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A Parliament of Spies: A Mystery (Abbess Hildegard of Meaux Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Cassandra Clark (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 352 ratings
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All the danger and intrigue of 14th-century England spring to life in this "compelling" (Publishers Weekly) series about the brave, incorruptible Abbess of Meaux.

Abbess Hildegard may consider herself "just a nun with no useful skills or connections," yet her loyalty and intelligence have brought her to the attention of King Richard II himself—not the safest place to be, when the king has enemies on all sides. As Hildegard wrestles with her role as a spy in the parliament that is hastily gathering at Westminster, Cassandra Clark's A Parliament of Spies shows us the human side of history, giving readers new reason to follow Publishers Weekly's rallying cry: "Medievalists rejoice!"

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  1. Book 4 of 12
    Hildegard of Meaux medieval crime series
  2. Print length
    385 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Minotaur Books
  5. Publication date
    January 31, 2012
  6. File size
    410 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
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Hildegard of Meaux medieval crime series Book 1 - Book 10
Hildegard of Meaux medieval crime series Book 1 - Book 12
Bundle price: Kindle price
$25.97
Bundle price: Kindle price
$42.95
Bundle price: Kindle price
$70.15
Bundle price: Kindle price
$82.13
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Wow, there is no shortage of plot devices in Clark’s fourth, jam-packed Abbess Hildegard historical mystery. Murder, mayhem, molestation—not to mention both political and romantic intrigue—all play a part as Hildegard travels to London with the Archbishop of York to spy on Richard II’s enemies in Parliament. Before she departs, a man is murdered, and her dark journey, undertaken amid the threat of a French invasion, continues to deepen along the way. When her long-presumed-dead husband turns up claiming both her estate and his spousal privileges, she is rescued by a fellow spy, who appears to be working for the other side. Drawn into a passionate romantic entanglement with the mysterious Rivera, she is poised on a dangerous precipice that may change the course of her life. Hildegard, distinguished by her complexity of character, is a medieval sleuth on a personal as well as a professional mission. --Margaret Flanagan

Review

"A debut author with raw nerve, Cassandra Clark places Hildegard, an independent woman of means, into an unheard-of role during this age....CSI meets the 14th century.” --Historical Novels Review

"Social injustice and intrigue are irresistible in a mystery dripping in medieval history....Stellar." --Library Journal (starred review) on The Law of Angels

"Compelling….[Clark] paints an authentic picture of late medieval life." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Red Velvet Turnshoe

"Deeply embedded in the historical events of the period, this is a rich tapestry; even the small figures are finely detailed and carefully situated in a dazzling array of events. Intriguing and evocative." --Kirkus Reviews on Hangman Blind

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005T54LVU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Minotaur Books (January 31, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 31, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 410 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 352 ratings

About the author

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Cassandra Clark

Cassandra Clark

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Cassandra Clark has written award-winning scripts for theatre, radio and television and now writes the medieval mystery series starring nun sleuth Hildegard of Meaux set in the time of Richard II.

Intrepid, problem-solving Hildegard and the enigmatic and sexy Abbot Hubert de Courcy are accompanied much of the time by the abbot's two monks militant, Gregory and Egbert or by the innocent and love-smitten Brother Thomas.

Starting with Hangman Blind when Hildegard first sets out on a quest to establish her own priory, the dark side of England in the 1380's soon threatens everything she holds most dear.

Books in order after Hangman are: The Velvet Turnshoe, The Law of Angels,The Parliament of Spies, The Dragon of Handale, The Butcher of Avignon, The Scandal of the Skulls, The Alchemist of Netley Abbey, Murder at Meaux, Murder at Whitby Abbey and to come on 31st March 2021, Murder at Beaulieu Abbey. The Bookseller called it 'this stellar series.' I hope you think so too.

If you wonder why Hildegard, a feisty independent young widow, decided to become a nun read the short prequel Ten Weeks That Changed England Forever. Free on Kindle Prime.

This is history with a criminal twist. Hildegard, regardless of danger, tracks down the weirdly savage medieval murderers that disturb the peace and destroy the innocent. Meanhile King Richard II fights to save his throne and his life.

Hildegard herself is not averse to being led astray by passing love-lorn knights but it is the charismatic Abbot of Meaux who wins her heart. Vowed to celibacy, will they ever get it together, or are they destined to sleep alone forever?

Gothic towns, remote and sinister abbeys and the mysterious uncharted woodlands of medieval England are the background for Hildegard's sleuthing into the brutal conflicts of the time.

Cassandra says: don't read this is if you want magic swords and unrealistic characters with strange eyes. I'm fascinated by real people striving to live as we might have done. Ordinary people in extraordinary times. Ambitious, greedy, sexy and above all human, they tell a far stranger story than any fantasy, so if you like authentic history read the series and follow Hildegard down the dangerous byways of medieval England if you dare!

A new series featuring cult follower Brother Rodric Chandler begins with THE HOUR OF THE FOX, out now. Rodric has a dilemma. Sworn to the House of Lancaster and his master Henry Bolingbroke, should he further his master's evil intention to destroy the king or follow the path of loyalty to King Richard? Either way means death.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
352 global ratings

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Customers find the book well-written and enjoyable to read. They appreciate the historical details and intriguing mystery.

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5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable. They mention it's well-written, but some parts can be frustrating. The author is considered good.

"A good light read. It is not something I would normally read but I did enjoy it on a cold snowy day!" Read more

"Worth reading." Read more

"An enjoyable read...." Read more

"Well written but frustrating..." Read more

4 customers mention "Mystery content"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the historical details and mystery in the book. The historical accuracy is appreciated.

"...Enough truth to make it "real" and enough added mystery to make it interesting." Read more

"...While the historical details and the actual mystery were interesting, I was quite disappointed in this one as the main character, Hildegard behaves..." Read more

"Heart-stopping Action and Intrigue for Hildegard..." Read more

"History is on point and..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Leswerks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-stopping Action and Intrigue for Hildegard
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    What a tangled web of spies and counter-spies who meet at Westminster for a Parliament called by King Richard to authorize funding to defend the kingdom against possible French invasion. Hildegard is again involved in the machinations and intrigue surrounding the young King and his devious, power-hungry uncles, John of Gaunt and the Duke of Gloucester. While Hildegard is loyal to the young King, she questions the loyalty of Abbot de Courcy and her entire French order of Cistercians. Murder overrules justice and the rule of Law claiming innocent victims with no one to speak out for them. Hildegard's persistent pursuit of justice for the innocent victims brings her into frequent personal danger. Hildegard must remain "on her toes" at all times to solve the crimes and escape death herself.
    One person found this helpful
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  • rachel
    4.0 out of 5 stars History is on point and
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022
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    The characters are well depicted and developed.
    If you like mysteries And you like histories You will like this book.
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  • C. M. Guzowsky
    5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2017
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    I have not read this book yet but if it is anything like the previous one I know I will enjoy it.
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Well written but frustrating
    Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is a well told tale and it does cover well the period's fluctuating loyalties, but it's also problematic on several levels. Historically, Gaunt was not as diabolical as presented here nor Richard ii so innocent. And there are two issues with Hildegard herself. One, she continually needs rescue. The dogs of previous tales are dispensed with as old. One hopes that as she goes off on pilgrimage, she's left these aged protectors in someone's care. But without them, she's continually in a situation of helplessness. Second, while not loving her husband ( whose resurrection is rather a Deus ex machina) she falls in love with ulf, her Abbot and worst, a captor. Apparently her vows are mostly for convenience only. If she drinks the concoction to avoid pregnancy, she thinks little of what at the time was a mortal sin. As a heroine, she becomes rather tarnished. For all the story of her intentions in becoming a nun, we never see any effort to fulfill them.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Gerry
    4.0 out of 5 stars four****
    Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
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    A good light read. It is not something I would normally read but I did enjoy it on a cold snowy day!
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  • Bonnie's Awesome Scrubbies
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Author
    Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2015
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    I like Cassandra Clark's writing. Enough truth to make it "real" and enough added mystery to make it interesting.
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  • Souzana D. Steverding
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2015
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    Worth reading.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Luan Gaines
    4.0 out of 5 stars "This is no time for old men to cling onto power, neither in Church nor State."
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2012
    Cassandra Clark's series of medieval mysteries feature Abbess Hildegard of Meaux in York, England, in an unusual blend of Machiavellian politics and private concerns, unusual because of Hildegard's commitment to the religious life and her capabilities as an investigator with forensic skills, a trusted confidant of the king, Richard II and his loyal supporters. The country is awash in controversy, still suffering the effects of a rebellion, Richard calling a meeting of Parliament in London as the French threaten an imminent invasion. With Lancastrian forces infiltrating the court, Richard, a Yorkist, is fighting for the support of the people, the city seething with factions and plots. As part of the entourage of Alexander Neville, the Archbishop of York, Hildegard is in a pivotal position to monitor the
    behaviors of those on the dangerous roads from York to London.

    True to form, where Hildegard goes, mysterious events transpire: a shocking death on the eve of the journey; an ambush by armed men who search the carts; a secret shared by the archbishop, a savage attack on the archbishop's falconer and the ominous presence of suspicious characters in the entourage. But these are only the first hints of trouble in a tale salted with threat, rumors of a plot against the king and a growing menace that dogs Hildegard wherever she goes. After three novels of the abbess's successful investigations, Clark pulls out all the stops this time, Hildegard confronted not only by enemies of her cause but villains a time before she took her vows come back to call her to an accounting. Hildegard is pulled in two directions, the demands of her king and benefactors and a reckoning with the past grown ever more dangerous.

    Clark has created a richer, more complex protagonist in this novel, no longer just the devoted servant of her superiors, but a fully-fleshed woman caught at a crossroads, a carefully-planned future shattered by turbulent emotions and great loss. An affectionate admiration for the devoted Abbot of Meaux, Hubert de Courcy- a recurring thread throughout the series- is cast into shadow by the events in A Parliament of Spies. The cause more critical, the stakes higher, Richard II's Parliament yields politically-changed results, but it is Hildegard, the clever, loyal king's spy, whose life is forever altered by her sojourn in London, the next chapter in her evolution anxiously awaited in a series grown more intriguing with Clark's growing assurance. Luan Gaines/2012.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • K. Smith
    5.0 out of 5 stars Yet another enjoyable tale
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Having read and enjoyed the other three tales of the abbess, I got this one as soon as I saw it was available. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the book (as with the others) gives such a sense of what it must have been like to live at that time (I'm very glad I live now and not then). Given the ending of this book, I'm very much looking forward to the next installment.
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  • SylvAB
    4.0 out of 5 stars They just get berrer with each book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2018
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    Oh ! Hildegard! Just how much can one woman put up with! I don't know about her going on pilgrimage - she should be made a saint! She's certainly a Yorkshire terrier - beware all who come up against her!: A n amazingly good read! Thank goodness there are more - that is unless she hasn't renewed her vows!
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  • Geoff Bridgman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another cracking story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2021
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    I am well and truly hooked another amazing story ,can't wait to read the other stories in the series. Excellent read.
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  • K. C. Simm
    3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed but....
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    To start with I enjoy historical whodunnits. I find they put flesh on dry old characters I learned about at school. Cassandra Clark is up with the best and her Abbess of Meaux is a believable and enthralling character, usually.
    Clarks research seems from reading the past three novels to be on the button without distracting from the readability of the novel.
    Having said this I now find myself feeling somewhat of a pedant. I am interested in falconry. Hawks, falcons and falconry are an integral part of the plot line in the latest mystery and yet Clark seems here to have done no research whatsoever. We hear that a hawk has killed a small deer at one point. No it has not. Hawks are too small and lightweight to kill even the smallest of deer. They may feed from deer carrion but will not actively hunt any of the native species of deer which are all much too large. Rabbit and hare being about the largest prey animals even a female Buzzard or possibly Goshawk (being larger than the male) will go for. (None of the falcons will)
    We further hear that a hawk or falcon has taken a man's eyes out because he had some meat tied to his face. I suppose this is just about possible if not feasible. Raptors are trained initially to eat only from the falconer. They were in the days of this book manned by feeding them from the fist. The falcon,(I presume because the falconer was so upset when he had to pull it from the victims face and kill it) in question would have been an expensive Peregrine, Saker or Lanner. All birds suitable for a prelate such as the Archbishop of York (the rules for who could own what being very strict. He could not own a Gyrfalcon for instance or any of the eagles) would perhaps have fed on the carrion tied to the mans face, if nothing else was available. It is highly unlikely that these birds would not have been kept in peak condition and only kept hungry if they were about to hunt.
    I would not be so pedantic about tihese incidents in such an elaborate and usually quite acceptable storyline if they had not been essential to the plot and consequently so jarring when read. Poor or no research in such a story really is inexcusable. This really has let the book down for me.
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  • CarolK
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another exceptional chapter in the story of Hildegard
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The intrepid nun Hildegard has a bumpy journey in this book. And the writing doesn't disappoint, sharp as ever
    Highly recommended
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