Frazers Dame Frevisse is my second favorite medieval series, just behind Brother Cadfael. There's something so calm and capable about the sister whatever happens, she doesn't panic or do anything stupid. She's analytical and knows how to keep her mouth shut. In this outing, she goes to the funeral of her beloved uncle Thomas Chaucer. During the funeral feast, one of the unpleasant nobles there picks a fight and calls out to God to strike him dead if he's wrong; of course, a few minutes later he's having some kind of attack, and dies. The bishop, a relative of Frevisse, doesn't fall for it and asks her to keep an eye out. The method of killing is immediately obvious to the reader (or it ought to be, anyway), the killer a bit less obvious, and the fun comes from watching Frevisse figure it out. You don't need to have read any of the previous books in the series to enjoy this one.

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