Andrew Barlow 
The Bear Pit 
Historical novel

This is a Royal murder mystery set in the early 15th century. England’s princes are portrayed as born in a ‘Bear Pit, ’ their lives a ruthless struggle for power. This book explodes the romantic myth of the age of chivalry. Betrayal and rebellion, murder and revenge, Hopkin ap Griffith ap Rhys has seen it all. He has served many masters and betrayed them all.

In the aftermath of the battle of Agincourt, Hopkin is summoned to the presence of the victorious King Henry, who has a special commission for the Welshman. Amongst the few English dead is the Duke of York, whose corpse holds a secret which threatens King Henry’s rule.

Hopkin is charged with the task of finding the truth about the Duke’s suspicious death, a task for which he is uniquely suited. A former rebel, he is well acquainted with the enemies of the new King.

Witness the diversity of Medieval Britain through Hopkin’s eyes: a pagan, he casts a critical eye over the corruption of his age, and introduces us to the towering characters of the period; among them King Henry the Fifth, Sir Henry Percy (‘Hotspur’) and Owen Glendower, amongst others. Follow Hopkin’s adventures from the outbreak of the Glendower revolt to the battle of Agincourt and beyond – the story of a turbulent period.