A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin

Adelia is back in this thrilling fourth installment of the Mistress of the Art of Death series

In 1176, King Henry II sends his ten-year-old daughter, Joanna, to Palermo to marry William II of Sicily. War on the Continent and outbreaks of plague make it an especially dangerous journey, so the king selects as his daughter’s companion the woman he trusts most: Adelia Aguilar, his mistress of the art of death. As a medical doctor and native of Sicily, it will be Adelia’s job to travel with the princess and safeguarding her health until the wedding.

Adelia wants to refuse—accompanying the royal procession means leaving behind her nine-year-old daughter. Unfortunately, Henry has arranged for the girl to live at court, both as a royal ward and as a hostage to ensure that Adelia will return to the king’s service. So Adelia sets off for a yearlong royal procession. Accompanying her on the journey are her Arab companion, Mansur, her lover, Rowley, and an unusual newcomer: the Irish sea captain O’Donnell, who may prove more useful to Adelia than Rowley would like.

But another man has joined the procession—a murderer bent on the worst kind of revenge. When people in the princess’s household begin to die, Adelia and Rowley suspect that the killer is hiding in plain sight. Is his intended victim the princess . . . or Adelia herself?

Having spent a couple of years living in relative obscurity, happily raising her daughter, sharing her home with her friends and when possible spending time with her lover, Rowley, Adelia Aguilar is not best pleased when she is summoned by King Henry II. He has a task for her. She has been chosen to accompany the King's young daughter Joanna from England to her wedding in Sicily. Also in the party is Rowley and her Arab companion Mansur but her daughter is going to be lodging with Queen Eleanor, both for her development, but also as surety that Adelia will return to England.

The journey itself is dangerous. The procession goes through France, to Aquitaine, through the Languedoc region where the Cathar heresy is spreading and so is the Church's eagerness and enthusiasm in squashing that faith, and then onto Sicily. Along the way the young princess is accompanied by a large party. There are her servants, her ladies in waiting, the requisite churchmen, a few knights and soldiers. For different parts of the journey we also get glimpses of her brothers, Young Henry and Richard, who is now most famously known as Richard the Lionheart. We also spend time in the court at Aquitaine, famous for courtly love and also in the inhospitable mountains of the Languedoc region of France where Adelia comes into contact with two Cathar women and very nearly finds herself being treated as one.

In keeping with the attitudes of the time, Mansur and Adelia are mistrusted by many of their travelling companions, especially after some of their travelling companions begin to be murdered. It isn't clear though exactly who it is that is the target. Is it the princess? Is it someone who is hoping to steal the priceless treasure that is travelling with the party, or is it someone who is targeting Adelia herself?

I never thought I would find myself saying this about a Ariana Franklin/Diana Norman novel, but I didn't really enjoy this one that much.There are a number of reasons why.

The first is that the author used quite an unusual technique in that where ever we were inside the thoughts of the characters then those thoughts were italicised. No great drama there, except that we spent the majority of time inside the thoughts of Scarry, who is the villain of the piece but then we were following Adelia's thoughts, and then back to Scarry. At one point, I was waiting for us to get a glimpse into the thoughts of the dog. And yes, we know the whole time through the book who the villain is. What we don't know is who he is disguised as and what role he has within the travelling party. That mystery in itself is not too badly handled.

The second is that I didn't like Rowley as much as I usually do. I have liked Rowley in the previous books with his unusual mix of knight and churchman sensibilities. Here is a man who is in love with a woman but is restricted from being able to be with her because he was appointed to a role within the church and because of her occupation and beliefs. In this book he has morphed into a jealous and domineering lover (and yes, you are reminded repeatedly that he and Adelia are lovers). It is difficult for Adelia and Rowley because he is a church man and therefore can not be seen to have a lover and so they are forced to stay away from one another during the procession, but at one stop on their journey he hires a room for them, and basically on arrival he walks in and says " Renting this hovel is costing me a fortune. Now get your clothes off."  Yes, he was always a man's man with man's needs but it just didn't feel to me as though this is the way that Rowley would have spoken to Adelia in the previous books.

Adelia was also a bit more petulant than she normally seemed to be to me, often being angry with Rowley and Mansur and not speaking to them etc. Admittedly everyone around her seemed to know what was happening to her and they did their best to make sure that she didn't know which annoyed  her, but still. I didn't like this aspect of her character.

I am not sure if it is that I am not remembering this from the previous books but it seems to me that this book was a lot coarser than the earlier books in the series. For example, at one point the Bishop of Avergnon is imagining the burning at the stake of a Cathar woman and the description given is:

When Gerhardt had gone, his lord poured himself another glass of the vintage from his vineyard near Carcassonne and sipped it while he engineered a new vision of Ermengarde his black-clad tauntress, this time tied to a stake with faggots laid around her feet.

He saw himself thrusting a torch into the wood like a penis into her parts and sighed because, alas, that pleasure must be left to the executioner. One day, though, yes, yes, one day, the flames he'd light would consume them all...men, women, and children.

This really was most excellent wine.

There were also a number of new characters introduced from a new maid named Boggart, and the charismatic, charming, almost swashbuckling captain O'Donnell. I am not sure what the purpose of introducing O'Donnell was really. I liked O'Donnell a lot, and I would be happy to read more about him, but without giving too much away it almost seemed as though it was an unfulfilled attempt at a love triangle. I suspect though that we will see more of O'Donnell in future books in the series, which may give us more insight into what the author was trying to achieve.

In no way am I suggesting that I am giving up on this author, because I have enjoyed far too many of her books over the last few years to let one disappointment get in my way. I might be a little more wary though when I start the next book.


Rating: 3/5

Grave Goods: A Mistress of the Art of Death Novel by Ariana Franklin (Book 3)

Two years after the events of The Serpent's Tale, the Celts continue to fight Henry's rule, believing that King Arthur will return to repel the invading Saxons. When two bodies are discovered, Henry calls on Adelia to prove they are those of Arthur and Guinevere. If she does, the Celts should fall into line. In her third mystery featuring King Henry II's mistress of the art of death, Ariana Franklin delivers another perfect mix of history, legend, mystery, and thriller.

I love this series! It is a must-buy when a new book comes out. Unfortunately, I now have to wait a year for the next book to be released! If there is a next book. I am not even entirely sure how many books there are supposed to be in the end. One of the things about these being must-buys is that I often have no idea what the book is about. I was reading the back of the book when I bought it and discovered for the first time that this book had a connection to Arthur and Guinevere. Considering Arthurian literature is one of my favourite types, I was very curious to see how Franklin was going to pull things off because Arthur (if he really existed) would have been dead for quite some time before the events in the novel took place.

As the description says, this series is a mix of 'history, legend, mystery, and thriller'. I think that is why I like it so much. Adelia is the mistress of the art of death. Her parents let her lead a very unconventional life for the times, so she is in essence ahead of her time. She has a good grasp of anatomy and this is how she figures out the secrets of those that are deceased. For our times, it is nothing quite so revolutionary, but for Adelia's time it was something that she had to keep almost entirely a secret. King Henry II knows the secret, though, and he calls on her to solve his mysteries for him. This time it has been revealed that it is entirely possible that Arthur and Guinevere were buried in Glastonbury. Henry has been fighting a war with the Saxons who believe that Arthur is in hiding and will come back and help them win. Henry very much wants these bodies to be the famous couple so that he can put an end to this disasterous war. As a result, Adelia is sent to Glastonbury to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Glastonbury has just recently suffered a great fire which destroyed most of the buildings and the town. Part of the mystery is figuring out just how the fire was set. In the midst of the fire and the bones, though, there is a lot more going on. Things are never straight forward for Adelia. The person that is believed to have set the fire is now deceased, but he had his followers. The followers believe that he was in fact innocent and want the Mistress to prove it. Then, there are the dark things that are happening in the woods that line the king's road. That aspect of the book is a little creepy. I read so much fantasy, though, that I think I was reading a bit too much into things. And, that is just the beginning of all the things that Adelia finds herself swept up in. Franklin never has just one story that she follows from beginning to end, there is always a lot going on amongst the pages. I think that is one of the reasons why her series is popular.

While I didn't like this book as much as the first book in the series, I am still a big fan of the series and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Adelia is a great main character, but I am also very fond of many of the secondary characters. I strongly recommend this series!

The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin

In twelfth-century England, one remarkable woman is trained to uncover the final secrets of the dead.

Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonising death by poison - and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.

Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter. But Henry's summons can not be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of Saint Albans, who is also her baby's father.

Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, a tower within a walled maze - a strange and sinister place from the outside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken to the nunnery in Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries.

Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia watchs as dead bodies begin piling up. The murders are somehow connected with Rosamund's demise. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war.

Marg says:

It's fair to say that I really enjoy the work of British author Diana Norman, whether we are talking about the straight historical novels that she publishes under that name, or the historical mysteries that she has started to write under the pen name of Ariana Franklin.

With the character of Adelia Aguilar, we have a character who can take us to the heart of a medieval murder, in the same way that we can see when we watch TV series like CSI. She has been specially trained in the medical schools of Italy to investigate the hows and whys of peoples deaths. In the previous book in the series, Adelia found herself in King Henry II's England, and with this book she is summoned again by the king himself to investigate and see whether his beloved mistress, Rosamund Clifford, may have been murdered, even though she lives in a tower in the middle of a barely accessible maze.

What complicates the investigation this time is that Adelia not only has to look after her own safety, and the safety of her friends, but also that of her daughter. She is being accompanied during her investigation Rowley Picot, a man of many masks - the King's trusted fixer, Bishop, Adelia's ex lover, and father of her child.

For me, one of the strongest parts of this novel was when all the characters were snowed in together for a good length of time. With everyone eager to impress Queen Eleanor who has unexpectedly arrived, and who is looking to start an uprising against her husband for her own reasons, life in a small community is difficult enough, let alone when you are trying to investigate a crime, and keep the Queen happy at the same time.

There is less of the investigation aspect used in this novel, and more interaction with the other characters, most of them have more than one agenda. As the body count grows, Adelia must protect her people, untangle the complicated relationships, and find the murderers of a several people.

I know that there are people who have read the first novel for whom the relationship with Rowley didn't really work, but it really doesn't bother me. I like that there is a chance for Adelia to be loved for the strong and intelligent woman that she is, even if it is a love that has to be constrained by time, distance and circumstance. It probably helps that I like Rowley a lot.

Overall, another fun read, from a fine historical author. I look forward to reading Grave Goods, the third book in the series, which is due to be released in March 2009. It is probably worth mentioning that this book has also been released under a different title in some countries - Death Maze.

Kailana says:

After reading Mistress of the Art of Death last year, I was very excited to read this book by her and see what was going to happen next. Many of the cast of characters from the previous book are present, so the reader gets a chance to watch the characters grow even more in this book. Once again, the book is centred around Adelia Aguilar, the forsenics expert, so the vast amount of the story is told from her point of view.

The awkward part of this book, and the previous one, was the romance angle. It was not a terrible decision, but it does not really flow for me with the rest of the book. Now, Adelia has an infant daughter that has to be worked in to the storyline, so that makes things even more complicated. She loves her daughter, hates leaving her for even a moment, so she is not the same Adelia from the previous book in many ways. She is still capable of tracking down a killer, but there is not as much forensic work in this novel as in the previous one. Adelia is also caught between two feuding monarches, so it was really interesting for Franklin to add Queen Eleanor to the storyline and actually give her a presence in the book.

Adelia had been leading a quiet life since the events of the last novel, but now the kings favourite mistress has been killed, and he wants Adelia to get to the bottom of it. Adelia would be just as happy to stay where she is, but if the king commands it, she has to answer the call. A mistresses death is not the only event that Adelia will get wrapped up in, so be ready for some adventures similiar to the previous novel. When the pieces come together you will not be sure if you are surprised or you expected things to work out that way.

Overall, I enjoyed this second novel in the series. I think I liked book one better, but at the same time the events are a bit different so it is hard to make an exact comparision between the two. Franklin is an excellent writer, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I strongly recommend this book to those that like mystery or historical fiction, you will not be disappointed!

(Kailana's review originally posted February 12 2008)

Book release frustration

You know how there are sometimes books that you are just waiting to come out with a great sense of anticpation?? I have a few of those, but despite the fact that I check the online stores and the library catalogue every couple of days, they don't seem to be showing the titles I am waiting for. Today, I took it a step further to see whether I could track down any information on the publisher's website, and I have to say, the news wasn't that great!

The Death Mask by Ariana Franklin won't be released here until May 15 - it came out in other countries in December last year, under a different title I know but surely that doesn't justify such a delay surely.

Also released late last year was Libba Bray's The Sweet Far Thing. Is it going to be released here. Well, yes, but not until 1 July! Six months after the rest of the world! Gah!

No sign at all of a release date for The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig.

Usually it doesn't matter so much, but I am awaiting these anxiously!


What books are other people waiting for with great anticipation?

The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin

King Henry II's mistress, Rosamund, has been poisoned, and Adelia Aguilar, the intriguing forensics expert first introduced in Mistress of the Art of Death, once again is charged by King Henry to find the murderer. But there is more at stake than the identity of a killer: Civil war threatens to ravage an already war-sick England as Henry's Queen Eleanor rallies troops to depose him. Adelia, now the mother of an infant daughter, is reunited with her lover, Rowley Picot, Henry's loyal bishop. As more savage killings ensue, Adelia works feverishly to save innocents and protect the peace.

After reading Mistress of the Art of Death last year, I was very excited to read this book by her and see what was going to happen next. Many of the cast of characters from the previous book are present, so the reader gets a chance to watch the characters grow even more in this book. Once again, the book is centred around Adelia Aguilar, the forsenics expert, so the vast amount of the story is told from her point of view.

The awkward part of this book, and the previous one, was the romance angle. It was not a terrible decision, but it does not really flow for me with the rest of the book. Now, Adelia has an infant daughter that has to be worked in to the storyline, so that makes things even more complicated. She loves her daughter, hates leaving her for even a moment, so she is not the same Adelia from the previous book in many ways. She is still capable of tracking down a killer, but there is not as much forensic work in this novel as in the previous one. Adelia is also caught between two feuding monarches, so it was really interesting for Franklin to add Queen Eleanor to the storyline and actually give her a presence in the book.

Adelia had been leading a quiet life since the events of the last novel, but now the kings favourite mistress has been killed, and he wants Adelia to get to the bottom of it. Adelia would be just as happy to stay where she is, but if the king commands it, she has to answer the call. A mistresses death is not the only event that Adelia will get wrapped up in, so be ready for some adventures similiar to the previous novel. When the pieces come together you will not be sure if you are surprised or you expected things to work out that way.

Overall, I enjoyed this second novel in the series. I think I liked book one better, but at the same time the events are a bit different so it is hard to make an exact comparision between the two. Franklin is an excellent writer, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I strongly recommend this book to those that like mystery or historical fiction, you will not be disappointed!

Happy New Year!

Or at least, I wish the new year would hurry up and get here! Once the fall gets over I find myself in a 'lull' period, impatiently awaiting the books that I am looking forward to in the New Year. I find that more often than not I suffer from 'feast or famine' periods with my book purchases. I know that the book publishers do this on purpose, but it does not mean it is enjoyable!

So, what am I looking forward to in the New Year, you might be asking? The new Sandra Gulland book, the new Anne Easter Smith book, and the new Conn Iggulden book to name a few. Not to mention the next book in Ariana Franklin's series! Sandra Gullan keeps rereleasing the same books over and over again with different covers and styles, so it is about time that she came out with a new book. I think anyways!

Her new book is titled Mistress of the Sun. I wonder if she is nervous. The first three books she wrote were highly successful, but will this one match up is the question...

The author of the internationally acclaimed Josephine B. trilogy returns with another deeply enchanting historical novel, this one based on the life of an extraordinary horsewoman, Louise de la Vallière, the brave and spirited child of minor nobility who, against all odds, grows up to become one of the most mysterious consorts of France's King Louis XIV, the charismatic Sun King.

Set against the magnificent decadence of the 17th-century court of the Sun King, Mistress of the Sun begins when the eccentric young Louise falls in love with a wild white stallion and uses ancient magic to tame him. This one desperate action of youth shadows her throughout her life, changing it in ways she could never imagine.

Unmarriageable and too poor to join a convent, she enters the court of the Sun King as a maid of honour, where she captures - and then tragically loses - the King's heart. Mistress of the Sun illuminates, through the resurrection of a fascinating female figure from the dark corners of history, both the power of true love and the rash actions we take to capture and tame it.

Sandra Gulland's previous work brought Josephine Bonaparte magnificently to life in three immediately addictive bestselling novels. Beginning with The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Gulland established an entirely new gold standard for the art of historical fiction. Mistress of the Sun - a riveting love story with a captivating mystery at its centre - is a welcome reward for all those who have waited so patiently for its arrival.

Then, FINALLY, I get a new book from Anne Easter Smith. Her first novel, A Rose for the Crown, was one of my favourite reads of 2006, so I am so excited to see her next effort. It is called Daughter of York.

Following A Rose for the Crown, Anne's new book, Daughter of York, tells the compelling story of Margaret, Plantagenet princess and sister of Edward IV and Richard III. Daughter of York also re-visits some of the characters from "A ROSE FOR THE CROWN," as we follow Margaret from the court of England where, as a pawn in Edward's political schemes, she is kept single until she is 22, when a Burgundian alliance is forged through her marriage to Charles the Bold, the new Duke of Burgundy.

Recently, I became a bit of a Conn Iggulden fangirl. I am just not always very interested in 'female' literature. Conn Iggulden is more compelling with his novel about Genghis Khan. I do not mind a bit of battle and bloodshed in my novels. I am so thrilled that he has a new book out so soon after I read the last one. I just hope that it does not suffer from second book problems!
I have not been able to find a description, though. This one comes out pretty soon into the New Year, so it will be a Christmas present for myself, that is for sure!

Lastly, I will mention Ariana Franklin. Her previous novel, Mistress of the Art of Death, surprised me because I did not think it would be my sort of novel. I loved it, though, and I cannot wait to revisit the characters!

Ariana Franklin combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the drama of historical fiction in the enthralling second novel in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, featuring medieval heroine Adelia Aguilar.

Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison-and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.

Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter, Allie. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of St. Albans, who is also her baby's father.

Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth-a strange and sinister place from the outside, but far more so on the inside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken captive by Eleanor's henchmen and held in the nunnery of Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries, awaiting the right moment to launch their rebellion.

Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia and Rowley watch as dead bodies begin piling up. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war . . .

All I can say is

Dear Santa,

It would be most wonderful if you could hurry up the next book release period because I would very much like to find out what happened next and I am not enjoying this whole 'waiting thing'! And, that is not even all the books I am looking forward to next year. If it could come just a little quicker I would be most happy!

Sincerely,

A Very Impatient Book Worm!

Diana Norman

One of my favourite historical fiction authors has interviewed one of my favourite historical fiction authors!

Rosina Lippi, who writes the great Into the Wilderness trilogy under the name Sara Donati has interviewed Diana Norman, who wrote the Makepeace Burke trilogy amongst other books and Mistress of the Art of Death under the name Ariana Franklin.

If you are interested in reading the interview, click here.


Pssst....there's a chance to win some books as well, in case you needed extra incentive.

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

These reviews were previously posted on our personal blogs, so if you read Marg and Kailana's blogs, you have already read them. New content coming soon!

In Cambridge, a child has been hideously murdered and other children have disappeared. The Jews, made scapegoats by the all-powerful Christian clergy, have been forced to retreat into the castle to avoid slaughter by angry townspeople.

Henry, King of England, is displeased. The Jews provide a large part of his revenue and therefore the real killer must be found, and quickly. A renowned investigator, Simon of Naples, is recruited and he arrives in town from the continent accompanied by an Arab and a young woman, Adelia Aguilar.

There are few female doctors in twelfth century Europe, but Adelia is one of them, having qualified at the great School of Medicine in Salerno. What's more, her speciality is the study of corpses; she is, in fact, a mistress of the art of death, a skill that must be concealed in case she's accused of witchcraft.

Adelia's investigation takes her deep into Cambridge, its castle and convents and in a medieval city teeming with life, Adelia makes friends and even finds romance. And, fatally, the attention of a murderer who is prepared to kill again.

Marg says:

As soon as I learned that the name Ariana Franklin was a pseudonym for Diana Norman, I added it to my TBR list! I did, however, have to wait a little while for it to come onto the library list but it did eventually! I was a bit worried that it wasn't going to because the first book written under this name (City of Shadows) still hasn't made it onto the catalogue! I am too impatient after reading this one...I've ordered it from The Book Depository (have I mentioned recently how much I love that store...it is so much cheaper for me to buy books from there than it is to go into a bookstore here.)

A young boy is found murdered and because he was crucified before being found in the river, the finger of blame has been pointed at the Jews of Cambridge. Now two more children are missing, the townspeople have revolted against the Jews, and now the Jews are sheltering in the castle. This situation doesn't make anyone happy - least of all the volatile King Henry II, who now not only has to feed all these people, but whose treasury is now falling woefully short of funds because the Jews are not paying him his share! Something must be done.

And so, at the behest of the King of Sicily, our main characters enter the story. He has agreed to send some investigators to help hopefully clear the name of the Cambridge Jews, to find out who the murderer really was, and to set matters to rights again. The group that is sent to England is an interesting one. There is Simon the Jew, Mansur the Saracen and a young female doctor by the name of Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar. Whilst a female doctor is not all that unusual in the medical schools of Salerno, it is unheard of in 12th century England, and steps have to be taken to make it appear as though Mansur is the doctor in order to ensure that there are no accusations of witchcraft. Even in Salerno Adelia is somewhat unusual though, because she is no ordinary doctor. She is a Mistress of the Art of Death, someone who looks at a body and tries to figure out how they died - performing an early kind of autopsy.

The book opens at a cracking pace, with all of the main characters, including our investigators, a prioress and a prior who never see eye to eye, a couple of crusader knights, the king's tax man all travelling together in convoy heading towards Cambridge. Unfortunately the prior has a very delicate problem. He is unable to urinate, and his bladder is in danger of bursting, so it is Adelia to the rescue, performing a very sensitive operation on the Prior, and thus ensuring that they have at least one person on their side once they get to Cambridge. Coincidentally, as the group arrive in the town, so the bodies of the other missing children turn up to, and so Adelia is able to commence her examinations.

It isn't long before the townspeople know that they have a new doctor in town, and so not only are the investigators required to try and determined how and why the children died, and who killed them, but also maintain the masquerade that Mansur is the doctor and Adelia is his assistant.

With the field of suspects narrowing, everyone is now in danger, and Adelia and her companions must decide who to trust, especially as she is feeling a growing attachment to one of the suspects, who is the King's tax man, Sir Rowley Picolt. The growing relationship between the two of them was deftly handled, without being completely cliched, and whilst the resolution may have been somewhat unusual and unlikely, it did suit the two characters involved.

With a great group of supporting characters, colourful descriptions of time and place, conflict between Church and state, between religions and between man and woman, there is a lot going on in this novel, but for the most part the author manages to keep all the threads in hand and neatly weaves them together for a very chilling showdown with the killer, and the resulting trials were very dramatic as well.

The characters that have been introduced in this book are certainly interesting and colourful, and would fit naturally in a series, so I was glad to hear that there is another Mistress book to come! No idea when it is coming..but just the fact that it is is enough for now!

Kailana Says:

When I first was made aware of this book, I was not sure if it was really my sort of book. Then, I began to hear a bit about it, and I got curious, so when I saw it at the store the other day I decided to pick it up and see what it was all about. I am very happy to report that I enjoyed the writing style immensely.

This novel covers a period in time for Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, a doctor of Salerno. Adelia, as she is called in the book, is from a place that is revolutionary for its time because it allows her to become a doctor. Found abandoned when she was just a baby, she is taken in by two doctors. Her potential is seen from an early age, and so she begins the life of study to become a doctor. She is not a doctor to the living, though, she is a doctor to the dead, and through her the dead speak. She hears their stories by looking at their bodies and makes sure that the truth is discovered.

In Cambridge, the setting of this book, Simon of Naples, an investigator, is called upon to find out what is killing children in the area. The King has turned to the King of Sicily for aid, and they have decided that a doctor should also go to aid the investigation. The head of the medical centre there believes that Adelia is the best person for the job, even if she is a female and will have to hide the fact that she is a doctor while in Cambridge so as to not be accused of witchcraft. It is her bodyguard, Mansur, who is believed to be the doctor for the majority of the time that they are in Cambridge. He is unable to speak English, so it is easy to make it look like he is giving Adelia instructions when really it is she that is instructing him.

When they are called to Cambridge, only three children had been murdered, but on their way there, another one has been added. The first is a boy named Peter, who the prioress of Radegund wants to see sainted. She even has an exhibition set up where people can go to touch his bones and reap healing qualities. The other three victims are Ulf, Harold and Mary. It is up to Adelia to hear their cries for help and for Simon to get to the bottom of the murders. Things do not alway work out how they are supposed to, though, and there are a lot of twists and turns before the end is reached.

There are other interesting characters found in the novel. There is Gyltha, the housekeeper, who keeps the little band of characters together. There is Prior Geoffrey, a religious man, who meets Adelia under some embarassing circumstances, but is her ally from there on. There is Sir Rowley Picot who becomes an unlikely ally and a likely suspect. There is Prioress Joan, who is the Head of Saint Radegund and an interesting character from Ariana to spend time with.

This book has a lot going on in it. It has the mystery aspect of who is killing the children and why now after so many years with no apparent deaths. Romance even comes to call in this book, even though the majority of the people have sworn off relationships for religious and personal reasons, but are starting to wonder if they made the right choice. Adelia is a very empowering female character for the times that this book is taking place during. She is risking her life for these children because she could easily be found out and accused of witchcraft. She worries me in the end, but she redeems herself in my books.

The question really is whether the murderer is the most likely person or is it someone that will shock readers everywhere. Read and find out!