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27th out of 75 books
—
24 voters
A Parliament of Spies (Abbess of Meaux #4)
by
Cassandra Clark (Goodreads Author)
All thedanger and intrigue of 14th-century England spring to life inthis "compelling" (Publishers Weekly)seriesabout the brave, incorruptible Abbess of Meaux.
Abbess Hildegard may consider herself “just a nun with no useful skills or connections,” yet her loyalty and intelligence have brought her to the attention of King Richard II himself—not the safest place to be, when t...more
Abbess Hildegard may consider herself “just a nun with no useful skills or connections,” yet her loyalty and intelligence have brought her to the attention of King Richard II himself—not the safest place to be, when t...more
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
January 31st 2012
by Minotaur Books
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This is the first Hildegarde of Meaux story I have read. It would probably have been better to start with the first book in the series, because I was puzzled to begin with by the freedom of action and the respect which an 'ordinary nun' is accorded. Reading on, I realized that Hildegarde is far from ordinary. She has been married and has born two children, for a start; and from references in the book it is obvious that due to her trustworthiness and ingenuity she has been entrusted with some sec...more
I really enjoyed the first book in the series -- Hangman Blind. It was well written and gave a good look of what life might have been like in the time period. I really liked the main character. I realize that I have missed two of the books in the series and this is the latest. I was disappointed with this one. I found the plot very confusing. I couldn't keep up with the political intrigues and I felt the murder got lost and was only remembered at the very last. I was also disturbed by Hildegard'...more
The actions of the heroine were so out of character that I kept wondering if I had somehow missed a book or two which might account for her complete change in behavior. Absolutely mind blowing, and not in a good way. What happened to this series? I can't remember an author losing me as a reader so quickly since Anne McCaffery put in the forward to "Pegasus in Space" a brief thanks to the friend who reminded her 'who the characters were and what their relationships were' or words to that effect....more
I did not like this book as much as I wanted to. While the dialog & descriptions are as well written as the earlier books, I did not particularly enjoy the story.
(view spoiler)...more
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I may have reached the jumped-the-shark point in this series. The ending was muddy and unclear, but even worse is the tendency for every male character to either fall in love with or sexually assault the heroine. (After a while, it begins to feel a bit . . . Mary Sue-ish.) And the author isn't as comfortable as some at portraying the religious life believably (I rank Ellis Peters at the top, for the delightful Brother Cadfael books.) Hildegard doesn't seem to have any clear religious vocation, a...more
This series has lots of intricate historical detail driving the plot. The politics & treachery of the middle ages adds to the drama of the central mystery of a murder. My only complaint was that a majority of the male characters seem to desire Hildegard. But after thinking on this, I realize that this fact merely reinforces the low "chattel" status of women during this time period. A beautiful woman would have been seen primarily as a potential bed partner.
Hildegard has many dimensions &...more
Hildegard has many dimensions &...more
Just as Archbishop Neville and his extensive retinue are about to depart for London, a man is found dead, face down in a vat full of water and barley. No witnesses, no apparent motive, and a household in the total chaos of departure make this an extremely difficult case to solve, but Hildegard and Brother Thomas dig in. What begins simply turns into a plot that involves the highest nobility in the land, with plenty at stake. Clark packs her novel with politics and detailed history, making this b...more
This fourth installment featuring Abbess Hildegard is a historical mystery set against the tumultuous times during the reign of Richard II in the 14th century. The Abbess of Meaux series focuses on Hildegard and some of her loyal friends as they try to uncover various treasonous and murderous plots. The mistrust between the barons and the King are emphasized as Hildegard investigates the mysterious deaths that occur around Archbishop Neville’s retinue. The Archbishop trusts Hildegard with secret...more
Another good medieval mystery! I enjoyed Clark's writing style and her characters are quite real and believeable. Abbess Hildegard is a bit hard to get used to and seems to have so many ardent admirers. And to be so involved with the spy games of the times but then who would suspect a nun?
Usually, it's easier to write an unfavorable review than it is to write a favorable one. This was bad on so many levels that I don't know where to start. In the previous books, the characters weren't believable, but the historical aspects were interesting enough to make them worth reading. And, from an historical perspective, this one should have been the most interesting. Instead, the main character behaved so bizarrely, that I couldn't get past it. She has been keeping a man who has loved her...more
I liked this, though not as much as some of the others in this series. It felt very disjointed to me, what with the traveling to London and the way the plots were interwoven (not always clearly). But, as always, I completely felt like I was in the period and the unrest during the time of Richard II was very well done. I also liked Hildegard's little interlude.....!
Exceedingly bland. In spite of two murders, there was no sense of urgency or tension. There is little to no vibrancy. Although it's okay to read while the book is open in front of you, there's nothing pulling you back to it in between sittings. It's kind of like reading stale bread.
As other reviewers mentioned it was difficult to read. I usually enjoy medieval/historical settings but not this time. It is the first of the series I have read and I don't think I will go back to read the others.
Mystifyingly complex with lots of period detail. Writing is so uneven and the plot so convoluted that by 100 pages I just wanted the misery to end.
This was my least favorite book of the four. I found it to be choppy and hard to follow. Hildegarde was not likable and
acted out of character.
Jul 06, 2012
Andrea Beaudin
added it
a bit slow-moving with an intricate plot. it is helpful to know the history of the era to keep track of events. worthwhile read.
I have so enjoyed the previous books in this series but sadly I did not enjoy this one.
This was the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last.
I found it slow going and anachronistic.
I knew in the first 3 pages this wasn't going to get done. It wasn't particularly bad-I just wasn't interested, and it didn't grab me enough to make me interested.
Review to follow
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The latest--one hopes not the last--in Cassandra Clark's Abbess of Meux series, this novel builds on the momentum of the first three. Hildegarde travels from her northern Yorkshire to London for a sitting of parliament that may unseat a king.
The blurb says, "As exciting a find as C J Sansom", but that's hype, not reality. There's plenty of history, but not a great deal of mystery. In fact, I got rather lost. The characters are confusing and not well drawn.
Extremely convoluted, and not as good as the previous titles in this series. Having said that, I'll try to read the next book in the series.
May 23, 2013
Ingrid Bogolis
is currently reading it
May 18, 2013
Victoria
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2013
Maria Ljungdahl
is currently reading it
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