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Sister Frevisse #16
Traitor's Tale
The 16th mystery in the Edgar]-nominated series finds Dame Frevisse assisting her cousin Alice in burying her husband, the hated Duke of Suffolk. The Traitors Tale features a guest appearance by Simon Joliffe, now featured in his own spinoff series.
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Margaret Frazer
63 books211 followersMargaret 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
See also: Monica Ferris, Mary Monica Pulver
Series:
* Sister Frevisse
* Joliffe
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September 28, 2023
The Traitor’s Tale
By Margaret Frazer
Reviewed September 28, 2023
The Traitor’s Tale is the 16th in Margaret Frazer’s Dame Frevisse Medieval Mystery series featuring not only the mystery solving nun of St. St Frideswide’s nunnery in Oxfordshire, but also Joliffe, the one-time-player-turned-spy from the Joliffe series. Think of it as a Frevisse/Joliffe crossover if you like.
It is 1449, less than a year away from the opening salvos in what will become known as the Wars of the Roses. England is seething with unrest as the country deals with a weak king, loss of possessions in Normandy, and favorites who use their position at court to line their own pockets and to hell with who suffers.
Amidst all this, Dame Frevisse, who would like nothing better than to continue her religious contemplative life, is requested by her cousin Alice, Duchess of Suffolk, to spend some time with her. In the wake of the murder of Alice’s husband, William de la Pole, the Duke of Suffolk (a man hated as much in death as he was in life), Alice needs the calming effect of her cousin’s presence.
Alice is dealing with more than grief, though, as she has only bitter memories of the man she once loved, a man who became obsessed with power at any expense. Several of her husband’s men have either died or disappeared, and Alice fears for her young son, John.
Meanwhile, Joliffe (whose name changes with the jobs he undertakes, sometimes Joliffe being his first name, and sometimes his last) shows up in London. Having left being a traveling player, Joliffe is, these days, a courier and spy for the Duke of York, presently unofficially exiled to Ireland. Joliffe is trying to track down a list of several of Suffolk’s men who are supposed to know the truth behind what happened in France.
Eventually Joliffe’s and Frevisse’s paths cross as they both seek a missing letter, written by a disgruntled retainer of Suffolk who hints that the loss of Normandy was by “deliberate treachery,” and as death and mayhem dog them, the nun and the former player begin to suspect that the person (or persons) responsible is somebody very high up with powers almost as great as those of the king, the weak and ineffectual Henry VI.
Joliffe also learns that a plot is afoot to discredit the Duke of York, to arrest him on a trumped up charge of treason preferably before the duke returns to England, and needs to get word to his master before the trap can be sprung.
What we have is a good blend of a murder mystery and a medieval political thriller that kept me reading well into the night and the wee hours of the morning. While this may be fiction, I find that Ms. Frazer’s interpretation of events surrounding Suffolk and Somerset largely match my own, and I love how the author uses the history to add to the story without allowing the context to bog things down.
That she gives an overall positive portrayal of the Duke of York, who doesn’t make an appearance until almost the end of the story but whose presence is felt throughout as he is seen by many as the longed-for antidote to the corruption surrounding Henry VI’s court, is the icing on the cake for me.
Other historical persons show up throughout the story, some with bigger parts than others. These include Matthew Gough, Welsh-born hero of the Hundred Years War who dies in a scrimmage to retake the Tower of London during Cade’s Rebellion.
The old fence sitter himself, Sir Thomas Stanley, also makes an appearance. Joliffe doesn’t think much of him and considers Sir Thomas “a cur-dog who thinks he’s a wolf”.
Even Margaret Beaufort gets a passing mention. Though only a child at this time, Alice has a poor opinion of the overly pious girl who she feels imagines herself “sitting in glory on a throne beside Christ, draped on cloth of gold”.
All in all, it is an excellent entry in this highly entertaining series.
By Margaret Frazer
Reviewed September 28, 2023
The Traitor’s Tale is the 16th in Margaret Frazer’s Dame Frevisse Medieval Mystery series featuring not only the mystery solving nun of St. St Frideswide’s nunnery in Oxfordshire, but also Joliffe, the one-time-player-turned-spy from the Joliffe series. Think of it as a Frevisse/Joliffe crossover if you like.
It is 1449, less than a year away from the opening salvos in what will become known as the Wars of the Roses. England is seething with unrest as the country deals with a weak king, loss of possessions in Normandy, and favorites who use their position at court to line their own pockets and to hell with who suffers.
Amidst all this, Dame Frevisse, who would like nothing better than to continue her religious contemplative life, is requested by her cousin Alice, Duchess of Suffolk, to spend some time with her. In the wake of the murder of Alice’s husband, William de la Pole, the Duke of Suffolk (a man hated as much in death as he was in life), Alice needs the calming effect of her cousin’s presence.
Alice is dealing with more than grief, though, as she has only bitter memories of the man she once loved, a man who became obsessed with power at any expense. Several of her husband’s men have either died or disappeared, and Alice fears for her young son, John.
Meanwhile, Joliffe (whose name changes with the jobs he undertakes, sometimes Joliffe being his first name, and sometimes his last) shows up in London. Having left being a traveling player, Joliffe is, these days, a courier and spy for the Duke of York, presently unofficially exiled to Ireland. Joliffe is trying to track down a list of several of Suffolk’s men who are supposed to know the truth behind what happened in France.
Eventually Joliffe’s and Frevisse’s paths cross as they both seek a missing letter, written by a disgruntled retainer of Suffolk who hints that the loss of Normandy was by “deliberate treachery,” and as death and mayhem dog them, the nun and the former player begin to suspect that the person (or persons) responsible is somebody very high up with powers almost as great as those of the king, the weak and ineffectual Henry VI.
Joliffe also learns that a plot is afoot to discredit the Duke of York, to arrest him on a trumped up charge of treason preferably before the duke returns to England, and needs to get word to his master before the trap can be sprung.
What we have is a good blend of a murder mystery and a medieval political thriller that kept me reading well into the night and the wee hours of the morning. While this may be fiction, I find that Ms. Frazer’s interpretation of events surrounding Suffolk and Somerset largely match my own, and I love how the author uses the history to add to the story without allowing the context to bog things down.
That she gives an overall positive portrayal of the Duke of York, who doesn’t make an appearance until almost the end of the story but whose presence is felt throughout as he is seen by many as the longed-for antidote to the corruption surrounding Henry VI’s court, is the icing on the cake for me.
Other historical persons show up throughout the story, some with bigger parts than others. These include Matthew Gough, Welsh-born hero of the Hundred Years War who dies in a scrimmage to retake the Tower of London during Cade’s Rebellion.
The old fence sitter himself, Sir Thomas Stanley, also makes an appearance. Joliffe doesn’t think much of him and considers Sir Thomas “a cur-dog who thinks he’s a wolf”.
Even Margaret Beaufort gets a passing mention. Though only a child at this time, Alice has a poor opinion of the overly pious girl who she feels imagines herself “sitting in glory on a throne beside Christ, draped on cloth of gold”.
All in all, it is an excellent entry in this highly entertaining series.
September 27, 2023
The penultimate Sister Frevisse mystery takes place in 1450, from Cade’s Rebellion to the return of the Duke of York from Ireland. It’s a tumultuous time in the aftermath of the downfall and murder of several of the king’s favorites including the Duke of Suffolk. Alice Chaucer, Duchess of Suffolk has requested her cousin Dame Frevisse to stay with her for a time; the reason is unclear but perhaps just as a sounding board to express her anger at her late husband, whom she came to view as a powerful but small-minded grasping, man. The Duchess becomes alarmed for the safety of her young son when several of her husband’s servants, among them his clerk, priest, and steward disappear and some are murdered. Frevisse is joined in her investigation by Joliffe the player who has appeared in earlier novels. Here, he is one of the Duke of York’s spies. To be honest, this is the reason why I skipped over other novels in the series and bought this one. I am glad I did. The author has the rare talent for the ease in which she incorporates historical facts into her narrative. Although the Duke of York is an off-stage character until the very end, his presence looms large—and he is favorably viewed by Joliffe and the common people. (Another plus for me.)
Frevisse and Joliffe discover a secret about England’s recent loss of Normandy. It wasn’t due to Suffolk’s and Somerset’s incompetence; they actively sought to lose it. The murders were motivated by the need to keep this nasty little fact quiet, and Frevisse and Joliffe search for a letter in which Suffolk disclosed the identity of the person or persons behind this plot. If you have read the author’s short story, Neither Pity,Love, Nor Fear, the conclusion is obvious. There are lots of twists and turns and even at the end we are left in doubt as to whether one character is friend or foe. The ending is too drawn out—the author does have a tendency to do this, but the political intrigue kept me turning the page and both Frevisse and Joliffe are reflective characters whose thoughts I enjoy reading. One of, if not my favorite novels in both series—probably the Duke of York effect.
Frevisse and Joliffe discover a secret about England’s recent loss of Normandy. It wasn’t due to Suffolk’s and Somerset’s incompetence; they actively sought to lose it. The murders were motivated by the need to keep this nasty little fact quiet, and Frevisse and Joliffe search for a letter in which Suffolk disclosed the identity of the person or persons behind this plot. If you have read the author’s short story, Neither Pity,Love, Nor Fear, the conclusion is obvious. There are lots of twists and turns and even at the end we are left in doubt as to whether one character is friend or foe. The ending is too drawn out—the author does have a tendency to do this, but the political intrigue kept me turning the page and both Frevisse and Joliffe are reflective characters whose thoughts I enjoy reading. One of, if not my favorite novels in both series—probably the Duke of York effect.
September 27, 2019
I was truly hoping to like this book, as I usually enjoy novels set during medieval times. I did give it a good shot, finally calling it quits at page 203. The story crept along, none of the characters engaged me, and I thought the writing was awkward. I often had to reread sentences to completely make sense of them. Apparently, this is a very popular series with many people, but it left me cold.
February 13, 2013
"The Traitor's Tale" is the sixteenth of Margaret Frazer's series centered around the medieval nun Dame Frevisse. This story takes place in 1450 when all of London and southern England is in turmoil over the rebellions taking place, notably the one led by Jack Cade. Overseas, England's French possessions have slowly and painfully drifted away from the hands of King Henry VI and back to the French--at great cost in lives and money extorted from the citizenry. Dame Frevisse is cousin to Alice of Suffolk, the granddaughter of Geoffrey Chaucer and widow of the Duke of Suffolk. The latter was brutally assassinated with his remains scattered on a south coast beach. They have been recovered and hidden away; being associated even with the remains and burial makes other people targets because the Duke was so hated. Alice has called her cousin to her aid, not only for spiritual support but for practical assistance in solving what Alice thinks is a larger plot endangering the King and kingdom. Also involved in detecting the twists and turns of conspiracies against the King and others is the former player and sometime minstrel--now spy--Joliffe. Joliffe is a long-time friend of Frevisse; they have worked together on other puzzles before. Now, Joliffe has become a spy for Richard, Duke of York, who is in exile in Wales. Frevisse is highly suspicious of this new association, and, as the story progresses, she learns that she knows little about Joliffe, including his real name. Associates of Suffolk are being murdered left and right, apparently in search of documents related to Suffolk's estate as well as his spurious friends, notably the Duke of Somerset, who, like Suffolk and York, is a close relative of the King and holds the greatest position of power next to the King. Frevisse is forced to work with Joliffe, all the while fearing that whatever they uncover may endanger Lady Alice and her only son John. Pursuit of the mystery and of Lady Alice take Dame Frevisse to Kenilworth Castle and Henry's young French Queen Margaret of Anjou. The spectacular castle and audience with the Queen are heady experiences for Frevisse, and, when Lady Alice proves to be at Wingfield, her home estate, Frevisse happily returns to her convent of St. Frideswide. Her Prioress, Domina Elizabeth, is none too pleased at all this traipsing around, yet Lady Alice has been a bountiful patron, supporting the small nunnery and its scrivening enterprise, so Domina Elizabeth must indulge Frevisse. An untrusted associate of Joliffe's is thought to have been murdered, but Joliffe finds it is another man just as the villagers reach final fury over their priest and behead him. Caught up in the riot, Joliffe is injured and seeks refuge with the nuns to recover from his wounds and fevered state. Helpless, Joliffe wonders if Lady Alice's envoy Burgate is alive and has the crucial missive and if the Duke of York will march out of Wales and immediately be arrested as a traitor. His injury does, however, allow Joliffe to merge his considerable brainpower with that of Dame Frevisse. The complex politics of a nation interweave with the day-to-day life at the nunnery where many of the key characters and the mystery finally converge. What does Frevisse know? Can she save her cousin and Lady Alice's son's future and fortune? Where is the pesky missing missive and what does it say? Are the guilty named and the innocent saved? The author brings the story to a suspenseful and surprising conclusion that neatly answers all these questions and more. Much is also portended about the future of the reign of Henry VI, even though the Wars of the Roses are five years into the future. Those who think medieval times were but a dull interlude between the vicious Dark Ages and the brilliance of the Renaissance are due for a marvelous awakening through any and all of the Dame Frevisse novels.
October 30, 2015
I've been reading the Dame Frevisse mysteries, mostly in order, for about a year or so. Frevisse has very much grown on me, and as has Joliffe, through his occasional appearances (I have not read any of the Joliffe series). Although I like mysteries, I must say that I also very much enjoy the books that delve into political intrigues.
This series is absolutely excellent for the brilliant historical research put into it. It feels much more real and less romanticized than the majority of medieval historical fiction I've read, and I very much appreciate that. I also like the more nuanced, complex, respectful treatment of Christianity and religion.
The plots are generally good and most of the characters well drawn. Reading the series in order over a relatively short period of time, it's been really interesting seeing Frevisse's character development.
I'm going to hunt down the one or two books earlier in the series that I haven't read yet before reading the last novel. Now that I'm almost finished the series, I really don't want to finish it. When I finish a series, the character in it somehow solidifies. If there's still more to read, more character development, the character seems still somehow more alive, more fluid.
I don't think I've reviewed many of the Frevisse books, but I went back and re-read the last few paragraphs of this one several times before putting down the book and reflecting for a good while with a smile. A book that makes me do that, despite what felt like a slow start, deserves a review.
This series is absolutely excellent for the brilliant historical research put into it. It feels much more real and less romanticized than the majority of medieval historical fiction I've read, and I very much appreciate that. I also like the more nuanced, complex, respectful treatment of Christianity and religion.
The plots are generally good and most of the characters well drawn. Reading the series in order over a relatively short period of time, it's been really interesting seeing Frevisse's character development.
I'm going to hunt down the one or two books earlier in the series that I haven't read yet before reading the last novel. Now that I'm almost finished the series, I really don't want to finish it. When I finish a series, the character in it somehow solidifies. If there's still more to read, more character development, the character seems still somehow more alive, more fluid.
I don't think I've reviewed many of the Frevisse books, but I went back and re-read the last few paragraphs of this one several times before putting down the book and reflecting for a good while with a smile. A book that makes me do that, despite what felt like a slow start, deserves a review.
March 31, 2015
This is the last of the Joliffe books, not from a pub date perspective, but based on Joliffe's age at the time of the book (almost 40). The world first met Joliffe when he was barely older than 16. The Traitor's Tale is a Dame Frevisse Medieval Mystery, but they actually both contribute equally to the final solution to the murders. Gail Frazer, the author, is doing some terrific and very research-based guessing as to some real historical murder mysteries tied to England's loss of Normandy to the French in 1450. The way she brings her fictional characters into the drama is brilliant. Gail Frazer very quietly battled cancer during the whole of both the Frevisse and Joliffe mystery series. She died 2/4/13. This very detailed and masterful book is dedicated to her sons in 2007. The last sentence of the book is Frevisse watching Joliffe ride away home to his family -- having just found out he has one! She writes that this revelation made Frevisse feel "better by far than (the) thought of him riding out alone into a world empty of anyone waiting for him." I can imagine Frazer felt that way about her children as she thought of her own life trajectory. I am so sorry to read the last of this gifted writer's books dealing with that canny, mercurial, but always just, former actor turned spy whose real name even Gail Frazer never shared. Goodbye, Joliffe! Well met.
July 27, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyed it. It's the first I've read in Frazer's series about mystery-solving Dame Frevisse in the 15th century (how have they not been adapted for PBS's Mystery! series?). I am a nerd, fascinated by England's Wars of the Roses, and this novel, set before anyone is deposed, appealed to me. It's not written in Olde English, but her word choices make it feel that the characters are not modern people. Dame Frevisse is a reluctant detective, but she's reserved, intelligent and not without sympathy. A knowledge of England's monarchy during the 15th century isn't required, though it's certainly helpful. My biggest issue with the book was that Frazer didn't include family tree charts for Edward III and his descendents (which I have in non-fiction books but I would've liked the convenience.) Still, I will be looking for more of Frevisse's adventures.
April 21, 2018
You know, I read this series because I enjoy Dame Frevisse. If I wanted to read about Joliffe's adventures, I'd read the Joliffe series, but I don't. Therefore, it was rather disappointing and very annoying and frustrating that every other chapter in the beginning half of "The Traitor's Tale" was told from Joliffe's POV. Don't get me wrong. I do like him popping up from time to time, but it was just too much Joliffe in this one.
I'm so glad one of these last books featured Frevisse and Alice together. Margaret Frazer has fleshed out a wonderful and realistic portrayal of the relationship between the two women (too bad Frevisse isn't real, like Alice). It was regrettable they again parted on less than friendly terms, though I think both understood the reasons for the others taut nerves. And, because of the ending, I'm sure Alice will be grateful and the cousins will make up, even the Duchess of Suffolk does not make an appearance in the last book.
Some parts, such as when Dame Frevisse and Sister Margrett were at Kenilworth, had me on the edge of my seat. Other parts, such as near the end between the time Joliffe was injured and the meeting between he, Frevisse and Vaughn with York, were filled with people just talking round and round and round which bogged down the story. I am glad, however, Sister Margrett got her wish of seeing York up close. She deserved a reward for all her cooperation.
And I loved the little dig Dame Claire took at Frevisse while she was feigning illness, saying "she's not as young as she used to be". Ha ha! If looks could kill! One other thing I've noticed in the last several books is that a toll is being taken on the friendship between Frevisse and Claire. I would have loved to have seen where Ms. Frazer was taking some of these relationships. I also think she was doing a wonderful job of building and molding the different personalities living at St. Frideswide's. Too bad we'll never see where she might have went. I can't believe I only have one more to go. I'm going to miss Dame Frevisse.
I'm so glad one of these last books featured Frevisse and Alice together. Margaret Frazer has fleshed out a wonderful and realistic portrayal of the relationship between the two women (too bad Frevisse isn't real, like Alice). It was regrettable they again parted on less than friendly terms, though I think both understood the reasons for the others taut nerves. And, because of the ending, I'm sure Alice will be grateful and the cousins will make up, even the Duchess of Suffolk does not make an appearance in the last book.
Some parts, such as when Dame Frevisse and Sister Margrett were at Kenilworth, had me on the edge of my seat. Other parts, such as near the end between the time Joliffe was injured and the meeting between he, Frevisse and Vaughn with York, were filled with people just talking round and round and round which bogged down the story. I am glad, however, Sister Margrett got her wish of seeing York up close. She deserved a reward for all her cooperation.
And I loved the little dig Dame Claire took at Frevisse while she was feigning illness, saying "she's not as young as she used to be". Ha ha! If looks could kill! One other thing I've noticed in the last several books is that a toll is being taken on the friendship between Frevisse and Claire. I would have loved to have seen where Ms. Frazer was taking some of these relationships. I also think she was doing a wonderful job of building and molding the different personalities living at St. Frideswide's. Too bad we'll never see where she might have went. I can't believe I only have one more to go. I'm going to miss Dame Frevisse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2021
There's no reason why one couldn't start here reading this series. I've read them in order but I admire how well they are constructed for entry at any time to the series. The medieval details! The charnal house! The meals while traveling! the history playing out! the characters one can almost see.
Here are some reading notes:
p.105 Nonviolence: this is how you do it: find common ground.
p.119 Just beautiful English, so descriptive, and here's a nightjar sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOAGU...
p.192-193 a treatise on empathy on one page, and the joy of choosing one's life on the other, especially choosing to be a nun.
p.233: lovely scene wit a horse
p.290: Power
p.349: Trust
Here are some reading notes:
p.105 Nonviolence: this is how you do it: find common ground.
p.119 Just beautiful English, so descriptive, and here's a nightjar sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOAGU...
p.192-193 a treatise on empathy on one page, and the joy of choosing one's life on the other, especially choosing to be a nun.
p.233: lovely scene wit a horse
p.290: Power
p.349: Trust
March 16, 2023
I have read comments concerning the series by Frazer that claim that is difficult to keep up with the various plot lines in a time so long since past. It isn't really at all. There is a king on the throne of England who is incapable and unwilling to govern and so surrounds himself with "yes saying" lords, who advise him horribly on waging war, treatment of the poor etc...things that make the rich even more wealthy and the poor more desperate. Sounds like America a few years ago to me. I love this series.
June 4, 2017
Another excellent bit of history and conjectures about the individuals making that history wrapped around murder--in this case murders of historical Medieval personages. The whole novel gives the reader a really good picture of what it was like to be in the upper reaches of English society just prior to the Wars of the Roses. Lots of tension, some action, lots of jeopardy. And the nun-protagonist shares the story with a principled spy. The ambiguity of the title is one of the puzzles.
March 11, 2020
Another great Dame Frevisse mystery. This one revisiting the politics and conditions of a troubled time in English history. Her story follows real events and injects well drawn characters along with the real people of the era. In this mystery, Joliffe reappears, once again as a spy. He and Frevisse team up to help solve several horrible murders.
I am sad that I have now read all the Sister Frevisse mysteries but two, that I cannot find.
I am sad that I have now read all the Sister Frevisse mysteries but two, that I cannot find.
August 4, 2022
This is a complex historic tale of bravery and treachery. As someone who rabidly follows the adventures of Dame Frevisse, I enjoy all the books in this series. But, this one was more challenging for me because of my limited knowledge ( and interest) in the politics of the Middle Ages.
Nonetheless, it is an intriguing addition to the very worldly adventures of this ( supposedly) non-worldly woman of God.
Nonetheless, it is an intriguing addition to the very worldly adventures of this ( supposedly) non-worldly woman of God.
February 20, 2025
В цій серії нашого середньовічного серіалу продовжуються негаразди в Лондоні, а ще в кузини Аліси такий покійний чоловік-герцог був приємний, що поховати не можуть спокійно. Так всі його любили і поважали (насправді ні). Кузина намагається втримати спадщину, добре ім'я і щоб було що передати дітям, навколо бунтують усі, а в політиці свої інтриги. Знову добре там, де повсякденність і загадка, а от в комбінації з придворними пристрастями воно не дуже працює. Втім, все одно цікаво.
July 3, 2021
If The Traitor's Tale (Sister Frevisse, #16) were a movie I would see this in a heartbeat!
October 5, 2022
An intense, difficult read. Joliffe makes an unexpected appearance in this volume and the author leaves us, at the end, with a tantalising and surprising glimpse of his private life.
January 3, 2026
Excellent, fun, and intriguing. Always a good read!
April 14, 2018
Although her political books aren’t my favorite, I cannot say enough what an excellent writer and researcher she is/was.
Read
February 27, 2017The situation in England in 1450 has turned deadly. While this book does not resolve the question of who is behind the array of seemingly unrelated deaths of prominent people, it presents an intriguing possibility. And once again, Dame Frevisse is involved in the drama.
February 10, 2008
This is number 16 in the series, which I've come to really enjoy. Dame Frevisse is a strong-willed 15th century English nun with superior deductive skills and a caustic sense of irony. Here she reteams with her old pal Joliffe, a former traveling actor now a spy for the Duke of York. He is witty, clever, and beguilingly charming. (He was so popular he got his own spin-off series of mysteries that help one understand the English world of traveling theater in this time period.) This particular book is a bit heavy on exposition, but its topic, the intrigues and machinations of mighty lords vying for power just prior to the War of the Roses, is necessarily full of intricacies and convolutions. Frazer has researched and knows the era exceedingly well, so you not only get good mystery, but social. cultural, architectural, political, and religious history along the way, as you experience day to day life for a wide range of medieval English folk and you get to practice a bit of Latin too (not to worry--translations provided for the faint of heart or uninterested).
February 23, 2008
I started reading this series after I finished all the Brother Cadfael books. Unfortunately Ellis Peters has passed away, but Margaret Frazier writes a pretty good historical mystery.
I really enjoyed Brother Cadfael. He was feisty and sweet hearted which is what I like in my hero sleuths. Dame Frevisse on the other hand is not as engaging heroine. On the other hand the setting is marvelous and I find the politics very interesting. Besides which, I'm a feminist at heart and (although it's by no means a feminist book) it's nice to see women empowered in the past, if only in a fictional setting. Quite frankly, I can't see many nuns getting away with traveling as much as this character does.
Frazer's latest book, as most of her recent books in this series delves deeply into the politics surrounding the Wars of the Roses. I would recommend the early books in the series to more general mystery readers. If you are already a fan, either of the series or the period then you will probably like these later books as well.
I really enjoyed Brother Cadfael. He was feisty and sweet hearted which is what I like in my hero sleuths. Dame Frevisse on the other hand is not as engaging heroine. On the other hand the setting is marvelous and I find the politics very interesting. Besides which, I'm a feminist at heart and (although it's by no means a feminist book) it's nice to see women empowered in the past, if only in a fictional setting. Quite frankly, I can't see many nuns getting away with traveling as much as this character does.
Frazer's latest book, as most of her recent books in this series delves deeply into the politics surrounding the Wars of the Roses. I would recommend the early books in the series to more general mystery readers. If you are already a fan, either of the series or the period then you will probably like these later books as well.
April 14, 2012
A solid medieval mystery with much more action than the usual Dame Frevisse novel. (Really though, how much action can you expect in mystery novel in which a 15th century nun is the main character and slueth?)The thing I like best about this "a-something's tale", as Doug calls them, is the Frazer's use of the political upheaval and intrigue of England in 1450 as teh center of the plot. I enjoy both trying to determine where the real facts stop and the fiction begins while reading the story and also the satisfaction of reading Frazer's afterward that explains just that. Much more satisfying then reading straight history, in my opinion and without all the inconvenience of having to stick to what can be proved in the historical record!
Nevertheless, unless you have an interest in medieval times (_not_ the blood and guts, knights on horseback genre by the way) you most likely will find this a dry read.
Nevertheless, unless you have an interest in medieval times (_not_ the blood and guts, knights on horseback genre by the way) you most likely will find this a dry read.
October 20, 2012
The Traitor's Tale is #16 in the Dame Frevisse series. This historical novel, set in 1450, finds Frevisse meeting up with Joliffe (from Joliffe the Player series) and both working as spies for Frevisse's cousin Alice, the Duchess of Suffolk, in a time of great political turmoil in England. As usual there are murders and other mysteries to be solved but also action, adventure and suspense kept me turning the pages.
I will be sorry to see this series end after I read the final book in the series, The Apostate's Tale. Assuming #17 is the end of the series – titles have been published approximately yearly from 1994 to #17 in 2008.
I will be sorry to see this series end after I read the final book in the series, The Apostate's Tale. Assuming #17 is the end of the series – titles have been published approximately yearly from 1994 to #17 in 2008.
August 9, 2025
This is probably my least favorite of the Sister Frevisse series, but still well worth reading. The book hews closely to the history surrounding the death of the Duke of Suffolk, the late husband of Frevisse's cousin Alice. Frevisse is once again called out of her convent to help Alice at a crucial time. Because the author had so much actual history to deal with, she often cannot place Frevisse and other characters in the midst of the action, and so they spend a little too much time waiting for something to happen or travelling from place to place. Nevertheless, the plot is brilliantly conceived and I especially liked the insight into the character of Joliffe, who eventually got his own series from the author. This is a book that depends on the reader knowing the series well, and so should not be the book to introduce the series.
August 14, 2017
If I had to choose only four words to categorize Margaret Frazer's Dame Frevisse novels, they would be: Intricately. Plotted. Historical. Mysteries.
This installment in the series is set in the year 1450, during the reign of King Henry VI, near the end of the Hundred Years' War. The duke of Suffolk, Dame Frevisse's kinsman by marriage, has been captured and beheaded; his wife, Frevisse's cousin Alice, asks for Frevisse's help in guarding her son's legacy. Thus it begins . . .
With the exception of "the letter," the centerpiece of the plot, Ms. Frazer has woven together several actual occurrences from 1450 into a plausible plot and a possible explanation for odd "coincidences" that year. She has also made Simon Joliffe a major character in this book, perhaps to transition to her other series Joliffe the Player.
This installment in the series is set in the year 1450, during the reign of King Henry VI, near the end of the Hundred Years' War. The duke of Suffolk, Dame Frevisse's kinsman by marriage, has been captured and beheaded; his wife, Frevisse's cousin Alice, asks for Frevisse's help in guarding her son's legacy. Thus it begins . . .
With the exception of "the letter," the centerpiece of the plot, Ms. Frazer has woven together several actual occurrences from 1450 into a plausible plot and a possible explanation for odd "coincidences" that year. She has also made Simon Joliffe a major character in this book, perhaps to transition to her other series Joliffe the Player.
October 14, 2013
I'm well into the Dame Frevisse novels, this one was a bit too wrapped in the politics of the time. I was curious and looked into the history of the War of the Roses a bit more and learned a bit. However, I enjoy the series' take on smaller people and places of the time and would prefer if she went back to those stories and resisted the temptation to become more embroiled in the political machinations of the upper class.
February 23, 2016
Okay, to be completely honest I almost gave this book 2 stars. I felt like the story was a little slow, but by the end I changed my mind. I started the series on book 16 so I feel like I cannot fairly judge the series. I like the style, and the author obviously did a lot of research. I think I will look for the first book and read the whole series through. This is a time period I am interested in and I like that the author uses facts to create her mysteries.
May 14, 2017
After the previous book, this one was a bit of a letdown. Too many of the characters never appear on stage, and too much of the action takes place in the wings. It's a historical political thriller rather than a historical murder mystery, and so a lot of Dame Frevisse's talents cannot be employed to be st advantage. Plus, it needed better editing. But if you have read the previous books in the series, or you are fascinated by medieval British politics, you will still enjoy reading this book.
March 15, 2009
Another Dame Frevisse mystery. Set in the year 1450 it has a lot of what could have happened. Stuff not in the history books because no one knows.
Why the Duke of Suffolk was killed and who ordered it.
The player Joliffe is in it and as always adds a fun twist to it.
Some of the political workings muddy the story but on a whole well paced and fun.
Why the Duke of Suffolk was killed and who ordered it.
The player Joliffe is in it and as always adds a fun twist to it.
Some of the political workings muddy the story but on a whole well paced and fun.
October 17, 2008
The Traitor's Tale is the latest book in the Dame Frevisse series by Margaret Frazer. Her books have allowed me to learn a great deal about England, the Catholic church, and politics during the 1400s. This particular book was filled with history and didn't end with all is well. I can only hope there will be more adventures with Dame Frevisse.
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