The Templar Magician

Set in 1152, this novel follows a murder investigation amid the Templar Order and the political turmoil of the era. Jerusalem remains under Crusader control, though idealistic goals have given way to power struggles. In England, King Stephen fights a bloody war against Henry Fitzempress. The Templar Order, now fifty years old, has become a wealthy institution with substantial riches. When Raymond, Count of Tripoli, is brutally assassinated, Robert de Payens—grandson of Eleanor, a co-founder of the Temple—and Englishman Edward Sendal become entangled in uncovering the killer. The investigation raises a troubling question: could the answer to Raymond's murder lie within the Templar Order itself?