Royal, Priscilla 1944(?)–

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Royal, Priscilla 1944(?)–

PERSONAL: Born c. 1944. Education: San Francisco State University, B.A.; graduate study at University of California, Berkeley.

ADDRESSES: Home—CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Poisoned Pen Press, 6962 E. 1st Ave., Ste. 103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. E-mail—tynprior@aol.com.

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.

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."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 15, 2004, Jennifer Baker, review of Tyrant of the Mind, p. 712.

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

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.