Ashes of the Elements

Rating:
Summary: We couldn't get enough of Josse and Helewise
Review: and so they're back.

Seeing Sir Josse and Abbess Helewise in action again was the high point of this interesting story. Building on the fondness that started in FORTUNE LIKE THE MOON, author Alys Clare introduces a heightened degree of sexual tension between these two characters.

In this story, a man is killed in the ancient forest near the Abbey. The Sheriff writes it up to the 'forest people,' mythical dwellers who still worship the goddess and have strange rites they carry out with the full moon. Helewise doesn't believe the Sheriff has properly investigated and asks for Josse's help.

Because ASHES OF THE ELEMENTS has more to do with the forest than with the medieval setting, it lacks some of the historical detail that made FORTUNE LIKE THE MOON so interesting. The larger problem, for me at least, was that Josse and Helewise really didn't do much to solve the mystery. Here, their powers of observation that proved so critical in FORTUNE barely opened the doors. They relied on luck and psychic connections to finally discover who did the killing.

ASHES OF THE ELEMENTS is a fine novel, but it lacks the punch that the earlier FORTUNE provided.

Rating:
Summary: Mystery with a tingle of otherworldliness
Review: Great settings are just part of the charm of this good read. It gives you a pretty clear picture of the life of an abbey and the great forest that overshadows it. While not as descriptive of the inner beliefs of a medieval nun (compared to Sharan Newman's Catherine series!), the main characters of the Abbess and Sir Josse are attractive and there is just a hint of tension to spice it up. The eventual solution to the story is pretty standard-- but the Forest isn't completely without mysteries of its own. A good story even if you haven't read the first one!

Rating:
Summary: an engaging read
Review: If you're looking for a mystery novel that baffles and intrigues you, with breath neck-like action, then "Ashes Of The Elements" is NOT for you. However if you're looking for a well written and captivating historical mystery novel that unfolds in a more leisurely manner, and that gives you a glimpse of life in 12th century England and with fully developed and engaging characters, then this is the book for you.

Wealden Forest is a place that is full of dark and mysterious secrets -- it is even whispered that the Forest People still meet there when the moon is full to practise their dark and strange ways! And the good people of Tonridge take great care not to be in the woods once night has fallen. Apparently the local poacher, Hamm Robinson, must not have placed much stock in these rumours, as one fine June morning, Abbess Helewise of Hawkenlye Abbey finds Hamm dead from a spear wound on a path that leads from the forest. The Sheriff of Tonridge, a man of strong convictions and little imagination, immediately blames the Forest People for Hamm's murder. And indeed the fine workmanship of the spear that was used to kill Hamm seems to backup the Sheriff's theory. However Abbess Helewise is not so sanguine. She instinctively senses that there is more to Hamm's murder, and when her good friend Josse d'Acquin pays her a visit upon his return from France, Helewise shares her misgivings about the whole affair with him.

Sharing Helewise's doubts, Josse decides to look into the matter and hopefuly without stepping on the Sheriff's toes. However he hasn't gotten very far in his investigations when another poacher is found dead. This time however the Sheriff cannot blame the Forest People for the murder as it becomes obvious that this poacher was killed with a dagger, and in what seems to have been a frenzy of violence. What exactly is going on in the forest, and for what dark reason were both poachers killed? Helewise and Josse team up again to discover exactly what dark secrets the Forest holds before more people are murdered.

While this novel is not one of those page-turning chilling historical mystery novels that boast of a murder, mayhem and a fiendishly clever plot, it is not a boring read either. Indeed this novel has a very atmospheric feel to it, esp when the story takes the reader into Wealden Forest. Alys Clare does a brilliant job of evoking the darkness and the mysteriousness of the forest. I also enjoyed the glimpses that Clare gives the reader of the day-to-day life of the nuns and monks at Hawkenlye Abbey; and of the rare and unique friendship that Josse and Helewise share.

"Ashes Of The Elements" is not a typical historical mystery novel. While the activities that take place in the forest are indeed dire, there are few red herrings or real twist and turns in the plot -- indeed the mystery unfolds in a very straight forward manner. However this book is very well written and is engaging and captivating in its own way. So if you're looking for something not quite in the Paul Doherty/Edward Marston realm, this novel should satisfy.

Rating:
Summary: SUPER readind
Review: she just gets better and better. Read this if you like Ellis Peters.

Rating:
Summary: Second outing even better
Review: The second book in this wonderfully refreshing historical series is even better than the first.

There is a cracking plot (concerning the "forest people"), which moves along at a fair pace. It's interesting and very different. There is also, as another reader mentioned, a very definite sense of "otherworldliness" to the plot. Through the intense beliefs of the tree people, you start to somewhat acknowledge the possibility that maybe there is something in it after all...And this adds yet another layer of mystery and intrigue to the plot, above that of the actual crimes committed.

the two lead cahracters are great and interesting. they are well developed, and their talents and deductive skills compliment each other well. They are a brilliant team. And, as well, Alys Clare REALLY knows her stuff about accurate historical detail. All of it seems very authentic.

This is an exciting, intriguing book, with a great plot and some nice likeable characters. Definitely reccomended.

Rating:
Summary: Second outing even better
Review: The second book in this wonderfully refreshing historical series is even better than the first.

There is a cracking plot (concerning the "forest people"), which moves along at a fair pace. It's interesting and very different. There is also, as another reader mentioned, a very definite sense of "otherworldliness" to the plot. Through the intense beliefs of the tree people, you start to somewhat acknowledge the possibility that maybe there is something in it after all...And this adds yet another layer of mystery and intrigue to the plot, above that of the actual crimes committed.

the two lead cahracters are great and interesting. they are well developed, and their talents and deductive skills compliment each other well. They are a brilliant team. And, as well, Alys Clare REALLY knows her stuff about accurate historical detail. All of it seems very authentic.

This is an exciting, intriguing book, with a great plot and some nice likeable characters. Definitely reccomended.

Rating:
Summary: Second Outing is Very Good
Review: This is the second outing for Abbess Helewise and Sir Josse Acquin set in 1191. When the Abbess goes out for a walk, she nearly stumbles over a dead body. The local sheriff decides to write the murder off as the work of the Forest People, but the Abbess is not so sure. When Sir Josse shows up for a visit, she confides her doubts to him and he agrees. They decide to investigate the murder. What happens after that is a mystery with twists and turns and another murder in the forest.

Clare continues to develop the characters who occupy the Abby as well as Sir Josse. Thus far, both books have been chock full of atmosphere, Clare allows few, if any, of the 21st century to seep into her books. And she manages to keep the reader guessing even though there mystery seems shallow enough - it has hidden depths.

Luckily, this book did not suffer the second-book-doldrums that so many second books do. Clare raised the bar for her self and wrote a books that was as good as if not better than her first.

If you like your mysteries cozy, then this is a historical for you. If you like historicals, this book is also for you.