The Sempster’s Tale
Dame Frevisse series #15
by Margaret Frazer
Dame Frevisse is in London to arrange for certain funeral vestments to be made following the murder - or rather
execution - of her cousin Alice’s husband, the unlamented Duke of Suffolk. Secretly she also has to recover, hide
and then send to Alice a large sum in gold coins, which are coming to her via the sempster (a mediaeval word for
seamstress) who is working on the vestments. Anne Blakhall has been working as such since the death of her
husband, and clandestinely seeing a new man whom she loves. But merchant Daved Weir is a Jew, and technically
there are no Jews in England since their expulsion over two hundred years earlier. When a body is found marked
with Hebrew lettering, fingers begin to point to a Jewish connection, so it is inevitable that Daved will be
uncovered.
This is always a fine series with Frazer’s attention to detail, fascinatingly real characters and superb grasp
of history, though it is seldom actually exciting - but there is a first time for everything. Every book has
something different to enjoy and that is the new element here, as well as a look at London during the Jack Cade
riots and a look at how Jews were viewed in those days. Racial and religious prejudice is never an easy subject
to deal with, but by portraying the characters as with as many warts-and-all as possible they seem like real
people. The hot-eyed friar is perhaps a cliché, but he is sadly a historically accurate one. I enjoyed reading
about how a woman could be a businessperson in her own right (the Renaissance has a lot to answer for) in the
Middle Ages, and the tense excitement of the riots had the urgency and immediacy of a news report. Surely the
message here is "nothing new under the sun," and this topical flavour is imparted depicting a time of political
unrest and religious intolerance. Top marks as ever, although the abrupt ending could have been better managed. |
The Book |
Robert Hale |
31 January 2007 (UK edition) |
Hardback |
9780709081784 |
Historical - 1450 London |
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|| UK |
Excerpt |
NOTE: The US copy is different |
The Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewed 2007 |
NOTE: |
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