"Recent addition to this medieval mystery series is superb."

Once again, Dame Frevisse is caught in the middle of a murder. This time, the perceptive nun is positioned as the helpmate and comfort-provider to a widow who's not grieving. The late master of the manor has his dead hands clenched around the throats of his heirs, just as he did in life, through his will and his stringent demands upon his executors. When his oldest living son dies through misfortune, the entire family truly experiences grief.

Hugh, the hunter-turned-lord, wishes that the family's wariness and anger had dissipated with the death of his father, but his brother's death merely drives the rest of the family further into their protective shells. Hugh has no desire to run the manor, but he now has to fight the ghosts of the haunting violence of his father and the generous specter of his much-loved brother.

Dame Frevisse tries to comfort the family that's unable to comfort itself. Frazer's most recent book in this medieval mystery series is beautifully written and captures the essence of the characters in a way that's bittersweet, as well as accurate.

Reviewed by Vicky Gilpin
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted December 26, 2003

Summary

In Margaret Frazer's eagerly-awaited new medieval mystery, the "devout yet human"** nun Dame Frevisse finds herself embroiled in a family's turmoil. When she accompanies a nunnery pupil and her mother as they return home, a family member is suddenly killed under questionable circumstances. As secrets are dragged out into the light, Dame Frevisse realizes that there is a murderer among them who will not rest until the family legacy has been settled once and for all.