There is a time in winter when the sun stands still in the sky. When this solstice arrives, so does the Dark. It feeds upon the ambitions, greed, corruption, and fears of the citizens in each town it visits. When a tall and mysterious stranger arrives in tiny Sistersville, WV, on a cold December night, Sergeant Curtis Knight is faced with the toughest case of his career. A waitress dies, a small crippled boy vanishes from his home, and a blizzard descends upon the Ville. As Sergeant Knight pieces together the clues, the Dark begins to feed.

The Knights Templar was the foremost Military Order of the Crusades. In about 1118 these warrior-monks were appointed custodians of Temple Mount, and defenders of Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. Endorsed by the Catholic Church in 1129, the Order became a favoured cause across Europe. Templar knights, distinguished by their white mantles with red crosses, constituted some of the most disciplined and efficient fighting units in successive crusades. The expanding Order acquired extensive estates in the West, and served as financiers and advisors to the great and good. In the East the Templars garrisoned cities and castles, helping to sustain the Frankish presence in the Orient for almost two centuries. Support for the Order faded after the final loss of the Holy Land. King Philip IV of France, seizing on the Templar's habitual secrecy, plotted their destruction and confiscation of their assets. Bending the Papacy to his will, he secured the arrest and trial of Templars throughout Christendom, on grounds of heresy and diabolical corruption. In France the Inquisition extracted damning confessions from the arrested brethren. In 1312, under continuing pressure from the Philip, Pope Clement V formally disbanded the Order. Two years later the last Grand Master was burned alive in Paris after renouncing his confession. The Order's suppression amid such sinister circumstances gave rise to myth and speculation which keeps the Templar name alive to this day. This highly readable and informative A-Z guide is an invaluable reference to the places, people, and themes of the Crusades, the Knights Templars and their legacy.

Published in thirteen volumes (1914-65), this extensive and highly regarded series contains charters and deeds from pre-thirteenth-century Yorkshire.