Alys Clare Books In Order

Publication Order of Hawkenlye Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Aelf Fen Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Gabriel Taverner Mystery Books

Publication Order of World’s End Bureau Victorian Mystery Books

Alys Clare is the pen name of Elizabeth Harris, who has more than 20 published literary works under her name. Ms. Clare grew up in the countryside near where her Hawkenlye works of fiction are set. She attended Tonbridge School and later graduated from Kent University in archaeology studies. She lives in a remote cottage in Brittany, deep in an old countryside where past inhabitants left their mark; on her front doorstep are ancient relics and dolmens of the Neolithic and primeval tracks of legendary warrior priests; the Knights Templar. Alys’s study is next to a vast stretch of land, which includes a gorge with a small spring. The waters of this spring mimic in color and tang to Tunbridge’s famed Chalybeate Spring.

This amazing medieval feature prompted Alys’s setting of her short story-Hawkenlye Abbey in the same place where her house now stands. Below is a review of the magical powers as depicted in the mystery series-Hawkenlye.

Hawkenlye Mysteries- Fortune like the Moon

Alys’ medieval crime tales take us back to 1189. Queen Eleanor’s son, Richard, is due for the coronation. Feeling particularly enthusiastic on the dawn of a new day, a new era, the queen opens England’s jails and liberates nearly a thousand prisoners as a show of good faith in the name of the king-to-be. But her shrewd intentions backfire when a youthful nun is found dead amidst copious evidence of rape, and murder, a day to the planned coronation ride from London. Richard suffocates in the gory details as he prepares for his coronation, he can hardly remember his servant’s names. Nevertheless, without delay, he recognizes the danger threatening his eminence. The Public already accuses the released prisoners. Richard sends out Josse d’Acquin, a knight, to Hawkenlye Abbey to look into the nun’s death and perhaps clear the king-elects name.

For Sir Josse, the royal order is a welcomed assignment owed to being strategically positioned in the right place, and time, than to some exceptional favors. Terribly aware of his inadequacy in undercover operations, Sir Josse is determined to deliver credible information to his king. Fortunately, Sir Josse finds an improbable ally in Hawkenlye’s abbess, the smart and intellectual Helewise. Their abilities and talents fit perfectly together to uncover the truth. Sir Josse and Abbess Helewise have a strong consciousness of their individual weaknesses, which makes them human and able to correlate well in the adieus task ahead of them. The genuine, assimilation of religion into the characters’ lives comes out well as this was their way of life.

The novel is deeply religious, a most notable trait in the 12th Century. It is equally refreshing at a time when many authors edge out against Christian themed works of fiction; Roman Catholicism to be exact. The opening of the novel precisely portrays life in the last decade of the 12th Century in England. Alys unreservedly delves into the cruel era, describing gory details of how medieval folks lived and butchered one another at a whim. She takes us deep into a wild imagination of an elite political class, a peasantry impoverished low-class blend of intrigue as well valor. The dialogues in the narrative seem too modernized. But, the misuse of historical linguistic conversations is a common grammatical slip-up with most authors’ today. This, however, does not stop one from thoroughly enjoying the chilling tale. Salute to the great introduction of primeval sleuths Josse and Helewise!

Hawkenlye Mysteries- Ashes of the Elements

The second edition of Hawkenlye mysteries begins with an ambiguous religious sanctity of Hawkenlye Abbey in the murder mystery. A peasant found dead on the edge of the huge, wild Wealden Forest goes unnoticed given the violent life of the early inhabitants of England. Abbess Helewise discovers that the poor man was ruthlessly stabbed by a bizarre spear, skillfully crafted and wielded. The insensitive local chief dismisses the murder as one performed by mysterious foresters and he swiftly loses the case and heads to drink some beer. Abbess Helewise, though, believes the situation to be more intricate. Two young ladies known to Abbess begin sleepwalking, singing incoherent chants and vanishing into the forest for hours has her suspicious, and curious at the same time.

With the aid of Sir Josse d’Acquin, who has officially been appointed as Lord of an adjacent manor, they find scanty answers and more dead bodies. The detectives must catch the elusive killers before they strike again. Here, once more, Clare delivers a story developed with vague appearances set against the ornate tapestry of Old England. Religious disparity among the Christian and pagans fuel the killings as Helewise and Josse observe the wildlings’ rites. We also see an abundance of anachronistic words engaged in dialogue and an initial heartless portrayal of Helewise. It may be boring to some readers to engage in long meaningless words with no action in sight. Luckily, Helewise settles into a rational mode when she resolves to solve the murders. Abbess Helewise’s firm faith, which delicately hides her choices, provides an energizing change from the usual mystery tale.

Hawkenlye Mysteries-The Tavern in the Morning

A man from London has captured the inn on central London, Hastings highway to the south of the town-Tonbridge. He appears mysterious, and his arrival breeds a series of evident unrelated but troubling events, whose growing violence result in more deaths. A customer suddenly dies from a poisoned meat pie in England. Sir Josse d’Acquin, now well-versed to solving mysteries, is friends with Goody Anne-the local pub owner. One of her patrons dies from a poisonous meal, Josse knows all too well that the food was meddled with and he calls in Abbess Helewise who has previously worked with him on numerous occasions. An old woman is also murdered, found dead in a frozen stream. Her death is bizarre as only the head and shoulders are immersed in the frozen water, her headscarf is covered in dirt, revealing visible footprints at the back of her head. She’s also got two broken fingers, cut to precision, as if the murderer needed just those, out of her entire body. Hawkenlye Abbey is no longer safe to live in. Pagans have taken over. Nobody knows who is on a killing spree, but as usual, Sir Josse is tasked to check this one out as well.

The graphic violence clearly shows that the author deeply understands earth religions and how pagans practiced their rituals. There are too many details of forest herbs, male gods, and satanic beliefs. Perhaps the book is too graphic for young readers. If you believe in Christianity or the existence of a universal single God, to the exclusion of deity gods, this book may clash with your beliefs. But overall, it is a revelation of how things worked centuries ago.

One Response to “Alys Clare”

1. bobbie peterson: 2 years ago

   I have just finished reading the Hawkenlye series and have enjoyed each story very much. This was my second series by Alys. The first being the Aelf Fen stories. I am about to start on the Gabriel Tavener books. Thank you so much for giving me such a wealth of reading enjoyment over the past ten months.

   Reply