The Reeve's Tale — Margaret Frazer

As reeve of the small village of Prior Byfield. Simon Perryn must rule on many local disputes--a task he often shares with the steward of St. Frideswide's nunnery. But when the steward is accused of dishonesty and forced to step aside, the worldly Dame Frevisse is sent in to replace him.

Her new duties thrust the reluctant Frevisse into the conflicts, rivalries, and domestic dramas of the locals-and when an illness sweeps through the town, the overworked nun must stay to tend to the sick so as not to expose the nunnery to the disease. But Frevisse must divide her time between nursing and sleuthing after two villagers are brutally killed. As death casts a cloud over Prior Byfield, fear and suspicion reign--and Frevisse's keen deductions lead her closer to the disturbing truth...