Description
From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Clare's captivating first in a new medieval series dramatizes the clash between the old pagan ways and Christianity in 11th-century England. In 1087, with the death of William the Conqueror, the common people are in a rebellious mood. Meanwhile, Lassair, a 14-year-old girl from a Fenland village with special gifts, is learning to be a healer. When two young men ask her to use her skills to locate a hidden treasure, she can't refuse. Lassair joins the men on an arduous trek across East Anglia to the coast, where they unearth a 500-year-old solid gold relic. This relic, Lassair realizes, has the power to cause immense harm. Clare ( The Joys of My Life and 11 other Hawkenlye mysteries) brings the people of the period to vivid life with close attention to such matters as food, clothes and religious belief. Engaging characters, like Lassair's obnoxious sister and her storytelling grandmother, enhance a well-crafted plot that builds to a chilling climax. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. "A treat that's full of the mysticism, period detail and mystery Clare's readers have come to expect" ― Kirkus Reviews "This cleverly plotted blend of historical mystery and romance provides a charged atmosphere, high-spirited adventure, and a charismatic cast of characters" ― Booklist "Clare ( The Joys of My Life and 11 other Hawkenlye mysteries) brings the people of the period to vivid life with close attention to such matters as food, clothes and religious belief. Engaging characters, like Lassair's obnoxious sister and her storytelling grandmother, enhance a well-crafted plot that builds to a chilling climax" ― Publishers Weekly Starred Review Alys Clare divides her time between Tonbridge, England-in the area where ""Tavern in the Morning"" is set--and her ancient stone cottage in Brittany. The author of two previous Hawkenlye mysteries, ""Fortune Like the Moon"" and ""Ashes of the Elements,"" she has also studied archaeology at the University of Kent at Canterbury. Read more
Features & Highlights
- 'a well-crafted plot that builds to a chilling climax' - Publishers Weekly Starred Review
- A medieval mystery from the author of the Hawkenlye series
- It is 1087 and William Rufus has just ascended the throne; England lies under a harsh new militaristic regime. Rebellion is in the air and, in the shadows, secrets are muttered that men will kill for. On her sister’s wedding day, Lassair meets an attractive and enigmatic stranger who brings a breath of the glamorous and fascinating outside world to her backwater Fenland village. Young and confident, when Lassair is asked to use her unique talents to help locate a mysterious treasure she accepts with barely a hesitation – despite the grave consequences should the mission be discovered. But after a night-time march across East Anglia, Lassair begins to understand the danger she is in. For this is no ordinary treasure hunt; the object of the perilous search is five hundred years old and has a terrifying power of its own . . .
