Murder at Beaulieu Abbey (Abbess of Meaux Mystery)

by Cassandra Clark

Death and danger await intrepid nun Hildegard of Meaux when she undertakes a secret mission for the good of her Order, in this eleventh action-packed installment of the medieval mystery series.

February, 1390. Hildegard is given a special assignment by the Prioress of Swyne to escort a young heiress from Beaulieu Abbey to the northern stronghold of Sir William atte Wood. What could be more pleasant than to join a betrothal party, especially as she will be accompanied on the long journey to the New Forest by the two monks militant, Gregory and Egbert.

But there is a more urgent and secret purpose for her mission.

The Western Church is in Schism, with two popes battling for power. The Cistercians are split between the pope in Rome - supported by King Richard - and the pope in Avignon, an ally of the king's French enemies. Which pope will Beaulieu decide to follow? England's future depends on it, and who better than Hildegard to discover Beaulieu's allegiance? But to question such powerful forces brings only death and danger - and even her two militant monks may not be enough to save her.

This action-packed, page-turning medieval mystery is a great choice for fans of holy sleuths like Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma and Paul Doherty's Brother Athelstan.

• ISBN10: 0727890891
• ISBN13: 9780727890894
• Publish Date: 31 March 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
• Imprint: Severn House
• Edition: Main
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Murder at Beaulieu Abbey is the 11th Hildegard of Meaux medieval mystery by Cassandra Clark. Released 1st June 2021 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a beautifully written historical mystery. The story revolves around a background historical framework so seamlessly, it's not always apparent where real history shades over into fiction. The author writes authoritatively and accurately about the time period and includes characters who are three dimensional and believable. Although it's the 11th book in the series, it works quite well as a standalone.

I really enjoyed Hildegard's practicality, intelligence, and wit. She works well with her 'team' and they complement one another's strengths. The book reminds me in a lot of ways of Brother Cadfael, although Ellis Peters' superlative series was set a couple of centuries earlier.

I was a bit let down about 2/3rds of the way through, being sure that I knew precisely what was going on. I was therefore delighted to find that I was more or less completely wrong. Well played, Ms. Clark, well played. The denouement is well written and satisfying. It's a solid period murder mystery and a good addition to the series.

Four stars. I really enjoyed it.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.