The Tavern in the Morning

Alys Clare has written many other novels under a different name. She is able to breathe new life into the medieval period. A period of history that many novelists take as their background subject. Alys Clare lives in Kent. This is the area in which the books are set. This is the third book in the series of medieval novels by Alys Clare. The books are set around the Abbey of Hawkenlye and the lead characters are Sir Josse d'Aquin and Helewise the Abbess of Hawkenlye. The two have a friendship which has blossomed in the first two books and in an age when celibacy was not a prerequisite of the religious orders there is always the chance that this may take a different turn. However these are by no means love stories and I would not want to put anyone off reading these books by suggesting that they are. They are murder mysteries well written and well researched. In this particular book Sir Josse is hunting a poisoner who has been using wolf's bane to kill his victims at the local hostelry in Tonbridge. To say anymore would be to spoil the plot for the reader.

Tavern In The Morning was my first read of a medieval mystery and I truly enjoyed it. Well plotted, moves right along and is direct and to the point. Really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Ms. Clare.

Throw away those Ellis Peters books. Yes, they are excellent. But these are far far better!The Tavern in the Morning is such a refreshing read. The material is fresh, the plot is original, with several threads, and i love the way Alys Clare makes her mysteries different from the generally accepted form that mysteries should be. there are no great surprises here, just an excellent historical crime novel, with some more excellent characters, and a great setting. She really knows her stuff, and even if the detail isn't correct (i have no way of knowing. even if it isn't, i dont care) it does have the tang of authentic detail which makes you suspect that yes, she has hit the nail on the head with her research and knowledge of the era. The two leads (Abbess Helewise and Josse D'aquin) are two brilliant characters. They are incredibly likeable, interesting to read about, and their talents compliment each other well. They care about each other a lot, and the warmth of their friendship comes out in the writing. There are great developments in Josse's love-life, but, unfortunately, the woman involved is haunted by mystery and death...The climax is exciting and tense. This is another very good novel by Alys Clare, a wonderful writer. She is certainly the best writer of historical novels i have yet come across. ("The Chatter of the Maidens", her next Hawkenlye mystery, is even better!!!)

This medieval mystery series set during the reign of an absent Richard I (the English king that was too busy glory seeking in the Middle East to really care about what was going on in the lands under his rule), is steadily becoming a firm favourite. And is a wonderful example of how a lively writing style, together with an ability to breath life into scenes and characters, is enough to keep any avid mystery addict reverted to his/her seat. You don't always need a cunning plot that is full of twists and turns, and that is full of red herring suspects to keep readers happy. An ability to tell a story, and tell it well, is all that is needed. As with previous mysteries in this Hawkenlye series, the mystery here is a rather straight forward one. And as with the other books in this series I was hooked -- I simply couldn't put the book down until I had finished it.Once, Goody Anne was known for the bodily comforts that she provided. Now however Anne is known as the owner of a Tonridge tavern that provides tasty ale and good food. One harsh February market day however, Anne's good reputation takes a nose dive when one of her guests dies of food poisoning. At the instigation of his quiet cook, Josse d' Acquin (a frequent customer and admirer of Anne's cooking) sets off to investigate. The first thing that strikes him is that, if indeed the unfortunate guest had died of food poisoning, the dead man seems to have been the only one to have suffered the effects of the bad food. And after digging deeper, and uncovering some bits of evidence, Josse realises that the food the man had eaten been deliberately poisoned. Why would anyone want to poison a poor farmer? Determined to get to the bottom of things, Josse (with the help of Abbess Helewise of Hawkenlye Abbey) begins his investigation into this intriguing murder. And it isn't very long before he stumbles onto another perplexing mystery, and another brutal murder..."The Tavern in the Morning" proved to be an enthralling read even if it didn't possess one of those complex storylines that keeps you guessing to the very end. This entire series deserves awards of excellence. And if I were sitting on one of those many mystery novel award boards, I'd be nominating every single one of the Hawkenlye novels for excellence. Alys Clare is an absolute wizard at setting up a scene and in bringing characters to life. Truly a brilliant read.

Richard I honors his loyal knight Josse d'Acquin by giving him the house New Winnowlands. The Queen Mother Eleanor confirms the gift, which included no rent for his new home located near Tonbridge. However, with Richard overseas, John demands Josse pay rent on the property.While struggling with his ire and what to do, Josse becomes diverted when somebody dies at the nearby inn. The knight makes it his business to clear the owner by establishing that the intended target was somebody else. When Josse tries to track that person down, he is knocked unconscious. He wakes up to see that he is being taken care of by a seven year old boy, whose mother is a lady in hiding wanted by her second cousin. Joss, who is very taken with the lady and her son, vows to protect them, even if it means sacrificing himself in the process.Readers will get a picture of what life was like for the different classes of people in medieval England after reading THE TAVERN IN THE MORNING. The hero of this tale is a chivalrous knight, a man who takes care of those less fortunate even when it becomes dangerous and definitely inconvenient. Alys Clare knows how to spin a great historically accurate tale.Harriet Klausner