In 1447 England, King Henry VI sits upon the throne but is unduly influenced by his closest councilor the Marquis of Suffolk. The Marquis has seen to it that the king's heir, his uncle the Duke of Gloucester, is looked upon with distrust and suspicion. At Bury St. Edmonds, the king, his lords and the parliament attend a council meeting. An invitation is sent to Gloucester hinting that if he attends his wife will be released from prison.
Suffolk's wife Alice is a cousin and close friend to Dame Frevisse who is very happy to live in St. Frideswide's Nunnery away from the worldly cares of corrupt men. When Frevisse is asked to go to Bury St. Edmonds to spy for Bishop Beaufort of Winchester she accepts because she wants the priory to have the property the Bishop is willing to give in return for her services. When she arrives at the site of the gathering, she becomes so involved in political affairs of the realm that she lies and perjures herself to save the live of Gloucester's illegitimate son and four of his trusted companions.
The heroine of THE BASTARD'S TALE makes a life long enemy of her cousin's husband the Marquis of Suffolk and risks an estrangement with her cousin Alice in order to prevent the death of innocents. It is obvious that Margaret Frazer has done meticulous research on the events that take place in this book so that the readers have a feel the era and an understanding of how such injustices can occur. Fans of medieval mysteries will relish the latest entry in this Edgar nominated series.
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 10% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- middle ages
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- power struggle within govt between two factions
- kidnap/rescue
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- religious figure
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
