Satan’s Lullaby
Priscilla Royal
Poisoned Pen Press, Feb 3 2015, $14.95
ISBN: 9781464203565
In 1278, Abbess Isabeau of
the Mother House Fondevraud Abbey of East Anglia
sends her brother Father Etienne Davoir and his retinue to investigate
subordinate Tyndal Priory in Norfolk.
The first inspection in almost a decade includes besides the normal
review, a look into rumors of misconduct amongst the religious members of the
Order.
When one of the haughty friar’s clerks Jean becomes ill, Sub-infirmarian
Sister Anne realizes he suffers from too much wine. Not long afterward, Jean dies. Father Davoir blames his death on Brother
Imbert, but Prioress Eleanor and Sister Anne insist there is no such
person. Sister Anne further states she
gave instructions and a potion to the man Father Davoir sent to her. Father Davoir calls her a liar, accuses her
of murder and furthermore wonders aloud if Prioress Eleanor ordered the kill to
hide her sin of carnality. Though he
prefers to be with his pregnant mate, the local king’s justice agent Crowner
Ralf knows this case is hard because the only suspects are people he cares
about: Sister Anne, Prioress Eleanor and his best friend Brother Thomas.
The latest Prioress Eleanor and Brother
Thomas Medieval Mystery (see A Killing Season and Covenant with Hell) is an
engaging whodunit with an insightful glimpse at thirteenth century
England. The conflict between the
regular cast members and the newcomers (mostly Father Davoir and his party)
bring tension to Priscilla Royal’s intense historical.
Harriet Klausner
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