Priscilla Royal’s Eleanor of Tynedal series is definitely not just another "next Cadfael" medieval mystery set amongst the religieux. Eleanor is prioress over a joint house containing both monks and nuns, a rare thing made even more unusual through having a woman in charge. She’s also in her 20s, seemingly young and inexperienced for such a position, although such appointments back then were often more about politics than strict suitability. Reflecting their setting, these stories also have a certain earthiness, which starts with Eleanor’s struggles over an unwanted lust for her partner in detection, Brother Thomas, along with Thomas’s own struggles, which are behind his being assigned to her priory. This not only helps set them apart from the Brother Cadfael books, which are pretty cozy, but also gives a real insight into what was not only a genuinely earthier time, but also one where religion was more firmly integrated into how people thought about everything.

Through Eleanor’s insistence on making an ill-advised business trip with Brother Thomas, she ends up caught in a miserable storm with a company that includes a desperately ill young girl. Fortunately, they are near one of the Earl of Lincoln’s manors, and a welcome offer of shelter there. Or is it so fortunate? Immediately upon arrival, Eleanor is worn out even further with an effusive but unnerving greeting dwelling on the sin that is there and the welcome rescue of her own holiness. Things get worse as she finds herself caught up in the decidedly odd relations between her fellow residents, some of whom are pretty odd on their own, all of which ultimately leads to murder.

The Sheriff’s reputation for quick solutions that involve pinning the blame on someone too lowly to cause trouble means Eleanor and Thomas have to get involved if there is to be justice. Not that it will be easy—if things aren’t complicated enough, the Sheriff has made it clear that he knows about Eleanor’s past investigations and has no intention of letting her get involved in this one.

I like this series as a whole, but it’s also one where I’m more up and down about individual books. This is one of the good ones, and definitely recommended. Interesting characters, a plot with plenty of twists and turns, vivid writing, and a relatively fresh take on what’s become almost a historical mystery cliché.