Bloomsbury U.K.
Available: 02/19/07
5.08 x 7.80 · 304 pages
978-0-7475-8890-0 CDN $15.95 · pb

Ages 12 and up

The Falconer’s Knot

A Tale of Friars, Fear and Foul Play

Mary Hoffman

From the popular author of the Stravanganza books, The Falconer’s Knot is both a teen romance and a gutsy murder thriller: a teenager’s Name of the Rose with friars, fright and foul play.

In 14th-century Italy, Silvano has been wrongfully accused of murder and Chiara has been ousted from her family for having no marriage prospects. The two teenagers meet when they are forced to seek refuge in a convent and a friary. When not just one murder, but then another, and then another, happen to both the friars and their guests, Chiara and Silvano try to solve a deadly mystery.

Amidst all the action of this atmospheric murder mystery, author Mary Hoffman depicts in intricate detail the lives and tasks of the friars and nuns, from crushing pigments to create paints for the artists painting frescoes in nearby Assisi to the daily and nightly religious rituals. All the historical detail has been carefully researched.

The Falconer’s Knot is a rich mystery thriller with a huge cast of characters and an incredible setting that guarantees an enjoyable read.

Mary Hoffman (West Oxfordshire, U.K.) is the author of the popular Stravaganza series.