Saturday, November 12, 2011

A Play of Heresy-Margaret Frazer

A Play of Heresy


Margaret Frazer

Berkley, Dec 6 2011, $15.00

ISBN: 9780425243473



In 1438, Joliffe completed his espionage mission for Cardinal Bishop Beaufort of Winchester. He travels from Warwickshire to Coventry to join his troupe of six led by Basset who are in Coventry to perform at Festival of Corpus Christi.



Just outside of Coventry, Joliffe meets his mentor, undercover agent Sebastian. The latter tells Joliffe that he searches for missing mercer merchant Master Robyn Kydwa of Coventry who was to meet him in Bristol with information on the evil Lollards, but failed to show up. Sebastian asks Joliffe to help him locate Kydwa. Since Basset has no role for him, Joliffe performs with former troupe member Sendell presenting the Harrowing of Hell; while in his quest to find the vanished mercer he uncovers a dangerous heretic cult who plans to destroy the Church.



The latest Joliffe medieval “Play” (see A Play of Piety and A Play of Treachery) is a great fifteenth century thriller in which the suspense comes late. The story line brings vividly to life Coventry during a religious festive period though the cast of players. Joliffe holds the entertaining story line together as he escorts readers on a tour of medieval England while performing in a play and unraveling an ugly conspiracy.



Harriet Klausner

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