DARK WATERS RISING

As the waters rise, Sister Hildegard of Swyne Priory must deal with her inner demons, defiant novices, an imminent flood—and murder.

Conflict and danger have swept across England in 1394. The young King Richard is in danger from his ambitious barons, at least two of whom think they belong on the throne. At Swyne, identical twin novices Bella and Rogella, bitter about being sent to the convent, constantly stir up trouble. Hildegard and Hubert de Courcy, lord abbot of Meaux, are passionately in love but have so far resisted the temptation to act. As the scientifically minded Sister Josiana predicts massive flooding, citizens of Meaux and Swyne make preparations and warn the countryside. Then a young man who claims to be Leonin, the king’s musician, arrives at the convent seeking sanctuary as he flees a hired assassin. A murdered lay sister found in a nearby creek may have been mistaken for Leonin in the dark. The next day, Hildegard and Josiana take Leonin to the priory in Meaux, which had been his original destination, as they seek answers about the mystery of the sister’s death. When the women return to Swyne, Hildegard is told that she's been summoned right back to Meaux by Hubert, and when she arrives at the priory, she's astonished at Hubert’s treatment of her. The next disaster strikes when one of the twins vanishes along with the abbey priest, and the remaining twin, who refuses to say whether she’s Bella or Rogella, admits to a heartless scheme to get away from Swyne. Hildegard tasks herself with uncovering a killer, locating the missing novice, discovering why Hubert is acting so oddly, and perhaps even finding her own happiness.

A fitting conclusion to an excellent series that immerses readers in medieval times and deeply conceived characters.