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Spoils of War: A Margaret of Scotland Medieval Mystery
An Anglo-Saxon princess in the Scottish court
Newly crowned Margaret is learning to navigate her role as queen and as wife to a fierce warrior. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, Margaret and her family fled to Scotland, where she was hurriedly wed to Malcolm, King of the Scots. With her family by her side she must adapt to the customs and culture of her new homeland, in the often chaotic aftermath of the Norman conquest.
Book 1: Spoils of War
When a beggar at her door turns out to be a high born lady, Margaret learns of a family destroyed by the Norman invasion. She resolves to help the woman find her missing daughter—abducted by a local mormaer. When the mormaer’s daughter is found murdered, the foreigners quickly become scapegoats. Can Margaret point the finger of blame at the true killer and save her displaced countrywomen’s lives?
Newly crowned Margaret is learning to navigate her role as queen and as wife to a fierce warrior. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, Margaret and her family fled to Scotland, where she was hurriedly wed to Malcolm, King of the Scots. With her family by her side she must adapt to the customs and culture of her new homeland, in the often chaotic aftermath of the Norman conquest.
Book 1: Spoils of War
When a beggar at her door turns out to be a high born lady, Margaret learns of a family destroyed by the Norman invasion. She resolves to help the woman find her missing daughter—abducted by a local mormaer. When the mormaer’s daughter is found murdered, the foreigners quickly become scapegoats. Can Margaret point the finger of blame at the true killer and save her displaced countrywomen’s lives?
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2025
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April 9, 2026
Spoils of War stood out to me because it was a historical mystery (love those) about…St Margaret of Scotland?! I went into it with caution because I’ve read plenty of historical mysteries that don’t care about the era, and it being about a beloved saint made it even more…precarious.
I was very pleased with the story, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it “on location” in Fife! I even read it at the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral; the cathedral was built centuries after Margaret’s time, but the location is the same. The novel is set in Advent in Fife, in Dunfermline, Cupar, and Kilrymont (St Andrews).
I appreciated how Lewis took care to write Margaret's inner life as a queen and spiritually-minded individual. Her impressions of life in England and on the continent vs. in Scotland were interesting. I liked the character of Malcolm and the portrayal of their marriage. Her actions were clearly motivated by her beliefs and driven by her prayer life, and that was most important to me.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, and picking up the other series by this author!
I was very pleased with the story, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it “on location” in Fife! I even read it at the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral; the cathedral was built centuries after Margaret’s time, but the location is the same. The novel is set in Advent in Fife, in Dunfermline, Cupar, and Kilrymont (St Andrews).
I appreciated how Lewis took care to write Margaret's inner life as a queen and spiritually-minded individual. Her impressions of life in England and on the continent vs. in Scotland were interesting. I liked the character of Malcolm and the portrayal of their marriage. Her actions were clearly motivated by her beliefs and driven by her prayer life, and that was most important to me.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, and picking up the other series by this author!
Displaying 1 of 1 review