Thursday, December 3, 2009

Chambers of Death by Priscilla Royal

In college at Lawrence University I had a medieval history professor, Dr. Cheney, who we always said had one foot in the middle ages at all times.  He lived and breathed it.  We could picture how people felt, what they did and how they talked by his descriptions.  I topped of my medieval experiences at Lawrence by taking a seminar class in medieval literature, which I also enjoyed very much.

When I get an opportunity to read history, or history in the form of an historical novel, set in the middle ages, I usually read it.  Priscilla Royal's "Chambers of Death" is no exception.

Royal studied medieval literature at San Francisco State University and continues to live in Northern California.  She has five other novels set in that period, specifically the end of the thirteenth century.  The Afterword in the book hints that she will be tackling the considerably more troubled 14th century next with her cast of characters from the Tyndal Priory.  The 13th century was comparatively enlightened compared to the century after with its frequent Black Death scourges, harsh politics and mini-ice age.

"Chambers of Death" is set on a road trip away from the Priory.  Prioress Eleanor, a high born woman who preferred to run her own domain from inside a convent, has gone to settle some disputes about the priory's far flung lands and has with her a young novice and a monk who is normally involved in the work of the infirmary in the Priory, Brother Thomas. The young girl, Mariota, takes deathly ill in a storm and the group stop to tend their sick companion at the manor that is stewarded by a gentleman named Master Stevyn.  We meet his strange family at the door of the manor, and not everyone is very welcoming.

The groom is murdered shortly after the arrival and in the course of the book others die.  Several members of the staff and family have either motive, means or opportunity, but Eleanor and Thomas are hard pressed to find anyone with all three at the time of each of the murders.  I must say Royal had me fooled until shortly before the chapter where the murderer is revealed. The sheriff, Sir Reimund, never has a clue and is inclined to accuse and hang the first convenient low-born member of the household.

There is much to like about this book.  It is very well researched.  We have accurate descriptions of manor life in the thirteenth century.  We get inside the minds of people of different stations. We find out what people thought about affairs and the inequality of treatment between husbands and wifes caught cheating.  We find out about the rules of illegitimacy and what being born out of wedlock meant for the future of that child. We get inside the minds of not only the main characters, but also many of the people from the manor. The descriptions and the characterizations make this book so much more interesting than a mystery that is mainly plot and action.  In fact, this book evolves rather slowly, but the complexity of it and the large cast of characters demands a little attention to detail.

"Chambers of Death" is a good choice of a mystery read for those who enjoy historical and medieval mysteries. Fans of Prioress Eleanor and Brother Thomas will not be disappointed.

Liz Nichols

P.S.: For those who have wondered about my son and his retinal surgery, it went well. He has to wait a week or so before much activity until a gas bubble inserted in the eye disappears. At that point the eyesight should have returned to around 20/30 and we can get his glasses adjusted.

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