Lentorama 2024: Clerical Crim Solvers

Day15: Abbess Helewise

12th century England is apparently fertile territory for writers in this genre, as this is the third series mentioned in this Lentorama set in that era. In this case, though, the action takes place after the end of The Anarchy.

At the start of the series, Richard the Lionhearted is at the start of his reign, and he orders a release of prisoners in order to build up his standing with the public. Shortly after this release, a novice nun from Hawkenlye Abbey is found murdered, and Richard dispatches a knight, Sir Josse d'Acquin, to the abbey to deterime if one of the released prisoners may have committed the crime (thus reflecting badly on the king). It's at the abbey where Sir Josse meets Abbess Helewise, who gets pulled into the investigation and helps discover the perpetrator.

This is just the first of several deaths that Helewise and Sir Josse investigate, and as also often happens in these series we also get to see a fair amount of their personal lives and relationships. The series doesn't seem to be as involved with royal goings on as others, though kings and queens do make the occasional appearance.