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The internet ate my response:(.

Sad to hear that the author of the Sister Frevisse novels passed away. They were excellent reads.

Did anyone read the Ursula Blanchard mysteries by Fiona Buckley? Fun series set in Elizabethan times.

And Sharan Newman wrote a series set in Medieval France that I really enjoyed. It included some Jewish characters and seemed well researched so an opportunity to find out more about Jewish life in 12th century Europe.

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32 minutes ago, EmainMacha said:

The internet ate my response:(.

Sad to hear that the author of the Sister Frevisse novels passed away. They were excellent reads.

Did anyone read the Ursula Blanchard mysteries by Fiona Buckley? Fun series set in Elizabethan times.

And Sharan Newman wrote a series set in Medieval France that I really enjoyed. It included some Jewish characters and seemed well researched so an opportunity to find out more about Jewish life in 12th century Europe.

Oh yes! Sharan Neumann is great. Her research is solid because she is a historian.  In addition to her novels, she published a very useful book  on what is true/false/fiction in the DaVinci Code.

I have seen the Fiona Buckley books. Are they good?

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Re Fiona Buckley - I enjoyed them, though it was a while ago now that I read them. Easy enough read and held my interest.

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I am developing a very long reading list, everyone.  Thanks!

So little time, so many books. :)

 

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I'm smiling because someone mentioned CJ Sansom.  Love the Matthew Shardlake series.

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On Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 9:37 PM, EmCatlyn said:

Margaret Frazer died a couple of years ago (cancer), but she wrote enough of the Sister Frevise novels (the first was The Novice's Tale) and a few excellent Joliffe novels (The first was A Play of Isaac).  Initially Margaret Frazer was two people who cowrote the first four novels in the Sister Frevisse series.  But one of them quit and Gail Frazer (her real name) continued with Frevisse and created the Joliffe series.  The two series intertwine a little. Joliffe and the players appear first in the second Frevisse novel (The Servant's Tale) but it is a while before Frazier introduces the players as a separate series.  

Frevisse is supposed to be the niece by marriage of Thomas Chaucer (son of Geoffrey) who was first cousin with the Beauforts as well as very wealthy. He appears occasionally in the earlier novels.  Thomas's only daughter, Alice, Duchess of Suffolk, also appears in a few novels. Allusions to Chaucer here and there are fun. 

 

I bought The Novice 's Tale for kindle and I like it so far (10 pages in... :))

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I cannot say enough how happy this thread makes me!  My first mystery was Agatha Christie at age 11 or 12 too, and I' ve been headlong in love with mysteries, the Golden Age, Britian and female writers ever since.  Also, I'm so glad to find some authors and series I've not read yet, so, yay!

Thank you, @WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? for pointing this thread and forum to me! :D

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  • 11 months later...

I've just been rereading the Sister Fidelma novels by Peter Tremayne, which is the pen name of a renowned Celtic scholar.

They are historical detective novels set in 7th century Ireland, and the protagonist is a religious  (nun) who is also a highly qualified advocate in the Brehon legal sysem of the time.

The period at which they are set is when the christianity of Rome was about to force out the Celtic form of christianity in England (after the Synod of Whitby), and was starting to attack it in its home, Ireland. It's interesting that Tremayne, who knows the period well, shows the Synod's outcome as a political, rather than theological, decision.

What I have found fascinating are the arguments put forward by the Rome faction - all of which are derived from that renowned misogynist, Paul of Tarsus. The Celtic church rather followed the beliefs of John the Apostle, which they believed, that as he had known Christ, was closer to the latter's intent. Celtic religious houses were often bilateral, with both men and women, who were encouraged to marry and raise families in a worshipful setting. Celibacy was not required, even before marriage. Women were priests and bishops - Saint Brigid of Kildare was a bishop. (And also openly lesbian - not condemned at that time in that form of christianity.) Fidelma is portrayed as a more than able advocate for women's place within the church.

The rights of women under Brehon law were in some ways better than in contemporary western society. They could follow any profession, even warrior - although in practice, unless they took orders in a religious house, education in a profession was difficult if not impossible. However, they had equal rights under the law - even sexual harassment was acknowledged and punishable.

Rereading these books, and looking at the patriarchy of christian fundamentalists today, I wish the Synod of Whitby had decided the other way - I think the world would have been better for it!

I highly recommend this series if you like historical detective fiction with a slightly scholarly bent. Tremayne doesn't push it too much, but manages to get a lot of info about the era, and the great debate between the Celtic and Roman churches into some very entertaining books - especially if you see, as I'm doing, the birth of the Patriarchy!

 

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  • 2 months later...

I love the Sister Fidelma books. I don't know how Peter Berresford Ellis manages to maintain such a prodigious output.

The Cora Harrison books about Mara the Brehon looks at the Brehon system in the Tudor times. The religious aspect is examined less but it's still an interesting look at the position of women in Irish society at that time.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I found this topic entirely too late. I am also an Agatha Christie fan. My dad gave me Nemesis when I was 11. We happened to be camping near a bunch of tumbled down, flower covered farm buildings that weekend.  Talk about creepy! I was hooked. I am a Tommy and Tuppence fan, like @Palimpset . Also of the BBC series with Francesca  Annis. (The hats! If I could dress like Tuppence all the time, I would.) My Christie favorites are more by era, than character. I prefer the ones from the 20s, 30s, and 40s. 

I also enjoy Josephine Tey. I loved Daughter of Time so much, that I tried to talk my favorite college English teacher into teaching a semester on it and Shakespeare's Richard III. She said the idea had occurred to her. Don't know if she ever did.

A similar author I recommend is Christianna Brand. Green for Danger takes place during World War II and really brings the crisis to life. (Unlike Maisie Dobbs and WWI imho. Maisie Dobbs needs a label that says "Made with Artificial flavors." It was too tidy, she always got rescued, and nothing felt that real.)

I've read some Mary Stewart,  liked Touch Not the Cat, and always intend to go find more, but forget to.

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@Leftitinmysnood I loved the film of Green for Danger with Alistair Sims. I shall have to look for the book. Reminds me that I'm overdue on my annual watching of The Lady Vanishes as well.

N or M is one of my favourite Christie's. Love Tommy and Tuppence! The Man in the Brown Suit is still no.1 for me though.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I'm another fan of the Sister Fidelma novels, and some Agatha Christie as well.

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