Crouchback (The Welsh Guard Mysteries #1)

A rich medieval mystery that kicks off a series: In 1284, Catrin serves as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Eleanor of England. Freshly widowed, she returns to Wales — and finds herself confronted with long-lost childhood friend Rhys, a court rife with political intrigue, and a dastardly murderer haunting the halls…

**Crouchback is a medieval word derived from crossed-back and indicates participation in a Crusade**
April 1284. As a newly widowed lady-in-waiting to the very pregnant Queen Eleanor of England, Catrin never expected to return to Wales again. She was definitely unprepared to be confronted with murder when she got there--or to find herself face-to-face with Rhys, the childhood friend she lost twenty years before. Rhys had never intended to return home either, but a lifetime of war has deposited him right back where he started--impoverished and owing service to Catrin's older brother.

With Wales having fallen irrevocably to England, and fearful of trusting anyone within the English court of King Edward, Catrin and Rhys join forces against the treachery and intrigue rife within the half-built Caernarfon Castle. And when the murderer strikes again, the task before them becomes increasingly clear: catch the killer, certainly, but also protect their people from a future that is becoming more dangerous and uncertain with every day that passes.
Crouchback is the first book in The Welsh Guard Mysteries.