Forest people have rituals near abbey

This is the second in "The Hakenlye" series. It has an exciting opening giving you an anticipation of what is to come. But it is light reading, silly at times. Perhaps the author, on realizing this, decided to spice up the story with sex scenes, the worse being a gang rape. She also is trying to push the nun into something sexual. Not a way to make the book interesting. Gave it three stars. ( )

Abbess Helewise of Hawkenlye Abbey stumbles over a dead body, a poacher, stabbed through the heart with a flint-headed spear, near the edge of a forest. The sheriff of the district pooh-poohs the crime as the work of the Wild Folk living in the forest, who travel around so there is no chance of catching them; in the sheriff's book, the case is closed. Her friend Sir Josse investigates. There is another murder of the poacher's friend; this time the man is struck down with a dagger. A local nobleman dies in mysterious circumstances. Did he hit his head on the stairs as his wife tells Sir Josse? There's a fair amount of Irish and other Celtic paganism introduced into the story when some of the Forest Folk appear. Helewise has problems with a novice and a lay workers. Finally, all is resolved satisfactorally.

I didn't like this one as much as I did vol. 1 in the series. So much paganism unsettled me. The characters were just as endearing as before. I feel this novel may not be one of the author's best, but I plan to read the series. ( )