Karen Maitland Books in Order

Maitland's first novel is a contemporary thriller shaped by terrorism and conflict. Leaner and more modern than her medieval fiction, it already shows her interest in fear, secrecy and people living close to violence.

A fragment of the True Cross, supposedly stained with the blood of Christ, carries a deadly curse. This collaborative novel traces the relic's bloody path from Jerusalem in 1100 through centuries of English history, as different sleuths encounter the cursed object and the violence that follows it.

A Saxon sword forged before the Norman Conquest brings betrayal and death to all who wield it. From the battlefields of the 14th century to political scandals in Venice, this collection of linked mysteries follows the cursed blade's journey through the hands of knights, rebels, and murderers.

Bermondsey Priory is cursed after a young chaplain is punished for sins of the flesh in 1114. Over the next five centuries, the priory becomes a backdrop for murder, ghosts, and political intrigue, as recorded in this series of interlinked tales by the Medieval Murderers group.

As the Black Death reaches England in 1348, a ragged band of travellers joins forces to flee the plague. Each carries dangerous secrets, and the strange child Narigorm may be leading them toward something even worse.

A mysterious book of prophecies written by a 6th-century Irish monk is said to predict everything from the Black Death to the Gunpowder Plot. As the manuscript passes through history, it leaves a trail of madness and death for anyone who tries to decipher its secrets.

In 1191, monks at Glastonbury Abbey claim to have found the bones of King Arthur. But are they real, or a political fabrication? This linked narrative follows the secret of the bones through the ages, as guardians protect them from those who would use the legend for power.

In a remote village, a group of religious women challenges the power of the pagan Owl Masters who rule by fear. Bad harvests, rumor and superstition turn daily tension into violence, accusation and murder.

A meteorite falls in Greenland and is fashioned into a stone with reputed healing powers. But greed and violence follow the artifact as it travels to medieval Exeter and beyond, bringing misfortune rather than miracles to those who possess it.

Solsbury Hill has been a place of death and ritual since ancient times. This collection follows the hill's dark history through the ages, from pagan sacrifices to medieval crimes, as the spirits of the past continue to haunt the living.

In King John's England, fear of sin and damnation hangs over a Norfolk manor. When servant girl Elena is accused of murdering her child, she must survive a brutal lord, old rituals, and a community ready to condemn her.

When the king's prized white falcons are killed, Isabela's father is imprisoned and her family faces ruin. To save him, she must journey into a harsher world where church power, fear and rare birds all become weapons.

A play depicting the biblical first murder of Abel by Cain carries a dark legacy. As the script surfaces in different eras—from a medieval mystery play to a Restoration drama—life begins to imitate art, and murder follows the actors who perform it.

An ancient statue of the Virgin Mary, carved from pagan stone, exercises a strange and malevolent power. The Medieval Murderers trace the icon's journey across centuries, where religious devotion twists into obsession, heresy, and bloodshed.

A tale of pride and punishment woven through history. From a boastful Norman lord to a 14th-century priory, the authors explore how the deadliest sin leads to downfall and death, linking separate historical mysteries with a common thread of human hubris.

Amid the unrest of Richard II's reign and the coming Peasants' Revolt, unnatural deaths begin to stir talk of witchcraft. A merchant family, a dangerous widow, and a house full of secrets pull the novel into darker territory.

Apprentice librarian Vincent tries to blackmail his master, fails, and ends up on the run with a silver raven's head that others fear and covet. Alchemists, secrets and possible sorcery close in around him.

Plague returns to Porlock Weir in 1361, and Sara will do almost anything to save her family. A mysterious stranger offers help at a terrible price, turning village panic into a grim test of love, faith and survival.

In this nonfiction collection, Maitland looks at real cases of children who killed, manipulated or terrified the adults around them. It's a brisk, macabre tour through history, and a good guide to one of her favorite themes.

In 1316 three strangers arrive at an isolated priory on Dartmoor, where a holy well draws pilgrims and old pagan claims still run deep. When the water turns to blood, fear, suspicion and buried grudges threaten everyone inside.