The Joys of My Life (Severn House Large Print) by Alys Clare

Hawkenlye Mysteries #12

by Alys Clare

A Hawkenlye medieval mystery - May 1199. Abbess Helewise has been summoned by Queen Eleanor to discuss the building of a chapel at Hawkenlye Abbey. Meanwhile, Sir Josse d'Acquin is on the trail of a group of mysterious knights rumoured to be devil worshippers. As Helewise heads for home, Josse follows his quarry to Chartres, where he meets the last person he Joanna. And she has grave problems of her own . . .

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

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Alys Clare is the pen name used by Elizabeth Harris for the Hawkenlye series of historical mysteries.

Alys Clare is the pseudonym of a novelist with some 20 published works to her name. Brought up in the countryside close to where the Hawkenlye Novels are set, she went to school in Tonbridge and later studied archaeology at the University of Kent. She lives for part of the year in Brittany, in a remote cottage deep in an ancient landscape where many past inhabitants have left their mark; on her doorstep are relics that date from the stone circles and dolmens of the Neolithic to the commanderies, chapels and ancient tracks of those infamous warrior monks, the Knights Templar. In England, Alys's study overlooks a stretch of parkland which includes a valley with a little spring. The waters of this spring are similar in colour and taste to Tunbridge Wells's famous Chalybeat Spring, and it was this that prompted Alys's setting of her fictional Hawkenlye Abbey in the very spot where her own house now stands.

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book no. 12 in the series. The series is going from historical fiction towards fantasy (of which I'm not a big fan), the supernatural, but I don't mind at all, I still enjoy it immensely. I'm immediately transported to that time and age (around 1200) and after all the adventures I come out with a smile on my face. Five books still to read.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Besides the mystery of who murdered a mason, Paul de Fleury--or was it suicide?, Sir Josse [and later with him Ninian, Joanna's son] pursues a group of knights, rumored to be devil worshippers with evil practices and Abbess Helewise's traveling to where Chartres Cathedral is being built in order for her to engage the master mason, Martin, to build a chapel on abbey lands. I feel this is the end of a stage in the story of Josse and Helewise. Their lives will change from now on. Much is given in the book about the "Old Religion", its spirituality, and coexistence with a changing Christianity. Is the author a Wiccan or at least knows a lot about it? I plan to continue with the series but wonder what direction it will take now. Perhaps if the author had continued in the same vein of her previous Hawkenlye novels, they may have become formulaic. Not the best of the series, but entertaining, anyhow, and loose ends tied up--perhaps too quickly.

[Patricia Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I like Alys Clare's medival mysteries much better than Ellis Peters - the characters are more diverse, with the different points of view of Joss D'Acquin and Abbess Helewise etc. This one has a wonderful plot centered around the convergence of the "old ways" and the encroachment of Christianity and how Christianity itself was changing. My only disappointment with this is that in the end it skipped ahead 10 years and appears to be the end of the series. WAAAAAH! We could have lots more adventures in those ten years! I may email Ms. Clare about this - also inquiring if some of the books I have seen listed in the series are even available in the US. Joshua and Lyn, I am highly recommending this series to you but you should start with the first one, Fortune Like The Moon.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story but was very disappointed with the ending. Felt like the author just "dropped" it on the last page and the reader has to like it or "lump it". Just recently found out that there is a 13th book to this series--"The Rose Of The World"--written just this year (2011). Ordered from my local library but will have to wait as it's new :(

Will be moving on to her new "Fen" series because I like these short plots (they're a quick read for me).

Note: By this point in the series, I have to accept that the author either is a practitioner, or knows a lot about, the Pagan or Earth religions. References to "respect" for the forest, the male god, herbal lore, those who do worship the Christian G*d, etc., is what alerted me to this. I respect the author's beliefs (they mesh with my own) but if you're one of those who believes in only ONE religion to the exclusion of all others you may not enjoy this book.

[Jazzysmum · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is Josse this time who faces the untangling of a problem, set him by Eleanor of Aquitaine.
I think you have to suspend belief a little bit in this one.

Once again we see the old religion of the people butting against the new religion of Christianity, which has become less tolerant of other beliefs and ideas.
Perhaps not so much mystery in this, as unwinding a knot and exposing fact.


The author finishes the book with a leap of 10 years into the future, which seems to wrap up the series in a neat parcel.
I found this one didn't stay with me as some books do and is quite forgettable.

I see there are another 5 books in the series, but I am unsure if I want to continue.

This year I set myself the task of completing and rereading the historical whodunnit series that I've had floating around for a few years. The Hawkenlye series is a nice quick read and has been flowing along very well.

I can recommend it to people who enjoy this genre, it's not quite Cadfael or Sister Fidelma but readable.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting, delightful, and warmed my heart! Best in series so far and I am SO GLAD not the last story of Helewise and Josse! Interesting backdrop of the Chartres cathedral building with one of the largest labyrinths inside a church. Clever weaving of the ancient natural wisdom and the changes coming in the early 12th century to Catholic Christianity. Love the wonderful way Alys Clare wove the connection of the divine and nature into the book!

[Zosia Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly thought this was the last book in the series. And it would of been a satisfactory ending. A perfect ending! but then I see there are more books to the series. Oh I do hope it lives up to my expectations and that the series concludes to a happy ending as in this book.
I am now apprehensive to read the remaining books as book 12 would leave me believing both protagonists leading a happy ending life together. But I shall dare to read forward.
Loved all these books so far.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abbess Helewise is summoned to Queen Eleanor who wishes to have a chapel built at Hawkenlye in memory of her son King Richard. Josse is part of the group who accompanies the Abbess. While there, the Queen pulls Josse aside to give him a secret mission to investigate rumors of some activities that Richard was involved with prior to his death. While in Chartres, Josse sees Joanna who is there on a mission with the Forest People. How will each of the missions work out?
Giving this 4 starts but it's more of a 3+ for the on-going characters. For some reason, I didn't care for main story line of what Josse was investigating. But I enjoyed the involvement of the recurring characters that I've come to like, and even the surprise return of Ninian who hasn't been included since early in the series. If it wasn't that I know there are still 5 more books in the series, I'd be sure that this is the end. It will be interesting to see where the remaining books go.

[Lynne Tull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a little movement in the plot line. I love that Ms. Clare doesn't keep the story stale. Again this time Josse again leaves England in search of the bad guy. There is still a lot of mystical adventures in the forest and happenings at the Abbey. Looking forward to the next story. Recommend.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome. Fast paced story of Abbess Helewise building a new chapel at the Queen's request while Josse solves the mystery of a satanic coven in France. His relationship with Joanna takes a drastic turn and a new chapter begins for many of the familiar characters. I couldn't put it down.

[Heather McCloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just blown away by this book!! Such a beautiful story! Intrigue, sadness, joy! And the undercurrent of the great mother!! Love, love, love!!!!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one and all the other Hawkenlye books

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reasonably satisfying end to the series. The mystery was interesting, many loose ends are tidied up and life moves on for all the main characters. Having read the synopsis of the next two books in the series I think I will stop here. It is a natural ending point, unlike some series that drag on for too long but the lives of the characters do not ever reach a satisfying point (I stopped the Bartholomew series some books back for this reason - I loved it at first but the characters were becoming tedious and Bartholomew's life remains in a rut).

(mini spoiler alert) The plot of this book was not without flaws. All the main players, and one or two we had not seen for quite a while, ended up in the same spot involved with the same thing but for different reasons - all a little bit too coincidental - but it did make for a good story.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

c2008: This book kept me mulling after I had finished it but not because of what was in it - but because of what wasn't in it. I really feel that the author was taking the proverbial p**s. Almost, as if she has tired of the series and decided to bring it to an (improbable) end and I feel a little cheated - hence the rant. I know that there is a 13th book featuring Helewise but I think that I am done! As for the "truths so terrible they shake his faith in mankind" - nothing of the sort. FWFTB: well - the blurb on the back of the book refers to the author in general and the synopsis on the inside of the dust cover is so misleading as to be criminal in itself. FCN: Helewise, Josse d'Aquin, King Richard, Queen Eleanor, Augustus.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read a couple of books from this series and have loved them. This book I really found very hard to believe in. I had to force myself to suspend all disbelief and try to enjoy the plot. I must admit that I didn't succeed. The supernatural bit really irritated me, it just seemed so contrived.
The characters are as likeable as ever. However, Joanna, the mother of Sir Josse d'Aquin's young daughter, I just failed to believe in.
The ending of the book, just staggered me. Why????
The book is a quick read, and I won't spoil it for others who may want to read it for themselves. Try it, but I really cannot recommend this book to you.

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series very much, both for the main characters and for the historical details of King Richard the Lionheart and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine. While there has always been a thread of pagan spirituality throughout the earlier books, this became much more prominent and required a rather significant suspension of disbelief in this volume, which also felt like the last of the series. I enjoyed the development of the main characters and loved the setting of Chartres Cathedral at the time of its construction, but the plot seemed overly contrived and the villain was over the top in his villainy. I will certainly look into this author's other series.

[Kathy Moberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this novel. It is barely a mystery, and the medieval New-Agey thread (the Forest People, their magic, etc.) that runs through this series, is much too prominent for my taste. Had the mystery been better, I could have overlooked that. Too much of the book is taken up with completing the series and filling readers in with what happens to major and minor characters. Not all of it is believable or satisfying.

Yet, there is now another book... I'm not sure if I'll read it or not.

[WarpDrive · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, not a bad read.
Parts of the story are quite nice and I enjoyed them, while some other parts are a bit cliché and also require a suspension of disbelief (which, for me, is an issue as I value historical accuracy in any historical novel). The treatment of the complex relationship between the "Old" religions and Christianity is also quite nicely accomplished.
Some characters, such as The Abbess and Josse, are interesting and well rounded, while some other characters (especially Joanna) are a bit weak and shallow.
An OK read.

[Suburbangardener · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series makes for terrible bed-time reading; too many nights I have stayed up late reading them, and this last installment is no exception. I have a hard time putting it down to do anything else (such as sleep). In this book, Josse is given a commission by Queen Eleanore to determine the truth of foul rumors about her late son, King Richard the Lionhearted. This book pretty much ties up all the loose ends of the series.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book in this series and is a very satisfactory wrap-up. The mystery, as such, is almost non-existent, but that's okay. We are really just here to find out the author's plans for Sir Josse, Abbess Helewise, Joanna and all the other characters whom we have followed through the previous 11 books.
One of the most interesting series set in King Richard's England.

[Ma'lis Wendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Joys of my life seems to be the final title in the Hawkenlye mysteries. Sir Josse and Abbess Helewiss travel from England to Aquitaine to Chartes and back to England with lots of action along the way. These mysteries set in the 12th century explore how the Old Religion and the Church interact during this time.

[Abcdarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This must be going to be the final book in the Hawkenlye series; everything is tidied up at the end, which is something I love, and the reason it got 4 stars. The plots have been getting wilder & farther away from the story's origins in the last few books; think she was running out of ideas. Anyway, a good finish.

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished 8th April 2009
Very good as are all of the Hawkenlye Abbey stories. The Abbess Helewise is summoned by Queen Eleanor to discuss the building of a very special chapel at Hawkenlye and there are also great worries about knights practising devil worship. I did think that it had an air of finality about it, I hope this will not be the last in the series!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically enjoyable read from Alys Clare. This is the 12th (and last) entry in the Hawkenlye series and picks up and pulls together many threads from previous books. The mystery is more a means to bring characters together than a whodunit to be sorted out.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice conclusion to the series. The mystery wasn't gripping, but the characters are all wrapped up satisfactorily. Not sad I read it, but definitely glad I got if from the library and didn't buy it.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all the series, I really enjoyed it. However, some of the religious musings were a little too "in your face", although it did make me wonder about the thousands of varying opinions that we'll never know as the centuries lead to generalisations.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is only the second of this series that I have read. Alys Clare seems to be taking a new direction with her characterrs. Eleanor and Richard both die and John is ruining the country.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly satisfying end to a delightful series. Will be forever grateful to Trish for introducing me to Sister Helewise!

[Cori North · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written. But that's really compared to earlier work, so maybe 1.5 stars would be more accurate...still not good, but not the Worst ever.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read by Alys Clare! This one held more suspense than before, I simply could not putti down! A lot of loose ends tied up and a shocking ending!