Royal, Priscilla 1944-

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Royal, Priscilla 1944-

PERSONAL:

Born 1944, in Seattle, WA. Education: San Francisco State University, B.A.; graduate study at University of California, Berkeley.

ADDRESSES:

Home—CA. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Mystery writer. Has worked with U.S. government.

MEMBER:

California Writers Club, Sisters in Crime.

WRITINGS:

Wine of Violence, Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2003.

Tyrant of the Mind, Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2004.

Favas Can Be Fatal, Alyson Books (Gainesville, FL), 2006.

Sorrow without End, Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2006.

Justice for the Damned, Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

An author of medieval mysteries, Priscilla Royal has chosen the reign of Henry III as the setting for her novels, which feature the intrepid Eleanor, Prioress of Tyndale. In Wine of Violence, set in 1270, Eleanor is rewarded with the position of prioress in appreciation for her family's loyalty during the civil war between King Henry and Simon de Montfort. Unfortunately, this appointment is bitterly resented by the nuns and monks of Tyndale, particularly Sister Ruth, who had expected to be appointed to the position herself. In addition, the beloved Brother Rupert has been found murdered in the cloistered garden. When a mysterious "master" sends the disturbingly attractive Brother Thomas to investigate the priory's recent tendency to lose money, Eleanor has her hands full, but Brother Thomas proves to be an ally. With the help of the local coroner, they are soon on the trail of a brutal killer. When Brother Thomas himself is attacked, it turns out he has secrets of his own. Library Journal reviewer Rex E. Klett commended the novel's "efficient depiction of the interaction between politics and religion." A Publishers Weekly contributor noted the debut novel's "intriguing plot, chilling conclusion and characters who exhibit universal and timeless feelings."

In Tyrant of the Mind, Eleanor finds out that her nephew has fallen seriously ill, and she decides to travel to her family's ancestral castle of Wynthorpe, on the Welsh border. She is accompanied by Sister Anne, famed for her skills as a healer, and the faithful but still mysterious Brother Thomas. At the same time, she hopes to attend her brother Robert's marriage to Julianna, daughter of Sir Geoffrey and Lady Isabella. Shortly after her arrival, however, Robert's prospective brother-in-law, Henry, is murdered, and Robert is found with the bloody dagger in his hands. Soon Eleanor is putting her newfound detective skills through their paces as she tries to find the real killer, a killer who is trapped in the snowbound castle with Eleanor and her family. "Hidden personal traumas reveal themselves against the grim backdrop of a border castle," Rex E. Klett noted in a Library Journal review of Tyrant of the Mind. Booklist reviewer Jennifer Baker praised the story's "cast of engaging characters whose realistically complex motives and personal issues lend the story depth," while for a Publishers Weekly contributor, Royal once again "brings her 13th-century world vividly and artfully to life in a series sure to have a bright future."

Royal continues Eleanor's saga in Sorrow without End. The story begins with the discovery of a murdered man-at-arms—apparently a crusader—in the woods near the priory of Tyndale. Ralf, the crown official, appeals to the prioress to house the corpse in the nunnery while he conducts his investigation. Soon, however, further outbreaks of violence occur. A knight is attacked and killed, and a sister of the priory who works in the infirmary is raped by an unknown assailant. Further complicating matters, the prioress is under assault herself by monks who seek to control the nunnery's fortunes to benefit their own institutions. "Eleanor's steadfast faith in a merciful God," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "must contend with the vicious nature of man in a compelling resolution." "Tautly woven," concluded Margaret Flanagan, reviewing the novel for Booklist, "this introspective period piece oozes with suspense and intrigue."

Justice for the Damned, the fourth volume in Royal's medieval mystery series, picks up Eleanor's story in Amesbury Priory, where she is visiting an aunt and recovering from a serious illness. Her recuperation is interrupted by the discovery of a headless man on the banks of the local river. His son, who had threatened to kill his father, is held complicit in the crime. In addition, according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor, "both the villagers and some members of the religious community are living in fear of a ghost they say haunts the riverbank." In the meantime, Brother Thomas—who had been sent to the area to recover a valuable manuscript—finds the book he seeks clasped in the arms of a dead monk. Both Thomas and Eleanor have to confront their own feelings while trying to unravel the mystery that confronts them. "The author subtly treats the erotic charge surrounding Eleanor and Thomas," said a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "while shedding light on 13th-century understandings of sexuality." "Justice for the Damned," stated Mary Ann Smyth in her Bookloons review, "is a prize plum for the history buff. And if mysteries are also your bag, you have hit nirvana."

Royal introduces a new sleuth in Favas Can Be Fatal. Her protagonist is Alice McDoughall, "a full-figured, middle-aged, amateur detective who appreciates good food, fine wine, and convivial discourse," explained Judith Markowitz in the Lambda Book Report. "She surges through her debut novel leaving a trail of social critiques and stunned secondary characters in her ample wake." Alice feels herself called to investigate a case of food poisoning at a friend's restaurant. The case, which threatens to close the restaurant, is complicated by an attempted murder by stabbing. "By turns, Alice charms and harasses her weird and wonderful suspects," Selina Rodrigues stated in her Chroma review of the novel. "Despite a few minor plot holes, you'll want to know whodunit in this tale of the surreal relationship between sleepy small town characters and the powerful, beautiful folk of San Francisco bay."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 15, 2004, Jennifer Baker, review of Tyrant of the Mind, p. 712; January 1, 2006, Margaret Flanagan, review of Sorrow without End, p. 69.

Bookwatch, February, 2005, review of Tyrant of the Mind.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2007, review of Justice for the Damned.

Lambda Book Report, summer, 2006, Judith Markowitz, review of Favas Can Be Fatal.

Library Journal, December, 2003, Rex E. Klett, review of Wine of Violence, p. 171; November 1, 2004, Rex E. Klett, review of Tyrant of the Mind, p. 60.

Publishers Weekly, November 10, 2003, review of Wine of Violence, p. 46; November 15, 2004, review of Tyrant of the Mind, p. 44; November 21, 2005, review of Sorrow without End, p. 30; April 16, 2007, review of Justice for the Damned, p. 35.