A dangerous assignment.
It's 1343, and Simon Merrivale is travelling with the Earl of Derby on a mission for King Edward III of England. They are bound for Castile to persuade its ruler, Alfonso, to abandon his traditional alliance with France.
A kingdom ablaze.
They arrive to find war raging across the country. King Alfonso is conducting an epic siege, by land and sea, against the city of Algeciras, held by the Moorish states.

A deadly enemy.

Plots are developing behind Alfonso's back. An old foe of Merrivale's is planning to seize power, not just in Castile but all of Spain. To thwart him, Simon must undertake a dangerous journey, facing down opponents more powerful than any he has encountered so far

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A.J. Mackenzie is the pseudonym of Marilyn Livingstone and Morgen Witzel, a husband-and-wife team of writers and historians. Morgen has an MA in renaissance diplomacy, and Marilyn has a PhD in medieval economic history. They have written two books of medieval history and several novels, including the Simon Merrivale Mysteries, set in medieval Europe. Marilyn Livingstone was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 and passed away in September 2023.