Daughters of Summer

On the first day of Hexamshire's annual weeklong fair in late summer 1221, Master Gruffydd, an arrogant merchant and town worthy, is poisoned. A wealthy man, Gruffydd has been shamed by his low birth, a condition he could never overcome. By contrast, his wife, Maegden, is of noble birth, but because of her family's impoverishment, she had been sold off to the highest bidder: Master Gruffydd. Theirs had been an unhappy marriage. Gruffydd was abusive and suspected that Maegden was unfaithful,...