A Killing Season
Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal of the Order of Fontevraud and her companion arrive at a castle on the English coast to help a family in crisis. Not only has the lord of the castle, Baron Herbert, forsaken his wife’s bed, but one by one, their grown sons are dying under suspicious circumstances. Is it murder, or has the Devil taken possession of them? With the help of Royal’s cast of characters, Eleanor and her brother seek to unravel the secrets which plague the family.
In this 13th-century thriller, medieval medicine and piety play major roles. Although the story is quite dark at times, Prioress Eleanor always lends balance and good sense to the narrative. The characters are true to their era in outlook and behavior; they are all involved in their own personal struggles and come to greater self-knowledge by the end of the story, although, as in real life, it is clear that each soul is a work in progress. The nature of marital love is explored as well as the commitment of the religious life, each vocation having its joys and challenges. The beauty of true friendship, as people in the Middle Ages understood it, shines through all the storms which surround the beleaguered castle, replacing an old curse with a new blessing. I highly recommend the novel for those who love both mysteries and medieval tales.
