begins to grow as the story of her own tragic past unfolds."

Time of the Wolf

Elizabeth Harris

1994

"Henry and Thea felt an almost supernatural attachment to the Fens of East Anglia and to the woman who guided them there - Florence, Henry’s grandmother. The two were fascinated by her stories of Dark-Ages passions, murder and betrayal. They knew that through her stories, Florence was trying to tell them something else, and that her interest in their growing love for each other seemed to have another dimension… Unknown to them, their passion had an extraordinary power — one that could awaken the ghosts of an evil that has survived the passing of the centuries. Tormented by visions of the past, knowing the future was not theirs, Henry and Thea are thrown back to the Dark-Age world of The House of the Wolf and a destiny from which only one person can save them."

The Quiet Earth

Elizabeth Harris

1995

"Winter 1994, and in the Wye Valley a story hidden for almost eight centuries has just been unearthed. For Nina, an ecologist working alongside local archaeologists, the discovery of a baby’s grave dating from the thirteenth century is of far more interest than just academic. Nina is mourning the loss of her own baby – a fact that seems not to have gone un-noticed by the spirits disturbed by the dig. And she is not alone in feeling an unusual affinity with the dig site: her boss Mark also senses strange presences there. Nina is drawn to Mark, but she is unsure of their relationship, and unable to communicate her feelings. Mark, meanwhile, is not a man given to clear expressions of affection and he too is mourning – mourning the failure of his engagement. As Mark and Nina continue to work on the Wye Valley site, their developing relationship has uncanny echoes of the past."

The Sacrifice Stone

Elizabeth Harris

1996

"The present day: Beth Leighton arrives in the ancient Roman town of Arles with her brother, Joe, to investigate the story of a Christian child martyr, St Theodore. Legend tells that a young boy was killed by a Roman officer on a moonlit night at the pagan temple of Mithras, a victim of sacrifice. Arles, AD 175: Walking the same streets is Sergius Cornelius Aurelius, an ex-legionary and the officer accused. Haunted by his past and by a perilous enemy which skulks in the shadows and will not show its face, he has his own story to tell. At first Beth dismisses the tale and is irritated by Joe who consistently reminds her that she is only there to help him with his notes. So why, then, does she feel a tangible, mysterious presence wherever she goes?"

The Twilight Child

Elizabeth Harris

1997

"Sunday Independent It is 1942, and Clare is awaiting the birth of her first child. Her husband, Will, is away fighting, and, alone in their cottage in the Sussex village of Firlebury, she waits anxiously for news. Her worries increase when, accompanying the gift of an antique cradle, come mysterious visions of an older, darker, Firlebury. Then she meets Gabriel, a soldier like Will, who seems to offer the support and comfort she so desperately needs. In this twilight world of alluring beauty and brutal savagery, is she awake, or is she dreaming? When her son, Michael, is born, Clare realises the full power of the darkness stealthily surrounding her and her child. As the forces of an ancient evil gather about her with terrifying violence, it seems that the mysterious Gabriel alone can help — but only at the risk of jeopardizing everything she holds dear."