"Eleanor's steadfast faith in a merciful God must contend with the vicious nature of man in a compelling resolution."

error grips a remote North Sea priory in Royal's superior medieval thriller, her third to feature Eleanor, prioress of Tyndal (after 2004's Tyrant of the Mind). In 1271, tough-minded Ralf the Crowner, who's trying to bring a brutal serial killer to justice, prevails upon Eleanor to allow the mangled corpse of a lowly foot soldier to be laid in the chapel during his investigation. The "rule of Eve" prevails in Tyndal, where pious Eleanor resists the demands of rival monks who complicate Ralf's work with their own competing agendas for the priory's future. Eleanor faces further challenges when a knight is slain and an infirmarian (or hospital) nun is beaten and raped before the altar. Suspense builds amid a vivid backdrop of lepers wearing "clappers," a madman who chatters warnings, venal relic sellers and the shadowy "man from Acre," haunted by guilt for his wife's death at the hands of a sadistic crusader. Eleanor's steadfast faith in a merciful God must contend with the vicious nature of man in a compelling resolution. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Tautly woven, this introspective period piece oozes with suspense and intrigue."

Tyrant of the Mind

February 2005: Tyrant of the Mind was one of five nominees for the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award given at Left Coast Crime Conference this year in El Paso, Texas.

"The chill that pervades Royal's second medieval historical (after 2003's Wine of Violence) stems not just from the bitter winter besetting the Welsh border castle of Wynethorpe but also from the murderous tensions that afflict its occupants. The illness of Richard, grandson of Baron Adam of Wynethorpe, has brought home the boy's aunt, Eleanor, prioress of Tyndal, as well as her companions, Sister Anne, a nun skilled in medicine, and Brother Thomas, a handsome and unwilling monk.

Jealousy, lust, fear and treachery lead to murder, perhaps committed by Eleanor's brother, Robert, who's found standing with a bloody knife over the freshly slain victim. It's up to Eleanor and her oddly matched companions to prove Robert's innocence before medieval justice delivers its swift and violent verdict. The author carefully renders the hardships of surviving the harsh winters without obscuring the small pleasures that people of the period enjoyed. Eleanor, forceful or diplomatic by turns, is an engaging and resourceful heroine, and Brother Thomas shows surprising depths and strengths. Royal brings her 13th-century world vividly and artfully to life in a series sure to have a bright future."

This second medieval mystery featuring the delightfully flawed Eleanor, Prioress of Tyndal, grabs readers by the lapels and forcibly hauls them into eleventh-century East Anglia. Her nephew's illness brings Eleanor back home to Wynthorpe Castle and embroils her in the latest family crisis, which involves her brother Robert's impending marriage.

The prioress skates close to disaster when the bride-to-be's brother Henry meets a violent end, and Robert is found holding the bloody dagger, forcing Eleanor to bring her investigative talents to bear. Aided by the handsome and mysterious Brother Thomas, Eleanor sets her logical mind to solving the puzzle while grappling with the complicated emotional ties between Henry's family and her own, now snowbound together behind the icy walls of Wynthorpe.

Royal combines an intriguing "country house" mystery with an cast of engaging characters whose realistically complex motives and personal issues lend the story depth. With a deft and subtle flair rivaling that of Brother Cadfael, Prioress Eleanor sets her world to rights and leaves us wanting more.

 

ll of Priscilla's books are available by ordering from your favorite independent bookstore or one of the following just by clicking on a name: