In Pursuit of the Green Lion: A Margaret of Ashbury Novel

The unforgettable Margaret of Ashbury returns in the second book of the trilogy that began with A Vision of Light.

Margaret, a resourceful midwife, is living with the insufferable relatives of her third husband, Gilbert de Vilers, known as Gregory. She is carving out a life for herself and her daughters despite the hostility and greed of her in-laws. But when Gregory is captured in France and held for ransom, Margaret knows she must take action—her in-laws are too tight with money to be of any use—so she teams up with her old friends Mother Hilde, the herbalist, and Brother Malachi, an alchemist on a quest for the secret of changing base metals into gold. Together, the trio plan to rescue Gregory and bring him back to London, where he and Margaret can start a new life away from his meddling family. And thus begins a wild romp across fourteenth-century Europe. Murderous noblemen, scheming ladies, truculent ghosts, and a steady stream of challenges plague the journey. Margaret will need not only her special gift of healing, her quick mind, and her independent spirit but the loyalty of her friends and the love of her new husband to carry them all safely home.

Judith Merkle Riley is a professor of political science and has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. She is also the

In 1356, Margaret of Ashbury marries the scholarly Gregory de Vilers, and when he is taken prisoner by the French and held for ransom, she and two friends--an herbalist and an alchemist--embark on a dangerous quest to rescue him, despite the apathy of his miserly family, in the sequel to A Vision of Light. Reader's Guide included. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.