The nun's tale (original 1995; edition 1995)

So carefully researched. The amount of trouble that she went to to make everything historically accurate must have amazing. As is so often the case when that is done, the plot moves a little slowly as all of the historical background comes out, but Owen Archer is a pretty neat character and the plot is enticingly unusual for a mystery, with some gruesome bits for those who enjoy them. One drawback is an odd tendency to repeat a phrase, as if, having gone to so much trouble to come up with it, the author doesn't see any reason to only use it the one time. A bit distracting. Still, a worthwhile story. ( )

At times grim, but nonetheless enjoyable, historical mystery set in and around York in the fourteenth century. Apparently domestic incidents assume more sinister aspects, and both Lucie and Owen find themselves investigating for Thoresby. ( )

The Nun’s Tale is the third Owen Archer mystery. It’s 1366, and a nun, gone missing a year before, appears, claiming that she’s been buried alive. Pretty soon, other people who have been involved in her disappearance turn up, dead. In come Owen Archer and his wife, the apothecary Lucie Wilton, to solve the mystery. Is Joanna Calverley really what she says she is? Or is she simply mad? In any case, she’s a frustrating study in contrasts: virgin or Mary Magdalene? Victim in the case or perpetrator?

The story itself is slightly more grim than those in her other books; not just murder is at stake here, but something more sinister. There’s very little suspense to the mystery, but Candace Robb excels at portraying the relationships between her characters, developing them more and more with each book in the series. I liked how the author developed the tenuous relationship between Lucie and her father, Sir Robert, too. Jasper Melton, who features in the previous entry of the series, The Lady Chapel, appears here, but his presence in this book is merely incidental; I would have liked to have seen more of him.

Historical figures such as John of Gaunt and Geoffrey Chaucer even make brief cameos in The Nun’s Tale. The historical detail of the book is quite good, and another one of Robb’s strengths is tying the mystery—at first, it seems as though it’s simply a domestic affair—to larger events. It’s an enjoyable addition to the Owen Archer series, and I look forward to reading the next. ( )

In the third Owen Archer mystery, the one-eyed spy and apprentice apothecary is pressed into service to investigate the disappearance and mysterious reappearance of a nun whose tales of her time away are barely coherent. The trail will not only lead to disturbing family secrets, but to political intrigue. Though Owen does not relish his work, he is growing more skilled at it. Meanwhile, on the homefront, Lucie, his wife as well as master apothecary, is pregnant with their first child together. Though excited, both have their own apprehensions and their relationship continues to be lively in more ways than one. She will also try to come to terms with her father, whom she remembers only as a distant, uncaring figure from her childhood but who is now trying to make amends and build a relationship. The political side of the mystery confused me and featured perhaps too many characters, but I was quite drawn in to the family side of it and particularly to the recurring characters. The series manages to show dark and disturbing acts without becoming ugly. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The dialog was authentic sounding without belaboring the archaic language, so it was easy to read and the characters were wonderful. The mystery was quite compelling. Was the nun telling the truth, was she lying, or were her cryptic answers just the delusions of an unstable mind? Great read. ( )