A Play of Piety by Margaret Frazer Series: Joliffe the Player #6
Published by Berkley on December 7, 2010
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 306
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
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n harvest time of 1436, Joliffe's troupe leader falls, leaving his players to find what work they can while he recovers. Joliffe finds work in a hospital where he unfortunately has to deal with Mistress Cisily Thorncoffyn, a widow expecting to be endlessly waited on for her mostly imaginary ailments.
When patients begin mysteriously dying, Mistress Thorncoffyn loudly insists that someone is trying to kill her. With so many suspects wishing her ill, if not outright dead, Joliffe has no choice but to find out whose anger has turned to murderous hatred and whether-having missed their target-they mean to try again...
This is a series I’ve been meaning to finish for years and I determined this would be one I finished for the Series on Sunday especially since I’m down to the last two books.
Joliffe has returned from war and espionage training to rejoin the traveling troupe of actors who have been his family and home for so many years. Weary and ready for the relatively simple world of playmaking from town to village to town, he is startled to find the troupe staying over at the hospital of St. Giles with fears for Basset’s ability to heal and continue to lead their band.
Like the others, Joliffe exchanges room and board for work around the hospital and isn’t there long when the deaths begin. A sour rich woman’s demands and schemes make her the most likely target, but it isn’t Mistress Thorncoffyn who is dead. Joliffe’s talent for finding out things is put to the test once again.
A Play of Piety is the sixth of the Joliffe the Player historical mysteries. This series can be started from the beginning with each book connecting to the next, but I will also note that it began as a spinoff when Joliffe and the acting troupe were first encountered in the Dame Frevisse mystery series book two, The Servant’s Tale.
Set in the medieval period of the fifteenth century, the Joliffe the Player mysteries are a fascinating blend of not just medieval period life, but specifically, life for an actor of a traveling troupe of players who act, tumble and juggle, sing and make music for little villages, large cities, and private lords and ladies. They have a wandering, free sort of life when the average poor person was tied as a serf to the land or in work guilds in cities and towns.
Joliffe lives by his wits and is much more than he seems with a learned background that he hides and now he hides his new spy training since he and the troupe have exchanged full freedom for the sponsorship and safety of traveling under Lord Lovell’s banner. In those days, that meant taking sides in some sort of political intrigue or lordly power plays and that makes this series exciting at times beyond the clever murder mystery plots that occur.
This latest has Joliffe back among those who are familiar and dear to him, but his latest experiences away from them have left him a different person and he carries the nightmares and weariness that plague him always so that the others notice he is changed. Joliffe’s adjustments to normal life and the life around the medieval hospital take up most of the book with the murder only coming along late and not really advancing all that quickly in plot pace once it did show up.
But, when all is said and done, Joliffe may have his doubts, but he retains his powers of observation and inquisitiveness that help him figure out why people are dying from unnatural causes at the hospital run by a priest, a physician and nursing sisters.
Though it’s been years since I read the previous book in the series, I was easily able to remember the characters and situation and slip right back into this wonderful world. Joliffe is a fabulous character and I love his unique skill set and career as much as the backdrop and mystery plots. Definitely recommend the series.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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I’ve heard of this author but have never read this series. It sounds like a good one and I love the time period. The fact that you were able to get right back into the series after an extended break is definitely a good sign!
Yes, it definitely was memorable and I was glad to be back in her books with the strong historical setting and her characters.
I’m glad you were able to get back into a series you wanted to fish.
I can’t believe I waited so long, Mary. It was so good. 🙂
Yea for finishing series!
Not only do I get to read a fab book, but also get a feeling of accomplishment to get cracking on a series I left languishing. 🙂
Challenges are a great way to get us to catch up! Glad to see you’re enjoying the series!
I agree. I seem to get motivated to finish when a challenge is on the line. 🙂
Wow. That cover is great!
And yayy for a book to help you catch up!
I love the medieval tapestry style art of these covers that fit so great with the story inside. Yes, love the sense of accomplishment getting caught up on a series. 🙂
It’s nice when you go back to finish a series after being away for a long time and still enjoy it so much! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Yes, I was relieved that I had no trouble slipping right back into it after years from reading the last one.