Amazon.com: The Apostate's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery) eBook: Margaret Frazer: Kindle Store

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Dame Frevisse must determine whether Sister Cecely, newly returned to the nunnery with her young son, is truly interested in repenting for her sins—or if she’s just in hiding after involvement in schemes that threaten everyone at St. Frideswide.

About the Author

Margaret Frazer was a finalist for an Edgar(r) Award for both The Servant's Tale and The Prioress' Tale.

Customer Reviews

25 Reviews

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)

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52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth staying up late to finish, January 4, 2008

By

Colonel Jenna (Overland Park, Kansas USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Apostate's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery) (Hardcover)

I pre-ordered this book, got it yesterday, stayed up late to finish it. Worth the loss of sleep.

This is not Frazer's best work but then the least of her many books is already pretty good. This book is told primarily from the point of two individuals -- Sister Cecily, a former nun (the Apostate of the title) who has returned to her old convent, and Sister Frievesse. The action occurs during Holy Week which makes an interesting background to the former nun's thoughts on why she left and what she thinks of the religious life in general. Sister Frievesse also has more than her usual contemplations about her vocation and the religious life. The contrast between the two is almost painful. In the meanwhile of course things happen that really shouldn't have done and Sister Frievesse has to sort it all out.

My viewpoint is a little different than some readers because I myself am an historical scholar of the Middle Ages and a theologian -- which is part of why I enjoy these books so very much. I find no glaring inaccuracies nor any annoying need for footnotes. A couple of things are explained quite naturally as part of the movement of the story (such as what an apostate is, which is different than an heretic). Frazer is very good at this. She also writes a fine mystery. My main complaint -- not that it's a big one -- is my desire to slap one of the characters. Which I submit is proof of the author's skill!

Review update 7/6/09: I have realized that this is my second-favorite of all this author's works. I re-read it a lot.

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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Frevisse Yet, January 29, 2008

By

Mark Reid - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Apostate's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery) (Hardcover)

I've read every book in the Dame Frevisse series and enjoyed them all, but I think this is Frazer's best (and most subtle) work yet. It contains none of the politics, travel, and high-flying nobles that many of her recent books have and is set entirely within the walls of St. Frideswide's priory, but it delves more deeply into aspects of the the human condition that transcend time and space. The mystery wasn't hard to solve, but it's a great story with a very satisfying ending. If you've never read any books from this series I don't think I'd recommend starting with The Apostate's Tale, but if you have then don't miss this one!

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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stability Returns, February 21, 2008

By

Traveler "Kat" (Maine USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Apostate's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery) (Hardcover)

After pursuing her cousin Alice's ends through several novels set in London, Dame Frevisse is once again where a Benedictine nun belongs, at St. Frideswide's. Part of her vows included "stability," the idea that the nun belongs for her lifetime in a particular "house" or convent. All Frevisse has ever wanted is to pursue her relationship with God: the novels all consist of interruptions to this peaceful search. The Apostate's Tale both fits this formula, and turns it on its head.

Sister Cecilia, whose family had pressed her to a vocation she did not feel, fled St. Frideswide's in a previous novel. Now the apostate nun has returned, with her son, after the death of her lover of ten years. Modern sensibility immediately sympathizes with Cecilia; Frevisse, with the appropriate fifteenth century attitudes, does not. Lifetime commitments remain constant, although the people who made them may change. The tension here is between stability and mutability, a most appropriate conflict for Frevisse.

Of course there is a murder, of course Frevisse must make difficult decisions, and the reader will enjoy not only Dame Frevisse's detective skills but her personal growth in this, the best of Frazer's excellent novels for several years.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars She really was a nun!
A number of writers have thought that a nun detective was a cool idea. Those set in modern times tend to feature jolly, well-padded Irish American ladies who never seem to say a... Read more

Published 2 months ago by PatinColo

4.0 out of 5 stars Women as Property
Margaret Frazer's THE APOSTATE'S TALE takes a hard look at the status of women in medieval times. A runaway nun returns to the convent bringing with her a child. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Nash Black

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope there is more to come in the series!
Once again Frazer has produced a great mystery with the wonderful characterization and in-depth research that brings the 15th century to life. St. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Anna A. Stanford

5.0 out of 5 stars A different take on Dame Frevisse
This is the third in the Dame Frevisse series that I have read. It is also very different, in that--as compared to the other two novels that I have read--this takes place almost... Read more

Published 16 months ago by Steven A. Peterson

5.0 out of 5 stars The best yet in a terrific series
It's been nine years since Sister Cecely ran away from St. Frideswide's priory. She returns on a rainy night just before Easter, with a small son sheltered under her cloak and a... Read more

Published 23 months ago by Nina M. Osier

3.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment
I enjoyed the historical details in this book, and that the characters did not exhibit modern sensibilities, and seemed authentic. Read more

Published 23 months ago by Reader from Mayland

5.0 out of 5 stars The Apostate's Tale
The book was entertaining and kept me riveted. I enjoyed this book and would recommend to friends and family.

Published 24 months ago by C. Castner

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a Mystery and Not Particularly Compelling
As many of the reviews provide plot details I won't get into it other than to say in this book an Apostate Nun (one who has forsaken her vows and left the convent) returns to St... Read more

Published on May 4, 2009 by Gypsy

4.0 out of 5 stars an unexpected zone of wisdom
Dame Frevisse is a nun in the eight-nunned abbey of St. Frideswide's, not an ordinary place to succour a sleuth. Read more

Published on March 2, 2009 by Mennonite Medievalist

5.0 out of 5 stars The return of a long disappeared nun
Spring of 1452 brings fretful weather but nothing as worrisome as Sister Cecely, a nun who long disppeared from Saint Frideswide's priory suddenly returns nine years later with... Read more

Published on January 14, 2009 by D. Merrimon Crawford

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Margaret Frazer Page

Margaret Frazer is a full-time writer. She has twice been a finalist for the Edgar(r) in the paperback original category. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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