Girl in a Red Tunic

Product Group: Book
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (2005-11-07)
ISBN: 0340831138
EAN: 9780340831137
Hardcover: 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Sir Josse Has Mixed Loyalties
Rating

(4)
Date: 2006-08-23
19 out of 24 customers found this reveiw helpful

Alys Clare's novels are like a breath of fresh air. I love medieval murder mysteries and there are certainly a lot of them about (thank goodness), but the authors books breathe new life into the period and her will they won't they situation with Helewise and Sir Josse, holds the reader's attention as well. Don't be swayed into thinking that these books are written with the female reader in mind. They are for everybody, young and old, male or female.

Richard the Lionheart is still hostage after the crusades, but his people are struggling to cope with the crippling amount they have had to pay to secure his ransom. Even before the problems with Richard's ransom not all of his subjects were enamoured of the King, who is hardly ever in the country he rules. No wonder his brother John is gathering to him a number of loyal followers.

The Abbess Helewise has the difficult task of keeping her abbey going through the cold and brutal winter, as she tries to fend off starvation of her nuns and the local villagers. Then out of the blue Helewise's son returns to her, a son she has not seen for nearly 20 years. He claims that his wife is suffering mental illness and his son is a mute. He desperately needs help.

But then a man is found strangled and hanging from a tree close by the abbey. Next day her son and his family flee and Sir Josse must investigate and delve into Helewise's past life before she took the veil. Were her husband and father in law all that they seemed?

Can the Abbess prevent even more murder, or will the blame be laid at the door of her innocent son?

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