The Clerk’s Tale
This latest entry in the Dame Frevisse mystery series does not disappoint. In 1446, Dame Frevisse and her superior, Domina Elisabeth, arrive at St. Mary’s priory in Berkshire shortly after a royal official has been found dead in the infirmary’s garden. Master Montfort was not popular, and several people have motives. Soon Dame Frevisse, who knew and disliked Montfort when he was a crowner, finds herself drawn into finding the identity of the killer.
In typical Fraser fashion, interesting secondary characters abound, complicating the investigation, while the clerk of the title lends Dame Frevisse a helping hand. Many aspects of the medieval period come to life in this book with details that fascinate rather than overwhelm, while the mystery takes twists and turns along the way. Dame Frevisse remains the quiet centre of the story, using her deductive powers to unravel the many tangled strands of the mystery. Somehow Fraser manages to add new dimensions to Frevisse’s character with each outing, not an easy feat for a series writer.
