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This page lists novels by Simon Beaufort.

Simon Beaufort is the pen name used by Susanna Gregory (Elizabeth Cruwys) and her husband Beau Riffenburgh for a series of historical mystery novels.

Simon Beaufort has also contributed to some of the Medieval Murderers series of collaborative novels.

- Simon Beaufort novels
- Medieval Murderers w/ Beaufort

Murder in the Holy City

Simon Beaufort

1998

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

"Jerusalem, 1100. On returning to the city following an exhausting desert patrol, Crusader knight Sir Geoffrey Mappestone hears screams coming from the house of a Greek baker and discovers that one of his closest friends, a fellow knight, has been murdered in the woman's bedchamber. But this is not the first suspicious death in the city: other knights and priests have also been killed, all with the same type of curved dagger with a jewelled hilt. Ordered to investigate the deaths by his liege lord, Prince Tancred, it is not long before Sir Geoffrey finds himself drawn into dire straits involving some of the most dangerous men in the city--and learns that his closest friends could also be his deadliest enemies."

A Head for Poisoning

Simon Beaufort

1999

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

"In the year 1101, Sir Geoffrey Mappestone returns to his home at Goodrich Castle on the Welsh border. He is travelling in the company of a knight who claims to be carrying an urgent message for King Henry I. When the knight is killed during an ambush, Geoffrey feels obliged to deliver the message to the King himself, but quickly regrets his decision when the King orders him to spy on his own family in order to ferret out a dangerous traitor. Geoffrey returns home to find his father gravely ill and his older brothers and sister each determined to inherit the Mappestone estate. Geoffrey's father claims he is being poisoned by one of his own children, a claim no one takes seriously until he is found murdered with his own knife in the dead of night. Geoffrey's investigation of the murder, however, takes him far beyond a family quarrel. Accusations are flying, and Geoffrey must prove his own innocence in the face of greed and fear. The villainous Earl of Shrewsbury is clearly implicated, and as Geoffrey delves deeper, he discovers a plot that reaches far beyond the realm of Goodrich Castle to that of the entire kingdom: the assassination of the King."

The Bishop’s Brood

Simon Beaufort

2003

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

" Sir Geoffrey Mappestone and his loyal friend Roger seek passage on one of the many ships due to sail to Normandy and then on to the Holy Land. The two knights have been away from the Crusade too long, and are itching to get back to the action. But peculiar things have been happening in the harbour town, and it soon becomes evident that someone is trying to keep Geoffrey and Roger from boarding one of the ships. When Geoffrey's dim-witted servant is killed by a deadly arrow that was clearly meant for the knight himself, Sir Geoffrey's fury is such that he would do anything to find the murderer. But then Ranulf Flambard - who is not only the Bishop of Durham and an escapee from the Tower of London, but also happens to be Roger's father - arrives in Southampton with an errand for his son to perform. Much against Geoffrey's better judgement, the pair set off for the northern town of Durham, where a magnificent cathedral is being built at Flambard's behest. As yet more arrows fly Geoffrey's way, the knight begins to realize that none of these events are random, and it is down to him to discover the connection between the two towns, Bishop Flambard and a handful of red-stained arrows."

The King’s Spies

Simon Beaufort

2003

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

" March 1102, and Robert de Belleme, the Black Earl of Shrewsbury, is summoned to appear before King Henry's Easter Court, to answer for siding with the King's older brother, the Duke of Normandy, in an attempt to steal the King's throne. Meanwhile, in the crowded and dangerous streets of Southwark, south of the river Thames, Crusader Knights Sir Geoffrey Mappestone and the hearty Sir Roger of Durham witness a man murdered by hanging from the window of the Crusader's Arms Inn. But this is not just any man, he is the illegitimate nephew of Robert de Belleme, and had apparently been holding a meeting with two mysterious men. In fact, it turns out the inn has been used for many meetings of the earl's spies, and there are plans afoot to obtain a terrible weapon to use against the King, one that the Crusader Knights remember with a terrible fear from the Siege of Jerusalem Greek Fire. Solving the murder is only the first step in uncovering the plot against the King."

The Coiners’ Quarrel

Simon Beaufort

2004

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

"Westminster, 1102.Once again about to depart for the Holy Land, Sir Geoffrey is furious to be summoned back by the King, trusting neither his methods of persuasion nor his motives. When he arrives at Court he finds two argumentative groups of Saxon moneyers, one accusing the other of devaluing the King's currency. There may be more to it than mere greed, however, and, unappealing though the prospect is, Geoffrey has no choice but to accept the King's commission to investigate whether this is part of a treasonous plot - especially as it is his only hope of saving his sister from the consequences of her own involvement."

Deadly Inheritance

Simon Beaufort

2009

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

"When Sir Geoffrey's unpopular brother, Henry, is murdered, he unwillingly inherits Goodrich Castle in the Welsh Marches. Immediately, his sister pushes him towards a marriage that will provide an heir and stability for the family. But when Geoffrey survives attempts on his own life, he wonders whether they are linked to Henry's death, to his potential brides, or even to the rumoured murder of the Duchess of Normandy, as a Welsh revolt against the English looms."

The Bloodstained Throne

Simon Beaufort

2010

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

"When the former crusader knight Geoffrey Mappestone and his friend Roger of Durham try to slip out of England to the Holy Land, a ferocious storm destroys the ship they are on and casts them ashore. The two knights are unwillingly thrust into the company of other shipwrecked passengers, and while attempting to evade the unwelcome attention of the more dangerous members of the group, they become unwillingly drawn into a plot to overthrow the king and return England to Saxon rule."

A Dead Man’s Secret

Simon Beaufort

2011

A Sir Geoffrey Mappestone novel.

"When the former crusader knight Geoffrey Mappestone is ordered by King Henry to deliver a series of mysterious letters to the restless western reaches of Wales, he agrees only reluctantly. His conviction that the simple mission hides something more sinister is strengthened when the letters’ scribe is murdered before the journey begins. Then one of Geoffrey’s travelling companions is killed, and he knows he must uncover the secret behind the letters before more victims are claimed."

The Nimrod Murders

Simon Beaufort

2011

"In the worldwide fame and glory that followed the return of Shackleton s party to civilisation, little was ever said about a dark incident that almost halted the expedition before it ever sailed from London s East India Docks. On the eve of departure of the Nimrod to the Antarctic the body of the assistant biologist was found in the East India Docks. Without a doubt he had been murdered. Raymond Priestly, just short of his 21st birthday, had been appointed expedition geologist and was one of the first on the scene and it fell to him to undertake an investigation, along with Inspector William Taylor, an old school friend of Shackleton s, into the events surrounding this dark deed. He had no knowledge of the danger into which he would soon be plunged."

The Murder House

Simon Beaufort

2013

"When PC Helen Anderson takes the files for a forthcoming court case to study over the weekend, she commits a cardinal error. For those files are not supposed to leave the police station - and the moment they fall into the wrong hands, Helen's ordinary, uneventful life begins to spiral out of control. For one small lie will lead to another, then another - culminating in a rendezvous in an ordinary suburban house in an ordinary Bristol street ... the scene of a gruesome and extraordinary murder."

The Killing Ship

Simon Beaufort

2016

"Having spent the summer conducting fieldwork on stark Livingston Island, marine biologist Andrew Berrister is looking forward to returning to civilization. But his final days in Antarctica take an unexpected turn when it becomes clear that he and his small group of scientists are not alone on the island. Deducing that the intruders are a crew of illegal whalers, the scientists face an increasingly desperate struggle for survival when two members of their shore party disappear and their supplies are deliberately sabotaged. As Berrister and his remaining companions flee across the treacherous, icy terrain, they are pursued unrelentingly by ruthless killers whose true reasons for being in the Antarctic are darker and more dangerous than the scientists could ever have imagined."

Mind of a Killer: An Alec Lonsdale Victorian Mystery

Simon Beaufort

2017

"London, 1882. Alec Lonsdale, a young reporter on the Pall Mall Gazette, is working on a story about a fatal house fire. But the post-mortem on the victim produces shocking results: Patrick Donovan’s death was no accident. But why would someone murder a humble shop assistant and steal part of his brain? When a second body is discovered, its throat cut, and then a third, Lonsdale and his spirited female colleague, Hulda Friederichs, begin to uncover evidence of a conspiracy that reaches to the highest echelons of Victorian society."

The Tainted Relic

The Medieval Murderers

2005

Medieval Murderers: Simon Beaufort, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Michael Jecks, Susanna Gregory, Philip Gooden

"July, 1100. Jerusalem lies ransacked. Amidst the chaos, an English knight is entrusted with a valuable religious relic: a fragment of the True Cross, allegedly stained with the blood of Christ. The relic is said to be cursed: anyone who touches it will meet an untimely and gruesome end. Several decades later, the Cross turns up in the possession of a dealer, robbed and murdered en route to Glastonbury. Investigating the death, Bernard Knight's protagonist, Crowner John learns of its dark history. In Oxford in 1269, the discovery of a decapitated monk leads Ian Morson's academic sleuth William Falconer to uncover a link to the relic. In 1323, in Exeter, Michael Jecks' Sir Baldwin has reason to suspect its involvement in at least five violent deaths. Thirty years later, several suspicious deaths occur in Cambridge - and, once again, the tainted relic has a crucial part to play. Finally, it's despatched to London, where Philip Gooden's Nick Revill will determine its ultimate fate."

The Sacred Stone

The Medieval Murderers

2010

Medieval Murderers: Susanna Gregory, Simon Beaufort, Bernard Knight, Karen Maitland, Ian Morson, Philip Gooden

"1067. In the desolate wastes of Greenland, a group of hunters discover a strangely-shaped meteor which has fallen from the sky. At first, the mysterious 'sky-stone' seems to bring them good luck, healing a lame boy and guaranteeing a good catch of furs. But violence and murder soon follow in fortune's wake, as the villagers fight and struggle amongst themselves to get control of the precious stone. Over the next six hundred years, the Sky-Stone falls into the hands of crusading knights, the wicked Sheriff of Devon, a group of radical young kabalists, the dying King Henry III and a band of travelling players. Each time, the stone brings treachery, discord and violent death to those who seek to possess it."

The False Virgin

The Medieval Murderers

2013

Medieval Murderers: Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Karen Maitland, Ian Morson, Philip Gooden, Simon Beaufort

"AD 848.Bernwyn of Lythe, the young daughter of an ealdorman, spurns marriage and chooses to remain a virgin dedicated to Christ. When she is found murdered in the chapel where she kept her nightly vigils, it is thought that she has fallen victim to the Viking raiders who are ravaging the country and the butterflies found resting on her body are taken to be a sign from God. But what if Bernwyn was not all she seemed? Could the saintly deeds attributed to her have been carried out by someone else and the people have set up a shrine to a false virgin? Throughout the ages, St Bernwyn comes to be regarded as the patron saint of those suffering from skin diseases, and many are drawn on pilgrimage to her shrines. But from a priory in Wales to the Greek island of Sifnos, it seems that anywhere that St Bernwyn is venerated, bitter rivalry breaks out. So when a famous poet is inspired to tell the story of the saint, perhaps it is little wonder that he finds himself writing a satirical piece on the credulity of man."

The Deadliest Sin

The Medieval Murderers

2014

Medieval Murderers: Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Karen Maitland, Ian Morson, Philip Gooden, Michael Jecks, Simon Beaufort

"In the spring of 1348, tales begin arriving in England of poisonous clouds fast approaching, which have overwhelmed whole cities and even countries, with scarcely a human being left. While some pray more earnestly and live yet more devoutly, others vow to enjoy themselves and blot out their remaining days on earth by drinking and gambling. And then there are those who hope that God's wrath might be averted by going on a pilgrimage. But if God was permitting his people to be punished by this plague, then it surely could only be because they had committed terrible sins? So when a group of pilgrims are forced to seek shelter at an inn, their host suggests that the guests should tell their tales. He dares them to tell their stories of sin, so that it might emerge which one is the best. That is, the worst."