Social networking has a lot to answer for, doesn't it? A member of a Facebook fan group tipped me off to this series of medieval mysteries. I'll be tracking down more of them as soon as I can.

Audiobook narrated by Erin Jones, borrowed from the National Library for the Blind. If you're looking for captivating historical fiction, Cassandra Clark's "Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1)" is a great place to start. Definitely a compelling book review read!

It's a little slow-paced, but I'm interested enough to keep reading this series. I'm looking forward to seeing where Cassandra Clark takes the characters in "Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1)". If you enjoy historical mystery books, this might be one for you.

Meh. My biggest hang-up is, how could a nun just wander around solo, even with her dogs? I was under the impression they always had to travel in pairs. I mean, it's **Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1) by Cassandra Clark**, not 'Nun on the Run'!

In my humble opinion, there are two main types of crime novels: the kind where the mystery is incredibly intricate and cleverly plotted, leaving you completely blindsided by the solution as you eagerly follow the clues, and the kind where the answer is glaringly obvious, but you're so captivated by the characters and the atmosphere that you simply don't mind.Unfortunately, *Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1)* by Cassandra Clark doesn't quite hit the mark in either category. Do...

In November 1382, Hildegard is sent from Swyne Priory to York with a letter for the archbishop and a mission: to secure permission to establish her own priory. In the forest between York and Meaux Abbey, she discovers five corpses hanging on a gibbet, followed by another body – a young man brutally murdered, his throat slashed, stomach ripped open, and guts spilled out. It's just over a year since the Peasants' Revolt and its brutal aftermath, so the fact that the dead man wears a badge of the W...

I bought "Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1)" for the simple reason that, having won the second in the series from a Goodreads Giveaway, I felt it would be much fairer to read this first book first. The story of "Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1)" is set in Yorkshire, which I know a little about, at a time I know not much about at all. I had heard of the Peasants' Revolt, John Wyclif and Wat Tyler, but only briefly in passing. I'm not generally interested ...

The author refers to a "flock of carrion" and seems to think "carrion" is a synonym for "crows."The woods "were bristling with the sound of falling water.""His body was not yet fixed in the rigour of death and she was able to prise his fingers apart one by one. Giving up what had been grasped so fiercely at hte moment of death, his fingers softly opened."These things do not make sense. They really don't.***I bailed out early. This is a disappointing read and not one of the best mystery books I'v...

Meh. This one pretty much stunk. I adore historical mysteries, but "Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1)" by Cassandra Clark felt like a pale imitation of Ariana Franklin's *Mistress of the Art of Death*, only nowhere near as skillfully executed. It desperately needed a better copyeditor, which feels almost unforgivable, and Clark does a terrible job of giving the reader any real insight into the political climate of the era, which is clearly crucial to her planned series. She j...

Okay, so I stumbled upon Cassandra Clark's *Hangman's Secret (Abbess Hildegard Mysteries, Book 1)* completely by accident, and let me tell you, I'm so glad I did! This isn't your typical fluffy historical fiction. It's got grit, it's got suspense, and it's got a protagonist in Abbess Hildegard who is way more than just your average nun. The mystery itself is twisty enough to keep you guessing, and the historical details feel authentic without being overwhelming. Clark does a fantastic job of b...

I truly love stepping back in time, especially through the safety of a looking glass that is my book. The sights and smells enthrall me. The desperation and brutality horrify me. This tale was no less thought-provoking and entertaining than other medieval murder mysteries I've read. If you're looking for a new historical mystery series, Cassandra Clark's books might be for you.I did find it hard to finish though and stay with the story. It was a bit dry and slow-paced, although there always seem...