The Bishop's Tale

Sister Frevisse #4

by Margaret Frazer

"MAY GOD STRIKE ME DOWN WITHIN THE HOUR!"To the guests at the mourning feast for Thomas Chaucer, the last words of Sir Clement Sharpe had been enough to damn him in the eyes of God. Detested by all who knew him, his final blasphemy had turned even God's anger against him and his death would be a lesson well-remembered. None among them would ever forget the sight of God striking down a sinning man, and each would keep in their heart the need to honor God's charity and love in all the hours of their lives.But the crafty Dame Frevisse and cunning Bishop Beaufort suspect that there may be an all-too-mortal hand at work in Sir Clement's death. If their suspicions can be proved, then the only lesson to be learned is the bleakest secret of the blackest heart.PRAISE FOR THE BISHOP'S TALE"The setting for another tale of mystery, intrigue, jealousy and ambition, well drawn, well paced, and a pleasure to read." - Historical Novels Review“Rich period detail, canny characterization, and a lively plot should endear Sister Frevisse and her tales to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.” – Minneapolis Star Tribune“Truly this is a winter’s tale, wintry in setting and in themes. The most powerful emotions are chilled and Cool authority, icy determination, cold despair – these are stronger than the widow’s stormy, self-pitying grief, the petulant anger of a pair of young lovers, the heat of a proud man’s anger, and the fiery rash which clutches and kills him.” – Jeanne M. Jacobson, Drood Review of MysteryPRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES“Frazer is writing one of the most consistently excellent historical series in print today.” – Murder Ink"Frazer successfully captures the essence of 15th century England – the sights, smells, and sounds fill the pages, drawing us in as we become immersed in the language, manners, and customs of a far off time and place.” – Rendezvous“Dame Frevisse, the pious and perspective nun gives focus to this sober series... [Frazer] shows a meticulous detail that speaks of trustworthy scholarship and a sympathetic imagination.” – New York Times Book Review"Once you begin to read this series, you will want to follow your new friends to the end of their personal story.” – Cross Point Book Reviews"Exquisitely written... A superbly researched medieval mystery series!” – Publisher’s Weekly“Everything about it bespeaks quality and care… Frazer draws us into a medieval village in England with a story of lust, greed, and murder.” – St. Paul Pioneer PressA Romantic Times Top Pick.Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Medieval, Fiction, Historical, British Literature

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1994

About the author

Margaret Frazer is a pen name used at first by Mary Monica Pulver Kuhfeld and Gail Lynn Frazer writing in tandem for a series of historical medieval mysteries featuring Dame Frevisse. After the sixth novel, the works are written by Gail Frazer alone, and the name has subsequently been used exclusively by her. A second series of novels by Ms Frazer set in the same time and place feature the player/minstrel Joliffe.

See also: Monica Ferris, Mary Monica Pulver

Series:
* Sister Frevisse
* Joliffe

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

England 1434: Schwester Frevisses Onkel ist gestorben. Auf der Trauerfeier bricht einer der Gäste, Sir Clement Sharpe, plötzlich tot zusammen. Bischof Beaufort glaubt an einen Mord. Hat jemand Sir Clement vergiftet? Der Bischof bittet Schwester Frevisse, heimlich Ermittlungen anzustellen und so den Täter zu finden.
🌟🌟🌟
Mein Leseeindruck:
Seit ich vor vielen Jahren "Bruder Cadfael"-Romane von Ellis Peters gelesen habe, liebe ich Historische Kriminalromane, die im Mittelalter spielen. So habe ich mich sehr gefreut, als ich die Bücher von Margaret Frazer entdeckt habe.
"Der Bischof" ist ein eher ruhiger Historischer Kriminalroman. Die Handlung spielt fast nur an einem einzigen Ort, und zwar dem Wohnsitz von Schwester Frevisses verstorbenem Onkel.
Schwester Frevisse ist eine selbstbewusste, intelligente Nonne Anfang 30, die mir nicht immer sympathisch war, dadurch aber nur interessanter wurde.
Mir hat die besondere Stimmung des Buches sehr gut gefallen. Ich habe mich wirklich ins Mittelalter zurückgesetzt gefühlt.
Auch der Schreibstil von Margaret Frazer ist sehr angenehm. Das Buch lässt sich sehr flüssig und schnell lesen, da auch die Geschichte sehr fesselnd ist (wenn auch ruhiger als viele Krimis).
Mir hat das Buch richtig gut gefallen. Es hat Spaß gemacht, Schwester Frevisse zu begleiten und ich freue mich auf weitere spannende Fälle!

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Margaret Frazer's stories and was saddened by her death this years. In her honor, I am rereading my way through her work, beginning with the Dame Frevisse novels, followed by the Joliffe the Player novels. She has a gift for blending together history and fiction into compelling stories of the lives of real people. If Dame Frevisse is a reflection of Frazer, then the writer was a keen observer of human nature. Dame Frevisse engages us as we journey with her through her life of conflict as she struggles to reconcile her very real love of God with her strong intellect and desire to be free. In a society where the only role for a woman of her class was that of wife and mother, she chose a paradoxical freedom in the religious life. Outwardly circumscribed by the routines of the enclosed religious, regulated by bells and the routines of church services, she finds the intellectual freedom she requires to prosper.

The occasional murder adds interest to an already fascinating life and gives her the excuse to leave the cloister now and then to respond to the needs of others. Her fictional relationship to the very real son of Geoffrey Chaucer and his daughter Alice, give us a peephole into some of the major players in the Wars of the Roses. Chaucer's wife, Philippa, is sister to Katherine Swynford, mistress and then wife to John of Gaunt. One of their children, Henry Beaufort is the Bishop of Winchester, cousin to Chaucer's son Thomas. When Thomas lies dying, Dame Frevisse his niece crosses paths with the formidable bishop, to their mutual admiration.

I like that Frazer chose not to use stilted dialogue to suggest the age. It would be like reading The Canterbury Tales and would require translation. Instead, they talk like real people. In one author's note, she defends her choice because they didn't know they talked funny. Historical accuracy can be taken too far, but Frazer knows when to stop.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth in the Sister Frevisse medieval mystery series revolving around a very intelligent nun.

"Best Novel" nomination at the 1995 Minnesota Book Awards


My Take
It's odd but I can't believe it's only been four stories. I feel as though I've known Dame Frevisse forever. Frazer has done an amazing amount of research on the time period for she sets the time period for us beautifully. From furniture to clothes, manners to law, travel to architecture, Frazer takes you back to that era.

This one is interesting for its look at funerary protocols for a man who is wealthy and highly respected at court, in the city, and in the countryside. Well, and for the explorations Frevisse undertakes to discover why the victim died. Galen's book is quite the authority. It was also fascinating to read of Chaucer's extensive library and makes me ever so grateful for the ease of acquiring books today as well as our access to libraries and the Internet. What would Chaucer or Frevisse have thought of any of that?

I must confess that in some ways, I almost regret the largesse, but only
because it is so easy today to find new books to read whereas then the few they had meant reading and re-reading past having them memorized. I always envy people's ability to spout quotations. For one to begin a quote and for another to finish it. Still, I'd not give up today's riches.

Yet another contrast is the...gullibility…it's not really a fair word to use of people then in believing it was God's will. We have the benefit of science and greater knowledge to explain such things now. Then again, perhaps we rely too much upon what can be theorized over and proved scientifically.

It's inevitable I suppose that if you get any group of people together, you can find those who hate another. Probably more true when it's a group of such people who expect their station in life to allow them so much more leeway. Or greater strictures!

Frazer does give us a peek at a different side to Beaufort when he reminisces about his loss. The loss of a trusted friend in whom he could find and be assured of wise counsel. Thomas had not been a man ambitious for power or a life at court. Unlike Beaufort.

I realize that Frevisse was in a difficult position, attempting to question witnesses without having visible authority and without tipping people off, but this was the least successful part of the story. I'm not sure if it's because I knew what she was doing or because I'm too unfamiliar with people's expectations of the time were of women's intellect.


The Story
Thomas Chaucer is dying and has a personal bequest he trusts the bishop to carry out for him. He hopes for one last word with Frevisse, but the illness is progressing as it will. All that's left to Frevisse is to provide what comfort she can to her Aunt Matilda even as she sorely grieves the man she saw as her best friend.

It's Bishop Beaufort's assessing gaze on Frevisse that bothers her and when she learns of her uncle's words to the bishop, Frevisse is yet more concerned. As bishop, she is subject to his commands and when one of the guests at the funeral feast dies, Thomas' words come back to haunt Frevisse.

For the bishop expects her to discover if it was indeed God's hand or man's.


The Characters
Dame Frevisse is still mourning the decisions she made in The Outlaw's Tale , struggling with the guilt. Dame Perpetua has been sent as companion with Frevisse when she travels to her uncle's deathbed. Both sisters are associated with St. Frideswide's Priory of which Domina Edith is still the prioress, but barely.

Thomas Chaucer is her uncle by marriage but her best friend in life. Matilda is his wife and Frevisse's aunt. A lady given to talking, talking, talking, and a firm belief in suitable occupations for women. A bit of a nitwit. Thank goodness, their daughter Alice, the current Countess of Suffolk, Frevisse's cousin and a bane of her childhood, took more after Thomas. William de la Pole is the earl of Suffolk. Chaucer had mentioned that Alice was the brains and William the rank for he certainly hasn't the wit. Sir Philip is the household priest, a recommendation of the bishop's. His advancement can only come at the bishop's hands limited as he is by his birth. Master Gallard Basing is Sir Phillip's brother and the household usher. Master Broun is the snippy doctor who tries to help the victim. It's sweet that Thomas took such care of his clerk Master Lionel's pride and life.

Cardinal Bishop Henry Beaufort of Winchester is his cousin through their mothers and considers him his best and most trustworthy friend. Beaufort's mother had been the Duke of Lancaster's mistress bearing him four children including Henry. It wasn't until late that Lancaster married his mistress and Richard II legitimized the children.

Mourners who come to share their grief over Thomas' passing include the nasty Sir Walter Fenner (see The Novice's Tale ) although it does bring young Robert as well (It's nice to get caught up with what's happening in the Fenner household. Well, for us, anyway.); the sour, agitating Sir Clement Sharpe with his nephew Jevan Dey, his heir Guy Sharpe, and his ward Lady Anne Featherstone; Sir Ralph and Lady Eleanor; Sir Edward; and other assorted merchants and nobles.


The Cover
The very bland heavy cream cover differs somewhat from the earlier covers in that the framing pillars are gone and the Gothic window has been enlarged. It's still a masterpiece in granite---a deep gray brown this time with burgundy marbled insets in the window's side supports and ending in a green marbled panel at their base. The squared bottom portion of the window provides a peek at a bishop's miter and a just-blown candle in its overflowing holder. The stained glass insert that fills the peak appears to be of a white temple with a pointed golden roof and a border of red diamond shapes in a white ground and bordered on both sides in a lapis lazuli blue inset with small golden squares. The blank space above the curved upper window frames is filled with carved acanthus leaves in a triangular frame.

The title is all about the very important Bishop Beaufort making it The Bishops' Tale.

[Karen Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second Sister Frevisse book I've read in Margaret Frazer's award winning series and, for the most part, it was a very good read.

In this book, Sister Frevisse leaves the nunnery to attend to her Aunt in the wake of her beloved Uncle Thomas' death. While at the feast for all those attending the funeral, Sister Frevisse witnesses (along with many others) a rather unpleasant character fall ill in rather dramatic circumstances. What follows has physicians and priests wondering: did God have a hand (quite literally) in this man's fate or was it something far more mundane and sinister? Unconvinced that God played a role, one of the guests, Bishop Beaufort, asks Frevisse to investigate.

A bit slow-moving for my taste, the book is nonetheless sprinkled with wonderful historical detail and some real figures (the Bishop of the title for example) and evokes the Middle Ages so well. What I found a bit tiresome was Sister Frevisse's need to prove her searing intellect (and which is evident when she opens her mouth and through her deportment) by quoting from various sources to impress others (that it does is no help). Overall, however, the characters ring true, the plot is tight and the cause of death interesting (the author's explanation of why she used such a method is as well).

[Corrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bishop’s Tale by Margaret Frazer is the fourth book in the Dame Frevisse Series and once more we find Dame Frevisse outside the cloister walls as she travels (accompanied by Dame Perpetua) to London to mourn the passing of her beloved uncle Thomas Chaucer.

We get introduced to a new cast of interesting characters, like Chaucer’s cousin Cardinal Bishop Henry Beaufort of Winchester, Chaucer’s chatty wife Matilda, their lovely daughter Alice and her third husband William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk (we will see them back in a later novel).

Frevisse shivered. She was lately caught in a cold eddy of life and could not seem to escape it, despite all her prayers and penance. Half a year ago she had made choices and a final choice that had come because of them—and since then had lived with what she had done, and found no peace. There were people dead who might have been alive except for her choices. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. By my fault, by my fault, by my most grievous fault.

Frevisse is still atoning for what happened in The Servant’s Tale and will get a chance to work towards easing her guilt when the next murder happens. Because in this series they always do! Again, a solid mystery to enjoy and the nuns feel like old friends by now.

No audio book this time so I tried to imagine Susan Duerden’s voice as I was reading.

"Dame Frevisse is well-born, well-educated, and not at all afraid to stick her inquisitive nose into anything which just does not seem right."

Themes: Oxfordshire, 1434, there have been some changes in St. Frideswide’s, I didn’t know there were only 10 nuns and prioress Domina Edith. There’s Sister Thomasine (now infirmaress), Dame Claire (to her shock now cellarer and kitchener), Sister Emma, Sister Juliana, Dame Alys (now a discontented sacrist), Sister Amicia, Dame Perpetua, Sister Lucy, and Dame Frevisse (no longer a hosteller).

5 Stars

[Pauline Calkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bishop in question is Bishop Henry Beaufort. He is the cousin of Thomas Chaucer (remember, their mothers were sisters); Chaucer is the uncle by marriage of that sleuth, Sister Frevisse. Both Beaufort and Frevisse have a special bond with Chaucer and they are brought together to mourn his death. During his funeral feast the quarrelsome Sir Clement Sharpe gets into a loud argument with another attendee and stands up to proclaim that if he is not in the right, let God strike him down within the hour. And within the hour he is dead. Most in the assembly believe that Sharpe’s death was God’s judgment. Beaufort and Frevisse have doubts, however. Many people had reason to hate Sir Clement; he had many disputes with many different people and Frevisse was assured that anyone who had been around him for more than half a day has heard him swear the same thing. Did God grow tired of him and decide to judge him after all? Beaufort is thinking of hiring Chaucer’s priest and wants (commands, really) Frevisse to investigate him. Frevisse doesn’t much like Beaufort (too smooth and ambitious, perhaps?) but she, too, has come to believe Sir Clement was poisoned. His symptoms do not match any known poison. Modern readers will realize how Sir Clement’s death was brought about long before Frevisse does, but not necessarily “who done it.” There is a classic scene at the end where all the suspects are gathered together as Frevisse exposes the culprit.

This is another solid effort. While the characters are not quite as well developed in her earlier works and the plot a little thin, we do get an insight into the mindset of a medieval religious person.

[SBC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this 4th book in the Dame Frevisse series. I was startled to find Thomas Chaucer dying at the beginning, as there was no mention of ill health in the previous books, and I had become accustomed to him arriving as the fairy godfather to protect and assist Dame Frevisse at the end of each of the previous books. I really liked the way this book addressed Dame Frevisse's mental health in the wake of the grim realities of the previous two books, and their impact on her mind, mood, and faith. The allergic reaction that killed the victim was incredibly obvious to a modern reader - what was interesting was how they stumbled to comprehend it. Learning about the funeral process was interesting, too. I felt very sorry for the murderer, who seemed to have lived a life of terrible abuse. It was interesting to meet the character of the Bishop.

[Dempse Kb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I've warmed up to the series, it was nice to see Sister Frevisse outside the convent for once. I enjoyed the description of outlaw life, and middle class freeman life. It's nice to read a book that sweeps you along and gives a few possible motives and potential villains. An entertaining read, a surprise ending and looking forward to the next book!

[Logophile (Heather) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sister Frevisse is a nun in the 15th century so the story is all medieval-y, and she solves mysteries.
Seemed well-researched and well-written. It's a nice, sedate read.

[elsalmon L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pious perspective nun and cunning Bishop solve a mystery of lust, greed, and murder.

[Diane K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a very interesting plot. The means of murder was quite clever, and, for its time, must have been quite extraordinary. I was saddened at the loss of Dame Frevisse's uncle and dearest friend, but we're introduced to her cousin Alice, who becomes a strong recurring character in later works. Not to mention the bishop, who, despite also being a good friend of Thomas Chaucer, and a very clever, insightful man, just somehow irritates Frevisse, although she is properly obedient to his wishes.

However, there was a minor side point at the beginning of the story that so startled me (not to mention the two nuns it affected) that I found my thoughts returning to it again and again. At the end of the previous book, Frevisse was left feeling guilty for not having prevented one of the deaths that occurred. To my mind, she's taking on too much. She hadn't seen the person in question for sixteen years, and couldn't have known how he would react to the situation. Anyway, Domina Edith names her as sacrist in order to give her more time in the church to pray and reflect. That's fine. Perhaps to cover any idea of favoritism, or perhaps simply because it was time, she also changes around the other offices that the nuns hold--such as pulling Dame Alyce from her tyrannical position as cellarer. (BTW, for a long time I thought Alyce was simply a servant, with the courtesy title of "Dame" because of her obnoxious attitudes. I was surprised to realize that she was also a nun!) This is also a good idea. It keeps the nuns from falling into a rut, and helps them develop other skills. HOWEVER...Domina Edith also pulled Dame Clare from her position as infirmarian and installed Sister Thomasina in her place. This was utterly absurd. What was she thinking? What was Margaret Frazer thinking? An infirmarian might not be an accredited physician, but it was the closest thing they had to it. Think about all such a person would have to know: a knowledge of illnesses and how to treat them, knowledge of wounds ditto. Knowledge of herb lore: which herbs are good for what, how to grow them, how to harvest them, how to preserve them, how to distill them into balms, salves, tinctures, and so on, and so on. And Domina Edith proposed to throw the youngest, least experienced nun into this position? "Oh, you'll pick it up in a week or two!" No doubt poor Thomasina was left constantly rushing to consult with Clare. I'm wondering how many people wrote to point out this absurdity to Frazer, because I noticed that about two books later, Dame Clare was quietly reinstalled in her place. Still later, one of the newer nuns, Johane (?) appears to have become an apprentice of sorts, which is the intelligent way to go about it, because sooner or later they're going to need a new (and properly trained) infirmarian.

[Adelais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Наступна книга про даму Фревіссу, яка через родичів завжди розслідує всілякі детективні справи, аж помолитися часом ніколи. Цього разу вона приїжджає у маєток на поховання свого дядька Томаса Чосера, а там позбиралася купа місцевих достойників і навіть єпископ Вінчестерський, який даму Фревіссу одразу зауважив, хоча пихатості в нього від цього не поменшало. Всі пристойно поминають дядька, але є все-таки один місцевий сквайр, якого страшенно не люблять за гидотний характер, і після чергового виступу рука Божа його й прибиває. А може не Божа, а може взагалі не рука, хто зна, схоже на отруєння. Єпископ одразу приставляє даму Фревіссу до справи, і вона в класичному дусі всіх порозпитує, а в кінці збере коло підозрюваних і викриє вбивцю.
Дуже приємний детектив, де читачі цілком можуть досить рано здогадатися, як саме сталося убивство, але не хто власне вбив (бо наука і прогрес). І гарно описане повсякдення у середньому багатому маєтку, хто чим займається, скільки взагалі людей проживає (багато), та й інтриг вистачає. А ще єпископ за розслідування похвалив, і дама Фревісса тепер підозрює, що їй і далі не відкараскатися.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly a mystery series that doesn't overreach vis-à-vis drama; but of course the main character is a nun, so there's an understandable limitation in that regards. Sister Frevisse is clever and shows off her cleverness here, although even then it wasn't a stretch to figure this one out. The one noteworthy plot point, to me, is that the Bishop of the title is Bishop Henry Beaufort, the second son of John of Gaunt (Duke of Lancaster) and his mistress, and later wife, Katherine Swynford, she of the novel "Katherine". This was an interesting period in English history - well, almost all of it is interesting - and from the Duke's line came one half of the War of the Roses. So, in this small book, I found the depiction of the Bishop's character to be of note - one can read more about him here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_B...

[Laura Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really started out with a bang. Such an interesting premise. Did Sir Clement die by the hand of God or was he murdered? However, a little over halfway through, the pace bogged down a bit.

I'll miss the witty and affectionate repartee between Frevisse and Thomas Chaucer.

I do like reading about a character who is confident in her faith, yet still undergoes her personal struggles. I also like that the reader shares Dame Frevisse's spiritual journey as well as other aspects of her life. Too many series featuring nuns or priests use it as a sidebar, but the Frevisse series addresses all aspects of Frevisse's life and character, including the part which should obviously be the most important to her. And it is.

[Carol Flatten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all seven of Frazer's Sister Frevisse mysteries. Each one is unique and each one develops the characters of the nunnery a bit more. In the Bishop's tale, we meet the bishop who will play a part in later stories, plus Frevisse's cousin Alice. The story takes place at the estate of her uncle, who has died and Frevisse is there as a family member. Of course, there is a mysterious death, which in the story she finds is a well planned murder. In this story, as in the others, the food and customs of England at Henry VI's reign. The political scene is also touched upon with the lives of several of the characters in this story..

[Barbm1020 · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to her setting in time and place, Same Frevisse finds neither comfort nor justice in this tragic murder mystery. The writing is smooth and the story well-told. I guessed the means of the murder pretty quickly, but the dead man has many enemies and the suspense holds out until the end. I hope other historical fiction fans will enjoy it as much as I did, and weep more for the killer than for the victim.

[Terry Polston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sister Frevisse stories always have such a gentle, slow reveal that her intelligence shines. It seems each story that I have read is set in wintertime and I am transported to unrelenting, bitter cold.
The one Easter egg is so small that you don't even recognize it until the reveal.
In this story, her beloved uncle passes and a funeral goes who has made it his life's purpose to torment everyone dies after calling on God to strike him down if he is wrong. God obliges. (or does He)

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is showing a good improvement in Sister Frevisse's mysteries. The mystery was less convoluted (possibly too little, I definitely saw part of it coming long before she did) and her involvement made more sense. I'm looking forward to seeing if the next few books continue as positively as this one did.

[Harriet Lindblom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sorry we had to lose that wonderful character, Thomas Chaucer, at the very beginning of this book. But in spite of that loss, we have a rich array of characters to make this 4th Dame Frevisse mystery entertaining. The super intelligent, inquisitive Dame becomes more endearing with every book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my weirder reading quirks is adoring books, especially mysteries set in medieval monasteries/nunneries. I especially love this series as it (thus far) skips over a lot of detail about the messy politics of the era and focuses in on the personal and everyday lives. And Dame Frevisse is the best!

[Debbiebandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-written and is authentic to Medieval England as few books set in that time period are. A quick read and with some deep themes. I look forward to reading another Dame Frevisse mystery.

[Mary Helene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad, again. I like this series, obviously, because I keep reading but the sadness is only balanced by the way the nuns wrap themselves in prayer.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, quiet, fairly predictable. It suited my mood well.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting characters but the series is marred by sloppy writing. Am I the only person bothered by this?

[Brittany Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less of an interesting investigation but more insight into Dame Frevisse as a character. I'm quite fond of her.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An improved plot from the previous mystery, I found it funny to have been able to diagnose the problem before it was revealed bc of the restraints of the 15th c. World!

[Jill Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fourth novel in Margaret Frazer's series centering on Dame Frevisse, a Benedictine nun, has both personal and global aspects for Frevisse. She has hastened (in the early winter of 1434)to the village of Ewelme to her Uncle Thomas Chaucer's manor hoping to be in time to spend his final hours with him. She is too late. It makes a dreadful loss even worse; Thomas had cared for her growing up, introduced her to books, and been a dear friend in adulthood. She is less close to her nattering Aunt Matilda and her cousin Alice, now married to the powerful Earl of Suffolk. At the house in mourning, she is surprised to meet Bishop Beaufort, a Cardinal of the Church and uncle to the boy king Henry VI, and, as she learns, the best friend and cousin of Thomas Chaucer. Thomas not only entrusted a personal message to Frevisse by way of Beaufort but had clearly spoken often to his friend about his learned, wise, and insightful niece. At the funeral feast, a boastful man disliked by all is stricken and later dies. Beaufort asks Frevisse to talk among the servants and guests and seek possible poisons. The dead man's ward and likely his next wife had he lived, Lady Anne, is suspect because she can now marry the man of her dreams. A jealous lover lurks in the background; he also has motive for Sir Clement Sharpe's death. Beaufort calls the large assemblage of suspects into a room and waits with them all for Frevisse to name the murderer. Can she? Will she? And will Beaufort see her as a trusted, useful ally or a country-bred nun who should return posthaste to convent life?

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Frevisse haas received word at St. Frideswide's that her uncle, Thomas Chaucer, son Geoffrey, is gravely ill and wishes to see her before he dies. She is given permission to travel to Ewelme, the family estate where she was raised, with Sister Perpetua as her travelling companion and two outriders. When they arrive, they learn that Thomas Chaucer has already passed. However, he has left her a bequest outside his will, given to her by Bishop Beaufort, a close friend of her uncle for many years. The gift is wrapped in cloth but appears to be a book; we never learn for certain which book, but are given a glimpse from her memory of what might be inside. At the feast following the funeral, one guest, Sir Clement Sharpe, an onerous man who relishes scaring people with unwarranted threats, rises and leans in to the family's priest, and cries out, "But if I'm wrong in this matter, may God strike me down within the hour!" Apparently this was often his way. This time, though, he was seized with a fit and strangling for breath. The general belief is that God had indeed struck him down. Nevertheless the Bishop thinks otherwise and asks Sister Frevisse, of whose talents and perspicacity her uncle had spoken highly, to look into the matter, which she does with appropriate diligence, learning that Sir Clement was indeed murdered. The means of death became obvious early on; the only question was who did the killing. Frevisse, with the Bishop's help. manages to sort it out in a neat and tidy denouement.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful mystery with Sister Frevisse at the center!
This one revolves around the death of her beloved Uncle Thomas. While attending to her aunt and the funeral events, another man, one disliked by virtually everyone who knew him, is struck dead in front of all the visitors during the funeral feast. Naturally, Sr. Frevisse is asked to look into the situation and determine if the man was struck down by God or man.

The Sister Frevisse mysteries, while obviously set in a completely different time period, with clearly very different characters etc., have come to mean as much to me as the Nancy Drew mysteries of my childhood.

There is Sister Frevisse, of course, who is smart, articulate, and who sees things others do not. She is not afraid to speak up when the need calls for it. She is depended upon by everyone from those in the Stable to those in the highest levels of the Church. She is a woman ahead of her time, who loves both the Lord and the Body of Christ, loves her sisters in the convent, cares for those around her, even the one who is identified as the murderer in each book. I relate to her on a very deep level.

There are recurring characters: those in the nunnery, those in the village, those of her family and so on.

Furthermore, the research and writing in these books is marvelous. Set in and around the Years of Our Lord 1430-1440, these books give the reader insight into the times and trials of those who lived in England during these years.

I highly recommend the Sister Frevisse mysteries!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume of the Sister Frevisse series is a very personal one for the main character because her uncle Thomas Chaucer dies. He had raised her from the time she was orphaned and had been a constant source of acceptance, understanding, respect and care. He had always encouraged her to pursue her education and develop her first-rate mind. I will be sorry to no longer have that relationship in Frevisse's life because it draws out a part of the character no one else does. Frevisse's relationship with her cousin Alys, which proves to be a critical relationship in future novels of the series, is introduced in all of its complexities. The mystery is absorbing, and Frevisse is always at her best when drawn into the affairs of high and mighty. The device of including the Benedictine offices is not as seamless in these novels as it usually is, but it is not distracting either.