Synopsis:
14th century nun Hildegard makes a hazardous journey from England to Italy in search of a holy relic, and finds herself embroiled a both a murder mystery and a political intrigue involving King Richard.

Review:
I’m afraid I don’t remember enough of Mrs. Philips’s eight grade British History class in order to appreciate Cassandra Clark’s The Red Velvet Turnshoe. I really liked Hildegard’s spunk and levelheadedness, but got lost in the details whenever the plot turned towards politics. I was also surprised by how a-theological the story was. For a nun, Hildegard didn’t spend much time thinking or talking about spiritual matters. I found that to be a bit strange.