The Apostate's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery) (Hardcover)

by Margaret Frazer (Author) "As they rode under the gateway's broad arch, the horses' hoofs were suddenly loud on the cobbles and the rain briefly ceased to batter at..." (more)
Key Phrases: guesthall kitchen, guesthall yard, apostate nun, Domina Elisabeth, Sister Cecely, Dame Claire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As the nuns of St. Frideswide's priory prepare for the welcome end of Lent, their peaceful expectations are overset by the sudden return of long- vanished Sister Cecely. Nine years ago she fled from the nunnery with a man. Now her lover is dead and she has come back, bringing her illegitimate son with her.

She claims she is penitent, that she wants only to redeem her sin and find safe haven for the child. Neither she nor her son can be turned away, but their presence begins to stir doubts and questions in the hearts of some of the nuns about their own faithfulness to this enclosed life they've chosen to live.

Sister Cecely may be penitent-however much Frevisse may doubt it-but fully truthful she is not, and as the apostate nun's lies begin to overtake her, dangers of more than one kind-and maybe murder-become an unwanted part of life in the priory.

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

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (January 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425219240
• ISBN-13: 978-0425219249
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #404,707 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 17 in The Sister Frevisse Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 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

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.

9 of 9 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 (REAL NAME)

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!

9 of 10 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

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.