Prioress' Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) [Paperback]

Margaret Frazer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries | Publication Date: August 1, 1997

When Domina Alys becomes prioress of St. Frideswide, the convent becomes a guest house for her disagreeable and greedy relatives, until a long-standing family feud leads to kidnapping and murder, and it is up to Sister Frevisse to find a killer and rid the convent of its unwelcome guests. Original."

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425159442
• ISBN-13: 978-0425159446
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,872 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

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent addition to the Dame Frevisse series., July 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Prioress' Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) (Paperback)

The reign of the tyrannical Domina Alys continues in this next volume of the Dame Frevisse series. The story opens with Domina Alys' relatives having infested the priory, consuming the priory's provisions, and making general and specific nuisances of themselves. Combine this with the contruction of a tower, the kidnapping of a prospective bride, Domina Alys' pettinesses and revenges, the appearance of an old "friend", and the murder seems like just another event. Margaret Frazer excels in depicting the period with great vividness and accuracy. It is a pleasure to watch events unfold and read the excellent dialog. Her characters continue to develop with Dame Frevisse becomming more tolerant of others' failings, Sister Amicia actually able to keep a coherent thought in her head, and Sister Thomasine continuing her progress toward sainthood. You WILL enjoy this book!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A slice of medival live, October 14, 2000

By 

booknblueslady (Woodland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prioress' Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) (Paperback)

Margaret Frazer in The Prioress' Tale creates an interesting slice of medieval of life at the 15th century priory of St. Frideswide. The characters are ones you will want to meet again in other books.

Domina Alys is single minded, mean spirited and petty in her vision of an improved priory. Those who do not join forces with her are her enemies, chief among them is protagonist, Sister Frevisse an intelligent and likable nun who is much worried about the downward direction the priory is taking. She rightly believes that nothing is as it seems to be.

The mystery itself almost seems secondary to the story of the characters and the priory. Frazer slowly builds to the mystery. In fact, the murder does not occur until late in the book. There are other secrets to be revealed besides "whodunit".

This is a good quick read and I am looking forward to reading other Margaret Frazer books in the Sister Frevisse series.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For fans of medieval mysteries, July 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Prioress' Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) (Paperback)

In 1439, Prioress Domina Alys of St. Frideswide's Abbey decides that the only way she can save her abbey is to bring in new novices and to find wealthy patrons to pay for the renovation and expansion of the facility. The other sisters, especially Sister Frevisse, loathe Alys' tyrannical leadership. To Alys, the sisters do not appreciate all she is doing to save the facility. She blames it on the lackadaisical leadership of the previous two Prioress, who were more preoccupied with God than the day to day running of an Abbey.

To make matters worse, at least in the mind of Sister Frevisse, Alys allows her relatives, the violent and argumentative, but rich Godfreys to stay as guests. However, Alys may yet regret her decision when the long feuding family squabble turns to murder as one of the guests is killed. Sister Frevisse investigates the case, not knowing that she places herself and the abbey is jeopardy from a killer who prefers to remain anonymous.

The seventh Sister Frevisse mystery is a well written Medieval who-done-it, though not quite on the level of its predecessors (all are excellent novels). The story line is interesting, especially its fifteenth century background. Sister Frevisse is one of the best amateur sleuths of any era, but new readers to the series will not gain the richness of the characters as previously described in this series earlier works. Fans of the historical mystery Medieval novels will, however, enjoy Margaret Frazer's latest novel, THE PRIORESS TALE and shouldn't pass it by.

Harriet Klausner