Synopsis
During excavation work at Glastonbury Abbey in the year 1191, an ancient leaden cross is discovered buried several feet below the ground. Inscribed on it are the words Hic iacet sepultus inclitus rex arturius: Here lies buried the renowned King Arthur. Beneath the cross are two skeletons. Could these really be the remains of the legendary King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere? As the monks debate the implications of this extraordinary discovery, the bones are spirited away by the mysterious Guardians, a group determined to keep King Arthur's remains safe until the legend is fulfilled and he returns to protect his country in the hour of its greatest need. As the secret of the bones' hiding place is passed from generation to generation, those entrusted to safeguard the king's remains must withstand treachery, theft, blackmail, and murder in order to keep the legend intact.
Publishers Weekly
Five of Britain's most notable historical mystery authors team for the fifth time (after 2008's The Lost Prophecies) on a volume whose whole, in this case, is less than the sum of its parts. In 1191, the apparent discovery in Glastonbury of the skeletal remains of King Arthur isn't welcomed by some who fear proof of the legendary sovereign's death will weaken the morale of those who hoped for his messianic return. In the book's strongest section, written by Gregory, Meurig ap Rhys, the man who transported the bones to a small Welsh town for safekeeping five years earlier, must decide to whom he can trust the secret of their current location. Two years after Meurig's death, a series of murders places his sister in the role of detective. Gregory manages to integrate the linking device with a compelling, well-paced whodunit that doesn't come across as gimmicky. (Nov.)