-
The Novice’s Tale
- A Dame Frevisse Mystery, Book 1
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
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Publisher's summary
Unholy passions and demonic deaths...
In the fair autumn of Our Lord's grace 1431, the nuns of England's St. Frideswide's prepare for the simply ceremonies in which the saintly novice Thomasine will take her holy vows. But their quiet lives of beauty and prayer are thrown into chaos by the merciless arrival of Lady Ermentrude Fenner and her retinue of lusty men, sinful women, and baying hounds. The hard-drinking dowager even keeps a pet monkey for her amusement. She demands wine, a feast....
And her niece, the angelic Thomasine.
The lady desires to enrich herself and her reputation by arranging a marriage for the devout novice. She cares nothing for the panic and despair she leaves behind her.
But all her cruel and cunning schemes are brought to a sudden end with strange and most unnatural murder.
As suspicious eyes turn on the pious Thomasine, it falls to Sister Frevisse, hosteler of the priory and amateur detective, to unravel the webs of unholy passion and dark intrigue that entangle the novice and prove her innocence...or condemn her.
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Cathedral of Bones
- Ela of Salisbury Medieval Mysteries, Book 1
- By: J. G. Lewis
- Narrated by: Madeleine Brolly
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Salisbury, 1226. A young pregnant woman is found tangled in reeds in the river Avon, her identity a mystery. Grieving widow Ela Longespée is determined to succeed her husband as sheriff of Salisbury, and quickly takes charge of the investigation. She soon finds herself in the thick of a neighborhood scandal and a struggle to maintain her authority. With multiple suspects, can she identify the true killer?
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eh, okay
- By Jeffrey J. on 12-20-20
By: J. G. Lewis
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The Unquiet Bones
- By: Mel Starr
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight, has been educated as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However, feeling no certain calling despite a lively faith, he turns to the profession of surgeon, training in Paris and then hanging out his sign in Oxford. A local lord asks him to track the killer of a young woman whose bones have been found in the castle cesspit. She is identified as the impetuous missing daughter of a local blacksmith, and her young man, whom she had provoked very publicly, is in due course arrested and sentenced at the Oxford assizes.
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Wonderful!!!
- By AKowalczyk on 01-05-20
By: Mel Starr
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The Service of the Dead
- A Kate Clifford Mystery, Book 1
- By: Candace Robb
- Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Political unrest permeates York at the cusp of the 15th century, as warring factions take sides on who should be the rightful king - Richard II or his estranged, powerful cousin in exile, Henry Bolingbroke. Independent-minded 20-year-old Kate Clifford is struggling to dig out from beneath the debt left by her late husband. Determined to find a way to be secure in her own wealth and establish her independence in a male-dominated society, Kate turns one of her properties near the minster into a guesthouse and sets up a business.
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Weak and Choppy
- By MxH on 01-27-19
By: Candace Robb
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A Plague on Both Your Houses
- The First Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Matthew Bartholomew, unorthodox but effective physician to Michaelhouse college in medieval Cambridge, is as worried as anyone about the pestilence that is ravaging Europe and seems to be approaching England. But he is distracted by the sudden and inexplicable death of the Master of Michaelhouse - a death the University authorities do not want investigated.
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I should have loved this book.
- By J. Miller on 09-11-19
By: Susanna Gregory
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In the Presence of Evil: A French Medieval Mystery
- Christine de Pizan Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: Tania Bayard
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Paris, 1393. Recent widow Christine de Pizan became a scribe to support her family, but when she is called to the palace to work, she dreads going. There, everyone fears the king's attacks of unreason and they believe the charlatans who claim they can cure him with vile potions. But when a mysterious book of magic leaves a trail of real murdered bodies in its wake, Christine has more than black magic to worry about. Then one of the king's favorites, Hugues de Precy, is found murdered and his wife Alix de Clairy is blamed.
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Unusual story, wonderful atmosphere
- By Gail N. on 11-02-20
By: Tania Bayard
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Servant of Death
- Bradecote and Catchpoll
- By: Sarah Hawkswood
- Narrated by: Matt Addis
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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The much-feared and hated Eudo - the Lord Bishop of Winchester's clerk - is bludgeoned to death in Pershore Abbey and laid before the altar in the attitude of a penitent. Everyone who had contact with him had reason to dislike him, but who had reason to kill him? The Sheriff of Worcestershire's thief taker, wily Serjeant Catchpoll, and his new and unwanted superior, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, have to find the answer. And as the walls of the abbey close in on the suspects, the killer strikes again....
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Medieval armchair mystery
- By Marie on 08-12-17
By: Sarah Hawkswood
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A Pride of Kings
- The Plantagenets Series, Book 1
- By: Juliet Dymoke
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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For William Marshall, the greatest knight of the realm, serving royalty is an unpredictable business. Having survived the threat of beheading from Stephen as a child, Marshall rises from nothing to a place in court serving King Henry II. Accused of acting on his love for the beautiful Queen Margaret, William is saved by his trust and loyalty to the king. But the battle for the throne is relentless, and when Henry's own son John rises against him, William must decide if he can remain loyal to the crown.
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Historical Novel
- By Fran on 08-31-23
By: Juliet Dymoke
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Absolution by Murder
- A Sister Fidelma Mystery
- By: Peter Tremayne
- Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In AD 664 King Oswy of Northumbria has convened a synod at Whitby to hear debate between the Roman and Celtic Christian Churches and decide which shall be granted primacy in his kingdom. At stake is much more than a few disputed points of ritual; Oswy's decision could affect the survival of either Church in the Saxon kingdoms. When the Abbess Etain, a leading speaker for the Celtic Church, is found murdered, suspicion falls upon the Roman faction.
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Interesting new (for me) series & great narrator!
- By Yvette on 02-27-15
By: Peter Tremayne
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What the Dead Leave Behind
- Gilded Age Mystery, Book 1
- By: Rosemary Simpson
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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As the Great Blizzard of 1888 cripples the vast machinery that is New York City, heiress Prudence MacKenzie sits anxiously within her palatial Fifth Avenue home waiting for her fiance's safe return. But the fearsome storm rages through the night. With daylight, more than 200 people are found to have perished in the icy winds and treacherous snowdrifts. Among them is Prudence's fiancé - his body frozen, his head crushed by a heavy branch, his fingers clutching a single playing card, the ace of spades.
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So frustrating!
- By kathleen Johnson on 02-13-18
By: Rosemary Simpson
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The Archers
- Archers Series, Book 1
- By: Martin Archer
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The Archers is the first book of an exciting saga of action and adventure set in medieval England. In this compelling tale, an Englishman rises to become the captain of a company of archers and leads its survivors back to England from King Richard's crusade.
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Insufferable narration
- By Careful Consumer on 04-29-24
By: Martin Archer
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The Abbot's Tale
- By: Conn Iggulden
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In the year 937, the new king of England, a grandson of Alfred the Great, readies himself to go to war in the north. His dream of a united kingdom of all England will stand or fall on one field - on the passage of a single day. At his side is the priest Dunstan of Glastonbury, full of ambition and wit (perhaps enough to damn his soul). His talents will take him from the villages of Wessex to the royal court, to the hills of Rome - from exile to exaltation.
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This One's a Gem
- By Ballika on 08-10-18
By: Conn Iggulden
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What listeners say about The Novice’s Tale
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jennifer Smith
- 10-18-20
Very enjoyable read!
My mother, who has great taste in medieval mysteries, has been encouraging me to read this series and I’m so glad it’s on audible!
The pace of this book is wonderful if, like me, you craft and listen at the same time. I only think I had to rewind because I missed something while crafting, which is a rarity.
The story is wonderful- love, intrigue and lessons learned about impatience etc without being preachy or too religious. It’s a beautiful mix. I can’t wait for the next book and I hope audible continues the series!
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3 people found this helpful
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- AKowalczyk
- 06-06-20
A bit boring
I wanted to like this but it took about half the story to get to some action. I almost gave up on it several times.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Karen Toney
- 06-06-20
First Reads
It was wonderful to find the first story in this series. I want more 🤗
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3 people found this helpful
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- Kathy in CA
- 03-20-20
Completely Wonderful
I thoroughly enjoyed this! The plot is complex and features a lot of insights into human nature. The historical setting is interesting; as a fan of historical fiction I would have enjoyed even more cultural and political context. I also appreciate the window into monastic life of an earlier time.
The narrator is excellent, though with not as intricate many voice changes as some.
I can hardly wait to continue with this series!
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4 people found this helpful
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- Gordon T.
- 05-10-23
Tedious story line
Took a while to get into. Dull uninteresting characters. Will not look for next book.
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- Tropical Gal
- 02-08-20
Pleasant medieval mystery
This is the first in an excellent series of medieval mysteries. If you like Brother Cadfael stories or Mel Starr’s Hugh de Singleton, this is a good choice. The story is fairly slow paced and the writing thoughtful- overall enjoyable. I’d like to see more of this series on Audible.
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17 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-08-24
The story was a little bit dark
The voices were funny. And the story was a bit different than what I expected
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- Kelly&Anna
- 04-29-24
Reader was mediocre at best.
The price was right, in the free-with-membership category.
Decent mystery, the reader did a decent job with voices, but the delivery was staccato and boring overall.
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- george
- 06-19-20
Tremendous 1st Story - Don't go past this!!
Murder mystery's are my entertainment and my brain food. The Middle Ages in Britain my favorite period. The Novice's Tale combines both brilliantly.
The narrator does an excellent job, provding listeners with a true sense of Fear in the voice of the Novice, Authority in the voce of the Abbess, Madness in the voice of the victim and Hate in the voice of the accuser and the killer.
An excellent combination of Word and Voice.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Jennifer Meagher
- 09-17-23
Excellent medieval mystery
An excellently researched, beautifully written medieval mystery full of lively description and colorful characters. Margaret Frazer is among the very finest authors of this genre. The audio book narrator does not always do full justice to the text, but a serviceable reading and some good character voices.
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