| Title | : | The Nuns Tale (Owen Archer, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0312959826 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780312959821 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 355 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1993 |
Owen Archer finds the case a frusterating one. Dame Joanne is by turns cagey and hysterical, whiel always clutching her secrets tightly. And worse yet, the nun's keepers ask Owen's pregnant wife, Lucie, to use to healing skills on Joanna's behalf, placing the Archer family in gravest danger...
The Nuns Tale (Owen Archer, #3) Reviews
-
Candace Robb's series about Owen Archer gets better with each book. Preliminary details of characters are now behind us and so Robb can concentrate on a very involved story line, and one that keeps us guessing throughout the book. This is the story who arrives wearing a blue mantle (cloak) that she insists was given to her for protection by Mary Magdalene? She insists she received this when she was buried alive almost 9 months prior to her return. Is she mentally disturbed, is she suffering a trauma, or was she really buried alive and did she rise from the dead thanks to Mary Magdalene?? Really well done, with a story that involves both Owen Archer and his, now pregnant wife and apothecary, Lucie. As Lucie seems to be the only person that our nun Joanna trusts, Owen is off trying to find mercenaries and people involved with Joanna's condition. Well written and a very interesting book, I find this book much better than her first two, more readable in my mind, and I am excited to read the remainder of this series, in which she has just published book #14!
-
This amazing historical mystery is the 3rd volume of the wonderful "Owen Archer" series, which are set in and around York, England, from the author, Candace Robb.
At the beginning of the book you'll see a well-drawn map of 14th Century Owen Archer's York, and not to forget an informative Glossary.
At the book of the book you'll notice an Author's Note, where the historical details concerning this story are superbly documented and explained by the author.
Storytelling is of a wonderful quality, the characters, whether real historical or great fictional, come all vividly to life within this tale of mayhem, murder and incest, while the atmosphere of the times and people's superstitions and believes are all pictured in a very believable fashion.
The book starts off with a prologue, which is set in June, AD 1365, and in which one of our main characters, namely the nun, Dame Joanna, is acting strangely when nearing the house of a man called, Longford.
The main story starts in Late May, in the year AD 1366, almost a year later, and this same nun, Dame Joanna, reappears in York dishevelled and in some kind of madness, due to her deathly ordeals in this last year, but her words are so troublesome and confusing, so much so that Owen Archer is set to investigate this woman's story by his boss, the Archbishop of York, John Thoresby.
What is to come is an intriguing, psychological and emotional mystery, in which Owen Archer is sent to Beverley, Leeds and Scarborough to see and speak to family, the Percies, and others to find answers to happened to this Nun, and while digging for the truth, with the help of his wife, Lucie Wilton and Infirmarian, Brother Wulfstan, they will get to the bottom of the Dame Joanna's sad and violent life-story, and in the end the truth will be revealed in a very exciting plot and executed in a most wonderful and formidable fashion.
Very much recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this series, and what this episode is concerned I like to call it: "A Truly Fascinating Lethal Nun"! -
I do like this series as the history is on target. There was probably a bit more emotionally charged drama than I prefer, and since this is just the second book I've read from this older series, I will wait to decide if I will tackle all the books.
-
I said that I wanted to read the next Owen Archer book fairly soon, so I did! I have to say, though, The Nun’s Tale is the darkest book from Robb that I read so far!
Owen Archer should be at home with his wife, Lucie, as they prepare for the arrival of their first child. Unfortunately, a nun called Joanna claims to have been resurrected and given the cloak of the Virgin Mary. The cloak, while blue, is clearly new but the matter of Joanna’s supposed resurrection is disturbing and the trail of deaths that follow her even more so. Of course, Thoresby sends Owen to find the truth of the matter.
Like I mentioned at the start, this book is fairly disturbing. The truth of the matter is fairly shocking, but I think the darkest part of the book is Joanna’s character. Her exact mental state is unclear, but it’s clear that she is suffering from a mental illness of some kind. It’s pretty painful to see her suffer like this and the more I learned about her, the more I found her a pitiful character. I’ve always thought the Owen Archer mysteries were fairly realistic in how they dealt with the times but this was especially painful in its realism (at least, how realistic it felt!). A lot of Joanna’s character ties in with the resolution so I don’t dare to discuss too much in case I spoil the book, but let me know if you need a trigger warning, I’ll be happy to DM you them!
Since I read this fairly soon after The Lady Chapel, I managed to see how this book fit in with the previous books. Not only is Lucie pregnant, Thoresby’s feud with Alice Perrers also continues, albeit on a milder scale, and causes him to form alliances that will probably impact future books in the series. One alliance he forms is with the Duke of Lancaster, and I found that interesting because I read a biography of Katherine Swynford, his second wife, and know a little about what happened. It was also interesting to see Geoffrey Chaucer in the book too!
Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and dark murder mystery. While the books were never cosy mysteries, The Nun’s Tale definitely tackles a few difficult issues and I found this to be a very impactful read.
This review was first posted at
Eustea Reads -
I liked Robb's first two books in this series but this one was poorly crafted. The story was overly involved, repetitive, excessively grisly in detail, and unrewarding for those who stuck with it hoping it would have been worth it. I am sorry to leave the appealing Owen Archer and his wife Lucy in her company but will not be back soon!
-
The nun's tale was a very convoluted tale. About halfway through I grew very bored with the book. I cared nothing for most of the characters, had little sympathy for Joanna and just wanted the whole thing to end, each revelation being more disgusting than the last. Did not enjoy this one much at all.
The only pluses were the writing style and the sense of time and place. But the story itself was awful, repetitious, confusing and plodding. -
I am not a big fan of mystery books but I am loving this series. The attention to historical detail is great and the character development over the first three books is excellent for both the main and secondary characters.
-
I have read most of the books in this series. The cover calls it a medieval murder mystery but there is no whodunnit as such. The story revolves around a nun who fled her convent a year before and now returns, badly beaten and seemingly mad. I think the author wanted to write about the history and political machinations of the time as there is no actual murder, just a series of disappearances that may or may not be murder. I felt like giving up halfway through but kept hoping things would get better- they didn't.
If you are interested in that period in European history and are happy with the author's manipulation of facts to suit her interpretation of it( Geoffrey Chaucer makes an appearance in the book!) then you may enjoy it but those wanting a proper whodunnit will be disappointed. -
Robb strikes again with another fabulous mystery in this series. Possessing a wicked edge, numerous twists and Robb's signature character development you will be enthralled. Robb's endings are always fulfilling, enough to stir anticipation for the next installment in this impressive series.
Familiar characters reappear, along with a few well-known historical figures such as John of Gaunt and Geoffrey Chaucer. Impeccable research along with a splattering of unknown information provides an educational experience in tandem with a wonderful reading journey.
Well crafted mystery series all will enjoy.
Visit Raven Haired Girl for more reviews & giveaways -
A young nun reappears at her abbey insisting she has died and been resurrected so that she can return the relic she stole when she ran off the year before. Poor Owen, currently training archers for the king’s son, is dragged away from that work and his very pregnant wife Lucy to figure out what had really gone on.
Messier than the previous two, I had trouble tracking what was going on with frequent POV changes. There seems to be a lot of gratuitous violence here but perhaps it is absurd to suggest that in what is, after all, a murder mystery. -
More medieval murder and mystery and very enjoyable it was too.
-
Another Owen Archer novel. This one is a little irritating as the Nun spends all her time bleating that she doesn't know what happened and I felt like shaking her!
Another good complex plot, lively action, good pace and the usual characters. My one complaint is that the characters don't seem to grow and change from novel to novel as they would in real life! Often the trouble with a series.
Anyone enjoying Mediaeval mysteries will enjoy this novel, and for Owen Archer fans, it is a must read. -
In short: awful. There is so much pointless dialogue in this book that when the characters start to speak I actually groan. Pages and pages of torturous, insipid dialogue is evidently the author’s sole idea for moving the story. The Owen Archer character and Lucie are well drawn but the idiotic nun, contrary to the book’s title, actually has no tale. This book is a sterling argument for the necessity of rewriting. Author would have been better off losing the nun and writing the story around Jasper. OMG save yourself and don’t buy this this.
-
A reread.
Sometimes, as with the previous book, the politics or mystery gets a bit too labyrinthine. And a few too many 'fade to blacks' between the main couple for me, such that it became a refrain rather than a relationship definition element. -
By the end of this book, I was ready to throw the nun back in the grave myself.
-
A dispetto delle recensioni positive che potrete trovare in rete su questo libro, la mia è una recensione che va controcorrente.
Può darsi che io sia una lettrice con aspettative molto alte, o forse una che non si sofferma alla superficie delle cose, ma ho percepito in questo terzo romanzo della serie un’enorme fatica nel progredire.
Al punto che, com’è accaduto ai tempi di Harry Potter, ho pensato seriamente che l’autrice fosse stanca e volesse abbandonare la saga ma per motivi editoriali non avesse potuto farlo. Ecco così un romanzo faticoso, lento, spesso troppo ingarbugliato.
Ed è un romanzo dove il protagonista Owen Archer non ha spazio, se non nell’ultimissima parte del libro. Uno spazio comunque marginale.
Per darvi un’idea, è come leggere un giallo di Poirot dove Poirot non risolve un bel nulla.
A chi è dato allora tutto lo spazio della narrazione?
A Lucie, la moglie di Owen, e Joanna, la folle suora non più vergine (a dire il vero è proprio una poco di buono) ladra di reliquie e cospiratrice di assassinii.
Per quanto l’autrice sia una studiosa di storia medievale, ho notato che si è presa un po’ troppe libertà nel voler creare queste donne “girl power”, troppo audaci e indipendenti per l’epoca.
Militano molto anche i personaggi secondari, rendendo sempre più paludosa la lettura.
La cosa veramente peggiore però è che si intuisce già nelle prime cinquanta pagine cos’è successo e per le restanti si aspetta un colpo di scena che non c’è per arrivare già a quello che si era capito.
Rileggerei questo libro? No. -
I like Owen Archer and Lucie Wilton and I like how the author has described medieval York; she takes trouble with the history, which matters to me a lot, but I’ve read two in quick succession so I think I’ll lay off for a bit. I enjoy the writing and the characters but not to the point where I want to stay there with them indefinitely. Short, sharp bursts of Owen Archer and his ludicrous obsessions are enough for me.
This time, I found I was annoyed with Dame Joanna, the eponymous nun, and her prevarications and ersatz madness and by the end, I found I could believe anything about her and her “adventures” quite easily. I’m not a person that requires happy endings or lovable characters but I also don’t necessarily want to waste too much time with the unlovable. Joanna was a conniving bitch and I don’t buy that she was as crazy as she wanted everyone to believe. Maybe the author overdid that. I did like that Robb didn’t let anyone poo-poo Joanna’s belief in her blue mantle. Faith was strong back then and people were ready and willing to believe in the power of relics and the likelihood of their efficacy, as willing as they were to believe that mistletoe at the door of a bedroom would bring peaceful sleep or that powdered angelica root in the corners would drive away demons. That’s what I mean about getting the history right. -
This was an interesting mystery set in 14th century England. The main characters are Owen Archer, a former archer turned detective now that he lost an eye when attacked by someone he was trying to arrest, and his wife, Lucie, an apothecary in York. Between the two of them they must solve a series of murders associated with a nun who left the convent and is apparently the cause of the murders, if not the murderer herself. Unfortunately, she is almost completely out of her head and not much help in their search for the murderers. This book moves along at a leisurely pace but provides an interesting historical perspective on the politics (including religious politics) and people of the era. The solution was satisfying, and I like the characters of Owen and Lucie. I look forward to more books in this series.
-
I am hoping this is just a hiccup in what is normally a very good series. I did finish it, so it was reasonably good and I like the main characters, Owen and Lucie, and I like the premise of Owen being an investigator, past archer for the kingdom, and apprentice apothecary to his wife Lucie. Add in the fact that it's a historical mystery and it shows a time that I knew little to nothing about.
This one had so many twists and turns and a character that had me wanting to smack her upside the cranium she was so horrid and spoiled.
The political machinations were exhausting and the plot a bit convoluted but I kept reading because I have faith in the author. I will keep reading the series as I find the books. -
This is a wonderful example of good historical mystery—the way it should be, as opposed to the way it often is. This author knows her stuff, is an expert in literature of the period, but doesn’t bang the reader over the head with period detail, the way Anne Perry and others do.
This is set in Edward III’s reign, while the Black Prince is an adult, but alive and healthy. The detective is Owen Archer, a spy for the Archbishop of York, aided by his wife Lucie Wilton, an apothecary. And the plot itself is very complex—you don’t find out what really happened until the very end.
And of course the title is an allusion/salute to Chaucer. -
Owen and Lucie become involved in the mystery of Dame Joanna Casterly, a nun who claims to have died and returned from the grave.
There is more going on in York than Dame Joanna. The King and two of his sons are planning to go to Spain to return Pedro the Cruel to his throne.
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, hires Owen to teach archery to some of the soldiers.
Lucie is nearing the term of her pregnancy, but visits with Dame Joanna in an attempt to sort Joanna's ravings.
How does the tale of Dame Joanna end?
A very good story. -
Another Owen ar mediaeval mystery set in the time of John of Gaunt then Duke of Lancaster and the differences between supporter of factions on the continent . I enjoyed this one though I recognised bits of it from reading it many, many years ago. Still couldn't remember the story just one part was familiar or I wouolld have said I hadn't read it. Perhaps it was the next in the series which has Lucie's father buying the big house that made if familiar.
-
Owen continues his tasks as spy and investigator while worrying about whether he will be a good father. His wife Lucy is also drafted to help solve the mystery of the abused nun that returns to her order after over a years absence. Candace Robb is a very good story teller who does a great deal of research before putting words on paper. I continue to enjoy this series for its plots and characters.
-
The first I've read from this author
This is the first I've read from this author, it being a Kindle Unlimited title, and I am ready to become a paying, loyal fan of Ms. Robb's. I'm ready to go back to the beginning of the series to discover how Master Wilson died, Lucie Wilson became Lucie Archer, and Jasper became their adopted son and brother to Gwenllian, as well as all that the future holds for this intriguing, blended family. -
This was my first exposure to this series and I was immediately drawn to the complex, compassionate Owen Archer and his intriguing wife. I love reading about the clash of religion and politics in daily life in The Middle Ages and that added interest to this story.
As another reviewer noted, this tale was a bit grisly. . . And, a bit repetitive, but it added to the intensity of the story and the protagonist’s drive to solve the mystery. I look forward to another Owen Ar her novel. -
This wide ranging story moves steadily on; it is interwoven with interesting historical detail and fiction as well. The series is a good read, although hard to imagine at times. The main characters are believable and engaging even when placed so long ago. I appreciate the anchors in historical events, people and setting, and enjoy reading the herbal lore and learning methods and processes of healing from the Magda and Lucie.
