The Outlaw's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) [Kindle Edition]

Margaret Frazer (Author)

Book Description

ACT OF MERCY, ACT OF MURDER

Leaving the safety of her nunnery walls behind, Dame Frevisse is drawn into an unholy web of treachery and deceit. Waylaid on the King's Highway by a band of outlaws, Frevisse is shocked to discover that their leader is her long-lost cousin Nicholas. When he pleads with her to help him obtain a pardon for his crimes, she finds herself trapped between the harsh edicts of the law and the mercy of her vows.

But even as she struggles to restore his fortunes, Frevisse must fight to save his soul... and his life. Before the outlaw's tale can be told, the saintly nun will find herself trapped in a manor house of murder, caught between the holy passions of the heart and the sinful greeds of man.

PRAISE FOR THE OUTLAW'S TALE

"A tale well told, filled with intrigue and spiced with romance and rogues." - School Library Journal
"...a meticulous recreation of not only how people lived more than five hundred years ago, but how they loved, suffered and sinned. Just the thing for anybody who usually disparages the genre to show how well it can be done, in the right hands." - Myshelf.com

"Dame Frevisse is well-born, well-educated, and not at all afraid to stick her inquisitive nose into anything which just does not seem right." - Tower Books Mystery Newsletter

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES

"Frazer's writing is both erudite and vivid, and she has the ability to bring characters to life within a strong, clear story." - Drood Review of Mystery

"This series is full of the richness of the fifteenth century, handled with the care it deserves. Margaret Frazer's tales are charmingly and intelligently contrived." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Accurate period detail, adroit characterization, and lively dialogue add to the pleasure." - Publishers Weekly

A Romantic Times Top Pick.

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.
Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-A tale well told, filled with intrigue and spiced with romance and rogues. Sister Frevisse and Master Naylor journey with Sister Emma toward her godchild's christening. Their trip is interrupted by Nicholas, Frevisse's cousin, who seeks her assistance in obtaining a pardon for him and his band of outlaws. Teens who like their violence offstage and their heroines strong and smart will enjoy the story, and they are likely to learn quite a bit about daily life in 1434 as they join Frevisse's quest for truth.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"'History fans will relish every minute.' Publisher's Weekly 'Exquisitely woven.' The Cleveland Plain Dealer 'Executes her exercise...with audacity and ingenuity.' Kirkus Review 'A good mystery...excellently drawn.' Anne Perry"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 277 KB
• Print Length: 184 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Dream Machine Productions (December 21, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004GXBE66
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,165 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid addition to the Frevisse series May 25, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

While _The Outlaw's Tale_ is not quite as stellar as some of the series' other books, it's a well-told and often puzzling mystery story nonetheless. Its story is complex, and builds with a lesiurely pace that fits both its period and its primary setting: a well-off household in late medieval England. Though taken outside of the priory for the first (though not last) time in the series, Dame Frevisse is still her usual self: deeply compassionate beneath her acrid wit, and driven by a mixture of deep piety, rock-solid common sense, and restless curiosity. Hers is one of the few believable portraits of a nun in historical fiction, simply because she enjoys the contemplative life; she is also one of the most likable detectives in the mystery genre because of her compassion. Whereas most detectives sleuth to solve puzzles, Frevisse does so to help people and heal relationships. The book's final plot twist is, characteristically for the series, both unexpected and rather sad, yet satisfying as well. Its roguish outlaws'adoption of late medieval Robin Hood personae is both apt and humorously done, and its mix of characters is vibrant. Overall, this is a book worth reading in a series worth reading.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sister Frevisse on the road. August 10, 2003

By S. Schwartz

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In this book we find Sister Frevisse on the road with another nun from St. Frideswide. They are waylaid in their travels by a cousin of Sister Frevisse. This cousin is one she hasn't seen for some time because he's been an outlaw . He has stopped his cousin to enlist her aid in getting him a pardon so that he can resume a normal life. While Sister Frevisse is waiting for an answer about this pardon she is lodging at the home of one her cousin's business partners and a murder is commmitted. Sister Frevisse is forced to jeopardise everything she holds dear to solve the crime. She enters a world of lies and deceit in order to protect some and expose others. Ms. Frazer does a good job of setting her stories in the period and the plot moves along in a way that is very compatable with this period.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars More action and adventure than mystery! February 27, 2011

By A. Scott Goeringer

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I searched high and low for The Outlaw's Tale, the next book in Margaret Frazer's incredible series featuring Dame Frevisse. Finally I found and downloaded the Kimble version. The wait was worth the effort. The Outlaw's Tale delivers as much action as mystery.

The story opens with Dame Frevisse accompanying Sister Emma who is on her way to a family christening when they are take by a band of outlaws. They are treated well and Frevisse finds out to her surprise the outlaws are led by her cousin Nicholas, whom she hasn't seen in sixteen years or more. He swears he has changed his ways and implores her to write to their uncle, Thomas Chaucer (son of Geoffrey) to see if he can arrange a pardon for him and his men.

Frevisse is unsure but happy to help her cousin. Before all this can happen, the fragile, flibbertigibbet Emma is taken ill from her exposure to the elements. Nicholas arranges for them to seek help for her at the manor of a man with whom he has done business.

She is doubtful about what these business dealings might include but busies herself taking care of Emma. The widowed sister of the manor lord is eager to help and Frevisse discovers the reason why. There may be a connection between the widow and Nicholas or one of his men.

Frevisse finds her self in the middle of a family feud after a brutish, despicable man wanting the widow's hand in marriage is murdered. Despite her cousin's reassurances that he has changed his ways, Frevisse isn't quite convinced. Nicholas appears to be more involved with the family than he lets on.

The Outlaw's Tale is either a short book or an easy read because the pages flew by. I read it in two sittings over a weekend.... I like the references to Frevisse's family and the memories she has of her childhood, since it brings her to life, which other characters similar to Frevisse lack. She is humble but not unassuming. She's someone with whom the reader can connect and root for.

I didn't find it to be as complex as the other Frevisse mysteries but as I mentioned before, it has action and suspense. I devoured it like all the others and am ready for the next. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The finest series in many a year January 9, 2013

By Grandma Pooh

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have read this series completely. Ms Frazer has done her homework. Her characters are compelling and the
historical background is well researched. I would recommend this series to anyone who loves mystery and
a read that you cannot put down

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A good addition to the series February 25, 2011

By Anna A. Stanford

Format:Mass Market Paperback

While I did enjoy this 3rd volume of the series, it makes me realize that my habit of reading a series as the books come to me and therefore out of order does have its advantages. I've discovered that most authors take a few books to really hit their stride, and their best work comes later in the series as their characters develop. This is an example of exactly that - while the mystery was entertaining, it did not have the depth and intricacy of Frazer's later work in the series. Sister Frevisse is accompanying Sister Emma on a trip to her family to attend a christening. On the way they are captured by outlaws in the forest, and their leader turns out to be Frevisse's cousin Nicholas, a black sheep of the family who had been disowned by his father. He wants her to write her uncle Thomas Chaucer and ask for a pardon for himself and his band, to which Frevisse reluctantly agrees. But Sister Emma falls ill from exposure to the elements and they are forced to take shelter in a nearby town in the home of a friend of Nicholas's. When a murder occurs, Frevisse has to wonder if her cousin is not as repentant of his lifestyle as he claims. While the mystery is pretty simple compared to later volumes, Frazer's skill in characterization is evident through every book in this series, and this is no exception.

More About the Author

Margaret Frazer is the award-winning author of more than twenty historical murder mysteries and novels. She makes her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, surrounded by her books, but she lives her life in the 1400s. In writing her Edgar-nominated Sister Frevisse (The Novice's Tale) and Player Joliffe (A Play of Isaac) novels she delves far inside medieval perceptions, seeking to look at medieval England more from its point of view than ours. "Because the pleasure of going thoroughly into otherwhen as well as otherwhere is one of the great pleasures in reading."

She has twice been a finalist for the Edgar(R) in the paperback original category.

She can be visited online at http://www.margaretfrazer.com.