Stuck in a convent, two teenagers struggle to survive amidst a series of murders. We review Mary Hoffman’s story.
Author: Mary Hoffman
Mary Hoffman is the popular author of the Stravaganza series of books from Bloomsbury. Now she’s written The Falconer’s Knot, a story of murder, mystery and intrigue set in medieval Italy. It all starts when Silvano gets accused of murdering the husband of a woman he falls in love with. He gets sent to a monastery for sanctuary while his father searches for the real killer. There he meets Chiara, a young girl who has been abandoned because her family is too poor. Will a murder mystery be enough to liven up a monastery? Find out with our book review.
Murder at the Monastery
Young Silvano is a wealthy noble and Chiara is a beautiful girl - adjusting to life in a monastery is hard for both of them! Then, when a monk is murdered, Silvano and his friends become suspects. Soon the monastery is filled with rumors, suspicion and more murders. As the world around them falls into chaos, Silvano and Chiara find allies in each other and get deeper and deeper in the deadly mystery.
Brothers and Sisters
Mary Hoffman does a great job of bringing medieval Italy to life! From the day-to-day life of the brothers and sisters at the two monasteries to the paintings and politics, it’s fun to read. The characters are good too, especially some of the girls who chew bubble gum, kick butt and take names later!
Knot Very Fun
The first warning is that this book isn’t very exciting. It’s detailed and well-written, but a bit dull, even the murders are barely exciting! The solution to the murders is disappointing too, it doesn’t make much sense and there’s almost no way you could figure it out without some hardcore medical knowledge.
The Bottom Line
Mary Hoffman’s murder mystery is a well-written story that’s full of details about medieval Italy and has some great characters - including some women who really kick butt! Unfortunately, it’s a bit dull and the ending is disappointing.
The Falconer's Knot Rating:
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