The Secret of Saint Olaf's Church

The first in a series of gripping historical murder mysteries, set in fifteenth-century Estonia

At the dawn of the fifteenth century, Tallinn stands on the edge of Christendom. Merchants, monks, knights and pirates all struggle for control of the wealthy city. When the brutally decapitated corpse of a knight is discovered, apothecary Melchior Wakenstede, famed for his brilliant mind, is asked to investigate.

But as Melchior tries to untangle the mystery, he stumbles across truths that many powerful people would prefer stayed hidden... Does he dare to defy them all?



Indrek Hargla is one of Estonia's best-known and most prolific crime writers. Hargla's Apothecary Melchior Mysteries, set in fifteenth-century Tallinn and starring a detective pharmacist named Melchior Wakenstede, have been translated into five languages, adapted for stage and were the basis for a popular Estonian film trilogy. He is also a screenwriter and an award-winning writer of science fiction and fantasy. Originally a senior lawyer in the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hargla has been a full-time writer since 2012. Adam Cullen is a freelance translator of Estonian prose, poetry, and drama. His translations include The Cavemen Chronicle by Mikhel Mutt, The Brother and the Reconstruction by Rein Raud (both titles nominated for the Cultural Endowment of Estonia's Prize for Literary Translation), Burning Cities by Kai Aareleid, and Radio by Tonu Onnepalu. Originally from Minnesota he has resided in Estonia since 2007.