Murder at Whitby Abbey by Cassandra Clark

Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for a copy of Murder at Whitby Abbey in exchange for an honest review. 

Murder at Whitby Abbey by Cassandra Clark

Genre: Historical mystery

Publisher: Severn House

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Summary

December, 1389. As penance for her sexual misconduct earlier that year, Hildegard is sent by Abbot de Courcy to the powerful Whitby Abbey on a difficult quest: to obtain a Holy Relic, a lock of St Hild’s hair, kept secretly by the monks for over 600 years.

Accompanied by two monks militant and a young priest from the Abbey of Meaux, Hildegard finds the Whitby guest house teeming with visitors intent on celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas before the austere days of Lent set in. To her dismay, she finds that others, too, are desperate to obtain the Relic and she has no choice but to enter a bidding war if she wants to fulfil her Abbot’s request.

When the unmarked body of a young monk is discovered in an apple store, dangerous secrets emerge and with tensions between town and abbey erupting into open violence Hildegard finds that even the holy precinct is full of menace … (From Goodreads)

My thoughts

Though I had never read any of the previous books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Here’s a few reasons why:

A well-plotted mystery

Clark captured my attention with an intriguing prologue that raised multiple questions. Hildegard and the others have walked into a place where they are neither wanted nor welcomed. The dangers and intrigues at Whitby are real. Various characters have conflicting agendas, and some are willing to kill to get what they want. Someone might be a friend or foe–or both.

The mystery isn’t straight-forward. The whys and whos and whens are in question, of course, but so is the how: was the monk’s death an accident or murder? If he was deliberately killed, as Hildegard and her friends suspect, how did he die? No spoilers, but it’s one of the most unusual murder methods that I’ve read!

Fascinating historical background

Clark deftly weaves historical fact and fiction. The young king and his conflict with the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke’s condemnation of those who shelter heretics, Wycliffe’s disciples: characters speak reference them as easily as we might reference our current batch of politicians.

Well-developed characters

The characters feel true-to-life for their time period and circumstances. Clark steers clear of historical anachronism in their attitudes.

Hildegard, for example, has fallen into disgrace from a brief love affair. She does not respond with rebellion or question the need for penance. She is truly disappointed in herself for breaking her vow of celibacy, hurting her abbot, and sorrowful in heart.

Luke is a fascinating character. He’s innocent and endearing. Early in the novel, Hildegard notes that it doesn’t take much to shock him in the confessional. Yet as the novel progresses, his faith in the human nature is shaken. He hasn’t been out in the secular world like the widowed Hildegard or the former crusaders Gregory and Egbert. He’s shocked by the excesses and extravagances in the Whitby Abbey monastics, and through his shock, we realize how appalling their behavior is and how far it is from what it ought to be.

He’s also shaken by his sudden sexual desire for a beautiful woman and realizes for the first time what his commitment to celibacy means. I’ve read a few other medieval monastic novels where this is an issue: the person takes a vow of lifelong celibacy either before he or she realizes what it means or when he or she is temperamentally unsuited for it. It’s sad. But he rises to the occasion beautifully.

I also enjoyed young Torold, a boy who is savvy beyond his years.

Compassionate characters

One final thing. I appreciated how Hildegard, Luke, and their friends act toward Sabine, a woman of dubious virtue, and Anna, a new widow with young children who has been kicked out of her house. Their compassion isn’t only words; they live it through their actions. Their intercession and help make a difference in these women’s lives. Here, the monastics take the Scriptural injunction to care for orphans and widows as seriously as they take their vows of celibacy and poverty. It is a beautiful thing to see.

Overall, this is a well-written, engaging novel. If you enjoy historical novels or mysteries set in medieval times, you’ll enjoy Murder at Whitby Abbey.  

Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for a copy of Murder at Whitby Abbey in exchange for an honest review. 

I realized as I was writing this review that this novel takes place in the same century as Candace Robb’s A Conspiracy of Wolves. (Alas, Owen Archer & company don’t cross paths with Hildegard, Luke, and the others. The stories are a decade or so apart.) If you like Robb’s work, check out this book. And vice versa, of course!