This is a promising start to a medieval series about a Sister Hildegard, a former lay person who travels from the the Abbey of Meaux to seek property she can purchase to form her own abbey. Along the way the Sister discovers a group of men killed in a setting similar to the execution site of a to... ...more

I bought this book for the simple reason that, having won the second in the series from a Goodreads Giveaway, I felt it would be much fairer to read this first book first.

The story of "Hangman Blind" is set in Yorkshire, which I know a little about, at a time I know not much about at all. I had h... ...more

This is the first entry in Cassandra Clark's Abbess of Meaux series of mysteries, and I think I liked this one a bit better than the second. I preferred the way the story stayed in a relatively tight locale, so there was a chance for more development of secondary characters. I also enjoyed the fr... ...more

Another medieval historical fiction novel taking place in 14th century England. Each of the authors within this sub-genre delves into a particular niche of society in which to concentrate his or her efforts. It soon becomes apparent that life in this era was difficult in so much more than just da... ...more

HANGMAN BLIND is a well-researched historical mystery. There are many threads to follow: multiple murders and attempts at murder, insurrection, castle plotting, church plotting, and so on. It's a complicated story-line that manages to come round sensically in the end. This is also a promising set... ...more

Recently widowed, Hildegard is left with a handsome fortune. Wanting to put her new unexpected wealth to good use, she decides she would like to set up her own house of nuns. There, she could teach the young and tend the sick. She already has the support of her prioress, but she still needs the s... ...more

This was not bad at all, although I had some quibbles.

Overall, a decent medieval England mystery, with a Cistercian nun playing the role of our investigator. She becomes entangled with a series of mysterious deaths at a Yorkshire castle while she is visiting in hopes of securing a donation for a... ...more

I didn't exactly fall in love with this book, but I couldn't seem to put it down.

The main character is a fascinating person, and I did really enjoy her. But the writing style was a bit ... not sure how to put it. Rambling? There were parts that ran together too easily; there were parts that seeme... ...more