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Abbess of Meaux #1
Hangman Blind
November, 1382. The month of the dead. A nun rides out for York and the Abbey of Meaux...
It will be no ordinary journey. An uneasy peace reigns in the savage aftermath of the peasants's revolt. As Hildegard travels alone through the countryside, with only her two hounds for protection, she comes across a gibbet with five bloodied, crow-stripped corpses, and in the next clearing the body of a young man, brutally butchered. Who is he? And what is his connection with the hanged men?
But murder will touch Hildegard even more closely. Her childhood home, Castle Hutton, is riven by treachery. Hildegard will need all her skills and bravery to counter the dark forces at work in the land.
It will be no ordinary journey. An uneasy peace reigns in the savage aftermath of the peasants's revolt. As Hildegard travels alone through the countryside, with only her two hounds for protection, she comes across a gibbet with five bloodied, crow-stripped corpses, and in the next clearing the body of a young man, brutally butchered. Who is he? And what is his connection with the hanged men?
But murder will touch Hildegard even more closely. Her childhood home, Castle Hutton, is riven by treachery. Hildegard will need all her skills and bravery to counter the dark forces at work in the land.
311 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2008
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2005 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Clark
21 books131 followersI'm mad about the middle ages and love writing this series of medieval whodunits featuring nun sleuth Hildegard of Meaux. When I started with Hangman Blind I thought Hildegard would become an abbess but then she joined the Cistercians who only allowed women to be prioresses so she's had to put up with that. It surprises me that I'm writing historical novels at all, especially ones involving crime, as before this I wrote contemporary plays and romance. I'm doubtful about putting too much violence in the stories as there is already so much in the world and I don't like the idea of adding to it, even if only in the imagination, but then, it's part of that world too so it cannot be avoided. I would love to write a book shadowing every year of Richard II's reign with a different, multi-layered mystery for Hildegard to solve. She's about 32 now, with two children living in different households as was the custom then, so by the time poor Richard is murdered, she's going to be quite old. I wonder if she and Hubert will ever be together? Who knows? It's a question readers often ask me but we'll have to wait and see.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
June 22, 2009
Meh. This sort of stank. I love historical mysteries, but this was basically a copycat of Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death, but not so masterfully. It needed a much better copyeditor, which is kind of inexcusable, and she does a poor job of giving the reader a window into the political climate of the time, which is obviously central to her planned series. She just dumps you right in the middle of a lot of confusing detail, and normally I am the type to run straight to Wikipedia and learn a whole lot of history, but I like to be given a lead-in through the fiction, and she just doesn't untangle it at all. She uses much too much arcane language--and again, I'm the type to look up everything I don't know, and I love learning this way, but she goes so overboard, I didn't want to bother. Oh, and the mystery--the whole basis of the book--is too tangled and uninteresting and never really resolves in any truly satisfying way.
In short, read the synopsis, and if the plot appeals to you, pick up Ariana Franklin instead.
In short, read the synopsis, and if the plot appeals to you, pick up Ariana Franklin instead.
June 30, 2014
It seems to me, in my limited understanding, that there are two types of crime books: one where the crime is massively interesting and well worked out and you really couldn't see the answers coming a mile away and you become engrossed in clues, and the other type, where everything is obvious, but you love the characters and the atmosphere so much that you don't care.
This book succeeds in neither of these categories. Don't get me wrong, it's fine. The period detail seemed to be mostly well observed (it rained all the time, is what I'm saying here. I get the impression from actual history books that it genuinely did rain all the time in 14th-century England), and the story is competently paced. I also liked the fact that the writer eschewed the normal conventions of period dialog and just had people speak in fairly normal sentences. But although the cast had attributes, I never felt they had any real character.
Would I read another one? Probably not, unless someone could assure me that they got an awful lot better.
This book succeeds in neither of these categories. Don't get me wrong, it's fine. The period detail seemed to be mostly well observed (it rained all the time, is what I'm saying here. I get the impression from actual history books that it genuinely did rain all the time in 14th-century England), and the story is competently paced. I also liked the fact that the writer eschewed the normal conventions of period dialog and just had people speak in fairly normal sentences. But although the cast had attributes, I never felt they had any real character.
Would I read another one? Probably not, unless someone could assure me that they got an awful lot better.
September 11, 2013
The author refers to a "flock of carrion" and seems to think "carrion" is a synonym for "crows."
The woods "were bristling with the sound of falling water."
"His body was not yet fixed in the rigour of death and she was able to prise his fingers apart one by one. Giving up what had been grasped so fiercely at hte moment of death, his fingers softly opened."
These things do not make sense. They really don't.
***
I bailed out early.
The woods "were bristling with the sound of falling water."
"His body was not yet fixed in the rigour of death and she was able to prise his fingers apart one by one. Giving up what had been grasped so fiercely at hte moment of death, his fingers softly opened."
These things do not make sense. They really don't.
***
I bailed out early.
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2016
So-so. But I don't understand how a nun could travel by herself, even with her dogs. I thought they had to travel in pairs.
December 16, 2015
I do love stepping back in time, especially through the safety of a looking glass that is my book. The sights and smells enthrall me. The desperation and brutality horrify me. This tale was no less thought provoking and entertaining than other medieval murder mysteries I've read.
I did find it hard to finish though and stay with the story. It was a bit dry and slow paced although there always seemed to be something going on. I'm a huge fan of The Mistress of the Art of Death Mistress of the Art of Death.
And I may compare other Medieval tales to the detailed, intriguing world of Adelia Aguilar.
I started reading this story, Hangman Blind, because I was seduced by the cover and title of book 3 in the series, The Law of Angels, The Law of Angels
and so wanted to read it. But knew I must start with book 1.
We shall see what book 2 holds. The Red Velvet Turnshoe
I did find it hard to finish though and stay with the story. It was a bit dry and slow paced although there always seemed to be something going on. I'm a huge fan of The Mistress of the Art of Death Mistress of the Art of Death.
And I may compare other Medieval tales to the detailed, intriguing world of Adelia Aguilar. I started reading this story, Hangman Blind, because I was seduced by the cover and title of book 3 in the series, The Law of Angels, The Law of Angels
and so wanted to read it. But knew I must start with book 1. We shall see what book 2 holds. The Red Velvet Turnshoe
October 18, 2019
A bit slow but I’ll continue to read the series.
September 7, 2020
Social networking has much for which to answer. A member of a Facebook fan group clued me into this series of medieval mysteries. I will track down more as I can.
Audiobook narrated by Erin Jones, and borrowed from the National Library for the Blind.
Audiobook narrated by Erin Jones, and borrowed from the National Library for the Blind.
November 27, 2011
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 heard of the Peasants' Revolt, John Wyclif and Wat Tyler, but only briefly in passing. I'm not generally interested in politics, so I wasn't sure whether this tale was going to be my cup of tea after all.
It begins in awful weather. Wet, cold, miserable weather which I could sympathise with because it was written so well that I could almost feel the rain trickling down my own neck as I read. There's a lot of wet weather in this book, and it's clear that the writer is familiar with the unpleasantness of it.
The characters are well written. Even comparatively minor characters are given enough background and history to make you feel you know them, and the more solid players are made real with personalities from which they rarely diverge, except when a little subtlety or an air of mystery is called for. One interesting feature is that almost nobody is all bad. Whatever their misdeeds (and there are quite a number of misdeeds in this book!) they have redeeming features and reason behind their actions, so that those who have the care of soul and/or body feel sorrow rather than anger when they fall off the straight and narrow.
The story is densely written, packed with fact and incident, and carries you along on a breathless, twisting road of murders, births, feasting, following, jousting, spying and dancing, to a denouement which I must confess I was slightly thrown by. Although I had guessed some of the answers by that time, there were mysteries still to be solved or proven, and one particular chapter seemed to be throwing out confessions and solutions in every other line! The impression, after a number of tense chapters of suspense, was suddenly quite comic, but I believe it was a way of indicating the relief felt by the characters when their own particular worries and fears were eased and all was about to become well again.
I find it hard to give a rating to this book. I enjoyed it very much, and am in awe of the fantastic amount of research work which has obviously gone into it. I would love to give it four and three-quarter stars, I think, but that isn't possible. On the other hand, if I give it five, that might put off those potential readers who are always suspicious of perfect scores! Can I manage a 5-minus . . . ? No, it deserves five stars, and shall have them.
I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-plotted and well-written tale from a time so far removed from ours, but I'm not going to give away any more of the story because I don't believe in spoilers. Well done, Cassandra Clark!
Oh, by the way - I hope to start reading the second book in a day or two, and I have already bought the third. I look forward to renewing my acquaintance with Hildegard and, perhaps, her hounds.
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 heard of the Peasants' Revolt, John Wyclif and Wat Tyler, but only briefly in passing. I'm not generally interested in politics, so I wasn't sure whether this tale was going to be my cup of tea after all.
It begins in awful weather. Wet, cold, miserable weather which I could sympathise with because it was written so well that I could almost feel the rain trickling down my own neck as I read. There's a lot of wet weather in this book, and it's clear that the writer is familiar with the unpleasantness of it.
The characters are well written. Even comparatively minor characters are given enough background and history to make you feel you know them, and the more solid players are made real with personalities from which they rarely diverge, except when a little subtlety or an air of mystery is called for. One interesting feature is that almost nobody is all bad. Whatever their misdeeds (and there are quite a number of misdeeds in this book!) they have redeeming features and reason behind their actions, so that those who have the care of soul and/or body feel sorrow rather than anger when they fall off the straight and narrow.
The story is densely written, packed with fact and incident, and carries you along on a breathless, twisting road of murders, births, feasting, following, jousting, spying and dancing, to a denouement which I must confess I was slightly thrown by. Although I had guessed some of the answers by that time, there were mysteries still to be solved or proven, and one particular chapter seemed to be throwing out confessions and solutions in every other line! The impression, after a number of tense chapters of suspense, was suddenly quite comic, but I believe it was a way of indicating the relief felt by the characters when their own particular worries and fears were eased and all was about to become well again.
I find it hard to give a rating to this book. I enjoyed it very much, and am in awe of the fantastic amount of research work which has obviously gone into it. I would love to give it four and three-quarter stars, I think, but that isn't possible. On the other hand, if I give it five, that might put off those potential readers who are always suspicious of perfect scores! Can I manage a 5-minus . . . ? No, it deserves five stars, and shall have them.
I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-plotted and well-written tale from a time so far removed from ours, but I'm not going to give away any more of the story because I don't believe in spoilers. Well done, Cassandra Clark!
Oh, by the way - I hope to start reading the second book in a day or two, and I have already bought the third. I look forward to renewing my acquaintance with Hildegard and, perhaps, her hounds.
October 17, 2013
In November of 1382 Hildegard is dispatched from the priory of Swyne to the city of York with a letter for its archbishop and a mission to try and secure permission to establish a priory of her own. In the forest between York and the abbey of Meaux she stumbles across five corpses hanging on a gibbet and then another body; a young man brutally murdered, his throat cut, stomach slashed and guts spilled. It is just over a year since the Peasant's Rebellion and its brutal aftermath, so the fact that the dead man wears a badge of the White Hart (an emblem of King Richard II) presents a number of interesting, and frightening, possibilities.
Or it would if that tantalizing hint of political intrigue was followed up. And it was not the only such detail left hanging. The late 14th century was a time of immense social and political turmoil throughout Europe. The Peasant's Rebellion had created an unsettled environment in England between the young king and his royal uncles. Rival popes sit in Rome and Avignon. And the King of France is a minor who is entirely under the thumb of the powerful Duke of Burgundy, who has ambitions to expand his power at the expense of both France and England. All this could make for a brilliant medieval mystery/thriller, if it wasn't brutally shoved aside to focus on the petty and mundane domestic troubles of the household of Roger de Hutton.
And the petty and domestic troubles pile up rapidly, but not in any sort of wow-what's-going-to-happen-next sort of way. More like the author thinking "I'll toss in all these extra details for no other purpose than to up the word count" and then throwing everything like cooked spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. An attempted poisoning, a murdered maidservant, a missing midwife, a mysterious fire, a kidnapping, a runaway wet-nurse, another attempted poisoning etc., etc. Any real mystery quickly gets buried under an avalanche of blind alleys and loose threads, not all of which tie together by the time you slog through the whole mess, so you're left with nothing but an anti-climactic resolution.
I'd like to think that all the possibilities of political intrigue and issues that were laid down in the early pages of this book get explored further as the series progresses, but not enough to pick up the next one. Pass.
Or it would if that tantalizing hint of political intrigue was followed up. And it was not the only such detail left hanging. The late 14th century was a time of immense social and political turmoil throughout Europe. The Peasant's Rebellion had created an unsettled environment in England between the young king and his royal uncles. Rival popes sit in Rome and Avignon. And the King of France is a minor who is entirely under the thumb of the powerful Duke of Burgundy, who has ambitions to expand his power at the expense of both France and England. All this could make for a brilliant medieval mystery/thriller, if it wasn't brutally shoved aside to focus on the petty and mundane domestic troubles of the household of Roger de Hutton.
And the petty and domestic troubles pile up rapidly, but not in any sort of wow-what's-going-to-happen-next sort of way. More like the author thinking "I'll toss in all these extra details for no other purpose than to up the word count" and then throwing everything like cooked spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. An attempted poisoning, a murdered maidservant, a missing midwife, a mysterious fire, a kidnapping, a runaway wet-nurse, another attempted poisoning etc., etc. Any real mystery quickly gets buried under an avalanche of blind alleys and loose threads, not all of which tie together by the time you slog through the whole mess, so you're left with nothing but an anti-climactic resolution.
I'd like to think that all the possibilities of political intrigue and issues that were laid down in the early pages of this book get explored further as the series progresses, but not enough to pick up the next one. Pass.
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February 4, 2017
Hildegard, a nun in 14th Century England travels through Yorkshire to find a grange to start her own house of nuns with money left from a deceased husband. She has contacts to the West, but on her way there she finds hanged men and a mutilated boy and finds that the danger and horror doesn't stop once she reaches her old home.
I am not a historical fiction reader, but I am wanting to try all sorts of genres so I took the plunge since this one did not seem so engrossed with romance and love. I am saddened I didn't like this book, but not particularly surprised. I read around 100 pages before I began skimming, and then I became tired and turned to the ending.
It was handy that at the end there, I found the protagonist Hildegard re-visiting the Abbot from the beginning of the novel and tells him the entire story, because I skipped everything and just read that. I don't think this is great storytelling and I was terribly disappointed by the book. It wasn't particularly badly written-though there were a few mistakes and some sentences that could be worded better-I just was not gripped by the characters or happenings. For a historical novel, it was less historical and more story.
I did enjoy learning about the state of England at that time and I have noted from other reviewers that it is mostly or completely accurate, which I'm pleased with. Accurate history is something I covet.
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I am not a historical fiction reader, but I am wanting to try all sorts of genres so I took the plunge since this one did not seem so engrossed with romance and love. I am saddened I didn't like this book, but not particularly surprised. I read around 100 pages before I began skimming, and then I became tired and turned to the ending.
It was handy that at the end there, I found the protagonist Hildegard re-visiting the Abbot from the beginning of the novel and tells him the entire story, because I skipped everything and just read that. I don't think this is great storytelling and I was terribly disappointed by the book. It wasn't particularly badly written-though there were a few mistakes and some sentences that could be worded better-I just was not gripped by the characters or happenings. For a historical novel, it was less historical and more story.
I did enjoy learning about the state of England at that time and I have noted from other reviewers that it is mostly or completely accurate, which I'm pleased with. Accurate history is something I covet.
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July 20, 2015
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 town (although not near a town) and a sixth body further away. It is but the first in a series of murderous incidents.
Well written but a little confusing -- why is Hildegard consulted on any of the things that happen. She has skills with medicine but no identified skills in detection or law (unlike Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma) and in this time period and local, few have respect for the habit or religion she represents -- therefore how she discovers what she does alone (were they allowed to travel alone as much as Hildegard does?) makes it a bit hard to believe.
Author Clark also doesn't quite explain the time period. I think it would have been wise for her to have put at least a paragraph at the beginning to set out the period, the major players and politics to the reader so that it was easier to understand while getting into the mystery and story itself.
That said, perhaps there is further development of the main character and the time period in her second book. The book starts slowly, but gets better the further into the story the reader gets. I didn't fall in love with the book but never considered putting it down either. Overall, it was satisfying and enjoyable.
Well written but a little confusing -- why is Hildegard consulted on any of the things that happen. She has skills with medicine but no identified skills in detection or law (unlike Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma) and in this time period and local, few have respect for the habit or religion she represents -- therefore how she discovers what she does alone (were they allowed to travel alone as much as Hildegard does?) makes it a bit hard to believe.
Author Clark also doesn't quite explain the time period. I think it would have been wise for her to have put at least a paragraph at the beginning to set out the period, the major players and politics to the reader so that it was easier to understand while getting into the mystery and story itself.
That said, perhaps there is further development of the main character and the time period in her second book. The book starts slowly, but gets better the further into the story the reader gets. I didn't fall in love with the book but never considered putting it down either. Overall, it was satisfying and enjoyable.
November 23, 2010
#1 Abbess of Meaux historical mystery set in early 1380's York. Sister Hildegard, a Cistercian nun and a widow with an inheritance to spend, hopes to procure property from a local lord, Roger de Hutton. She grew up in the area and knew Roger and his family before taking the veil, and being out of the cloister for the first time in seven years and back on familiar ground leaves her with mixed emotions.
Things are tense, with many disputes between the serfs, mostly Saxons, and their Norman manor lords, and hints of a new uprising being planned. When there is an attempted murder against Roger during a feast celebrating the birth of his heir, his new nephew, and other deaths follow, Hildegard and Ulf, an old friend of hers and Roger's steward, must seek to solve the crimes to prevent a full-blown riot.
Definitely not your typical cozy historical, this book is steeped in realistic detail of life in those trying medieval times, not sparing the reader's sensibilities as the poverty, disparity between rich and poor, and the often violent death awaiting many people is met head on. Plenty of mud, blood and guts and yet it's also got some very interesting characters along with a heroine that I already feel attached to. Glad I have the next one in series waiting.
Things are tense, with many disputes between the serfs, mostly Saxons, and their Norman manor lords, and hints of a new uprising being planned. When there is an attempted murder against Roger during a feast celebrating the birth of his heir, his new nephew, and other deaths follow, Hildegard and Ulf, an old friend of hers and Roger's steward, must seek to solve the crimes to prevent a full-blown riot.
Definitely not your typical cozy historical, this book is steeped in realistic detail of life in those trying medieval times, not sparing the reader's sensibilities as the poverty, disparity between rich and poor, and the often violent death awaiting many people is met head on. Plenty of mud, blood and guts and yet it's also got some very interesting characters along with a heroine that I already feel attached to. Glad I have the next one in series waiting.
September 19, 2012
Hangman Blind is a captivating tale set in the aftermath of the unsuccessful Peasant's Revolt and execution of Wat Tyler. Religious schisms, failed uprisings, war and more war, and the fragile rule of Richard II are a perfect backdrop for greed, lust, pride and arrogance; the seven deadly sins rack up a few bodies in this series debut.
Clark introduces us to Sister Hildegard and the religious challenges of three Popes! She explores the raw reality of war and conflict, bringing the the trauma, fear, and treachery of the late 14th Century up close and personal.
Sister Hildegard and her religious counterpart Brother Thomas are likeable and dimensional characters, charged with bringing a murderer to justice; as the deaths mount, the plot twists and turns to a very unexpected place.
I enjoy Hildegard's humanity as she explores her religious life in the world full of people she dare not trust.
The characters and scenes have both depth and texture. A great book for a rainy afternoon or a pool-side lounge.
Clark introduces us to Sister Hildegard and the religious challenges of three Popes! She explores the raw reality of war and conflict, bringing the the trauma, fear, and treachery of the late 14th Century up close and personal.
Sister Hildegard and her religious counterpart Brother Thomas are likeable and dimensional characters, charged with bringing a murderer to justice; as the deaths mount, the plot twists and turns to a very unexpected place.
I enjoy Hildegard's humanity as she explores her religious life in the world full of people she dare not trust.
The characters and scenes have both depth and texture. A great book for a rainy afternoon or a pool-side lounge.
August 6, 2014
I really wanted to like this book. It takes place in the 14th century (I love historical fiction) and has a strong female protagonist. As it turned out, I did like it, just not that much. Sad to say, it was because of my laziness. The book was full of archaic words that I should have looked up, but didn't, so I just skipped over them. Additionally, much of the plot was based on historical events that were not explained very well but referred to often: the rivalry between Pope Urban in Rome and Pope Clement in Avignon, the shaky rule of Richard, King of England, and the uprising led by Wat Tyler. I needed an appendix explaining all the terms and people associated with these men. When I finished the book, I still had no idea who supported who. Just because you say someone is a Cistercian doesn't mean I know what pope they support.
That being said, it was still interesting to read a bit about how life was (pretty awful) in those days.
That being said, it was still interesting to read a bit about how life was (pretty awful) in those days.
July 3, 2012
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 friendship that developed between Hildegard and Hubert de Courcy, with its undercurrent of guilt and political mistrust. I miss the more overt spirituality of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael stories, but at the same time, Hildegard is very much a practical-minded person, and it's clear she chose the religious life as a best option in a world where women didn't have many choices.
April 19, 2013
I've debated about my review. I thought this book might be perfect for my sister and I knew it was a mystery so I chose a nice warm bright day. It wasn't scary but was very intriguing. It took me a bit to get into the story trying to get my bearings in the time period, but once I did I was very hooked. It was also pretty violent which is unfortunately true to the medieval era. If you liked Ivanhoe by Walter Scott and love a good intrigue this is the book for you. I'll be reading the rest of the series
March 6, 2012
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-up to a series with the end leaving the possibilities for Hildegarde, our heroine, wide open. And history tells us her times only became more interesting.
June 4, 2012
I met Cassandra Clark at a Convention in London and she signed my copy.
Well researched book, I'd have liked a list of words used and their meanings so I didn't have to look them up.
I wasn't sure about the canal & lock in 1382 but I may be wrong.
Good read & looking forward to the next in the series.
Well researched book, I'd have liked a list of words used and their meanings so I didn't have to look them up.
I wasn't sure about the canal & lock in 1382 but I may be wrong.
Good read & looking forward to the next in the series.
February 24, 2024
Set in 1382 a year after the Wat Tyler peasants’ revolt, this novel is fixed in the area where I live and it is intriguing to see its ruins and modern settlements through different eyes.
Hildegard took the veil seven years before, after the death in France of her husband. With her children (who play no part in the novel) advanced in years enough not to need her, and not wishing to be married again, a life of semi seclusion beckoned. She’s made the most of it, and now, with the connivance of her priory’s Mother, wants to strike out on her own with yet to be gathered disciples. For that she needs the approval of the Abbot from the parent monastic house of Meaux, and a manor.
Yet there is suspicion, and it seems murder, at every level of society. For a start, there are two popes: one in Avignon and one in Rome fighting for ascendancy, the young King of England is likewise subject to the control of his advisors. Even as she is welcomed at her childhood home of the fictional Castle Hutton, she finds betrayal and murder stalking. As a known, but also a trusted outsider, she has to tread warily. A good read, but a rather overlong ending.
Hildegard took the veil seven years before, after the death in France of her husband. With her children (who play no part in the novel) advanced in years enough not to need her, and not wishing to be married again, a life of semi seclusion beckoned. She’s made the most of it, and now, with the connivance of her priory’s Mother, wants to strike out on her own with yet to be gathered disciples. For that she needs the approval of the Abbot from the parent monastic house of Meaux, and a manor.
Yet there is suspicion, and it seems murder, at every level of society. For a start, there are two popes: one in Avignon and one in Rome fighting for ascendancy, the young King of England is likewise subject to the control of his advisors. Even as she is welcomed at her childhood home of the fictional Castle Hutton, she finds betrayal and murder stalking. As a known, but also a trusted outsider, she has to tread warily. A good read, but a rather overlong ending.
September 9, 2022
Ack. I really wanted to love this one. It had so much potential. The author depended too much on the knowledge that she was going to write future books for this series, so there were wayyyyyyy too many plots, subplots, side stories, etc.
The book started out pretty boring (first 2 chapters or so) and so I buckled down for a long read. I actually got through it pretty quick because after that, it picked up. My brain kept going back to it and thinking I wanted to "watch that movie again". The author is very descriptive, so it was an imagination playground for me.
However, each new plotline the author brought up was, like, "oh, are they all tying in together"? Nope. They are legitimately their own plots and don't tie in.
I am not going to read the future books because it was just too chaotic keeping things straight. The end of the book tied things up too quickly/neatly and also left soooooo many loose ends because, again, the author already knew she was going to write more books for this series. So bummed.
The book started out pretty boring (first 2 chapters or so) and so I buckled down for a long read. I actually got through it pretty quick because after that, it picked up. My brain kept going back to it and thinking I wanted to "watch that movie again". The author is very descriptive, so it was an imagination playground for me.
However, each new plotline the author brought up was, like, "oh, are they all tying in together"? Nope. They are legitimately their own plots and don't tie in.
I am not going to read the future books because it was just too chaotic keeping things straight. The end of the book tied things up too quickly/neatly and also left soooooo many loose ends because, again, the author already knew she was going to write more books for this series. So bummed.
June 30, 2020
I wish the author had included a character list. There are so many characters it took me most of the book to sort them out. And there's little to no character development--even for the primary narrator--the nun.
The pacing was too slow for me, much more historical than mystery pacing. The time period clearly influences the author's story, but I'm not familiar enough with 1380s England to recognize or understand the history-related subplots.
The mystery left me unsatisfied. There were a lot of threads--some tied together, some were red herrings and some were left dangling.
Part of the ending was really irritating.
I'm not interested enough to read more of the series.
The pacing was too slow for me, much more historical than mystery pacing. The time period clearly influences the author's story, but I'm not familiar enough with 1380s England to recognize or understand the history-related subplots.
The mystery left me unsatisfied. There were a lot of threads--some tied together, some were red herrings and some were left dangling.
Part of the ending was really irritating.
I'm not interested enough to read more of the series.
July 1, 2021
I am always looking for new mystery series to read. The first book in this series shows promise but it also has problems. I like the main character, Sister Hildegard, a wealthy young widow who has chosen to enter the religious life. Life in England at this time - 1382 - is exceptionally difficult. Saxon serfs are beginning to rise against their Norman masters; there are two competing Catholic popes; England is precariously led by the young Richard II; and there is continuing war with France. All of that is part of the problem: too many complicated and confusing alliances and conspiracies. It's not my favorite time of English history. The mystery in this book dealt mostly with domestic issues. I liked that; it was involving and fun. But there were hints that subsequent books in the series will dive into the morass of 14th century national and religious politics. Still, Hildegard is an interesting enough character that I'll probably give the series another try.
March 28, 2019
This is an entirely new series for me as well as an era I know little about, one reason I decided to read this book. The era is considered the late Middle Ages set in Northern England. I do wish I had read this book before my trip to visit my daughter last year who is now living in Leicester, England. Part of the Abbey's etc. are still or partially standing. I consider it a good book when I like the characters and want to learn more about the era and location. Abbess Hildegard is our protag and appears to be based on a real Abbess in history. This is entirely a work of fiction with enough intrigue and personalities to make the story flow with virtually no slowing in the flow of the story. I am looking forward to reading #2 in the series.
November 26, 2018
Cassandra Clark weaved a mystery from many angles. Rather than read and re-read the clues of one mystery, she added more mystery as each event progressed. The description of some of the deceased, although intense, kept with the period and allowed the reader to stay focused on the mystery, not the horror.
Because of the many characters (thus the added suspects), I struggled to remember who was who, even with her careful hints that helped place them.
I was disappointed that not all the threads were complete, in fact one murderer was left at large. And the bits of "attention toward romance" was not finished.
Because of the many characters (thus the added suspects), I struggled to remember who was who, even with her careful hints that helped place them.
I was disappointed that not all the threads were complete, in fact one murderer was left at large. And the bits of "attention toward romance" was not finished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2020
Found this one at my local library after a friend recommended it to me. A medieval mystery in the vein of Cadfael and co, it makes a nice change to have a female protagonist. As well as the main plot of solving the murder, there are wider political and religious issues rumbling in the background that will no doubt be explored more throughout the series.
The 14th century setting is an interesting one, vividly recreated, although there are times where a glossary of historical/technical terms might have been useful for those of us who are not experts in the era.
But it's a solid start to the series and I will now try and find the next one.
The 14th century setting is an interesting one, vividly recreated, although there are times where a glossary of historical/technical terms might have been useful for those of us who are not experts in the era.
But it's a solid start to the series and I will now try and find the next one.
April 21, 2022
Hangman Blind is rich with an abundance of the aspects I thoroughly enjoy in a book: Medieval English setting, monasteries and abbeys, a murder mystery, herbal knowledge, and a perceptive, people-wise, clever heroine. Cassandra Clark's story of murder and family intrigue in post-Norman England wraps the time period around the reader and trots them back to another age.
Lady Hildegard is a magnificent character. Following along as she tactfully teases details out of everyone from the Lord of the manor to the servants and fits the pieces together is delicious. I am thrilled there are ten more books in this series (...so far)! An excellent read.
Lady Hildegard is a magnificent character. Following along as she tactfully teases details out of everyone from the Lord of the manor to the servants and fits the pieces together is delicious. I am thrilled there are ten more books in this series (...so far)! An excellent read.
December 1, 2022
I really loved this book.It is so well written with such a great story Cassandra Clark really does make you feel like you're there!The smells, sounds,the people,the filth and the buildings....it's brilliant.With books like these I feel as though I could just read them forever....it reminded me very much of the Doomsday books by Edward Marston which are also excellent.I am so glad I found this in a charity shop ( which then prompted me to buy more in the series ! )..... anyone with even a passing interest in history will I'm sure love this book or even fans of intriguing murder mysteries..... brilliant.....
August 8, 2019
I could not get past the total historical inaccuracy of a nun trotting around the countryside on horseback with no escort other than her hunting dogs in the 1300s to actually read the rest of this. In an effort to give the book a fair shake, I didn't quit reading until along about chapter four, but I just couldn't go any farther.
If you know absolutely nothing about medieval history, this is probably an ok book. If you do know anything about Europe in the Middle Ages, give this one a pass.
If you know absolutely nothing about medieval history, this is probably an ok book. If you do know anything about Europe in the Middle Ages, give this one a pass.
November 7, 2017
Female drivel
Not worth reading. A promising lead into a medieval series, but too many characters, too much irrelevant background detail, and all spun out into a protracted "story", which becomes difficult to follow. If only women authors could stick to the subject and stay away from irrelevant trivia, including relations between characters which are of no interest and add nothing to the story. Not going to read anything else by this author.
Not worth reading. A promising lead into a medieval series, but too many characters, too much irrelevant background detail, and all spun out into a protracted "story", which becomes difficult to follow. If only women authors could stick to the subject and stay away from irrelevant trivia, including relations between characters which are of no interest and add nothing to the story. Not going to read anything else by this author.
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