The Magus of Hay (Merrily Watkins Mysteries Book 12)

When a man's body is discovered in the picturesque town of Hay-on-Wye, his death appears to be "unnatural" in every sense. Merrily Watkins, parish priest, single mother, and exorcist, is drafted in to investigate, in this 12th installmentA man's body is found below a waterfall. It looks like suicide or an accidental drowning—until DI Frannie Bliss enters the dead man's home. What he finds there sends him to Merrily Watkins, the Diocese of Hereford's official advisor on the paranormal. It's been nearly 40 years since Hay was declared an independent state by its self-styled king—a development seen at the time as a joke, a publicity scam. But behind this pastiche a dark design was taking shape, creating a hidden history of murder and ritual-magic, the relics of which are only now becoming horribly visible. It's a situation that will take Merrily Watkins—alone for the first time in years—to the edge of madness.

Spectator

"Compassionate, original and sharply contemporary, Rickman's crime series is one of the best around."

Daily Mail

"First rate crime with demons that go bump in the night."

Guardian

"Few writers blend the ancient and supernatural with the modern and criminal better than Rickman. Merrily Watkins is both strikingly original and consistently intriguing... A fascinating portrayal of ancient grudges and shifting allegiances make this an absorbing and thought-provoking thriller."

About the Author

Phil Rickman is the author of the Merrily Watkins Mystery series, which includes The Remains of an Altar, The Fabric of Sin, and To Dream of the Dead.

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