12th century France ( )

Catherine LeVendeur finds herself enmeshed in mysterious occurrences again in this tenth novel in the series. This time, Catherine's noble relations appear to be suffering from a curse as a well dries up and a besieging army approaches. Despite the legends and stories, the practical Catherine attempts to cut through the tales in order to discover the truth behind the strange happenings. As always, Sharan Newman excels in creating a believable portrayal of the medieval world as well as weaving a gripping plot. ( )