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A scorching summer. A melancholic merchant. A mysterious murder.The date is 1208. Sir Aumary Belvoir, Lord of Durley and a king's constable and the warden of Savernake Forest, receives the strangest request. The self-important and vituperative vintner, Aldous of Pitchcott, needs protection, claiming he is about to be murdered. Aumary is sceptical but moves Pitchcott to Marlborough Castle, where he is locked in a room in the castle wall. No one can possibly reach him, but within the day, Aldous Pitchcott is dead. Aumary discovers that many in the town wished Pitchcott harm, but how did the killer reach him? Aumary and his friends are baffled! Can Aumary reveal the guilty party before the murderer strikes again? Worldes Blis, a strange thirteenth-century song, provides the backdrop to the fourteenth novel in Susanna M. Newstead's Savernake Medieval Murder Mystery Novel series. Author Interview1) How difficult is it to research settings for a Medieval Murder Mystery? I've been doing it so long, I don't really know. When I first started there was no web. Much of the history was a bit of a mystery even to experts. The manuscripts one might have needed were difficult to access but with the help of many people and institutions like libraries, I managed the investigation I needed. I'm still researching - it never ends. One has to play detective oneself never mind write about secrets and intrigue. 2) This is the fourteenth novel in your series. How do you keep the stories so fresh and exciting? Ah, this is just practice I think. Clues have to be eked out and red herrings buried deep in the mystery. Pacing is very important and the investigation has to go on at the right speed, with little moments of humour to lift the intrigue. 3) Did you discover anything fascinating when researching this book? Yes. All about Mediaeval scaffolding! Who knew exactly how the builders put together a castle? And the fact that some of that Medieval work is sometimes still there! I've seen it with my own eyes. BOOK ORDER Belvoir's Promise She Moved Through the Fair Down By the Salley Gardens I Will Give My Love an Apple Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair Long Lankyn One Misty Moisty Morning The Unquiet Grave The Lark in the Morning A Parcel of Rogues Bushes & Briars Though I Live Not Where I Love Wynter Wakeneth Worldes Blis Alysoun

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"Susanna M. Newstead has always been captivated by history, with a particular fascination for the era of King John (1199-1216). This interest began in her childhood when she penned historical stories that so engrossed her teachers that they eagerly awaited each subsequent instalment.The genesis of her Savernake Forest Series can be traced back over four decades. In her twenties, as a student of speech therapy, she embarked on this literary journey, initially committing her words to a small orange notebook in an age before computers. Unfortunately, the demands of life, including the need to cover the mortgage, took precedence, and her literary pursuits gradually waned. At the same time, her creative energies found expression in other forms such as painting and embroidery.Her professional path eventually led her into the realm of dementia research in Oxford, a challenging and often sombre field. In search of distraction from the emotional rigours of her work, she delved into historical murder mysteries and discovered a genuine fondness for them. This discovery planted the seed of an idea: why not try her hand at crafting such stories herself?Later on, she faced a serious illness that forced her into early retirement. With ample time on her hands, she unearthed the long-neglected orange notebook and resurrected ""Belvoir's Promise"" as the first murder mystery set in Savernake Forest, nestled within the Marlborough Downs of Wiltshire, her home town. Extensive research consumed much of her time, one book led to another, and thus, the Savernake Novels were born.Today, Susanna resides quietly in a cozy Northamptonshire town, accompanied by her husband and a wire fox terrier named Tabor. Together with Delphi, she undertakes regular expeditions into the woods and delves into extensive research on the nearby town of Marlborough, which was cherished by King John and received its charter from him in 1204. While Delphi explores the terrain, she diligently crafts plots involving sinister murders."

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