Axe for an Abbot — Elizabeth Eyre

Popes, cardinals, whores, and thieves are among the players in this fifth Renaissance mystery featuring the enigmatic knight Sigismondo and his sidekick Benno.
Tricked into a murder, Sigismondo finds himself in the middle of a no-holds-barred political melee for the possession of La Feconda, the fabled and jewel-encrusted cross said to bring fertility to its owner.
When an important abbot is found dead - with Sigismondo's axe sticking out of his back - the cover-up sweeps into the highest offices of Renaissance Italy. Dukes, cardinals, and even the Pope jealously put their forces in motion to recover the missing relic and to keep an eye on a raving monk whose visions may he more meaningful than they seem.
The tough and honorable Sigismondo will do whatever it takes to set things right and return La Feconda to its proper place in the shrine of Sheggia, but this means crossing swords with the most vicious and powerful families of the land.
Ever attended by his slow-witted aide Benno, the resourceful knight enlists a sly assassin and master of disguises, a thief, a very wicked woman, and an old flame with a jealous husband in his quest to restore order.
Fervent religion, cold-blooded murder, medieval lust, and back-stabbing politics all feature in this gem of a Renaissance free-for-all.