Customer Reviews

The Bishop's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been reading through Margaret Frazer's series with Sister Frevisse, and I found this book not very exciting and there's not much mystery here. Normally I enjoy Ms. Frazer's books, but this one was not my favourite. In this book Sister Frevisse is called to a funeral for her beloved uncle, Thomas Chaucer. While at the funeral feast one of the nobles that is present gets in an argument and says, "May God stike me dead, if what I say isn't the truth!" Then sure enough he is overcome with some sort of attack and can't catch his breath. He later dies from this and Sister Frevisse is asked by a distant relative (who is a bishop) to find out what actually happened. Of course, it wasn't a sign of God, and she does discover the killer, but so had I. I figured it out long before the ending of the book. I will continue to read this series, but I do hope that it gets interesting again.

I've now read all the books in Margaret Fraser's series and this one was beyond excellent. I cried the first 60 pages and loved the rest. Truly excellent book.

I think A Bishop's Tale, set in the late medieval period, is a very good read. The author, Margaret Frazer, did a great job with research, setting and characterization.
She built believable characters, with flaws and depth. I can't wait to start on the rest of the series.

Dame Frevisse is summoned home to the death bed of her beloved uncle, Thomas Chaucer. She arrives to find him dead and her aunt on the verge of hysterics. Thomas was comforted in his last hours by Bishop Beaufont, who has risen far in the church and is one of the most powerful men in England.
Frevisse aids her family through all the cermonies due her highly respected uncle, but at the final feast a much hated member of the lower gentry experiences a strange death while eating at her aunt's table.
Bishop Beaufont is concerned that is wasn't God wrath that smote the man down, but human actions. He instructs Dame Frevisse to ask questions and discover the truth behind this strange death. She must follow his command though her heart is with her family and her own grief.
For this reader the conclusion seemed a bit rushed, but it is a fine read.
Nash Black, author of SANDPRINTS OF DEATH

Another good addition to the series. For those readers with any medical background, you'll be able to figure out what it going on a bit earlier than usual, but that doesn't detract from the story. The characters are still compelling, and this book is essential to understand many of the plots of later books more thoroughly. It introduces a lot more background information about Frevisse's uncle and family. I think this book may be out of print, as I had a difficult time finding it, and many of the copies I found were expensive.

Once I started reading this book I realized I had read it before - I wish I had checked my list before ordering it as I now have a duplicate, assuming I find the other one in whatever box it currently lives in. Oh well, at least I haven't reviewed it before.

One of the earlier Sister Frevisse books, this one finds our intrepid nun called to her dying uncle Thomas Chaucer's household. Unfortunately she arrives too late to bid him farewell, but she stays to help the family with the funeral. One of the guests is an odious, quarrelsome man who delights in tormenting others, and at the feast during an altercation he calls upon God to strike him down if he is in the wrong. To everyone's horror he immediately collapses. Although no one is sorry to be rid of him, Bishop Beaufort suspects it is the hand of man, not God, responsible and instructs Frevisse to discover the truth - a daunting task as there is no lack of people who wished him dead.

Less convoluted than later volumes in the series, the mystery is still clever, the characters finely drawn, the historical background rich in detail, and the book as enjoyable as any of Frazer's work.