'Gooden may be the best history-mystery writer going.' Booklist 1873. A treasure-hunter is stabbed to death while searching a burial chamber on the outskirts of the city of Salisbury. At the same time Tom Ansell arrives from London to receive a manuscript from one of the cathedral canons. Tom is an ambitious lawyer, and about to marry Helen Scott - a budding novelist. Felix Slater, a respectable churchman and amateur archaeologist, wants the scandalous manuscript of his late father's memoirs locked away until after his own death. But Slater's death comes much sooner than expected, and Tom falls under suspicion for his murder. The compromising manuscript has disappeared. To exonerate himself, Tom, accompanied by Helen, must unmask an ingenious, elusive killer, one who will threaten their own lives. The pursuit takes them from the cells of the city gaol to the heights of the cathedral spire and out among the ancient earthworks of Salisbury Plain. The Salisbury Manuscript is the first in a series set in England's cathedral cities. Full of action, suspense and gothic atmosphere, the novel brings back to life a world of Victorian mystery. Philip Gooden is an acclaimed historical novelist and non-fiction author. He is the author of the Geoffrey Chaucer Mysteries. Praise for Philip Gooden: 'Full of the sights and sounds of fourteenth-century England--and pleasingly free of tedious exposition and clumps of research--this lively novel is a fine example of how to get it right in a historical mystery. Chaucer himself is a well-realized and charming protagonist, and the series seems to be settling in for a long run.' Booklist 'An absorbing mix of history, suspense and romance, this tale brings one of Britain's most renowned literary figures to credible life.' Publishers Weekly