The summer of 1273 is peaceful for most of England, except in the village of Tyndal, where Martin the cooper has been poisoned at the local inn. Martin had enough enemies, so the killer could be anyone. It could be his usual whore, who is about to be tossed aside for another woman; it could be the innkeeper's niece, who has secret reasons for fearing him; or perhaps it's the blacksmith, a man whose temper might have exploded when he was mocked once too often.
This crime has naught to do with the priory, but Prioress Eleanor grieves for her friend, the newly bereaved Crowner Ralf, and offers what help she and former apothecary Sister Anne can. But when her own problems multiply, Eleanor has good reason to regret her kindness. Her new anchoress terrifies her servants and welcomes visitors to her window at night. One of those visitors has been Brother Thomas, a man the prioress secretly loves and whose loyalty to her as head of Tyndal Priory is now suspect.
Bodies multiply. Suspects disappear. No one likes the direction the evidence points, but God's justice must be rendered—even for the forsaken soul.
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"I'd rather give this 3.5 stars. The characters continue to grow and develop in this series, but it is the second in which the solution of the mystery is through sudden intuition-getting a little samey." — Cece (4 out of 5 stars)
"I'd rather give this 3.5 stars. The characters continue to grow and develop in this series, but it is the second in which the solution of the mystery is through sudden intuition-getting a little samey."
“Excellent…Against an authentic backdrop of medieval life and lore, Royal once again brings alive characters who are true to their period yet exhibit emotions and feelings that twenty-first-century readers will recognize as their own.”
“Vanessa Benjamin…provides an atmospheric reading. She clearly differentiates between the religious and coarse country folk, as well as between the sexes. She easily delivers the strong emotions of the story and depicts the deep superstition and awe-laden religious context of the period.”
“As the author of Forsaken Soul and Chamber of Death, I wanted you to know how delighted I have been with the readings of my works by Vanessa Benjamin. Not only does she have a wonderful voice for works set in thirteenth-century England but she has caught the characters perfectly with inflection and accent. Many thanks for having her do the audios of my books. It has been a pleasure to listen to her read them.”
“The latest Priscilla Royal medieval mystery is a clever historical whodunit that uses a vivid background to enhance an engaging investigation.”
" Apparently, this book is the fifth in a series. I think that I would have enjoyed it far more had I realized that at the onset. I don't think that it works terribly well as a stand-alone book. "
" Oh-oh, this series is beginning to plod a bit. Back to something less repetitive. "
" Excellent mystery. Very well done. "
" I really didn't enjoy this book althought the plot was quite good. I found the flowerly language especially in the dialogue was too much more so when the uneducated are speaking. Also too much "Satan" as the blame for all evils. "
" Maybe even 4 1/2. The best in the series so far. "
" This is a good series. I'm catching on to the formula. I wish that the characters showed more variety in their dialogue. The prioress, priest, crowned, barmaid, and who're all have the same voice. "
" The mystery wasn't so mysterious (I guessed who the murderer was pretty quick) but the medieval setting intrigues me. I will read more of this series. "
" Once again, I found that I no longer cared about the characters, which is never a good thing. "
Priscilla Royal grew up in British Columbia, earned a degree in world literature from San Francisco State University, and worked for the federal government in various positions. She is the author of the Medieval Mystery series featuring Eleanor, prioress of Tyndal, and she is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, California Writers Club, and Sisters in Crime.
Vanessa Benjamin (a.k.a. Roe Kendall) is a native of the British Isles. Some twenty-five years ago she moved to the United States with her family and set down roots in Maryland. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, receiving their silver medal as well as the Sir Emile Littler and Caryl Brahms awards. Benjamin has performed on stage in the Washington, DC, area for several years and at many venues and has performed at the Kennedy Center as Mrs. Schubert in the long-running show Shear Madness. An accomplished actress and narrator, she has recorded over two hundred books. Her work as a freelance voice-over artist and narrator has led her in many interesting directions, from technical government materials to eighteenth-century romance novels to hotel advertising, but narrating books is what she really enjoys. “I really love playing all the parts when I narrate a book. It’s an adventure, a challenge, and above all I feel that I learn something new with each book I read. I do a lot of reading for the Library of Congress’ Blind and Physically Handicapped program, and it is so rewarding for me especially when I get a letter from a patron; it’s a great service for the listener.”
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