The Elixir of Death (Crowner John Mysteries)

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"County Coroner Sir John de Wolfe investigates a series of brutal murders in 12th-century England. The discovery of the murdered crew from a shipwreck?is just the first in a string of atrocities. The captain was the husband of Sir John's former mistress, Hilda, and his investigation troubles both his shrewish wife Matilda and his current mistress?After a series of horrific murders, all related by the use of an unusual knife and crossbows with Arabic lettering, Sir John realizes that all the victims were connected to a disastrous crusade. Meanwhile, Sir John's disgraced brother-in-law Richard de Revelle is involved in a scheme to make money for Prince John, who's trying to seize his brother's throne. The King of France has sent a Mohammedan alchemist to work with a Scot to turn base metal to gold, and Richard is providing them supplies and a secret place to work. When Hilda goes on her own crusade to track down her husband's killers, she's made a prisoner, along with Matilda and Richard?Knight's tenth populates a detailed study of the period with well-drawn characters."  —Kirkus Reviews

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Professor Bernard Knight, CBE, became a Home Office Pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, in 1980. During his 40-year career with the Home Office, he performed over 25,000 autopsies, and was involved in many high profile cases, including that of Fred and Rose West, and the child killer, Mary Bell. The author of numerous popular and academic non-fiction books, he has written thirteen novels in the Crowner John mystery series. Professor Knight lives in Cardiff.