As a long time fan of Priscilla Royal I was eager to dive into her most recent book, The Twice Hanged Man. And boy was it a great dive!

Prioress Eleanor is in England with her sister in law to take advantage of it's relative safety for her sister in law to give birth. But of course life is never simple and Eleanor is called on to solve a murder...by a ghost. But the ghost is of a man who was hanged....twice! and declared dead. So how could a ghost be killing people? And why are these particular people being killed by this ghost? Prioress Eleanor and her trusty sidekicks Sister Anne and Brother Thomas take on the investigation to find out what really happened.

Full of strange phenomenon and inexplicable turns, The Twice Hanged Man is a tour de force of historical fiction, a real page turner, and truly an enjoyable read. Don't miss it!

I read and thoroughly enjoyed this book the story is intriguing and based firmly on actual historical events. The characters are so well drawn that they seem very real. I highly recommend this book, as well as the entire series.

Priscilla Royal's medieval mysteries always satisfy me. In The Twice-Hanged Man, Prioress Eleanor, Infirmarian Anne, and Brother Thomas end up in the Marcher lands for the birth of her sister-in-law's child. A murder, a hanging, and a second hanging when the beam breaks, a ghost?, and more twisty incidents. Brother Thomas has a particularly hard time. As usual, excellent research and intriguing plot with characters I like.

NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press
Medieval Mystery. Aug. 6, 2019. Print length: 384 pages.

The harbinger of demons sweep before them!

Autumn of 1282. Prioress Eleanor, of Tyndal Priory, the faithful Sister Anne, healer and sub-infirmarian, and Brother Thomas escort Eleanor's brother Robert's pregnant wife out of the their Welsh Marcher lands into one of Robert's lesser holdings, Wynethorpe manor, just inside the English border.
Apart from the threatened difficult birth, the three are plunged into a community troubled by the supposed apparition of a ghost, the shade of a dead man, Hywel, the village stonemason, recently hanged! Twice! And there's a dead priest the ghastly figure was seen leaning over. Dark, demon ridden tidings indeed!
The local abbot, having "failed to exorcize this malign spirit", wants Eleanor to investigate this stark deed, to "save [the village] from this malignancy", and send the demon back to whence it came.
Well actually, half Welsh Abbot Gerald wants a bit more than that and watching Eleanor maneuver around the Abbot's other agenda is fascinating. Eleanor is unconvinced that this is an ecclesiastic matter. Brother Thomas and Sister Anne are initially, sent to "determine if death was caused by a mortal hand."
The situation becomes more complex when two more deaths follow suit.
Amidst the roiling politics of the time, what with Edward I's war against the Welsh, and beyond the troubling deaths, it was Brother Thomas I felt for. Thomas is suffering a whirlpool of emotion and guilt as he fights his natural inclinations troubling his sacred vows, indeed his very being, because of his love for the wine merchant Durant, even as he's tempted by the spice merchant Lambard. The poignancy of his repudiation of Lambard really points to his agony.
The twist being that Eleanor has her own demons to face concerning Thomas. She has been strongly attracted to him and fought those feelings fiercely, even as she goes about obeying her calling. An unspoken love that she constantly battles.
When Eleanor finally realizes Thomas' proclivities she fears for him. The times were becoming more dangerous for men like Thomas. Along with this comes the realization that "her love over time had grown far more complex than lust."
Always a strong advocate for justice, Eleanor has her hands full and I suspect in future sequences, despite being sworn to her life's path, her heart will be heavy.
An intriguing novel of murder, beliefs, politics, love and practices in medieval England.

A Poisoned Pen ARC via NetGalley

I found this a good book, but not a great one. The central characters are interesting, but they all seem a bit wiser and more broad-minded than I find believable. The mystery itself starts off slowly, but become truly engaging about halfway through the novel. If one likes mysteries in medieval settings, this will prove an enjoyable read. If one isn't beguiled by the setting, the book will likely seem slowly paced and not particularly complexly plotted.

The Twice-Hanged Man is the fifteenth in this series and doesn't disappoint. This book grabs you from the first chapter and is a great historical mystery. Well written and well developed characters.

A well written, engrossing and entertaining historical mystery.
It's well written and well researched and I loved the historical setting and the fleshed out characters.
The mystery is full of twists and turns and kept me guessing.
Even if it's not the first in this series it can be read as a stand alone as it's full of details.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I have heard good things about this series, and I always wanted to read it! Luckily, I got a chance to read this! Even though, it is the 15th novel in this series, it can be read as a standalone. The author had a detailed description of each character so it was easy to know who was who.

I really liked Eleanor. She was very pragmatic and intellectual. She not only had a sense of justice but a keen eye for detail. She noticed details that others have missed. I found her to be a medieval female version of Sherlock Holmes. As much as she shined, I thought the other supporting characters also helped make this novel just as interesting. Each of the details had a different personality that at the end, it made me get to know them.

Overall, this was a fun and light mystery novel. The setting was very refreshing because I hardly read mystery novel set in the Medieval era. The mystery itself was very clever and well-done. While I am excited to read the sequel, I can’t wait to read the first novel! I recommend this for those that love cozy mysteries and historical fiction! Full review to come!

Perfect for fans of the medieval mystery (duh) this tale of Eleanor the prioress investigating the murder of a priest allegedly murdered by Hywel. However, Hywel was hanged not once but twice by the local executioner. Could he have survived? Well this well done and vivid novel is based in part on real events from the 13 century. Eleanor ostensibly wandered into this mess as she was escorting her brother Robert and his pregnant (in labor) wife Elizabeth across the border to what they think will be safety. Brother Thomas is also part of the group and he and Eleanor, well, they have feelings for one another. I've only read one of the books in this series and as before felt a tad at sea at first (there's terminology and phrases from the period) but quickly fell into the rhythm of the story. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal, Brother Thomas and Sister Anne return in “The Twice-Hanged Man,” latest in the medieval series from Priscilla Royal.

Eleanor and her fellow Christians hardly have time to rest (she’s with her pregnant sister-in-law, who’s just about to give birth and so they have fetched up in a tiny village) before she’s asked to find a murderer -- who everyone is convinced is a ghost. Hywel is dead, it can’t be him that’s terrorizing people -- can it? The first dead man is a priest, which means asking her for help is probably doubly necessary. She’s the one with “the gift of visions” -- and no one will let her forget it. Since the prioress believes there is no such thing as ghosts, she must seek an earthly explanation.

Thomas is struggling from the beginning, as he has throughout the series. His secret must be kept from everyone, obviously, and it is a heavy burden, especially for a religieux. Priscilla Royal has always handled this subject with care and quiet understanding.

Sister Anne thinks it was a natural death for Father Payn, as he was older and unwell, and it was probably a heart attack -- perhaps from seeing this “ghost.” But how to convince the abbot of this?

Bardolph was the hangman -- not well-liked, but then what hangman ever is? Soon the hangman himself is dead. And then, there is another murder. We’re not short of bodies in “The Twice-Hanged Man.”
As in many mysteries, family members are likely suspects. In the author’s hands they are troublesome characters, with unpleasant personality traits and secrets they are loath to reveal.

All the while this is going on Thomas is in torment. He has met a townsman -- and begins to wonder if anyone saw them. His suffering is as deep as the mystery that surrounds the murders.

The prioress saves all -- a diabolical cover-up! and gets a murderer to confess -- but not before that murderer accuses Thomas of a foul deed. Eleanor then serves God in the best way possible, to her mind. For some, given these books take place in the medieval world, Eleanor’s thinking may be too modern a response. Readers will have to decide on their own.

The trial is over, a murderer condemned. The travelers from Tyndal are ready to make their way home. But there’s more coming, a way to finish out the story and bring a form of conclusion to Eleanor and Thomas. She has personal and indeed professional decisions to make. What she decides forms the end of the book, and puts the story of a ghost to rest, too, for Abbot Gerald and his village.

An author’s note explains the true historical precedents behind the plot -- how a twice-hanged man can actually become something miraculous.

To me, it was pretty obvious who the murderer was -- the book was just a means to an end, a vehicle to reveal Brother Thomas’ secret. It’s about time, really. Time for it to come out and for Eleanor to know.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book in advance of publication, in exchange for this review.

Thanks NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC 4.5 stars ( rounded up) mostly for the last half of the book. It's Mystery #15 and I felt that Brother Thomas and Prioress Eleanor needed to settle their relationship issues. Guess what? They did so!!

"Prioress Eleanor is escorting her younger brother, Robert, and his wife, who is in labor, from their Marcher lands to greater safety at a Wynethorpe manor in a village just inside the English border. With her are Brother Thomas and Sister Anne. " .. Naturally a mystery awaits all of them.

The history of a twice-hanged man was an actual 1307 canonization case for Thomas de Cantilope, a bishop and a Welsh rebel William Cragh, who was hanged twice the same day 1287. He survived it was said because of the intersession of prayers to Bishop de Cantiope.

There was lots of other actual historical data used about this particular war or rebellion. Abbot Gerald also was modeled after Gerald of Wales also Loved that too as both de Cantilopes and Geraldis Cambrensis connect to both my paternal family ( Carrow) and maternal family (Faunt or L'Enfant) in Wales.
The ending was terrific and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Preorder yours now!

A Strange Death Is Solved But the Future of Prioress Eleanor and Brother Thomas May Be In Peril

This fifteenth book in the Medieval Mysteries finds the heroine, Eleanor, Prioress of Tyndal, with her brother, Robert, and his very pregnant wife, Elizabeth, fleeing into English territory from the Welsh rebel bands. Accompanying her is Brother Thomas, a monk in her order and close friend, and Sister Anne, the sub-infirmarian. They make it safely to a hunting lodge in a small village within English territory where Elizabeth gives birth to a baby girl. Soon after their arrival, the Abbot Gerald from the local abbey begs to see Prioress Eleanor about his problem. His priest has been murdered and a witness has identified the person kneeling by the body as a man named Hywel, but Hywel was recently hung—twice. Prioress Eleanor accepts. The storyline unfolds from here.

The author weaves many twists and turns into this storyline starting with there was not any foul play in the death of the priest. Prioress Eleanor deploys her monk and sub-infirmarian to help her discover what is happening. But, then, a real crime is committed. My interest was quickly hooked and I finished this novel in shorter time than usual.

Significant events occur in the B-storyline in this novel. For Prioress Eleanor and Brother Thomas, one is able to control these feelings, and one is not. These moments of weakness have the potential to be catastrophic to both their positions and possibly their persons.

That sex occurs outside of marriage does play a role in this novel; there are mistresses, and who visits or does not visit the local bawdy house. There is only one instance where sex the act is described but it was very short, not graphic and was needed for the story development. There is not any modern foul language. These two aspects should not bother most readers. The other thing that readers should know if this is the first novel in the series or medieval novels in general, the use of terms and items of that time period. I read this novel on a Kindle. The advantage for me is that the embedded dictionary is quite good with providing definitions of these medieval terms. When that way fails, the quick access the Internet from the novel easily fills that void. Lastly, if this is the first novel in this series for you, I believe that you can read it without lost in understanding as the author adequately provides the background to understand the significance.

The aspect of this novel and this series in general is that the stories stay very fresh. Each one is new and still supported by the familiar Prioress Eleanor and her retinue. Do read the Author’s Note for interesting background on the many aspects of the novel and its characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel. I believe that you would also. I do recommend reading this novel. I rate it with five stars. Enjoy.

I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Poison Pen Press with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Poison Pen Press for the opportunity to read this novel early.

It is 1282 and Prioress Eleanor is tending to the pregnant wife of her brother, Robert, on the border of Wales and England. Sister Anne known for her healing and Brother Robert accompany them. Eleanor is asked by the Abbot to assist in discovering the truth of a mystery involving who he believed is a ghost haunting the village. The ghost is believed to have murdered  a priest and is also believed to be the ghost of a man who was hanged twice!

Priscilla Royal has loosely based this on the history of a man who survived being hung twice and gives insight in to the era of war between England and Wales.

I am now aware this is part of a series but I have not read any of the others yet. There did seem to be history between the relationships of some characters which I assume are known from previous titles which hasencouraged me to add the series to my 'to read' list.

The story is full of twists and mystery which will keep you turning the pages til the end. Although it is loosely based on fact the timelines are off to provide a more entertaining read which Priscilla explains in the authors note at the end.

Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend to those with an interest in medieval history.