SusannaG - Confessions of a Crazy Cat Lady
Just another GR refugee. Other than that, I had a stroke in 2004, and read almost anything I can get my hands on, though I have a particular weakness for history, mystery, and historical fiction.
Currently reading
Wine of Violence
I don't usually write two reviews in one day (sometimes, alas, not two in a week!), but today reading has been more comfortable on my eyes than a lot of other activities, so here's a second review.
Wine of Violence is a historical mystery, set in 1270. Tyndal Priory, a "double house" (one with both nuns and monks), has just acquired a new prioress; unlike many other religious houses, in this order (a French order, of Fontevrauld) the prioress, rather than the prior, is in charge overall. And their new prioress, Eleanor of Wynethorpe, is only 20 - Henry III owed her father a favor.
The other nuns are not overjoyed to have a new, very young prioress, especially Sister Ruth, the nun elected by the sisters of the priory, before Henry III overruled them. They are truly distressed when Father Rupert, their confessor, is murdered shortly after Eleanor's arrival.
This results in the arrival of a new priest, Father Thomas, who is not a happy man; he was given a choice between being burnt at the stake for sodomy, or of taking holy orders and doing the secret work of men high in power in the church.
He chose to live, and is now investigating vague reports of misdeeds at Tyndal. Like a monk being murdered.
Our two narrators are Eleanor and Thomas, and about in equal amounts. The mystery was competently done, with plenty of red herrings, and the historical fiction aspect was not neglected, either.
I'd happily read another book in this series, which I believe is still in publication.
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