Of Witches and Werewolves Trilogy Boxed Set by Cory Barclay

Release date: August 23, 2018

Subgenre: Historical mystery, Medieval mystery

About the Of Witches and Werewolves Trilogy:

 

Of Witches and Werewolves is a box set containing all three of the historical mystery books listed below in one epic tome.

Devil in the Countryside
It’s 1588 and a killer is loose in the German countryside. Is it the legendary Werewolf of Bedburg or something even more sinister? As the body count mounts and the mystery deepens, an unconventional investigator, a savage hunter seeking revenge, a conflicted priest, and a determined farmer’s daughter all search for answers, against the backdrop of a country reeling in religious turmoil.

In the Company of Wolves
In 1592, amid the chaos of regular witch-hunts and continued religious strife tearing Europe apart, three sets of travelers venture out on their own quests for peace and prosperity: A young thief from the slums, a ship of pirates, a priest and his wife. And as power, greed, and family secrets threaten to destroy them, their seemingly separate adventures converge in a place that may hold the key for them all.

The Beast Within
By the end of 1592, the city of Bedburg is still reeling from the horrific werewolf and witch trials that have consumed the city. Offering no comfort, a despotic lord rules with an iron fist and no one is safe. But an unlikely hero emerges, offering a group of improbable misfits their best hope for freedom: Returning to the chaos and tyranny they left behind to confront the face of pure evil head-on.

Excerpt:

 

Investigator Heinrich Franz hadn’t been to a murder scene in some time, and he relished the opportunity. As he removed his black gloves to inspect the body, a tingle ran down his spine.

The victim lay strewn around a tree in a gruesome way, tucked away from the trails and from passing eyes.

“Our killer wanted to make it difficult to identify the victim, but not to find her,” Heinrich said to his right-hand man and bodyguard, Tomas. 

He crouched over the body. Her exposed entrails had been dragged around the trunk of the tree, separating her legs from her torso. Her right foot was missing three toes, and her left arm was missing altogether. Her mangled face was a canvass for flesh-eating insects. She wore a tattered blue dress and had stringy blonde hair plastered against the sides of her head. 

Maybe the dress will help to identify her, Heinrich thought. 

Heinrich prodded beneath her dress, but found no signs of defilement. The stench of decay was not yet overwhelming, but it was still strong enough to offend even the weakest noses.  

“She’s been dead for less than twenty-four hours,” the investigator said. Then he turned to the frightened farmer standing behind him. “And you found her when?”

“This morning, sir.” The farmer held a grimy cap close to his chest. “I was walking to a neighbor’s house with my dogs—”

“I didn’t ask how,” Heinrich said, “just when.” 

The investigator circled the tree and bent down to examine the torso with a magnifying glass. Flies circled her body and maggots crawled through her deep cuts. Heinrich put a finger to one of her small, exposed breasts. It was cold and clammy. 

“She was killed in broad daylight, sir?” the farmer asked. 

Heinrich ignored the man. He pocketed his magnifying glass, stood up with creaking knees, and wrestled his hands back into his gloves. “Judging by the size of her breasts and feet, I’d say she was no more than fifteen years of age.”

“Just a child,” the farmer said. Then he started fidgeting with his hands. He stammered and then said, “And there wouldn’t perhaps be any kind of . . . reward for finding the body, would there, sir?”

Heinrich gave the man an icy glare and then spat at his feet. Heartless swine, he thought, and shook his head. Trying to profit on the death of a child. He started pacing in front of the farmer, and then stroked his chin and twirled his thin, wispy mustache. He stared at the man’s fat, doughy face. He was middle-aged, with patches of a gray beard framing his chin. His eyes were soft, and he seemed harmless, but Heinrich knew that appearances never made the man, nor told the whole story. 

“The real question I have,” Heinrich said, “is what was a young girl doing out here alone, so far from any trails?”

“Perhaps she was lured here?”  

The investigator eyed the farmer. “A fine observation,” Heinrich said with a disingenuous smile. Then it vanished. “My next question, is what were you doing out here so far from the trails?”

 

Amazon

 

About Cory Barclay:

Cory Barclay lives in San Diego, California. He enjoys learning about serial killers, people burning, mass executions, and hopes the FBI doesn’t one day look through his Google search history.

When he’s not writing stories he’s probably playing guitar, composing music, hanging with friends, or researching strange things to write about. 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram