The Red Velvet Turnshoe (Abbess of Meaux Mystery 2) [Hardcover]

'Really engrossing storyline ... a real joy to read... I didn't want this book to end and I will have no hesitation in including it in my top five best reads of 2009. May this author write many more novels of this high quality in the future'

'Clark's central character is certainly memorable, and the story woven around her in this, the second of the author's Abbess of Meaux mysteries, is well plotted and meticulously researched ... this unusual murder mystery is a fascinating read ... a great addition to the sleuthing fraternity!'

'Cleverly plotted, this is a gripping novel full of twists and turns, bright with colour and fascinating period detail that brings a turbulent period of history to life'

'Every bit as absorbing as the first ... Clark is proving highly adept at bringing medieval history to life, and The Red Velvet Turnshoe adds considerably to her growing reputation'

'Reader are taken on a perilous journey through Flanders and France over the Alps through St Bernard Pass onto Florence, all the time threatened by spies and killers determined to stop her'

'Clark's central character is certainly memorable ... well plotted and meticulously researched ... this highly unusual murder mystery is a fascinating read'

'Hildegard is back! ... this is a well-written historical tale, with a depth of detail which allows the reader to immerse themselves in the fourteenth century  ... the book skilfully weaves a complex plot with the rich period background and brings the whole story to life with vivid descriptions and a cast of roguish characters ... highly recommended'

Priase for the first in the Abbess of Meaux series, Hangman Blind

'Hildegard is an engaging protagonist, sensible, kindly, resourceful and believable; she is also endearing susceptible to a pair of Saxon blue eyes (Ulf) and Norman grey ones (Hubert). Fans of historical crime will relish this'

'A promising new heroine'

'The political background is intriguing and Hildegard is a strong and likeable heroine with a big future'

'The quality of research in this novel is obviously of the highest order and one can only look forward to the next in the series.'

'History leaps out of the pages in vibrant colours, danger is at every hand, mystery piles upon mystery and you willingly succumb to the enticement of Cassandra Clark's writing'

'Clark delivers a medieval whodunnit which is both delicate and dangerous, reeking of lust, treachery, greed and violence and which keeps the reader at least one step behind'

'Hangman Blind is a brilliant book which I thoroughly enjoyed - not just because it's set in  1382 with all the richness of that period, but because it's so well written'

'A well written and engaging story'

'The strength of the book...is in the quality of the historical imagination and the attempt at integrating the political and social situation into the plot'

'Clark is one of the most sure-footed practitioners of this difficult genre.'

Black February in the year 1383: rain started to fall before Martinmas, sweeping through France, Flanders and Tuscany, and barely ceased all year. Floods brought famine. Famine brought disease. The Black Death bestowed its grace on town after town. Bodies were piled in open pits. The lime was spread. Paris shut its gates; Cologne and Florence followed suit.
Into this watery world, against a background of plague and the political turmoil of the Hundred Years War, the nun Hildegard is sent across Europe in search of a precious relic, the Cross of Constantine. Strong-willed and independent, she will need remarkable skills to survive such a dangerous quest. For with the English Crown at stake there are many who want her mission to fail - and one, above all, who plans a deadly revenge . . .