I hovered between 2.5 and 3 stars for this historical fiction mystery. I liked the setting and the characters were believable for the most part. I only skimmed the foreword but the author has clearly taken the time to research the Fontevraud order and the time period of the late 13th century England. But some parts of it still struck me as a bit off (Eleanor, the daughter of a Norman noble, being taught to read and write in English for example).

I also found the plot, while probable, slightly distasteful. (There was a lot about sodomy in the book & one of the main characters is a gay man. That is fine, probably accurate, and even an interesting perspective on the times. But the motive of the murders turned out to be the repeated rape of a boy in the village. Good motive but yuck! I will try another from the series before coming to a final judgement. ( )

Set in 13th century English priory of nuns and monks. Internal polititcs, murder, theft, sexual and racial discrimination. good tight story and having watched Game of Thrones was a little familiar with the issues of Norman /Saxon relations of the time as well as the roles of women and religious. ( )

1270. A new prioress is appointed to the small priory of Tyndal on the East Anglian coast. Unfortunately she is not one of their own but a young and inexperienced Eleanor of Wynethorpe. Brother Thomas has also been sent to the priory but for what reason. Unfortunatley not long after a body of one of the brother's is discovered. But what could be the motive.
An enjoyable historical mystery and I liked the main characters.

( )

This first book in a historical fiction mystery series is set in an isolated monastic community on the East Anglican coast in 1270. Tyndal Priory was an actual double monastery for both priests and nuns in the French Order of Fentevraud. It operated as a hospital, and was unique in being run by women. As a preface notes:

“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. ( )

This might be the follow-up to Ellis Peters and Margaret Frazer that I have been looking for. ( )