Synopsis: 1196AD Lyon
Relics can move mountains, so history relays. They cure the sick, promise success, enable whole kingdoms to win wars.
A fragment of byssus lies in a small chest and its very existence underlines the life of Christ and the meaning behind the Holy Church. Its power can only be wondered at.
It is the kind of relic which inspires heroic deeds and . . . murder.
An elderly nun and a returned crusader are all that stands between the world's most sanctified relic and a Templar knight who craves it for his own purpose.
From Constantinople to Caen, from Venice to Viviers, from Rome to Rouen, relics are traded like pepper and frankincense, silk and silver, lapis and alum. Sold to the highest bidder.
Who then should pay the highest price of all for a fragment of aged cloth?
Is the highest price surely . . . and inevitably . . . death?
~ ~ ~
Pretty standard outing - a cloistered religieuse is sent out to seek a relic; a haunted knight, seeking redemption, comes to her aid against an evil templar with sinister motives. There are cross overs from some of the authors previous novels, which I have barely touched upon.
The more non-fiction I read, the more disappointed I become when reading historical fiction set around themes I have read. This tome did not disappoint in that I was disappointed with the formulaic narrative and stock standard characters. Nothing stood out for me. I will leave this one solely for the author's die-hard fans.
Read: November 2025
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