The Fifth Parish

In 920AD an English monk's theft of an ancient relic from a Dead Sea cavern will reverberate down the centuries. Four Anglo-Saxon warriors atone a hideous crime by turning to the church knowing they must still endure Hell's torments. Their salvation relies on someone solving a puzzle of their own devising. A treasure is offered as reward. A thousand years pass and the brothers still languish in Purgatory; the puzzle virtually forgotten. A chance discovery by world-weary traveller - Lackland Gage - sets him on the treasure trail. A secret cabal, headed by a powerful, wealthy relation, also has a vested interest; recovery of the relic stolen a thousand years earlier. Gage is promised wealth and power beyond imagining, if he helps. But an awful price is demanded; the lives of his rivals and the woman he's come to love - not to mention his grip on reality. The Fifth Parish combines historical drama with a pacy modern-day treasure quest, plus a dash of the supernatural.