Friar Tuck – History… the interesting bits!

Book Corner: Swords in the Snow by Matthew Harffy and Steven A. McKay

12/12/202511/12/2025Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

A stolen relic. A dying child. A desperate chase.

December, c. AD 1330.

When thieves snatch a priceless holy relic from a Pontefract church, Friar Tuck and the bailiff, John Little, set out through snowbound Yorkshire to recover it. The relic is the only hope for a gravely ill girl—but the hunt soon turns bloody.

From frozen dales to the mud-slick streets of York, John and Tuck pursue ruthless crime lord William Wake and his brutal enforcers: the battle-hardened Henry Tanner and the murderous giant Grimbald de Pendok.

When they finally face each other with swords in the snow, will Little John and Friar Tuck find they have met their match at last, or will there be a Christmas miracle?

It has fast become a tradition for me, as the night’s are drawing in and it is frosty outside, to read a novella written by Steven A. McKay. The author of the Forest Lord series, Steven has now written a whole host of Christmas mysteries which draw Robin Hood’s companions, Little John, Will Scarlet and Friar Tuck, into a life-or-death adventure, when all they want to do is sit around a warm fire, eating and drinking and telling stories of adventures past.

But no.

Steven A. McKay insists on sending them out into the freezing winds and deep snow drifts to entertain us. I feel sorry for the Merry Men (or not so ‘merry’ when they’re cold, wet and fighting for their lives), I do. But I do love these medieval mysteries.

This year is no exception, but with a twist and a treat. And this time, with Swords in the Snow, Steven A. McKay has enlisted the help of his fellow novelist and friend, Matthew Harffy, the creator of the Bernicia Chronicles, to act -or, rather, write – as the ‘bad guys’. And so, Little John and Friar Tuck are once again trudging through snow and mud, in search of thieves and murderers, and a Christmas miracle. At least there are no ghosts this time.

“Tuck!” The shout rang out, loud in the still winter air, and John, recognising a distinct note of alarm in it, spun around, staff held defensively before him. At his side, Tuck was in a similar posture, ready for whatever an enemy might throw at them, but the cry came again and the bailiff realised it had come from someone standing at the entrance to All Saints’ Church.

“Is that Bishop Wulstan?”

John squinted as the clergyman stepped out from the doorway and the pale December day lit his features. “Aye, it is,” the bailiff nodded. “Something’s upset him too.”

“Come over, Tuck,” the bishop called almost frantically. “And you too, John.”

With a last, longing look at the baker’s, both men sighed and walked across to the church. It was not a particularly large building, but it was impressive nonetheless, having been built quite recently.

Bishop Wulstan Barnsford had met John and Tuck before, when they’d investigated a strange, and ultimately murderous, religious sect. The bishop had led the trial against the leader of the cult, Lady Alice de Staynton, whose punishment was excommunication and banishment. He was a competent, clever man who did not seem the type to be easily upset, so John was surprised to note how pale the bishop’s complexion was. He was wringing his hands as the former outlaws strode across the road and, as they reached him, he let out a long sigh that conveyed great relief, as if he was glad to meet someone who could take the weight from his shoulders.

“What’s happened, your grace?” Tuck asked, reading the signs as John had done.

In reply, Bishop Wulstan turned, beckoning for them to follow as he went into All Saints’.

The pair did as they were bidden and walked inside, both tugging their collars up for it was even colder in the church than it was outside, their breath steaming in the frigid, incense-tinged air as they walked.

“In the name of God!” Tuck cried, hurrying ahead as they saw a priest lying on his side on the floor, eyes open but clearly in great pain and distress. “Stand back,” the friar commanded and the two men who were kneeling beside the priest hastily moved aside to let him through. They might have no idea who the burly newcomer was, but his tone brooked no argument.

John looked on, bemused, as Tuck, a man of learning who’d often acted as healer or surgeon for Robin Hood’s outlaw gang, tended to the injured priest who had, at least, been covered with a blanket.

“What happened here?” the friar asked.

“Thieves,” said the fallen clergyman, grunting in pain as Tuck checked him for broken bones. “They came in the night. I tried to stop them, but there was a giant with them and he—” His eyes fell on Little John and he visibly shrank into himself, terror written across his bruised face.

In Swords in the Snow Steven A. McKay and Matthew Harffy complement each other’s writing wonderfully, making for an engaging, entertaining and, quite frankly, thrilling story. And while Steven A. McKay takes Little John and Friar Tuck on a chilly ride through Yorkshire, hunting for the fiends who stole a holy relic from Pontefract, Matthew Harffy directs those said villains through their escapades.

It makes for some surprising twists and turns.

The two writing styles truly complement each other and create an exciting, gripping story.

Swords in the Snow is about half the length of a full novel, which means the authors have kept the story tight and focused, and you can tell they enjoyed working on the project. Here’s hoping it leads to even more collaborative work; perhaps Steven A. McKay will visit Bernicia and Beobrand next Christmas (hint, hint, fellas!)

In short, Swords in the Snow is a jolly good read, especially on a cold winter night when you are tucked up warm in front of a blazing fire!

To Buy the book:

Swords in the Snow is available now from Amazon.

About the authors:

Steven A. McKay was born in Scotland in 1977 and always enjoyed studying history. He decided to write his Forest Lord novels after seeing a house called “Sherwood” when he was out at work one day. Since then he’s started a new series, the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, and just completed a trilogy about Alfred the Great.

In 2021 the Xbox game HOOD: Outlaws and Legends was released, featuring Steven’s writing.

Steven wrote the theme song for the podcast he co-hosted, Rock, Paper, Swords! with Matthew Harffy.

Matthew Harffy lived in Northumberland as a child and the area had a great impact on him. The rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline made it easy to imagine the past. Decades later, a documentary about Northumbria’s Golden Age sowed the kernel of an idea for a series of historical fiction novels. The first of them is the action-packed tale of vengeance and coming of age, The Serpent Sword.

Matthew has worked in the IT industry, where he spent all day writing and editing, just not the words that most interested him. Prior to that he worked in Spain as an English teacher and translator. Matthew lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.

For all the latest news and exclusive competitions, join Matthew online: http://www.matthewharffy.com; twitter.com/@MatthewHarffy; http://www.facebook.com/MatthewHarffyAuthor

My Books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.

Out now: Scotland’s Medieval Queens

Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England’s northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland’s queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.

‘Scotland’s Medieval Queens gives a thorough grounding in the history of the women who ruled Scotland at the side of its kings, often in the shadows, but just as interesting in their lives beyond the spotlight. It’s not a subject that has been widely covered, and Sharon is a pioneer in bringing that information into accessible history.’ Elizabeth Chadwick (New York Times bestselling author)

Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books

Coming 30 March 2026: Princesses of the Early Middle Ages

Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest explores the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. It will look at the world they lived in, and how their lives and marriages were affected by political necessity and the events of the time. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages will also examine how these girls, who were often political pawns, were able to control their own lives and fates. Whilst they were expected to obey their parents in their marriage choices, several princesses were able to exert their own influence on these choices, with some outright refusing the husbands offered to them.

Their stories are touching, inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking.

Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest is now available for pre-order.

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword themselves, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It shows how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other. Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon.

Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org. Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.

Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Ian Mortimer, Bernard Cornwell, Elizabeth Chadwick and Scott Mariani, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.

There are now over 80 episodes to listen to!

Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

Don’t forget! Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.

For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.

You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram.

Book Corner: Return of the Wolf by Steven A. McKay

07/11/202507/11/2025Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

England’s greatest ever hero is back, but for how long?

AD 1331 – Wakefield, England
It’s been five long years since Robin Hood’s heart-breaking funeral. Since then, his friends have moved on with their lives, having adventures of their own, and becoming respected figures in the local community. But, as Christmas bells rang out last December, to everyone’s shock, Robin returned home to Wakefield, alive and well.

He believes all his old enemies are dead and gone, and is looking forward to living a peaceful life with his wife and young children. Things rarely work out as we plan them though, and it’s not long before a deadly new threat raises its head.

The Coterel gang are notorious throughout England, committing all kinds of heinous crimes including extortion, prostitution, kidnapping, and even murder. They appear untouchable, with noblemen and even Members of Parliament amongst their members. When Robin and his friends attack a cruel extortionist in nearby Notton they find themselves on the wrong side of the Coterels, and it seems Robin will be forced to live either as an outlaw again, or be viciously hunted down like an animal.

Although his choices are limited, one – seemingly mad – option presents itself and, before long Robin takes sail for the first time ever, on the trail of the legendary lost treasure of King John.
With John Little, Will Scaflock, Friar Tuck, and two loyal Hospitallers in tow, Robin travels across Europe to Flanders, Aachen, and finally the mythical, legend-haunted mountain known as the Untersberg. Will he find England’s lost crown jewels there, or will he find only danger and death?

I do love a good legend!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a soft spot for the legendary hero, Robin Hood. Living just a half hour drive from Sherwood Forest, how could I not? When my son was about 6, I once almost told one of his school friends that Santa didn’t exist – because she had had the audacity to tell Lewis that Robin Hood wasn’t real!

I am having a very Robin Hood-y day!

Only this morning, I was at the Sherwood Forest Moot – the first one in over 100 years, to start planning the new, annual Sherwood Forest day. The first one will be 20 February 2026. Exciting!

Anyway, back to Robin Hood!

So, when Steven A. McKay said he was writing another Robin Hood story, I was sooooo excited! Last year, after five years of ‘playing dead’, Robin Hood reappeared at the end of the short story, The Heretic of Haltemprice Priory.

But Robin has a big problem; he is still, technically, an outlaw – a Wolf’s Head.

And I started Return of the Wolf on the 809th anniversary of the events in the prologue, on 12 October 1216. This was the day King John’s baggage train got caught by a high tide in the Wash, as they were crossing from Norfolk to Lincolnshire, and the royal treasure was lost, never to be seen again.

One hundred years later, in Return of the Wolf, Robin Hood and his loyal friends, Friar Tuck, Little John and Will Scarlet, embark on a treasure hunt, in search of some remnants of John’s baggage train that may have survived. It leads to a fascinating adventure that takes Robin and his friends on a journey beyond England’s shores, through Belgium and into Germany.

In search of a great treasure.

And maybe, just maybe, a pardon for Robin.

“Christs’ bones, it stinks in here!” John had led the way into the tannery but he pulled up, almost gagging as the fumes accosted them.

“Pull up your tunic,” Robin advised. “Come on.” He drew his sword for it was clear the tanner had no intentions of co-operating without a fight, and moved past the bailiff, eyes scanning the gloomy interior of the room.

The shouting had intensified when they first stormed into the building, but it had died away and now a sinister, forbidding silence fell across the place. Robin had instinctively taken charge, and John did not complain. As the pair moved forward, past more wooden frames and towards the back of the chamber, the years seemed to fall away and the near-telepathy they had once shared as outlaws returned.

A scream of rage suddenly split the air and a dark figure appeared from behind one of the wooden frames. Robin saw a knife, designed for scraping animal hides but just as useful as a weapon, scything through the gloom towards Little John’s back. In one fluid motion Robin’s sword flashed out, parrying the tanning knife, and then he brutally kicked the attacker in the side. There was a grunt of pain as the man slammed into a barrel with vile smelling liquid, and then Robin’s right fist hammered into his jaw and he slumped to the ground.

Little John had a second enemy to deal with, a rat-faced, slim man with a wispy beard and barely a tooth in the mouth that opened to issue a war cry as he swung at the bailiff with his tanning knife. The tool had two handles, one at either end, so – lacking a point – it was no use as a thrusting weapon, but the blade itself was sharp and heavy enough that it could likely sever a limb and John dodged away from it desperately.

The attacker stumbled forward and John brought up his staff, catching the man beneath the chin. It was a lucky strike but it smashed the enemy’s mouth shut and he reeled back, grasping his jaw, eye screwed shut in pain. They did not open again, as John’s staff came around once more, this time cracking against the thin man’s head.

“That the lot?” Robin wondered.

“Can’t be,” John said, eyeing the unconscious tanners. “Neither of these two are the one we met outside. He’s still around somewhere.”

I have to say, Steven A. McKay’s Return of the Wolf is definitely up to his usual standard. This may be his best Robin Hood book yet. He weaves a wonderful story incorporating the legend of Robin Hood, with the mysteries of lost treasure, and a road trip with friends. Of course, there are dangers along the way, pirates, duplicitous noblemen, a vicious gang of thugs, and the elements themselves.

Travelling amidst a heatwave, the thunder storms are legendary – so much louder on the continent than we are used to in England (when I was working at Disneyland, Paris, there was a thunderstorm so loud that I thought someone had blown up the park!)

Return of the Wolf takes you back to the 14th century. You are immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the era: from the loud and rowdy taverns, to the peace of a Hospitaller commandery, from the swell of the open sea, to the dark of the forests. I can even forgive Steven A. McKay for setting Robin Hood in Barnsdale Forest and Wakefield, rather than Sherwood and Nottingham (but don’t tell Steven!)

Success or failure – and Robin’s very freedom – depends on the survival skills of Robin and his friends. It is a tense, sometimes frightening, adventure. The fight scenes are frantic, failure is only one misstep away and enemies are stalking them in the dark.

What a fabulous story!

And, hopefully, the first of many more!

Buy Return of the Wolf

About the author:

Steven A. McKay was born in Scotland in 1977 and always enjoyed studying history. He decided to write his Forest Lord novels after seeing a house called “Sherwood” when he was out at work one day. Since then he’s started a new series, the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, and just completed a trilogy about Alfred the Great.

In 2021 the Xbox game HOOD: Outlaws and Legends was released, featuring Steven’s writing.

He used to be in a heavy metal band although he tends to just play guitar in his study these days. He did use those guitars to write the theme song for the podcast he co-hosted, Rock, Paper, Swords! with Matthew Harffy, though. Give it a listen, they’ve interviewed great guests like Diana Gabaldon, Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell, Dan Jones and more!