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Fiction. Mystery. HTML: It is late summer in the year 1270 and England is as weary as its aging king, Henry III. Although the Simon de Montfort rebellion is over, the smell of death still hangs like smoke over the land. Even in the small priory of Tyndal on the remote East Anglian coast, the monks and nuns of the Order of Fontevraud long for a return to tranquil routine. Their hopes are dashed, however, when the young and inexperienced Eleanor of Wynethorpe is appointed their new prioress over someone of their own choosing. Nor are Eleanor's own prayers for a peaceful transition answered. Only a day after her arrival, a brutally murdered monk is found in the cloister gardens, and Brother Thomas, a young priest with a troubled past, arrives to bring her a more personal grief. Now she must not only struggle to gain the respect of her terrified and resentful flock but also cope with violence, lust and greed in a place dedicated to love and peace..… (more)
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Sister Eleanor, slight,
I'm a little confused about focus here. The crimes, and the motivation for them, are clear enough, but we're almost left wondering, who's the sleuth here, and how did he/she solve the crime? I presume future entries will not burden us this way. I have good hopes for the Prioress Eleanor - Brother Thomas relationship in future numbers. One quibble: if a man is ordained a priest, wouldn't you address him as "Father," and not "Brother"?
I also found the plot, while probable, slightly distasteful.
I am not a medieval scholar, so I have no idea how authentic this setting is... but I very much enjoyed it, both as it showed common human actions and reactions, and as it depicted a very different world.
The characters were
The plot was twisty, though somewhat predictable.
This is the second book I've read in the series, and it hearkens back to the beginning; my first novel here was set much more in the future. I was fascinated in reading more of the back-story behind it, and look forward to reading more in the series.
The characters and setting were very well drawn. Eleanor is both kind and smart, although some of her actions and attitudes seemed a little too modern to me. I felt much sympathy for the young Brother Thomas, who was forced into the order as an alternative to death after being caught in a homosexual encounter with a boyhood friend. And the medical character of Anne was intriguing - I will look forward to learning more about her past. Unfortunately the murder mystery itself became to lose my interest around the middle of the book, but I persevered. I didn't love the resolution only because it removed a character that I thought had a lot of interesting potential. But overall I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Three and a half stars.
“In an age in which women were viewed as the lesser sex, untrustworthy and frivolous and emotional, daughters of Even meant to be guided and ruled by male wisdom, many saw Fontevraud’s matriarchy as scandalous, subversive, even offensive to God.”
[The abbey of Fontevrault in France was founded in 1100. Today it is best known as the burial place of Eleanor of Aquitaine. It disappeared in the French Revolution but was revived as an order for women only in 1806. According to the online Catholic Encyclopedia “New Advent,” the governing power in the hands of the abbess “was said to be based upon the text of St. John (xix, 27), ‘Behold thy Mother,’ but want of capacity among the brethren who surrounded the founder would seem to be the most natural explanation.” ]
The fictional character of Eleanor of Wynethorpe - only twenty years old - has just been sent to Tyndal to replace the deceased, elderly prioress, and not all welcome her arrival. One nun in particular, the bitter and angry Sister Ruth, thought she should have been given the job. Brother Simeon, vain, pompous, ambitious, and a misogynist, also wanted Sister Ruth to be appointed, since he could control her. Eleanor, on the other hand, seemed actually to believe that she, not one of the monks, should be in charge.
Another new arrival to Tyndal is Brother Thomas, who was forced to take holy vows after be discovered in a homosexual relationship. Eleanor is immediately attracted to Thomas, having no idea he has no interest in women, and in spite of her own choice of vocation which implies a life of chastity. [“Implies” is the operative word, since readers quickly discovers that not all the residents of the monastery are living the chaste life.]
Indeed, everyone’s struggles with the decision to forgo sex seems to be at the forefront of the action in this story, which begins with the discovery of the body one of the priests, who not only has had his throat slit, but has been castrated to boot.
Eleanor’s first task on the job therefore is to find the murderer, a chore made more difficult by additional acts of violence in subsequent days.
The murder doesn’t preoccupy the residents of Tyndal as much as sex though, or the lack thereof. A number of other issues also are woven into the story, including the challenge of maintaining the solvency of the community, the assignment of positions that fit the skills of the residents, and relations with the villagers, whose Saxon background clashes with the Normans of the monastery.
Through it all, we get to know the strengths and weaknesses of the important monks and nuns who live at Tyndal. Their interactions presumably will be further developed in subsequent installments of the series.
Evaluation: I was hoping for more insight into medieval society. At times I felt like I was reading a book about the promise and perils of interrelationships at a boarding school instead. Nevertheless, I did like some of the characters, and may opt to continue with the series.
An enjoyable historical mystery and I liked the main characters.
I also found the plot, while probable, slightly distasteful.