The Clerk's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Margaret Frazer (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Dame Frevisse Mystery | Publication Date: December 3, 2002

St. Mary's nunnery is a place of prayer and healing for women-so it is surprising to see a man sprawled out in the cloister garden. Dead. The victim was not especially well-liked-even by his wife and clerk. Now, Dame Frevisse must step in and solve the killing. But her real challenge is to put aside her feelings and serve justice for the murder of an unjust man.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Edgar-nominee Frazer delivers another well-wrought tale of intrigue and murder in her 11th novel (after 2001's The Squire's Tale) to feature nun and amateur sleuth Dame Frevisse. Here our heroine travels with the prioress of St. Frideswide's priory to the town of Goring, where on arrival they learn that Master Montfort has been murdered in the cloister garden of St. Mary's. (The jacket art nicely depicts the scene of the crime.) Montfort's son asks for Frevisse's aid in finding the murderer, which proves no easy task. Montfort, escheater assigned to settle a dispute over the inheritance of certain properties, wasn't liked by anyone, including his wife and clerk. Delving into the relationships of those connected to the victim and those involved in the inheritance dispute, Frevisse uncovers a complex case. Another death brings all the suspects together for a dramatic and surprising conclusion. As usual, Frazer vividly recreates the medieval world through meticulous attention to historical detail. From spectacles to wimples, to the kidney dagger that killed Montfort and the Goring river ferry now replaced by a bridge, she exhibits remarkable scholarship. The story, like others in the series, alternates between the points-of-view of Frevisse and the title character, here Master John Gruesby, the mild-mannered clerk whose security rests in his ink pots and papers. While some may find the evolution of the plot slow, history aficionados will delight in every page and committed fans will rejoice that the devout yet human Dame Frevisse is back.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Margaret Frazer was a finalist for an Edgar Award for Best Original Paperback for both The Servant's Tale and The Prioress' Tale. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (December 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425187381
• ISBN-13: 978-0425187388
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #608,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chaucer's grandaughter is on the case, February 2, 2002

By 

charles falk (Novato, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Clerk's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This is one of the most satisfying historical mysteries I have read recently. Margaret Frazer's latest Dame Frevisse story is meticulous in its 15th centruy backdrop, if a bit slow-paced in the unfolding of the plot. Dame Frevisse is a Benedictine nun and the granddaughter of Geoffry Chaucer. The titles of the series sound as if they are lifted from Canterbury Tales, though only a few actually are.

The story takes place in 1446, early in the reign of Henry VI. It is a time of truce in the Hundred Years' War. Jeanne d"Arc is dead and the French have not yet begun their push to finally expel the English from their continental holdings. Most of the characters in the story are from the lesser country gentry or bourgeoisie. The doings at the royal court are only a distant rumor, but impinging on this story is the maneuvering for power between the Earl of Suffolk (to whom Frevisse's cousin is married) and Lord Lovell which presages the coming War of the Roses.

Dame Frivisse has been asked to accompany her prioress on a visit to her dying cousin, prioress of St Mary's convent in Goring, Oxfordshire. Upon arriving they find that Master Montfort, Escheator of the county, has been murdered in the garden of the convent. He was at Goring to resolve a contested inheritance. The extended families involved in the dispute are numerous and Montfort was universally disliked, so the list of suspects is long. Montfort's son, Christopher, who is also an official of the crown, has the responsibility for investigating his father's death. He secretly enlists Dame Frivisse, who has a reputation for solving murders, to help him.

The central characters are well-drawn and three-dimensional. I particularly liked Montfort's widow and Lady Agnes, the feisty grandmother of one of the claimants in the property dispute. The reader is treated to a detailed look at life among the minor gentry in medieval England -- especially their food and dress. Dame Frivisse is no jumped-up 21st century female PI in period costume, (as are too many of the detectives in historical mysteries)but is rather a smart, observant, pious nun who has a knack for untangling people's motivations.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nun solves murders in medieval England, February 1, 2003

By 

Silver Springer "mary1anne2" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Clerk's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Margaret Frazer documents the interesting world of 15th century England in her series about Dame Frevisse, a nun in St Frideswide's priory in the English countryside.

In this installment of the series, Frevisse accompanies her prioress on a journey to St Mary's nunnery to visit the prioress's dying sister. Upon arrival, Frevisse is immersed in the aftermath of a murder of a much hated local official which occurred on the nunnery grounds. There is no lack of suspects, and due to her reputation in solving other murders, Dame Frevisse is asked to participate in the investigation.

We learn about the main characters and the property dispute the official was mediating when he was murdered. A love triangle and another murder make the plot interesting.

For me, however, the most interesting aspect of this book was not the murder mystery but the insight into daily life of this time. Frazer focuses on the life of women in the middle ages: nuns, wives and widows.It surprised me to learn, for example, that widows could hold property in their own name and led fairly independent lives. While Frazer's extensive documentation and research was evident in her work, I was a little disappointed in the character of Dame Frevisse. While she has a sharp, inquiring mind, she had few interpersonal relationships so we could see little but her pious character. As a contrast, Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael (of the 12th century in England) has both a colorful past and is a multidimensonal character. However I did enjoy this book and will probably read more of the series.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent read, February 8, 2002

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Clerk's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Mystery-wise, "The Clerk's Tale" is a rather straightforward read, and the real investigation as to who had the opportunity (many had the motive)to murder Morys Montfort, only really picks up a little more than halfway through the novel. However, the reason why this mystery novel is so compelling and gripping a read, lies the manner in which Margaret Frazer has taken time and effort to allow this mystery novel to unfold. The care and detail she pays to character development; how the characters are dressed (in order to show their character traits), the manner in which the rooms (both in the nunnery of St. Mary's and Lady Agnes's manor house) are appointed -- all these add to the texture of the novel. And all these are bounties that any avid historical mystery buff (esp this one) would definitely appreciate!

Another thing I liked about this Dame Fervisse mystery in particular was that we got to appreciate another side to Dame Fervisse -- the part of her that truly appreciates and loves her life of prayer and contemplation, even as she sometimes chafes at the sameness of it all. I know that from time to time, this facet of her character comes through in the previous mystery novels, however I feel that Margaret Frazer really homed in on these somewhat contradictory yearnings that Dame Fervisse has in "The Clerk's Tale." (You esp get to see this in the wonderful manner in which Frazer contrast the hustle and bustle of what goes on in Lady Agnes's manor with the quiet of the chapel at St. Mary's.) I also liked that Frazer had Dame Fervisse really wrestle with the fact that while she abhors that a murder has been committed, she really feels very little sorrow for the victim. This feeling of guilt at the lack of charity she feels for Morys Montfort colours much of the novel and makes it a much darker and more somber tale, and added to the richness of the novel, and makes her quest to see justice done all the more noteworthy.

All in all, I say that "The clerk's Tale" is an excellent read. The mystery may take time to unfold but it is definitely worth the effort of sticking it out. Frazer does an excellent job of making us care for the characters involved and for the outcome of the mystery. A really worthwhile read.