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The Assize of the Dying
A pair of gripping mystery novellas dealing with crime and punishment from the Edgar Award–winning author of the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael. In The Assize of the Dying, a defendant in an English courtroom is sentenced to death for a terrible slaying he insists he did not commit. Rising to his feet, Louis Stevenson places a medieval curse on the prosecutor, the judge, the jury foreman, and the actual killer—the four men responsible for his fate. Profoundly shaken by the condemned prisoner’s words, a young couple looking on believes Stevenson’s declaration of innocence. And their determination to uncover the truth only intensifies when two more deaths follow in quick succession. In Aunt Helen, the seemingly civilized residents of a stately English country house keep secrets about love, marriage, adulthood, and desire hidden behind closed doors—until the “perfect murder” threatens to expose them. Two chilling tales of murder and revenge in one volume from the Edgar, Agatha, and Gold Dagger Award–winning author of the Brother Cadfael historical mysteries, who “writes with undiminished skill” (The Times, London).
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1958
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184 people want to read
About the author
Edith Pargeter
48 books194 followersaka Peter Benedict, Jolyon Carr, Ellis Peters (later editions of her work are sometimes published under this pseudonym), and John Redfern
West Midlands Literary Heritage website biography
Novelist. Born September 1913 at Horsehay, Shropshire. Her father was a clerk at a local ironworks. Edith attended Dawley Church of England School and the Coalbrookdale High School for Girls. Through her mother, she grew to love the history and countryside of Shropshire, her home for all of her life.
Before World War II she worked as a chemist's assistant at Dawley. During this time she started writing seriously for publication while gathering useful information on medicines that she would draw upon later when tackling crime stories. Her first published novel was Hortensius, friend of Nero (1936), a rather dry tale of martyrdom that was not a great success but she persevered and The city lies foursquare (1939) was much more warmly received.
During the war she worked in an administrative role with the Women's Royal Navy Service in Liverpool, a relatively brief period away from Shropshire, and for her devotion to duty she received the British Empire Medal. Many more novels appeared at this time, including Ordinary people (1941) and She goes to war (1942), the latter based on her own wartime experiences. The eighth champion of Christendom appeared in 1945 and from now on she was able to devote all her time to writing. She was particularly proud of her Heaven tree trilogy, which appeared between 1961 and 1963, which had as a backdrop the English Welsh borderlands in the twelfth century.
It was not until 1951 that she tackled a mystery story with Fallen into the pit, the first appearance of Sergeant George Felse as the investigating police officer. Her other great character, and the one for which the author will continue to be known the world over, Brother Cadfael, was to follow many years later. The first appearance of this monk at Shrewsbury Abbey was in A morbid taste for bones (1977) and he mixed his herbs and unravelled mysteries in this atmospheric setting for a further nineteen novels. This kept the author very busy for the remaining 18 years of her life, to the virtual exclusion of all other work.
The name "Ellis Peters" was adopted by Edith Pargeter to clearly mark a division between her mystery stories and her other work. Her brother was Ellis and Petra was a friend from Czechoslovakia. A frequent visitor to the country, Edith Pargeter had begun her association and deep interest in their culture after meeting Czechoslovakian soldiers during the war. This was to lead to her learning the language translating several books into English.
She won awards for her writing from both the British Crime Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America. She was also awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), an honorary Masters Degree from Birmingham University and the Gold Medal of the Czechoslovak Society for Foreign Relations. There is a memorial to her in Shrewsbury Abbey.
After her death in October 1995, The Times published a full obituary that declared that here was "a deeply sensitive and perceptive woman....an intensely private and modest person " whose writing was "direct, even a little stilted, matching a self-contained personality".
West Midlands Literary Heritage website biography
Novelist. Born September 1913 at Horsehay, Shropshire. Her father was a clerk at a local ironworks. Edith attended Dawley Church of England School and the Coalbrookdale High School for Girls. Through her mother, she grew to love the history and countryside of Shropshire, her home for all of her life.
Before World War II she worked as a chemist's assistant at Dawley. During this time she started writing seriously for publication while gathering useful information on medicines that she would draw upon later when tackling crime stories. Her first published novel was Hortensius, friend of Nero (1936), a rather dry tale of martyrdom that was not a great success but she persevered and The city lies foursquare (1939) was much more warmly received.
During the war she worked in an administrative role with the Women's Royal Navy Service in Liverpool, a relatively brief period away from Shropshire, and for her devotion to duty she received the British Empire Medal. Many more novels appeared at this time, including Ordinary people (1941) and She goes to war (1942), the latter based on her own wartime experiences. The eighth champion of Christendom appeared in 1945 and from now on she was able to devote all her time to writing. She was particularly proud of her Heaven tree trilogy, which appeared between 1961 and 1963, which had as a backdrop the English Welsh borderlands in the twelfth century.
It was not until 1951 that she tackled a mystery story with Fallen into the pit, the first appearance of Sergeant George Felse as the investigating police officer. Her other great character, and the one for which the author will continue to be known the world over, Brother Cadfael, was to follow many years later. The first appearance of this monk at Shrewsbury Abbey was in A morbid taste for bones (1977) and he mixed his herbs and unravelled mysteries in this atmospheric setting for a further nineteen novels. This kept the author very busy for the remaining 18 years of her life, to the virtual exclusion of all other work.
The name "Ellis Peters" was adopted by Edith Pargeter to clearly mark a division between her mystery stories and her other work. Her brother was Ellis and Petra was a friend from Czechoslovakia. A frequent visitor to the country, Edith Pargeter had begun her association and deep interest in their culture after meeting Czechoslovakian soldiers during the war. This was to lead to her learning the language translating several books into English.
She won awards for her writing from both the British Crime Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America. She was also awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), an honorary Masters Degree from Birmingham University and the Gold Medal of the Czechoslovak Society for Foreign Relations. There is a memorial to her in Shrewsbury Abbey.
After her death in October 1995, The Times published a full obituary that declared that here was "a deeply sensitive and perceptive woman....an intensely private and modest person " whose writing was "direct, even a little stilted, matching a self-contained personality".
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 16, 2020
Two novellas, uneven in quality
Ellis Peters is a pen name of Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM, a prolific English author of both fiction and non-fiction. She is known for history and historical fiction, her translations of Czech classics, and for her murder mysteries. She is particularly well known for her medieval-detective series The Cadfael Chronicles.
This particular book consists of two novellas, The Assize of the Dying and Aunt Helen. The first is both a mystery and a psychological study of the people caught up in the murder and subsequent mystery. Here is a sample of Ellis Peters' wondrous and atmospheric prose:
"‘I did not kill Zoë Trevor,’ said the prisoner’s muted but bitterly clear voice, ‘but you, in the name of society, are about to kill me. To kill unjustly is murder, and since I have no remedy here I must and I do appeal for redress in another place.’ When he paused for an instant, as he did now, the weight and quality of the silence became intense. He was so far apart from the collective experience of this courtroom full of people that they could hardly comprehend what he was saying; and what was to come was something beyond their power to guess. They hung upon the faint greyish lips, and held their breath, avid for his alien flavour. ‘I therefore summon the representatives of your guilt,’ said Louis Stevenson, sweeping his disorientated glance suddenly round the court before he fixed again upon the Judge’s impassive face, ‘to answer for my murder. You, who have conducted the case against me—’ Counsel for the Prosecution gazed out from under his vast white brow and his unbecoming wig with a faintly embarrassed calm, as though he had accidentally overheard his distinguished name mentioned in a public place. Mr Justice Manton maintained his monolithic stillness, and waited for the protest to end. It was, after all, only a variation on all the other protests he had heard in similar circumstances in his long career. ‘You, who pronounced the verdict of guilty against me—’ The foreman of the jury jumped as though a ghost had nudged his arm, and wilted a little more grievously in his own heat. His mouth hung open and trembling. ‘You, who summed up against me, and are about to condemn me to death—’ The two pairs of fierce old eyes locked again, and this time the fixed stare held – ‘and the man, whoever he may be, who committed the crime for which I am being killed. You four,’ said Louis Stevenson, suddenly loud and peremptory through the stupefied quietness, ‘I summon to meet me at the time appointed, at the Assize of the Dying.’
After his voice had ceased, the silence fell like a stone. No one understood, yet they felt, chillingly through the alien syllables, the conviction that they had been listening to an indictment. The words had to do with them all, and with the four he had selected in particular, and all they knew was that they were being threatened, and did not know from which quarter to expect the blow. They came out of their superstitious stillness with a rustle and a murmur, whispering to their neighbours in overwrought, shrill sibilants that mounted in a few seconds to a formidable crescendo of uneasiness. Here and there about the crowded court began the helpless, infectious giggles of hysteria. The reporters, stirring quickly out of their paralysis, were already on their marks like runners, waiting for release."
The Assize of the Dying was the basis for a 1958 British movie, The Spaniard's Curse, a drama directed by Ralph Kemplen and starring Tony Wright, Lee Patterson, Michael Hordern, Susan Beaumont and Henry Oscar. The movie is an interesting drama but does not fulfill the promise inherent in the original novella.
The second novella, Aunt Helen, quickly introduces and develops some interesting characters. In addition to the obvious, that this is one of Peters' murder mysteries, the beginning of the tale creates an atmosphere in which the reader expects a murder or at least an attempt. Less clear is which of the several possibilities will be the victim. From the title, Aunt Helen seems obvious but perhaps she will be a suspect or even the accused. Perhaps the amateur detective who strives to identify the killer. Unfortunately, once the deed was done, I found the identity of the culprit a little too obvious. Not her best mystery but there is still Peters' way with words to enjoy.
Ellis Peters is a pen name of Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM, a prolific English author of both fiction and non-fiction. She is known for history and historical fiction, her translations of Czech classics, and for her murder mysteries. She is particularly well known for her medieval-detective series The Cadfael Chronicles.
This particular book consists of two novellas, The Assize of the Dying and Aunt Helen. The first is both a mystery and a psychological study of the people caught up in the murder and subsequent mystery. Here is a sample of Ellis Peters' wondrous and atmospheric prose:
"‘I did not kill Zoë Trevor,’ said the prisoner’s muted but bitterly clear voice, ‘but you, in the name of society, are about to kill me. To kill unjustly is murder, and since I have no remedy here I must and I do appeal for redress in another place.’ When he paused for an instant, as he did now, the weight and quality of the silence became intense. He was so far apart from the collective experience of this courtroom full of people that they could hardly comprehend what he was saying; and what was to come was something beyond their power to guess. They hung upon the faint greyish lips, and held their breath, avid for his alien flavour. ‘I therefore summon the representatives of your guilt,’ said Louis Stevenson, sweeping his disorientated glance suddenly round the court before he fixed again upon the Judge’s impassive face, ‘to answer for my murder. You, who have conducted the case against me—’ Counsel for the Prosecution gazed out from under his vast white brow and his unbecoming wig with a faintly embarrassed calm, as though he had accidentally overheard his distinguished name mentioned in a public place. Mr Justice Manton maintained his monolithic stillness, and waited for the protest to end. It was, after all, only a variation on all the other protests he had heard in similar circumstances in his long career. ‘You, who pronounced the verdict of guilty against me—’ The foreman of the jury jumped as though a ghost had nudged his arm, and wilted a little more grievously in his own heat. His mouth hung open and trembling. ‘You, who summed up against me, and are about to condemn me to death—’ The two pairs of fierce old eyes locked again, and this time the fixed stare held – ‘and the man, whoever he may be, who committed the crime for which I am being killed. You four,’ said Louis Stevenson, suddenly loud and peremptory through the stupefied quietness, ‘I summon to meet me at the time appointed, at the Assize of the Dying.’
After his voice had ceased, the silence fell like a stone. No one understood, yet they felt, chillingly through the alien syllables, the conviction that they had been listening to an indictment. The words had to do with them all, and with the four he had selected in particular, and all they knew was that they were being threatened, and did not know from which quarter to expect the blow. They came out of their superstitious stillness with a rustle and a murmur, whispering to their neighbours in overwrought, shrill sibilants that mounted in a few seconds to a formidable crescendo of uneasiness. Here and there about the crowded court began the helpless, infectious giggles of hysteria. The reporters, stirring quickly out of their paralysis, were already on their marks like runners, waiting for release."
The Assize of the Dying was the basis for a 1958 British movie, The Spaniard's Curse, a drama directed by Ralph Kemplen and starring Tony Wright, Lee Patterson, Michael Hordern, Susan Beaumont and Henry Oscar. The movie is an interesting drama but does not fulfill the promise inherent in the original novella.
The second novella, Aunt Helen, quickly introduces and develops some interesting characters. In addition to the obvious, that this is one of Peters' murder mysteries, the beginning of the tale creates an atmosphere in which the reader expects a murder or at least an attempt. Less clear is which of the several possibilities will be the victim. From the title, Aunt Helen seems obvious but perhaps she will be a suspect or even the accused. Perhaps the amateur detective who strives to identify the killer. Unfortunately, once the deed was done, I found the identity of the culprit a little too obvious. Not her best mystery but there is still Peters' way with words to enjoy.
April 15, 2018
This was an OK read apart from a few flaws. I enjoyed the second story much, much more than the first. I guessed the "solution" both times but both had enough twists to be entertaining nevertheless. In the first story I hated that the "intrepid heroine" becomes a dumb and useless mess the minute she hooks up with a man. She does all this important work setting up a trap for the murderer or whatever and then literally loses interest the moment her love interest appears in her sights. Really?
Both stories had too few women and would not pass the "Bechdel test". Both had the inevitable romance that Ellis Peters favours and the over-the-top emotional content (at least mercifully brief). The second story is relatively predictable in terms of the solution but as I said there are some twists (more of a "how-dunnit" than a "whodunnit") and it's more of a psychological study. It falls short of being anything complex and critical enough to satisfy me but it makes some interesting points.
There's a passively misogynist tone to both stories that seems surprising in a woman author of the 90s. At least the writing itself was good.
Both stories had too few women and would not pass the "Bechdel test". Both had the inevitable romance that Ellis Peters favours and the over-the-top emotional content (at least mercifully brief). The second story is relatively predictable in terms of the solution but as I said there are some twists (more of a "how-dunnit" than a "whodunnit") and it's more of a psychological study. It falls short of being anything complex and critical enough to satisfy me but it makes some interesting points.
There's a passively misogynist tone to both stories that seems surprising in a woman author of the 90s. At least the writing itself was good.
February 27, 2018
Not a Brother Cadfael or Felse family novel, but two short standalone novellas from Edith Pargeter, aka Ellis Peters. The first, The Assize of the Dying, was a little more gripping: an innocent man condemned to death condemns with a curse, in turn, the judge, prosecutor, jury foreman, and true killer. A newspaper reporter and some young, intrepid members of the judge's family are left to investigate. The story is an interesting blend of mystery and gothic novel with a hint of romance, and reminded me a bit of Georgette Heyer's mystery fiction, or Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence series. The second story, Aunt Helen, fell a little flat for me because I guessed the murderer's identity fairly early in the book. I liked the character of Bill, the protagonist's nephew, who showed a lot of growth, and I liked the way Peters wrapped it up, with justice appropriately served.
March 18, 2019
This mystery story relies on the remarkably intriguing plot device that sets out the possibility of four deaths-to-come at the near-beginning. The rather trite scenario of two young lovers falling in love as they pursue the solution to a murder is handled adroitly and believably, if quite predictably, with a deft touch. The main strength of Peters' writing lies in the complexity of her characters, who are shown full-flowered, warts and all, in a manner where we even sympathize with, or at least comprehend, the evil done in the story. While the fascination of mystery, along with story-line and characters, do not rise nearly to the literary sophistication experienced in the Brother Cadfael tales, The Assize of the Dying is a good read, worth the mystery-lover's time.
March 7, 2014
A classic period piece by a master writer. Pargeter, better known for her Brother Cadfael series under the nom de plume of Ellis Peters, writes a short but pointed novel of injustice and its repercussions to those responsible. The Assize of the Dying is a Medieval (surprise) idea, noting that those responsible for killing an innocent person should shortly suffer the same fate. Would it work here, in these days? Saying much more would be a spoiler. A good, fast read and recommended for the holiday season when ghost stories are in vogue.
May 18, 2020
Probably 3.5 stars. Two novellas Assize of the Dying and Aunt Helen are presented together in this collection. Both are excellent, with very imaginative plots that make the reader think. While I was completely in the dark as to the murderer in the first, I did guess correctly in the second one. Recommended.
August 25, 2025
This is a collection of 2 stories: the Assize of the Dying and Aunt Helen. The Former sounds like a mystery, but is actually more like a thriller since the amateur "detective" drops out halfway through the story and it switches to an entirely other point of view. It was still interesting though and shows human responsibility for sin.
\Aunt Helen was NOT enjoyable. Peters truly captured a narcissict with this story - but that is a dreadful thing and it is somewhat horrid on that level.
\Aunt Helen was NOT enjoyable. Peters truly captured a narcissict with this story - but that is a dreadful thing and it is somewhat horrid on that level.
July 30, 2025
Two solid murder novellas with a side of light romance from Ellis Peters. In each case, the brevity of the tale combines with the convention of the genre that the murderer needs to be known to the reader to create a less complex solution than might be found in one of her regular novels. However, they are both well plotted and humane stories.
March 4, 2023
The title story was excellent, but the second story, Aunt Helen, was populated by characters who were either thoroughly obnoxious or cloyingly sweet (or at least seemed to be). I stopped reading the second story about one third of the way through.
February 17, 2018
This is more of a supernatural thriller than a mystery. I prefer the Brother Cadfael books.
December 11, 2018
Interesting but I would have liked to see it fleshed out more to look more deeply into the personalities involved.
April 23, 2019
Standard old-school whodunits (two novellas).
Read
October 7, 2019Not too hard to guess the culprits, but two atmospheric stories here.
April 27, 2020
Two very enjoyable novellas.
August 1, 2020
2.5 stars Two novellas that are both melodramatic and mediocre.
February 3, 2022
Two short stories in this slim volume. Both rather predictable outcomes by the standard of modern murder mysteries, and not up to Brother Cadfael quality. Entertaining non-the-less.
August 8, 2022
Yet another gem in the series!!!
December 30, 2022
3.5 stars
January 15, 2026
A word to the wise: this is actually two novellas in one, Assize of the Dying and Aunt Helen.
I'd only ever read Ellis Peters' Cadfael mysteries before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from a post-World War 2 story. Then halfway through the book (and all the way through Assize of the Dying) I realized this is two novellas in one book, so it really caught me off guard. I didn't greatly enjoy these two short stories as they reminded me a little too much of how weird Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter can be, but both had interesting ideas that were executed well.
To begin with, there's multiple mentions throughout each story about the young men coming back from the war (WWII) who now have to adjust to daily life and miss the adrenaline of fighting. This also comes up a lot in Agatha Christie novels, but I'm not sure if it's specific to WW2 or just something that tends to happen after war in general. Both of these stories also had more emphasis on the supernatural, and less description than I'm used to from this author. It's probably at least partly because they're so comparatively short to her longer novels, but she sort of jumped right into the plot and characters with both novellas, and I felt a little bit thrown into the deep end. Cadfael usually takes a good 2-3 chapters to establish yes, this is the middle ages, hello, this is Cadfael, meet his buddy Hugh, his mortal enemy Prior Robert, his new protegee of the month, and the protegee's love interest. In Aunt Helen, we meet about three characters in quick succession with little explanation about who they are and how they relate to each other. I'm still confused about what Uncle Peter did for a living before meeting Helen, and what made him such a great man in the first place other than
Of the two novellas, I enjoyed Assize of the Dying more- even though the atmosphere was creepier, the characters in general were more likable and there wasn't as much artistic genius to get in the way of morality. There's a theme about the importance of truth, even at the cost of personal relationships, that I appreciated. I also guessed the solution to this one, so that helped.
Aunt Helen, by contrast, more or less had a thesis statement about not constricting the people you love and being able to let them go. Bill (more or less the main character here) has a REALLY weird obsession with his aunt and undergoes a strange transformation from brat to man of the house halfway through. I'm not sure I agree with everything this novella was trying to say, and the plot felt a little contrived, but overall it was at least interesting and gave me a lot of food for thought.
I'd only ever read Ellis Peters' Cadfael mysteries before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from a post-World War 2 story. Then halfway through the book (and all the way through Assize of the Dying) I realized this is two novellas in one book, so it really caught me off guard. I didn't greatly enjoy these two short stories as they reminded me a little too much of how weird Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter can be, but both had interesting ideas that were executed well.
To begin with, there's multiple mentions throughout each story about the young men coming back from the war (WWII) who now have to adjust to daily life and miss the adrenaline of fighting. This also comes up a lot in Agatha Christie novels, but I'm not sure if it's specific to WW2 or just something that tends to happen after war in general. Both of these stories also had more emphasis on the supernatural, and less description than I'm used to from this author. It's probably at least partly because they're so comparatively short to her longer novels, but she sort of jumped right into the plot and characters with both novellas, and I felt a little bit thrown into the deep end. Cadfael usually takes a good 2-3 chapters to establish yes, this is the middle ages, hello, this is Cadfael, meet his buddy Hugh, his mortal enemy Prior Robert, his new protegee of the month, and the protegee's love interest. In Aunt Helen, we meet about three characters in quick succession with little explanation about who they are and how they relate to each other. I'm still confused about what Uncle Peter did for a living before meeting Helen, and what made him such a great man in the first place other than
Of the two novellas, I enjoyed Assize of the Dying more- even though the atmosphere was creepier, the characters in general were more likable and there wasn't as much artistic genius to get in the way of morality. There's a theme about the importance of truth, even at the cost of personal relationships, that I appreciated. I also guessed the solution to this one, so that helped.
Aunt Helen, by contrast, more or less had a thesis statement about not constricting the people you love and being able to let them go. Bill (more or less the main character here) has a REALLY weird obsession with his aunt and undergoes a strange transformation from brat to man of the house halfway through. I'm not sure I agree with everything this novella was trying to say, and the plot felt a little contrived, but overall it was at least interesting and gave me a lot of food for thought.
March 16, 2013
WARNING: Possible spoilers included in this review! I checked this audiobook out thinking I was getting a Brother Cadfael book. I should have paid closer attention. Instead of getting a true historical mystery, I got a mystery that was current when it was written. The audio contained two mysteries. They were okay mysteries, but nothing super spectacular. In the first mystery, the heroine got so distracted by love that she didn't even bother to finish solving the mystery, the solution was revealed in a letter. Very disappointing. The second mystery on the audio wasn't that much better. Add that to the disappointment from expecting something else and you get a two star rating from me.
August 31, 2023
My first non-Cadfael book by Ellis Peters (or Edith Pargeter if you like) consists of two novellas. The title story The Assize of the Dying was really good, and enjoyed that right up to 4 stars. The other one, Aunt Helen, left something to be desired, especially in the predictability department (2 stars). Still, looking forward to reading more of the same author.
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April 18, 2012Also includes Aunt Helen
March 31, 2011
classic tragedy powerfully written
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews