Description: Dispatched to Whitby Abbey to barter for a Holy Relic, Hildegard of Meaux is plunged into a baffling murder investigation in this gripping medieval mystery. Late December, 1389. Ordered to undertake a grueling three-day journey to bleak Whitby Abbey in the far north of England in a bid to purchase the Abbey's priceless Holy Relic--a lock of St. Hild's hair, said to be 700 years old--Hildegard of Meaux and her three companion monks arrive to find the Abbey a decidedly unwelcoming place, a place of strange customs and practices very different from their modest lifestyle at Meaux. Nor, as Hildegard discovers, is she the only visitor intent on acquiring the Relic. Before the bidding war can begin, a body is discovered in the monastery's apple store shed, and once again Hildegard is plunged into a baffling murder investigation where nothing is as it first appears. Something is rotten in the heart of Whitby Abbey--and it's up to Hildegard to discover the truth.
Brief description: Originally from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in Northeast England, audiobook narrator Pearl Hewitt currently lives with her husband and two children in Houston, Texas. Over the years she has worked as a customer service rep, a teaching assistant, and a teacher, but deep down there was always a performer wanting to get out. In 2007 her twelve-year-old son told her that he believed she was so good at reading stories out loud that she should do that as a job. That was her defining, eureka! moment, and she's never looked back. Pearl discovered the world of voice-overs and pursued a career in voice acting. She attended workshops, training seminars, and conferences, and began volunteering as the resident mystery and suspense narrator for Houston Sight-Into-Sound Radio, where her work earned numerous IAAIS awards for narration and production. In 2012 Pearl decided to focus on audiobooks, and her professional career blossomed while working directly with authors and narrating for a number of major publishers. Pearl's voice is perfectly suited to British Regency romance and cozy murder mysteries, but her personal favorites are the classics, especially children's literature.
Review Quotes:
"Excellent...a standout in the crowded medieval mystery field."
-- "Publisher Weekly (starred review)"