Simon Foldre is a young nobleman living in Norman-occupied England in the year 1100. As the man of the house, he tries very hard to bring honor to his family name and make his mother proud. His chance appears to come when he is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend a royal hunt as the squire of the king’s friend Walter Tirel. The opportunity to spend an afternoon amongst King William the Conqueror and his court is a great honor for a young man of his station, and Simon leaps at the chance. What begins as an innocent deer hunt quickly turns ugly when King William turns up dead in the forest, Walter Tirel’s arrow lodged in his chest. Simon’s dreams of status and power quickly fall away as he is forced to flee for his life. Hot on his trail is the late king’s murderous royal marshal and his pack of soliders. Will Simon and Walter be able to escape the country with their lives? Was the king’s untimely death an accident or a premeditated act of murder? Based on a real-life mystery, Cadnum mixes action, history, and intrigue to offer up this compelling fictional look at what might have happened on the royal hunt that day. 224 pages.
Recommended by Molly Crumbley, Librarian.
