I get through a fair amount of murder mystery stories in my leisure reading, and recently came across a series new to me, though the number of titles available show it must have been going for some time. While most titles involve the same couple of protagonists, a naive monk and a peddler of pornographic tapestries, a few are more specific. The first is The Domesday Book (No Not That One).
Set in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings, Wiilam finds out that the body he has been told is Harold is not. Harald has been wounded, not in the eye, but somewhere more personal, and spirited away by a group of supporters. William sends a mismatched group of retainers to find, and 'remove' Harold for good. They are to pretend to be doing a tax survey of the country to disguise their true intent.
Odd and comic adventures follow, with an ending that leaves Harold in a situation open for the second book.
There is also a volume on the Magne Carta, where the original, sent by John to be copied, is lost, and the shenanigans following to get a 'true' copy written in time. Barons, King and others trying to get their own version produced as the official one.
History as it could have been written by Terry Pratchett, these titles can be found under the name of Howard of Warwick, and I can reccomend them.
I had hoped to put up a picture, but can't seem to get one donloaded, so you will have to google it for yourselves.
