Malory's Quest

March 1471, Rogue Malory is dead. His friends, the Newgate Three, set out to fulfil their promise to him to deliver the finished manuscript of Le Morte D’Arthur to the friars of Winchester. But national events intrude and the three find themselves cast out from England. Advised by their old friend, Sir Anthony Tanner, and his betrothed, Margaret Limpsett, they set out to Bruges in Flanders where they seek advice on how to proceed to protect the manuscript. New characters are introduced, including William Caxton who becomes integral to their lives. Previous friends – and enemies – reappear and play their parts. But not all is well. At the end, there is a shocking discovery. Will the quest be fulfilled?

Helen began writing novels after retirement from teaching. She has just had published her first novel in a trilogy set in Victorian England, but her focus has always been the fifteenth century. She combined this with a love of Shakespeare and achieved a PhD from The Shakespeare Institute, Birmingham University, in 2009. Research for her thesis was on Warwick the Kingmaker in the three parts of Henry VI. Later, she wrote a quartet of novels on Warwick’s life – Lodestar. During research for them, she came across Thomas Malory.