Valley of Dry Bones

August 30, 2010
Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal needs all her intelligence to quell the sacred and profane troubles that arise in Royal's rewarding seventh medieval mystery (after 2009's Chambers of Death). Complications begin when a party of courtiers arrives at the priory to scout stopping places for an upcoming pilgrimage by the queen. A worldly priest, a baron hoping to trade land for salvation, and a sinister manservant, among others, add their own conflicts to tensions already simmering at the priory. When the baron is found murdered, suspicion spreads from his fellow travelers to Tyndal's inhabitants and friends. While the initial introduction of characters and backstory drags, Royal brings her usual clarity, insight, and power to the rest of the novel. Accurate both to its 13th-century period and to the unchanging nature of the human soul, this series deserves both its loyal followers and its new fans.