The Red Velvet Turnshoe

This book is the second in the Abbess of Meaux series- you must read Hangman Blindfirst. The series is allegedly a Medieval historical mystery. Yes, there is a murder, yes there is a who dunnit. But what makes this book so enthralling is our wonderful heroine Hildegard and the incredible romantic tension between her and the Abbot Hubert de Courcy. The cast of characters from book 1- Sir Roger, Ulf, all return. The msytery is somewhat week, but again the character drama here, is what makes this book so amazing. SPOILERS..... If you loved the scene in The Kiera Knightly version of "Pride and Prejudice, where Darcy tells her "I love you body and soul", then there are some definite "sigh" worthy moments here. For example- Hugh, tortured by his feelings for Hildegaard tells her, "... I could only pray and see your face in all my prayers when instead I should have seen the face of God." Or, "My better self, I have found you, he breathed. There is no further purpose for me under the heaven than to love you." "Sigh" How much more romantic can you get than two tragic lovers who can never be together because of vows of faith? I can't wait to find yout what happens in Book Three. If it comes out in the UK first, I will have to splurge and pay for International shipping.

In 1383 the Archbishop of York directs Sister Hildegard to journey to Rome to bring home the Cross of Constantine. The trek is expected to be dangerous due to the Black Plague, the Hundred Years War, and two popes claiming Peter's See dividing loyalties. However, although she some doubts over taking the wooden cross said to have been the one the Emperor Constantine pledged his fealty to Christianity on, the abbess begins her trek by joining a baggage train led by her friend Ulf as the steward of Lord Roger de Hutton moving his cargo shipment to Bruges. In Bruges a crate containing wool turns rancid with a horrific odor that everyone knows means death even before opening the box. Cocooned inside is Lord Roger's clerk Reynard of Risngholme whose throat was sliced open obviously in England. Everyone assumes Pierrekyn the sodomite minstrel killed the clerk; that is everyone except the nun dressed as a pilgrim. She sneaks Pierrekyn out of the city dressed as a squire to Sir Talbot, the knight keeping Sister Hildegard safe in dangerous Italy and back to England where she plans to prove the minstrel's innocence. The second Sister Hildegard medieval thriller (see Hangman Blind) is a super tale that showcases Europe at a time of horrific strife as many believe the Black Plague and the wars are because of God's wrath over the papal divide and other heresies. Fans journeying with Hildegard obtain a taste of fourteenth century life in the moors of Yorkshire, impoverished Flemish villages and treacherous Renaissance Italy. Although the story line has been used before (see Company of Liars by Karen Maitland), Cassandra Clark keeps it fresh with a strong cast led by the courageous nun and a deep historical base to include a jurisdiction dispute over the homicide that has readers transported to fourteenth century Europe. Harriet Klausner

The courageous Sister Hildegard of Swyne returns in a sequel to Clark's very successful Hangman Blind. 1383 is a time of great political turmoil. The reign of James II is threatened by an ambitious noble, certain of the king's counselors hopeful that the Cross of Constantine will safeguard the throne and win loyal supporters. To that end, Hildegard's prioress asks the nun to undertake a dangerous journey to retrieve the religious relic. Who better to travel unnoticed than a simple nun in a borrowed blue cloak with only her two hounds for protection? (And a knight supplied by an unknown benefactor.) But Hildegard isn't what she seems. Having chosen the religious order after the death of her husband in battle, Hildegard is wise to the ways of the world and the political machinations of powerful men. From the Yorkshire moors to Renaissance Italy, Hildegard sets out on her mission, the country suffering from the Hundred Years War, flood and famine, the Black Death cutting a swath through France, Flanders and Tuscany, one pope in Avignon, the other in Rome, seditious plotters seeking to take advantage of chaos and seize the throne while the king is distracted by his troubles. Seeking permission for her journey from Abbot Hubert de Courcy of Meaux, Hildegard is troubled by his reluctance, yet anxious to be on her way. Traveling with tradesmen and mercenaries, Hildegard blends in as planned, although always in the sights of a man from her past bent on revenge, a jagged scar disfiguring his face and an all-consuming hatred disfiguring his heart. Taking up the cause of a young minstrel draws Hildegard even deeper into an intricate web of politics and greed. A recent uprising has left a seething resentment in the land, exacerbating the danger for a lone female traveler. Familiar faces from Hangman Blind return, Lord Roger de Hutton and his steward, Ulf, Abbot Hubert de Courcy, Lord Roger's clever young wife. And although Clark beautifully captures the political turmoil and constant dangers of travel in such uncertain times, one key element is missing, unresolved until the final few chapters. The tension created by Hildegard's relationship with the acerbic Abbot of Meaux remains in limbo, de Courcy bent on purging himself and his monks of the temptations of the flesh. So Hildegard toils alone, escaping attacks and the ill-intentions of her enemy, returning to her prioress somewhat battered but intact. True to form, Clark leaves us with a final tease, a promise of adventures to come and the potential for the resolution of an impossible emotional conflict between Hildegard and Hubert de Courcy, the Abbot of Meaux. Luan Gaines/2009.