The Witch's Tale

A LOVE TO DIE FOR...

When Frevisse is given bishop-pardoned leave to visit her cousin Alice at Ewelme, she is enchanted by the work of the sculptor Simon Maye. Charged with carving the angels upon Alice's tomb, Simon has been truly touched by God's gift - there was an otherworldiness to their stone features, an aliveness to the very feathers of their wings. He saw beauty that others could not, and brought it to life through his craft.

But Simon also saw the beauty of Elyn, one of Alice's ladies in waiting. Clandestine meetings have given way to sinful lust, and now the two lovers have disappeared. The servants whisper that the lovers have eloped, and secretly pine for the passion to do the same. Lady Alice believes her sculptor has been stolen away by jealous rivals and rages at the injustice. But Frevisse alone suspects there may be some darker truth behind the midnight vanishing...

A story from Margaret Frazer's Tales.

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES

“Frazer’s quiet yet intense medieval mysteries are so vividly and gracefully written you just float back in time…” – The Poisoned Pen

“There is action aplenty and intrigue in abundance.” – Historical Novels Review

“Frazer weaves historical details into the life of the fictitious nun… Whether good or evil, her characters are vibrant and compelling. While we might like to believe that the prejudices of that era have passed into history, we are reminded that we are not so very different after all.” – Romantic Times Book Club

A Romantic Times Top Pick.

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.

Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

FOR THEY THAT WORK WICKEDNESS...

One man has been kidnapped. Another has been murdered.

In the bleakest depths of winter, Frevisse finds her soul chilled with the heavy burdens of duty and responsibility. Even the warmth of charity is in short supply as the villagers of Prior Byfield turn against each in bloody feuds of greed and rage, weaving knots of treachery which even the clever Frevisse may find hard to unwind.

Award-winning author Margaret Frazer gathers shadows around the hearth to tell a tale of frigid winter and icy passion. Join Frevisse in her fervent prayers for a true peace of mind and body as she pits all her forceful will against the most cunning of evils. Fear for the lives which may be destroyed in unlocking the secrets of the winter heart...

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE SERIES

“This is a perfect mystery: It’s flawless.” – Drood Review of Mystery

“Frazer’s grasp of the society and tangled politics in England in the mid-1400s is masterful.” – Firsts, the Book Collector’s Magazine

“Keeps readers turning the pages.” – Marina Oliver, Historical Novels Review

“Frazer’s quiet yet intense medieval mysteries are so vividly and gracefully written you just float back in time…” – BookNews from The Poisoned Pen

"Whether good or evil, her characters are vibrant and compelling. While we might like to believe that the prejudices of that era have passed into history, we are reminded that we are not so very different after all.” – Lorraine Gelly, Romantic Times Book Club

"Sisters! Come back! Please don't leave us yet!"

Cisily Fisher has died in childbirth and now the village of Priors Byfield is held in a grip of fear. Can Dame Frevisse find the root of misery behind a murderer's sin before the next lethal blow falls? Or will be the village be lost in a hue and cry of terror? The gentling touch of the midwife may calm the tortured soul... or give birth to a bitter death.

(The Midwife's Tale is part of the Margaret Frazer's Tales series.)

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES

"This series is full of the richness of the fifteenth century, handled with the care it deserves. Margaret Frazer's tales are charmingly and intelligently contrived." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Accurate period detail, adroit characterization, and lively dialogue add to the pleasure." - Publishers Weekly

"Sister Frevisse is a stalwart, appealing sleuth." - Mostly Murder

"Truly shocking scenes and psychological twists." - Mystery Loves Company

"Frazer uses her extensive knowledge of the period to create an unusual plot ... appealing characters and crisp writing." - Los Angeles Times

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.

Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

THROUGH A MURDERER'S EYES...

Caught under the tyrannical thumb of her new prioress, Dame Frevisse finds welcome relief in leaving St. Frideswide nunnery on pilgrimage. But the road brings with it unwelcome company: The wealthy Lionel Knyvet has been possessed by a foul demon. Seeking relief from the horrific terrors visited upon his body each fortnight, Lionel has dragged his entire household on an endless pilgrimage across the breadth and length of England. Frevisse wants nothing more than the peaceful bliss of travel, but must instead endure the incessant chattering of a mob.

Lionel's possession, however, may only mask a darker sin. When the pilgrims make their way to the manor house at Minster Lovell, Frevisse begins to unwind the bitter poisons of jealousy and betrayal eating at the hearts of both Lionel and his brother Giles. Against her will, the innocent nun is drawn into the vilest depths of the human soul and there she unlocks the mysteries of a blackened heart. But even when the truth comes out, can justice be done? The pure of heart will find no peace when murder and death come knocking at the manor's door...

PRAISE FOR THE MURDERER'S TALE

“Frazer has created the most despicable villain since Iago.” - Patricia W. Julius, Detective as Historian

“Historical readers will be charmed with the story; feminists will be delighted with the strong female characters. Ellis Peters has a worthy successor in Margaret Frazer.” – Meritorious Mysteries

“Expertly captures the flavor of the period with vivid descriptions and creates dimensional characters true to the times.” – Rendezvous

“A diabolically smooth and logical frame-up… Frazer springs substantial surprises. A moving portrait of how afflictions torment body and mind and a meditation on selfless friendship. It’s a treat, with memorable characters and a thoughtful, bittersweet ending.” – S.M. Tyson, The Armchair Detective

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MYSTERIES

“Within the graceful prose rhythms that have garnered her two Edgar nominations, Frazer’s tale of 15th-century nun Dame Frevisse transports the reader to a medieval England made vivid and a world of emotions as familiar then as now.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“Mystery… Suspense… Frazer executes with audacity and ingenuity.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Margaret Frazer is on a rip. Each book is better and stronger than the last, and it’s almost a privilege to be on the journey as the skillful Frazer takes her heroine, Dame Frevisse, all over Britain solving crimes.” – Aunt Agatha’s

“There is action aplenty and intrigue in abundance.” – Historical Novels Review

A Romantic Times Top Pick.

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.

Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

"MAY GOD STRIKE ME DOWN WITHIN THE HOUR!"

To the guests at the mourning feast for Thomas Chaucer, the last words of Sir Clement Sharpe had been enough to damn him in the eyes of God. Detested by all who knew him, his final blasphemy had turned even God's anger against him and his death would be a lesson well-remembered. None among them would ever forget the sight of God striking down a sinning man, and each would keep in their heart the need to honor God's charity and love in all the hours of their lives.

But the crafty Dame Frevisse and cunning Bishop Beaufort suspect that there may be an all-too-mortal hand at work in Sir Clement's death. If their suspicions can be proved, then the only lesson to be learned is the bleakest secret of the blackest heart.

A Minnesota Book Award nominee.

PRAISE FOR THE BISHOP'S TALE

"The setting for another tale of mystery, intrigue, jealousy and ambition, well drawn, well paced, and a pleasure to read." - Historical Novels Review

“Rich period detail, canny characterization, and a lively plot should endear Sister Frevisse and her tales to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.” – Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Truly this is a winter’s tale, wintry in setting and in themes. The most powerful emotions are chilled and subdued: Cool authority, icy determination, cold despair – these are stronger than the widow’s stormy, self-pitying grief, the petulant anger of a pair of young lovers, the heat of a proud man’s anger, and the fiery rash which clutches and kills him.” – Jeanne M. Jacobson, Drood Review of Mystery

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES

“Frazer is writing one of the most consistently excellent historical series in print today.” – Murder Ink

"Frazer successfully captures the essence of 15th century England – the sights, smells, and sounds fill the pages, drawing us in as we become immersed in the language, manners, and customs of a far off time and place.” – Rendezvous

“Dame Frevisse, the pious and perspective nun gives focus to this sober series... [Frazer] shows a meticulous detail that speaks of trustworthy scholarship and a sympathetic imagination.” – New York Times Book Review

"Once you begin to read this series, you will want to follow your new friends to the end of their personal story.” – Cross Point Book Reviews

"Exquisitely written... A superbly researched medieval mystery series!” – Publisher’s Weekly

“Everything about it bespeaks quality and care… Frazer draws us into a medieval village in England with a story of lust, greed, and murder.” – St. Paul Pioneer Press

A Romantic Times Top Pick.

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.

Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

ACT OF MERCY, ACT OF MURDER

Leaving the safety of her nunnery walls behind, Dame Frevisse is drawn into an unholy web of treachery and deceit. Waylaid on the King's Highway by a band of outlaws, Frevisse is shocked to discover that their leader is her long-lost cousin Nicholas. When he pleads with her to help him obtain a pardon for his crimes, she finds herself trapped between the harsh edicts of the law and the mercy of her vows.

But even as she struggles to restore his fortunes, Frevisse must fight to save his soul... and his life. Before the outlaw's tale can be told, the saintly nun will find herself trapped in a manor house of murder, caught between the holy passions of the heart and the sinful greeds of man.

PRAISE FOR THE OUTLAW'S TALE

"A tale well told, filled with intrigue and spiced with romance and rogues." - School Library Journal

"...a meticulous recreation of not only how people lived more than five hundred years ago, but how they loved, suffered and sinned. Just the thing for anybody who usually disparages the genre to show how well it can be done, in the right hands." - Myshelf.com

"Dame Frevisse is well-born, well-educated, and not at all afraid to stick her inquisitive nose into anything which just does not seem right." - Tower Books Mystery Newsletter

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES

"Frazer's writing is both erudite and vivid, and she has the ability to bring characters to life within a strong, clear story." - Drood Review of Mystery

"This series is full of the richness of the fifteenth century, handled with the care it deserves. Margaret Frazer's tales are charmingly and intelligently contrived." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Accurate period detail, adroit characterization, and lively dialogue add to the pleasure." - Publishers Weekly

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.

Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN...

"Sanctuary! In God's name you must give it!"

A dark lady rides back into the life of Dame Frevisse, bearing with her two small boys haunted by the touch of death and scandal. Nine men lie dead on the road behind them, victims of the grim fate which relentlessly pursues them. Some seek to turn them away, but when they request sanctuary Frevisse is bound by her holy oaths to grant it.

But in welcoming them within the walls of St. Frideswide, has Dame Frevisse allowed death to stalk the nunnery's halls? When she begins to untangle the mystery of these strange guests, the truth she discovers may be enough to doom them all. Forced to keep secrets better left untold even from the nuns of her own order, Frevisse is caught in a crucible between faith and duty.

To learn the boy's name is to be drawn into a conspiracy of shame. To hear the boy's tale is to face death.

PRAISE FOR THE BOY'S TALE

"Frazer's writing is both erudite and vivid, and she has the ability to bring characters to life within a strong, clear story." - The Drood Review of Mystery

"Seeing events through the eyes of small children not understanding royal politics was an especially pleasing part of experiencing this story." - Books 'n Bytes

"Frazer starts to glow. Each action is a natural progression. Each character has wants, needs, and desires. The mystery is engaging. It brought tears to my eyes." - Epinions.com

"This fast-paced historical mystery comes complete with a surprise ending - one that will hopefully lead to another Tale of mystery and intrigue." - Affaire de Coeur

PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES

"This series is full of the richness of the fifteenth century, handled with the care it deserves. Margaret Frazer's tales are charmingly and intelligently contrived." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Accurate period detail, adroit characterization, and lively dialogue add to the pleasure." - Publishers Weekly

"Sister Frevisse is a stalwart, appealing sleuth." - Mostly Murder

"Truly shocking scenes and psychological twists." - Mystery Loves Company

"Frazer uses her extensive knowledge of the period to create an unusual plot ... appealing characters and crisp writing." - Los Angeles Times

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.

Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.