This must be going to be the final book in the Hawkenlye series; everything is tidied up at the end, which is something I love, and the reason it got 4 stars. The plots have been getting wilder & farther away from the story's origins in the last few books; think she was running out of ideas. Anyway, a good finish. ( )

This must be going to be the final book in the Hawkenlye series; everything is tidied up at the end, which is something I love, and the reason it got 4 stars. The plots have been getting wilder & farther away from the story's origins in the last few books; think she was running out of ideas. Anyway, a good finish. ( )

Besides the mystery of who murdered a mason, Paul de Fleury--or was it suicide?, Sir Josse [and later with him Ninian, Joanna's son] pursues a group of knights, rumored to be devil worshippers with evil practices and Abbess Helewise's traveling to where Chartres Cathedral is being built in order for her to engage the master mason, Martin, to build a chapel on abbey lands. I feel this is the end of a stage in the story of Josse and Helewise. Their lives will change from now on. Much is given in the book about the "Old Religion" and spirituality and coexistence with a changing Christianity. I plan to continue with the series but wonder what direction it will take now. Perhaps if the author had continued in the same vein of her previous Hawkenlye novels, they may have become formulaic. Not the best of the series, but entertaining, anyhow, and loose ends tied up--perhaps too quickly. ( )

I had a couple of major problems with this book. From the cover blurb, I expected a straight historical medieval mystery in the Ellis Peters vein. To some degree this was true. Sir Josse d’Acquin is sent on a mission by Queen Eleanor to get to the bottom of rumors that the late King Richard was involved with a secret society engaged in murderous unholy practices. What I was not prepared for was the extensive fantasy goddess worshiping element. It was very distracting in what I thought would be a regular mystery. It was rather like reading an Agatha Christie and finding out that Miss Marple is part of a witches coven. My second and larger gripe was that after I had started the book, I discovered that it was the last of a series and it really shows. All kinds of what appear to be continuing plot elements are wrapped up and various characters are trotted out for a few paragraphs in what are rather obviously “guest appearances.” The book was not badly written and anyone who is already a fan of the series will probably enjoy it but it is not a good choice for the uninitiated. ( )