Fortune like the Moon

The Abbess Helewise of Hawkenlye-the wisest and most unlikely sleuth since Brother Cadfael-teams up with a canny soldier of fortune in the debut of this irrestible mystery series.It is 1157, and a young nun from Hawkenlye Abbey has been found with her throat slashed. The people of rural Kent are quick to jump to conclusions: Surely the murderer must be one of the felons released by the new king, Richard Plantagenet, as a sign of his goodness and charity. When King Richard dispatches a brave and loyal soldier of fortune, Josse d'Acquin, to investigate the shockingly brutal crime, Josse understands that his mission is to absolve the king from blame.But that is before he meets the surprisingly worldly Abbess Helewise.With a mixture of honesty, wit, and determination, Helewise enlists Josse in her quest to uncover the menace that lurks behind the orderly facade of life in the convent and the surrounding manors.Alys Clare not only recreates the violence and beauty of medieval times but introduces a truly wonderful new pair of detectives.AUTHORBIO: Alys Clare lives in Tonbridge, England, in the area where Fortune Like the Moon is set. This is the first in a series of medieval mysteries set in the Weald of Kent.REVIEW:"Fortune Like the Moon is proof that a writer of medieval crime fiction can deliver something fresh." - The Times (London)REVIEW: "Written with verve and elan, this promises to be the beginning of a new series featuring Josse d'Acquin and Abbess Helewise. Long may they live in detecting history!" - Booknews, The Poisoned PenClare, Alys is the author of 'Fortune like the Moon' with ISBN 9780312261627 and ISBN 0312261624.