In the Château: A Frances Yates Mystery

When renowned British historian Dame Frances Yates is invited to deliver a talk regarding the Hermetic Tradition at a conference of women religious of the Americas at the historic Ursuline Convent in Québec, she uncovers a ring of plagiarists thriving in the local institutions of higher learning.

Once again, during her visit, Dame Frances savors culinary delights and admires historic sites, illustrating the complex history of Canada.

About the Author

Creator of Frances Yates mysteries, Marjorie G. Jones is also her first biographer: Frances Yates and the Hermetic Tradition (Ibis Press, 2008). Her biography of Philadelphia Quaker Mary Vaux Walcott, known as the Audubon of Botany, The Life and Times of Mary Vaux Walcott, was published in 2015 (Schiffer Publishing).

Interested especially in women’s spiritual journeys, Jones is a graduate of Wheaton College (Norton, MA), the Rutgers School of Law, and the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research in NYC, where she wrote her thesis on the unpublished papers of Frances Yates.

A member of the Women Writing Women’s Lives seminar of biographers in NYC, she has taught history and government at the New School, Mercy College NY, and for college degree programs at Sing Sing and SCI Graterford prisons.

With her husband, she resides in Center City, Philadelphia.

 This book ships in 7-10 business days

Reviews

In The Chateau Cannot be Missed!

‘In the Chateau’ is an engrossing novel which highlights the minds of women. It’s just what we need in a time when a woman’s voice is increasingly likely to be dampened or silenced altogether. As Ms. Jones writes: “the contribution of the valiant women who came to the Americas during this same period have been ignored and…are missing from the pages of history.” Too seldom are women featured as clever and supportive of other women without diminishing their own value. Perhaps most refreshing is the generous scattering of references to other works by women about women, as well as stories of women throughout history that are often left forgotten, representing an uplifting spirit at its finest.

Marjorie Jones brings every scene to life with exquisite, sumptuous descriptions that set the scene from cuisine to décor. These details never feel laborious and instead seem necessary. It is effortless to imagine oneself as a spectator in the room and a tourist sampling the many wonders and hidden secrets of Québec, both past and present. The mystery is as engrossing as the ambiance, with our heroine naturally finding mystery and intrigue as naturally as breathing. The cultural landscape of Québec is woven into the fabric of the narrative, lending a heightened realism to the narrative that inevitably sweeps the reader away and inevitably draws them in at every turn. I cannot recommend ‘In the Chateau’ highly enough!