Product Description

Recently widowed and still grieving, Cristiana Helyngton finds her life wrenched apart by her late husband's greedy and ambitious relatives, who are determined to have control of her lands and her daughters. Kidnapped, defamed, and imprisoned in a nunnery, she must find a way to save herself before she can save her children.

For Dame Frevisse of St. Frideswide's nunnery, Cristiana is at first simply a duty among others, but questions rise and troubles deepen--and then turn deadly. Cristiana, to secure her freedom and save her daughters, must use a secret entrusted to her by her husband as he was dying-but it is a secret that could bring down those lords nearest the king and destroy, rather than save, those most dear to her.

Frevisse, drawn into trouble far deeper than she initially imagined, must decide where her deepest loyalties lie: to the truth-or to England's peace. And whatever she chooses, in the end her help may be of little use against the ruthless men threatened by the secret on which all of Cristiana's hopes depend.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #443111 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Don't be discouraged by a confusing hawk-hunting scene introducing numerous characters at the start of Frazer's 14th Dame Frevisse mystery (after 2004's The Hunter's Tale), because what follows is a smooth and absorbing saga of conspiracy and treachery in 15th-century England. In 1449, landowner Edward Helyngton lies on his deathbed while his jealous cousin Laurence waits raptor-like to swoop down and seize his estate. Soon after Edward's demise, his widow, Cristiana, is banished to St. Frideswide's nunnery, where she's forced to do penance face down on the cold chapel floor for unspecified sins alleged by Laurence's agents. Living on bread and water, the embittered Cristiana eventually tells her sad tale to Dame Frevisse, who is at first only a sympathetic listener, but later takes a more active sleuthing role. A tantalizing secret confided to Cristiana by her dying husband turns out to have stunning political implications. The suspense builds steadily toward a visit from King Henry VI in this well-wrought tale involving murder, treason and "layers of ambition and betrayal." FYI: A two-time Edgar nominee, Frazer is also the author of A Play of Isaac (2004), the first in a new medieval mystery series. "Margaret Frazer" is the pseudonym of Gail Frazer, who collaborated with Mary Pulver Kuhfeld on the first six books in the series.
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About the Author
Margaret Frazer was a finalist for an Edgar(r) Award for best original paperback for The Servant's Tale and The Prioress' Tale.

Customer Reviews

a fantastic installment is a good series
In the spring of 1449, a young widow is brought to St. Frideswide. Accused by her in-laws of being wanton and deranged, the widow, Cristina Helynton, has been sentenced to spend her days at St. Friedeswide's in contrition, the hope being that she will show penitence for her ways and take the veil. The nuns are in a twitter to have so scarlet a woman amongst them; but as the days pass, and Cristina proves to be both docile and quiet, a new disquiet fills some of the nuns -- Dame Frevisse especially. For something about Cristina's demeanor suggests that she's not so much penitent as bidding her time. What the nuns don't know is that Cristina is a woman deeply wronged: kidnapped, falsely charged and imprisoned, Cristina has been torn away from her home and her two daughters because of the greed of her dead husband's cousin, Laurence Helynton. Now, Cristina, torn between fear for her children, grief for her dead husband, and anger at her relatives, waits for her brother, Sir Gerveys, to rescue her and to help her regain her daughters and her former life. For Cristina has one ace up her sleeve: an incriminating letter that the Duke of Suffolk would pay dearly to have in his possession...

A gripping tale of evil and sinister doings during a period of great political uncertainty, "The Widow's Tale" was a fast paced and compelling read -- so engaging a read in fact that, once again, I found myself glued to the pages until I reached the very end of the book. Margaret Frazer does a first rate job of painting a vivid picture of both secular and religious life in fifteenth century England. And she does an equally brilliant job of giving us a good idea of what was going on politically as well. Also well done was the manner in which she brought all the characters, both primary and secondary to life. But best of all was the manner in which the mystery subplot was executed: suspenseful and full of clever twists and turns. So that in all, I'd vote "The Widow's Tale" a read not to be missed.

A top-notch entry in an excellent series.
This is one of my favorite series and this novel is as good as any that Frazer has written. Both her continuing characters and her new characters are interesting and well developed. The mystery is well done, and the story is wrenching but believable. (This is one of the saddest stories that I have ever read.)

I would recommend this series to fans of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael. Of all the series that have been likened to his, this is probably the closest in spirit. The characters are believably Medieval and Frevisse is a nun with a real vocation; the spirituality of the characters is portrayed very well - deep and real but not saccharine.

fantastic medieval mystery
Though he spends a lot of time at the royal court, Edward and Cristiana Helyngton have been have been happily married for years raising two preadolescent daughters Jane and Mary. However, in 1449 when Edward returns to Hertfordshire from his latest stint with the royals, he is very ill. His avarice cousin Laurence, coveting Edward's larger estate, demands the ailing man place Jane in a nunnery and marry Mary to his son Clement. Edward says no, but soon afterward, he dies.

Cristiana is unable to grieve her loss because Laurence abducts her and places her in St. Frideswide's nunnery. Dame Frevisse sees Cristiana as another dumped obligation, but soon events take deadly twists. Before dying Edward entrusted his beloved spouse with a secret that could destroy the noble inner circle. Cristiana will use that knowledge to risk her life in order to save her children from her vile in-law. The imperturbable Sister Frevisse feels caught in a growing storm in which those who know the truth are subject to murder but she realizes if revealed could lead to civil war.

The fourteenth Sister Frevisse medieval mystery is a fantastic refreshing entry as the "unflappable" nun finds even she feels overwhelmed with the momentous events swirling around the widow who will do anything perhaps even murder to protect her children. As usual Margaret Frazier provides an action-packed story line that focuses deeply at mid fifteenth century England starring a terrific protagonist. However, the machinations in a deadly game between nobles, Laurence, and Cristiana make for a fabulous WIDOW'S TALE that shows why Ms. Frazier has received Edgar nominations for this series (could this be her award winner?).

Harriet Klausner