The Faithful Dead (Hawkenlye Mysteries)

Alys Clare's novels are like a breath of fresh air. I love medieval murder mysteries and there are certainly a lot of them about (thank goodness), but the authors books breathe new life into the period and her will they won't they situation with Helewise and 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 and old, male or female. Alys Clare lives in Kent where the Hawkenlye mysteries are set.

An old man, a pilgrim dies in Hawkenlye Vale. There is nothing suspicious about the death, or so it is thought. The man was gravely ill when he arrived. At home at his manor Sir Josse d'Aquin is perturbed when he sees a group of horsemen riding towards him. By their bright and expensive clothes he knows that they are wealthy and important men, but he is surprised to see Prince John in their midst. John is a man he has met before, but until now was in no particular hurry to meet again.

The Prince who is accompanied by his seer, is seeking news of a stranger, one Galbertius Sidonius. As soon as the party of men have left Josse heads for Hawkenlye Abbey to ask for assistance from Helewise, the Abbess, but finds when he gets there that the Abbess has her own problems. A naked decomposing body has been found. The body has been killed by an expert. This is victim of a drunk fight or village quarrel.

Josse and Helewise are drawn deep into a mystery that stretches back much further than the Second Crusade and there is a dark, macabre figure watching their every move.

Maybe 3.5 stars, as in I really liked some parts. I'm not sure what to say about this installment in the Hawkenlye series featuring Abbess Helewise and Sir Josse d'Acquin; it wasn't the traditional mystery set in the environs of Hawkenlye Abbey we've come to expect.

The decomposed body of a murdered man is found hidden in the bracken along the road near the Abbey and the Abbess enlists Josse's help to identify the victim, but a large chunk of the book is taken up with Josse's family history as he tries to figure out why Prince John has descended on him unexpectedly demanding to know if he has had any mysterious visitors lately. Slowly and rather laboriously Josse, Helewise and Josse's brother Yves work to bring the two mysterious events together and it all fits with a nice mystical touch reminiscent for me of the author's Aelf Fen series - not a bad thing, considering the time period and the strong remnants of paganism still present in England.

For a fan of the series like me, this was a nice way to fill in the blanks of Josse's past life and gain further insight into his character, and to see the further strengthening of the strong bond between him and Helewise; for fans of medieval mysteries unfamiliar with the series, I'd start with one of the earlier books.

Hawkenlye # 5

Sir Josse and his farmer brother Yves find themselves tangled in a mystery dating back to the Crusades that has left three men dead.

Interesting and convoluted storyline, although it included a long flashback and I detest flashbacks. A bigger problem is that it was quite a stretch to believe Josse and Yves figured out the McGuffin, and the denoument pretty much made all of Josse's and Yves' efforts unnecessary anyway. The title was completely irrelevant.

I always enjoy reading these mysteries, the genre is one that I try to get whenever I see it for sale

Alys Clare's fifth Hawkenlye mystery with Josse d'Acquin and Abbess Helewise, The Faithful Dead, takes a walk on the strange side. Clare has introduced some interesting characters in the forest people that inhabit the woods around Hawkenlye Abbey and they give a bizarre element to the stories. But in this novel, Clare mixes a little bit of the supernatural with a touch of magic.

Much of the book takes place in the past (prior to the events in the novel) and focuses on Josse's father Geoffroi and his adventures in the Crusades in the Holy Land. After saving the young son of a powerful Muslim, Geoffroi is given the Eye of Jerusalem, a large sapphire set in gold that has arcane powers. Geoffroi puts the jewel to the test and it surpasses his expectations.

He finally returns home with a friend known as the Lombard, but keeps the jewel hidden. He uses its power once to save the brother of his beloved doesn't disclose its presence to anyone. After the Lombard has returned to his home, Geoffroi realizes the jewel is missing.

Years later, Josse receives a visit from Prince John, who gives the knight a cryptic reason for seeking him out. The prince asks the whereabouts of a man Josse has never heard of. After the royal departs, Josse travels to Hawkenlye Abbey to enquire if the man had sought out its healing waters, as many travelers do. He learns plenty from the monks and the nuns but it's only when his brother Yves arrives unannounced, that the clues start to come together. The reason his younger brother made his way across the Channel to seek out Josse is directly connected to a mysterious death six weeks prior near the abbey.

In addition to the strange powers of the Eye of Jerusalem, another character brings an mysterious twist to the work; a seer in the service of Prince John. He appears to have precognition among his many powers. And he's not the only one.

Sometimes The Faithful Dead reads more like science fiction/fantasy. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just not expected in a medieval mystery. It seems to put Abbess Helewise in an awkward stage of character development. Some of the strange aspects of magic and the supernatural, she accepts but others she dismisses. It's confusing at times. Josse seems to accept everything for what he's told.

I enjoy Clare's Hawkenlye series but I hope they take a step back from the edge of strange.

This is the 4th book in the Hawkenlye series of mysteries set in the time of Richard the Lionhearted. So far I think the series is good, not quite as good as Cadfael but enjoyable. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Good mystery and very interesting historical notes. Writing is good and moves fast. Excellent story in the series.