Customer Reviews
All Is not as it Seems - By: J. Chippindale, 12 Mar 2007 
Alys Clare's novels are like a breath of fresh air. I love medieval murder mysteries & there are certainly a lot of them about (thank goodness), but the authors books breathe new life into the period & her will they won't they situation with Helewise & Sir Josse, holds the reader's attention as well. Don't be swayed into thinking that these books are written with the female reader in mind. They are for everybody, young & old, male or female. Alys Clare lives in Kent where the Hawkenlye mysteries are set.
The peace & quiet of the Abbey at Hawkenlye has been disturbed by the arrival of a new nun & her two young sisters. They have been recently orphaned & Alba the eldest has had to give up her post at a convent in Ely to get her sisters as far away as possible from the scene of their grief.
However Helewise, the Abbess at Hawkenlye is not sure that the gesture is solely for the benefit of the young girls, after alll Alba is known by alll to be a mean-minded young woman. Helewise's anxiety is increased when her friend Sir Josse is brought to the Abbey half dead from blood poisoning. Then a body is discovered & one of the sisters goes missing. Helewise sets off the Ely to discover the real reason for Alba leaving the convent there . . .
Everything is Not as it Seems - By: J. Chippindale, 28 Aug 2006 Alys Clare's novels are like a breath of fresh air. I love medieval murder mysteries & there are certainly a lot of them about (thank goodness), but the authors books breathe new life into the period & her will they won't they situation with Helewise & Sir Josse, holds the reader's attention as well. Don't be swayed into thinking that these books are written with the female reader in mind. They are for everybody, young & old, male or female. Alys Clare lives in Kent where the Hawkenlye mysteries are set.
The peace & quiet of the Abbey at Hawkenlye has been disturbed by the arrival of a new nun & her two young sisters. They have been recently orphaned & Alba the eldest has had to give up her post at a convent in Ely to get her sisters as far away as possible from the scene of their grief.
However Helewise, the Abbess at Hawkenlye is not sure that the gesture is solely for the benefit of the young girls, after alll Alba is known by alll to be a mean-minded young woman. Helewise's anxiety is increased when her friend Sir Josse is brought to the Abbey half dead from blood poisoning. Then a body is discovered & one of the sisters goes missing. Helewise sets off the Ely to discover the real reason for Alba leaving the convent there . . .
Clare is simply a stunning writer - By: , 18 Jan 2002 There is not a lot to add to what the previous review has said.
Alys Clare is the best writer of medieaval mysteries since Ellis Peters. Better, even, in my opinion. I have read almost alll historical mysteries going, & Clare is my favourite.
Her writing is wonderful. loads of other praiseful adjectives could be used, but they still wouldn't convey how well this author writes.
She also draws excellent characters. they ring true, & make great heroes for her series.
The brilliant originality of her plots is one of the things which sets her apart from her fellow writers. I have yet to find a cliche, over-used plot device, in any of her books. They are incomparable due to their originality.
there is little left to say about her. Apart that if you don't read her, you're missing out on a wonderful literary experience.
Fourth in this medieval mystery series. - By: tomsnowdon@ntlworld.com, 13 Jan 2002 Alys Clare brings medieval England to vibrant life, painting her charecters on a canvas of historical fact. This series of Hawkenlye mysteries featuring Abbess Helewise & Sir Josse d'Aquin gets better with each book.
In this the fourth, & best to date, alll is not what it seems with a new sister, Alba. Her concern for her grieving siblings following the death of both parents takes her from her convent in Ely to Helewise's door at Hawkenlye Abbey.
Alba's subsequent behaviour & attitude are contradictory to the "Angel of Mercy" image she is at pains to project. When the body of a pilgrim is discovered at the Holy Water shrine Helewise sets out to discover the truth behind Alba's flight from Ely.
With Sir Josse recovering in the Abbey infirmary after a life-threatening bout of blood poisoning & unable to offer more than advice & reasoning she takes lay brother Paul with her to Ely. There are many twists & sub plots as a tissue of half truths & lies are unravelled leading to the final solution. Sir Josse helps towards this as he befriends Alba's youngest sister who is helping out in the Infirmary. The complex plot races to a stunning climax leaving the reader begging for more.
