Publication
G.P. Putnam's Sons (2007), Edition: First Edition, 400 pages
Original publication date
2007-02-05
Collections
Subjects
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Winner — 2007)
Macavity Award (Winner — Historical Mystery — 2008)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Winner — Mystery — 2008)
Gumshoe Award (Nominee — Mystery — 2008)
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML: The national bestselling hit hailed by the New York Times as a "vibrant medieval mystery...[it] outdoes the competition." In medieval Cambridge, England, Adelia, a female forensics expert, is summoned by King Henry II to investigate a series of gruesome murders that has wrongly implicated the Jewish population, yielding even more tragic results. As Adelia's investigation takes her behind the closed doors of the country's churches, the killer prepares to strike again..
User reviews
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Both a first class mystery and an excellent piece of historical fiction, The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin was a wonderful read. Dispatched to England from Salerno, Italy, Adelia Aguilar is that rarity of the twelfth century, a female doctor. Both that fact and, that she
Cambridge is being held in thrall by a serial killer, one that targets the most innocent and helpless, the children. The city is up in arms against the Jewish population, blaming them for the four children that have already been taken and murdered. Adelia and her companions enter the hunt and realize quickly that they are in search of a monster. Not sure whether she is being aided or thwarted, she finds herself butting heads with many, but in particular Sir Rowley Picot seems to be too interested in this investigation.
I can’t praise this book enough, the author tells her story in a wry, witty manner than lures the reader on. Well plotted with a mystery that is both chilling and gruesome, this book succeeds on many levels. We are given plenty of authentic historical detail be it the power of the Catholic Church, the treatment of Jews in medieval times, or basic knowledge on food, clothing and day-to-day events. Ariana Franklin , who is actually historical writer Diana Norman, knows of what she writes. A great introduction to what promises to be a wonderful series,
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specializes in reading the causes of death from corpses are kept hidden, as women were considered to have little brainpower or worth. Cambridge is being held in thrall by a serial killer, one that targets the most innocent and helpless, the children. The city is up in arms against the Jewish population, blaming them for the four children that have already been taken and murdered. Adelia and her companions enter the hunt and realize quickly that they are in search of a monster. Not sure whether she is being aided or thwarted, she finds herself butting heads with many, but in particular Sir Rowley Picot seems to be too interested in this investigation.
I can’t praise this book enough, the author tells her story in a wry, witty manner than lures the reader on. Well plotted with a mystery that is both chilling and gruesome, this book succeeds on many levels. We are given plenty of authentic historical detail be it the power of the Catholic Church, the treatment of Jews in medieval times, or basic knowledge on food, clothing and day-to-day events. Ariana Franklin , who is actually historical writer Diana Norman, knows of what she writes. A great introduction to what promises to be a wonderful series,
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LibraryThing member TadAD
I know I'm a bit late to the party reading this as it made the rounds of recommendations on LibraryThing a while back. I find that my expectations of books that everyone is raving about get a bit too high and it's best to let the hooplah die down before I try it...it tends to work out better for
That said, I'll add my recommendation if you like historical mysteries because Ariana Franklin has put together the entire package.
We've got a great setting: the England of Henry II, his struggles to assert control over the Church made complicated by the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket. We've got a good plot line: a serial killer preying on children in the town of Cambridge, Jews being scapegoated (particularly by the Church) and, as a consequence, the country's banking system unraveling. We've got an interesting premise for the main character: Henry's summons to Salerno for what we'd call a forensic pathologist results in Adelia Aguilar. She's the best qualified for the job...true...but misogynistic England is absolutely not ready for a 12th century Abby Scuito.
There are two things that take those beginnings and make this a great mystery. The first is the well-rounded characterizations. So often in mysteries, only the main character or two is given any depth. Everyone else is a two-dimensional cutout whose purpose is either: a) to serve as convenient red herrings, or b) to check off the boxes of the main character's life ("loving boyfriend...check...faithful housekeeper...check"). Franklin avoid this: from Adelia, to the boyfriend, and on to the housekeeper, each character is a distinct personality, each relationship is a complex one that can fail as easily as it could succeed.
The second is the seamlessness with which she glues everything together. Henry's struggle with the Church isn't some irrelevant piece of history glued onto the story in order to give is some period flavor. It's an integral component of the plot without which the story wouldn't work. The fact that Adelia is female doesn't come across as yet another far-fetched plot device intended to make this just one more in a long line of "quirky" mysteries. Rather, though the ideas that drove it might be a bit more of the 20th century than the 12th, Franklin tends to play by the rules and force Adelia and her companions to deal with the ramifications of her situation.
I may not be quite ready to replace Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael as my favorite Middle Ages sleuth; there are too many years of enjoying him. But, Adelia makes a good run for it and, if the later volumes in the series are on a par with this one, she may capture the title.
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me.That said, I'll add my recommendation if you like historical mysteries because Ariana Franklin has put together the entire package.
We've got a great setting: the England of Henry II, his struggles to assert control over the Church made complicated by the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket. We've got a good plot line: a serial killer preying on children in the town of Cambridge, Jews being scapegoated (particularly by the Church) and, as a consequence, the country's banking system unraveling. We've got an interesting premise for the main character: Henry's summons to Salerno for what we'd call a forensic pathologist results in Adelia Aguilar. She's the best qualified for the job...true...but misogynistic England is absolutely not ready for a 12th century Abby Scuito.
There are two things that take those beginnings and make this a great mystery. The first is the well-rounded characterizations. So often in mysteries, only the main character or two is given any depth. Everyone else is a two-dimensional cutout whose purpose is either: a) to serve as convenient red herrings, or b) to check off the boxes of the main character's life ("loving boyfriend...check...faithful housekeeper...check"). Franklin avoid this: from Adelia, to the boyfriend, and on to the housekeeper, each character is a distinct personality, each relationship is a complex one that can fail as easily as it could succeed.
The second is the seamlessness with which she glues everything together. Henry's struggle with the Church isn't some irrelevant piece of history glued onto the story in order to give is some period flavor. It's an integral component of the plot without which the story wouldn't work. The fact that Adelia is female doesn't come across as yet another far-fetched plot device intended to make this just one more in a long line of "quirky" mysteries. Rather, though the ideas that drove it might be a bit more of the 20th century than the 12th, Franklin tends to play by the rules and force Adelia and her companions to deal with the ramifications of her situation.
I may not be quite ready to replace Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael as my favorite Middle Ages sleuth; there are too many years of enjoying him. But, Adelia makes a good run for it and, if the later volumes in the series are on a par with this one, she may capture the title.
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LibraryThing member Talbin
In Mistress of the Art of Death, author Ariana Franklin brings us to 12th century Cambridge, England. Four children have gone missing, but only one body has been found. The people of Cambridge blame the city's Jews, believing they are using the children's blood in their rituals. King Henry II,
Mistress of the Art of Death is a cracking good story. Franklin does a very good job of keeping the mystery moving along while also including lots of fascinating period detail. I found her writing to be just a bit "dramatic" at times - especially in the first chapter - but overall she keeps the plot moving quickly along while drawing sharp portraits of the people involved. We manage to learn about 12th century medicine, the Crusades, the treatment of the Jews and about the Catholic Church while enjoying a good mystery at the same time. There are some rather gruesome details involved, so I would advise a reader who has a difficult time with the mutilation and sexual predation of children to tread carefully. However, Franklin treats all of her subjects with respect, and while there are some graphic details, she does not dwell on them and only reveals what is necessary to advance the plot.
This is the first book in a series about Adelia, and Franklin does a wonderful job of introducing (what I assume to be) the main characters and themes that will come in subsequent books while still presenting a well-rounded and complete story in this book. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series, A Serpent's Tale.
If you enjoy historical fiction, and especially if you enjoy mysteries, this is a must-read.
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however, doesn't believe this - in fact, he is sorely missing the tax revenues and ability to borrow money from the Jews in Cambridge, and wants the perpetrator brought to justice as quickly as possible so that tax revenues can resume. Henry calls on his cousin, the King of Sicily, to send Sicily's best "master of the art of death" - the earliest form of medical examiner. But the person chosen for the task is a woman, which in Salerno is uncommon but not unheard of, but in 12th century England is a dangerous proposition. Adelia, the Italian Mistress of the Art of Death, must conceal her identity so as not to be accused of witchcraft and to gain access to areas of the Catholic Church that do not take kindly to women. Along the way Adelia meets Sir Rowley Picot, a tax examiner who is also interested - perhaps too interested? - in the children's deaths.Mistress of the Art of Death is a cracking good story. Franklin does a very good job of keeping the mystery moving along while also including lots of fascinating period detail. I found her writing to be just a bit "dramatic" at times - especially in the first chapter - but overall she keeps the plot moving quickly along while drawing sharp portraits of the people involved. We manage to learn about 12th century medicine, the Crusades, the treatment of the Jews and about the Catholic Church while enjoying a good mystery at the same time. There are some rather gruesome details involved, so I would advise a reader who has a difficult time with the mutilation and sexual predation of children to tread carefully. However, Franklin treats all of her subjects with respect, and while there are some graphic details, she does not dwell on them and only reveals what is necessary to advance the plot.
This is the first book in a series about Adelia, and Franklin does a wonderful job of introducing (what I assume to be) the main characters and themes that will come in subsequent books while still presenting a well-rounded and complete story in this book. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series, A Serpent's Tale.
If you enjoy historical fiction, and especially if you enjoy mysteries, this is a must-read.
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LibraryThing member richardderus
"Mistress of the Art of Death" by Ariana Franklin was a group read here on LT...The Highly Rated Book Group sponsored it, with the game-though-gravid Vintage_Books leading us through some very trenchant questions about our impressions of both the book and the world it's set in...and thank goodness
Adelia Vesuvia, our sleuth, is a forensic physician in a time when I didn't know such existed. The twelfth century is a time period I find extremely fascinating. I've read a fair bit about this time, focusing on English and French history and the Crusades (those horrific events!); Catholic Church history at this time, when the schism from Eastern Orthodoxy was new and the invention of religious primacy in matters of the state was being consolidated, is also an interest of mine.
This book's evocation of that time is appealing to me precisely because it's relatively new to my somewhat jaded sensibilities. Salerno as the primary focus of Western medicine is a well-trodden path; the fact that Salernitan physicians could be women is not well-trodden, and the simple IDEA of forensics in this time...! Irresistable pulls for me, the historian-who-hated-school.
So I was disposed from the giddy-up to like the book. The author's execution was the primary unknown quantity for me. I am thrilled and delighted with the execution because the characters, while displaying anachronistic ideas and ideals, are quite believably constructed and supplied with plausible motivations for their divergent social attitudes. I can willingly suspend my disbelief at every turn where the story requires me to do so. That's very high praise from me!
Characterization, in a series mystery, is make-or-break. Do I, the reader, like this group of people enough to continue inviting them out to dinner? (The price of a hardcover book being equivalent to the price of an entree at a tablecloth restaurant; the trade paper to an entree at Applebee's or TGIFriday's; the rack-size to a value meal at the local McDonald's; which restaurant am I willing to take these characters to?) The answer, while unique to each individual, is the source of the publisher's and author's income. It behooves all parties to the preparation and publication of a mystery to consider this. The good people at Putnam, now a tentacle of the Penguin empire, have done a very very good job of making this assessment and bringing a solid, interesting cast of regulars to my table at Le Cirque.
Sir Rowley, Adelia Vesuvia's English suitor, is a fine example. He's three dimensional in his pursuit of her, not simply presented as out to get some one thing; I think of some of the characters in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries as contrasts to this quality of characterization. We're given to understand that Sir Rowley has goals and ambitions that Adelia Vesuvia can both forward and threaten in equal measure. His ultimate place in her life, and her in his, isn't a foregone conclusion. Both characters are presented as struggling with what the other means to them on multiple planes. That's just plain good storytelling. It will keep me buying hardcovers as long as Franklin keeps doing it.
The minor characters, eg Gyltha the housekeeper and Mansur the Moor, are deftly drawn as well. They don't, in contrast to many series mysteries, come across as convenient mouth-pieces for the author's needed plot developments. (*cough*PhryneFisher'sDot*cough*)
Finally, the integration of real political developments like Henry II's move to take control of the Church's legal framework in his empire, is seamless enough to take a moment to recall as factual instead of created. It's necessary to move this plot forward. But it's also the historical reality. Well done, madam! Seldom achieved in fiction, still less the less-respected "genre" fiction that mysteries are published as.
This is a four-and-a-half star recommended book. Sally forth and procure it from yon bookery.
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for that! It's a lot more fun to read a book in a group of like-minded people, ones who read on multiple levels like our brethren and sistern here on this site.Adelia Vesuvia, our sleuth, is a forensic physician in a time when I didn't know such existed. The twelfth century is a time period I find extremely fascinating. I've read a fair bit about this time, focusing on English and French history and the Crusades (those horrific events!); Catholic Church history at this time, when the schism from Eastern Orthodoxy was new and the invention of religious primacy in matters of the state was being consolidated, is also an interest of mine.
This book's evocation of that time is appealing to me precisely because it's relatively new to my somewhat jaded sensibilities. Salerno as the primary focus of Western medicine is a well-trodden path; the fact that Salernitan physicians could be women is not well-trodden, and the simple IDEA of forensics in this time...! Irresistable pulls for me, the historian-who-hated-school.
So I was disposed from the giddy-up to like the book. The author's execution was the primary unknown quantity for me. I am thrilled and delighted with the execution because the characters, while displaying anachronistic ideas and ideals, are quite believably constructed and supplied with plausible motivations for their divergent social attitudes. I can willingly suspend my disbelief at every turn where the story requires me to do so. That's very high praise from me!
Characterization, in a series mystery, is make-or-break. Do I, the reader, like this group of people enough to continue inviting them out to dinner? (The price of a hardcover book being equivalent to the price of an entree at a tablecloth restaurant; the trade paper to an entree at Applebee's or TGIFriday's; the rack-size to a value meal at the local McDonald's; which restaurant am I willing to take these characters to?) The answer, while unique to each individual, is the source of the publisher's and author's income. It behooves all parties to the preparation and publication of a mystery to consider this. The good people at Putnam, now a tentacle of the Penguin empire, have done a very very good job of making this assessment and bringing a solid, interesting cast of regulars to my table at Le Cirque.
Sir Rowley, Adelia Vesuvia's English suitor, is a fine example. He's three dimensional in his pursuit of her, not simply presented as out to get some one thing; I think of some of the characters in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries as contrasts to this quality of characterization. We're given to understand that Sir Rowley has goals and ambitions that Adelia Vesuvia can both forward and threaten in equal measure. His ultimate place in her life, and her in his, isn't a foregone conclusion. Both characters are presented as struggling with what the other means to them on multiple planes. That's just plain good storytelling. It will keep me buying hardcovers as long as Franklin keeps doing it.
The minor characters, eg Gyltha the housekeeper and Mansur the Moor, are deftly drawn as well. They don't, in contrast to many series mysteries, come across as convenient mouth-pieces for the author's needed plot developments. (*cough*PhryneFisher'sDot*cough*)
Finally, the integration of real political developments like Henry II's move to take control of the Church's legal framework in his empire, is seamless enough to take a moment to recall as factual instead of created. It's necessary to move this plot forward. But it's also the historical reality. Well done, madam! Seldom achieved in fiction, still less the less-respected "genre" fiction that mysteries are published as.
This is a four-and-a-half star recommended book. Sally forth and procure it from yon bookery.
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LibraryThing member tymfos
I have visions of Ariana Franklin learning that women were trained in medicine at Salerno during medieval times, and thinking, "there's got to be a historical novel or two in that fact!" However it came about, there was certainly a fine novel in the idea, and Ariana Franklin executed the idea
Adelia is trained in medieval medicine's version of pathology. The dead speak to her -- not in a metaphysical way, but by the details their bodies reveal to her upon examination. But when she is sent to England to investigate a string of child murders in Cambridge, she enters a society not at all accepting of a woman doctor; she must pose as "assistant" to Mansur, who in reality is her assistant, lest she be accused of witchcraft.
Children have been murdered, the local Jews have wrongly been blamed and are in hiding under guard in the castle. The bodies of the children, savagely abused, tell the story of a perverted killer on the loose -- but who is it? Who can be trusted? Why is Sir Rowley Picot so interested in the investigation? And as they close on the trail, there is another murder -- this time among Adelia's closest associates in investigating the crime -- and evidence has gone missing in the process. Will Adelia be the next target?
This story is a delightfully-told, suspenseful mystery about the search for a twisted killer on the loose. It's also full of fascinating details about the nature of English society under the reign of Henry II. Highly recommended.
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almost flawlessly in her fine historical murder mystery novel, "Mistress of the Art of Death."Adelia is trained in medieval medicine's version of pathology. The dead speak to her -- not in a metaphysical way, but by the details their bodies reveal to her upon examination. But when she is sent to England to investigate a string of child murders in Cambridge, she enters a society not at all accepting of a woman doctor; she must pose as "assistant" to Mansur, who in reality is her assistant, lest she be accused of witchcraft.
Children have been murdered, the local Jews have wrongly been blamed and are in hiding under guard in the castle. The bodies of the children, savagely abused, tell the story of a perverted killer on the loose -- but who is it? Who can be trusted? Why is Sir Rowley Picot so interested in the investigation? And as they close on the trail, there is another murder -- this time among Adelia's closest associates in investigating the crime -- and evidence has gone missing in the process. Will Adelia be the next target?
This story is a delightfully-told, suspenseful mystery about the search for a twisted killer on the loose. It's also full of fascinating details about the nature of English society under the reign of Henry II. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member cyderry
Four children have been tortured and horrifically murdered. Anytime you see a book that has this premise, you wonder where such a murdering monster hides. This monster is hidden in the folds of history. This book is set in 1171 medieval England, the small town of Cambridge. The townspeople believe
How will the perpetrator be identified and brought to justice?
King Henry contacts the King of Sicily and asks for his finest master of the art of death, a medieval medical examiner. The doctor selected for the mission is Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar - A mistress of the Art of Death. Adelia and her companions-Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor- journey to England to uncover the serial killer who committed the Cambridge murders. A few of the problems that restrict Adelia's efforts to solve the murders are the superstitions of the time (women doctors are suspected of witchcraft) and her association with a Jew and a Muslim eunuch - foreigners who are not welcome in England. Adelia teams up with a tax collector, Sir Rowley and together the story evolves.
This book is a combination of Kay Scarpetta,CSI, and Sherlock Holmes. This tremendously well-crafted mystery is interwoven with an unusual love story as well as historical pageantry with multi-faceted characters that come to life on the page. The writing is at times thrilling, and other times humorous. It is amazing that the story can be both frightening and heart-warming.
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that the Jews are responsible and force King Henry I to move all the Jews to protection within the royal castle fortress. King Henry has a vested interest in clearing the Jews because without their money lending and the taxes that they generate, the royal treasuries will be bankrupt.How will the perpetrator be identified and brought to justice?
King Henry contacts the King of Sicily and asks for his finest master of the art of death, a medieval medical examiner. The doctor selected for the mission is Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar - A mistress of the Art of Death. Adelia and her companions-Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor- journey to England to uncover the serial killer who committed the Cambridge murders. A few of the problems that restrict Adelia's efforts to solve the murders are the superstitions of the time (women doctors are suspected of witchcraft) and her association with a Jew and a Muslim eunuch - foreigners who are not welcome in England. Adelia teams up with a tax collector, Sir Rowley and together the story evolves.
This book is a combination of Kay Scarpetta,CSI, and Sherlock Holmes. This tremendously well-crafted mystery is interwoven with an unusual love story as well as historical pageantry with multi-faceted characters that come to life on the page. The writing is at times thrilling, and other times humorous. It is amazing that the story can be both frightening and heart-warming.
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LibraryThing member jhedlund
This book reads best as a thriller, since the mystery is so compelling and suspenseful that you almost forget about the twelfth century England backdrop. The book did, however, spark my interest in reading more about the reign of Henry II from other authors.
Ariana Franklin's book is somewhat
I must say that some of the violence and cruelty in the book was difficult to stomach, and during at least one scene I felt it was a bit gratuitous. Nevertheless, the book had me turning the pages, and I definitely want to read the sequel - "A Serpent's Tale."
Ariana Franklin's book is somewhat
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reminiscent of Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, with the strong, intelligent female doctor heroine in a time and place where women's opinions were worse than discounted. However, "Mistress" has less emphasis on the romance and a much tighter (mercifully) focus on moving the plot forward, creating a rousing suspense. I must say that some of the violence and cruelty in the book was difficult to stomach, and during at least one scene I felt it was a bit gratuitous. Nevertheless, the book had me turning the pages, and I definitely want to read the sequel - "A Serpent's Tale."
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
First, the disclaimer: my biggest pet peeve in historical fiction is when the characters behave and think like modern people, just dressed up in, say, tunics and riding horses, like an extra-authentic renaissance festival. People in the past not only wore different clothes and had bad teeth; they
So I should have put this down after the first twenty pages. The protagonist, a forensic pathologist named Adelia, is not just a proto-feminist, but a full blown Feminist who could lecture Gloria Steinem on the evils of the male patriarchy. She is also shocked at witnessing antisemitism. In the twelfth century.
But, despite all that, it was a fun and diverting read, an interesting mystery full of atmosphere and twists. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical mysteries and who is able to overlook the anachronisms.
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thought differently. Think about how attitudes toward homosexuality, the environment and race have changed in the past twenty years. Even worse, in my opinion, is when the author gives all the "bad guys" the mindset of the time, but the "good guys" are all modern liberals.So I should have put this down after the first twenty pages. The protagonist, a forensic pathologist named Adelia, is not just a proto-feminist, but a full blown Feminist who could lecture Gloria Steinem on the evils of the male patriarchy. She is also shocked at witnessing antisemitism. In the twelfth century.
But, despite all that, it was a fun and diverting read, an interesting mystery full of atmosphere and twists. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical mysteries and who is able to overlook the anachronisms.
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LibraryThing member tracyfox
Mistress of the Art of Death is the first entry in a new 'Brother Cadfel meets CSI' mystery series. The protagonist, Adelia, is a free-thinking female pathologist who is sent from the progressive Salerno medical school (accompanied by a Jew and a North African Muslim) to the backward wilds of King
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Henry II's England. Adelia is sent to England at the king's request to solve a gruesome series of child murders. She takes pains to hide her identity while ferreting out the true murderers. A series of sensational episodes allow Adelia to expound on her beliefs and showcase her advanced medical and forensic knowledge. While I applaud the unique setup for a mystery series, I found many of the situations contrived, the dialog stilted and the story unable to break free of the conventions of the genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member IreneF
I enjoyed this book despite myself. While many elements of the story are individually plausible, the entire set-up strains the suspension of disbelief, and Adelia, our heroine, is a modern woman laced into a 12th-century kirtle.
Several of the reviews below can fill you in on the plot.
A little
Franklin obviously did some research for her story, but her information on Jewish Law is strangely sketchy. "Everyone knows" that Jews regard pork as abomination, but Adelia's (Jewish) fellow investigator sits down to a meal of lamprey, lamb, and cheese. A Jewish fish must have scales and fins, and meat and dairy are not to be eaten together. They don't even get to share a plate. Ever. (Some day I'll find out how Jews managed to travel among the goyim without starving to death.)
So why did I like this book? It fits into a class I'm starting to call "airplane reading"--a book that will keep you amused for several hours, but doesn't strain the brain, so you can forget that you're someplace you don't want to be. These are usually plot-driven, which is why you find so many thrillers at the airport. (Also good for jury duty or bed-bound recuperation.) Because they depend on plot rather than thought there is little long-term reward.
Several of the reviews below can fill you in on the plot.
A little
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background: The situation is based on the historical murder of William of Norwich (later St. William) a quarter-century before the fictional murders of the story. It was one of the first of many child-murders attributed to Jews, and the one that probably initiated the so-called "blood libel" (ritual sacrifice of a Christian child). The Jews were allowed to reside in England under the special protection of the king; because they acted as bankers they accumulated cash which could be taxed. They were also a direct source of funds for English kings when the feudal nobility proved recalcitrant. (This issue came to a head about 50 years later when the landed barons forced the Magna Carta upon King John.)Franklin obviously did some research for her story, but her information on Jewish Law is strangely sketchy. "Everyone knows" that Jews regard pork as abomination, but Adelia's (Jewish) fellow investigator sits down to a meal of lamprey, lamb, and cheese. A Jewish fish must have scales and fins, and meat and dairy are not to be eaten together. They don't even get to share a plate. Ever. (Some day I'll find out how Jews managed to travel among the goyim without starving to death.)
So why did I like this book? It fits into a class I'm starting to call "airplane reading"--a book that will keep you amused for several hours, but doesn't strain the brain, so you can forget that you're someplace you don't want to be. These are usually plot-driven, which is why you find so many thrillers at the airport. (Also good for jury duty or bed-bound recuperation.) Because they depend on plot rather than thought there is little long-term reward.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death wasn't quite the book I expected to read. It leans more toward the thriller end of the mystery/crime genre than I expected. The sympathetic characters seem to view their world from a modern “enlightened” perspective. Unlike the anti-Semitic
The aspects of the book that worked well for me are some of the minor characters – the prior, the housekeeper and her young grandson, who provide local color with their speech and their canny approach to life. I also like Franklin's portrayal of Henry II as a self-interested ruler aware of both his power and its limits.
I might have had a more favorable reaction to this book if I hadn't recently read a couple of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael novels, set earlier in the same century. Peters' books pull me into the 12th century and keep me there, which Franklin didn't quite manage to do.
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Cambridge populace, they are, to varying degrees, tolerant of religious and cultural differences. The main character, a female doctor educated in Salerno, seems like a 21st century woman who values her career above love and marriage. She is described as being opposed to “capital punishment”, a phrase I found jarring in a book set in the 12th century. A few passages (which, unfortunately, I neglected to mark) showed the author's ability to transcend sensationalism, but on the whole, it was more adrenaline-raising than thought-provoking.The aspects of the book that worked well for me are some of the minor characters – the prior, the housekeeper and her young grandson, who provide local color with their speech and their canny approach to life. I also like Franklin's portrayal of Henry II as a self-interested ruler aware of both his power and its limits.
I might have had a more favorable reaction to this book if I hadn't recently read a couple of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael novels, set earlier in the same century. Peters' books pull me into the 12th century and keep me there, which Franklin didn't quite manage to do.
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LibraryThing member SheReadsNovels
Mistress of the Art of Death is the first in a series of medieval historical mysteries by the late Ariana Franklin.
This book has an unusual heroine. Her name is Adelia Aguilar and she is a trained doctor, very rare in the year 1171. Adelia is from Salerno, where women are allowed to attend medical
I love reading about medieval history and Franklin touches on many different aspects of the period - from the big things, such as the relationship between the church and the monarchy, to the small, such as the clothes people wore and the food they ate. Adelia, being Italian, is unfamiliar with the politics and customs of 12th century England, which allows the reader to learn along with her - so no need to worry if you don't have much knowledge of the period. Despite some very modern dialogue and Adelia's distinctly 21st century thought processes, everything else felt suitably 'medieval'. Setting and atmosphere are so important in fiction and this is an area in which I thought Franklin excelled. It wouldn't really be fair for me to comment on the historical accuracy as I haven't studied the 12th century in any detail but I would say that if you're looking for a serious piece of historical fiction which is correct in every detail then you need to look elsewhere. Accept this book for what it is though, and it's an enjoyable read.
The writing in the prologue and opening chapters feels quite light and humorous and I expected the whole book to have the same tone, but when Adelia begins to investigate the mystery things start to feel a lot darker. I should point out that the story does revolve around the abduction and murder of children which isn't nice to read about; it's quite graphic in places and a bit disturbing. As for the mystery itself, I didn't guess who the murderer was, but then I wasn't really trying to guess. Sometimes I prefer not to attempt to work things out and just enjoy the story - and this was one of those occasions.
I found Adelia a fascinating and engaging character although, as I mentioned earlier, she thought, spoke and behaved more like a woman from the 21st century than the 12th. She's a strong, independent person who is constantly questioning the role of women in society and has a very modern outlook on medicine, the law and life in general; I liked her but she wasn't a believable medieval woman. Most of the secondary characters are well-rounded and interesting, particularly Adelia's housekeeper, Gyltha, and her grandson, Ulf - and I loved the depiction of Henry II.
I enjoyed Mistress of the Art of Death and I look forward to being reacquainted with Adelia Aguilar in the other three books in the series.
This book has an unusual heroine. Her name is Adelia Aguilar and she is a trained doctor, very rare in the year 1171. Adelia is from Salerno, where women are allowed to attend medical
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school. Her speciality, however, is as a 'doctor of the dead' - in other words, she is skilled in performing autopsies and finding out the causes of death. When several young children go missing in Cambridge and the city's Jews are blamed for the disappearances, Adelia is sent to England to investigate.I love reading about medieval history and Franklin touches on many different aspects of the period - from the big things, such as the relationship between the church and the monarchy, to the small, such as the clothes people wore and the food they ate. Adelia, being Italian, is unfamiliar with the politics and customs of 12th century England, which allows the reader to learn along with her - so no need to worry if you don't have much knowledge of the period. Despite some very modern dialogue and Adelia's distinctly 21st century thought processes, everything else felt suitably 'medieval'. Setting and atmosphere are so important in fiction and this is an area in which I thought Franklin excelled. It wouldn't really be fair for me to comment on the historical accuracy as I haven't studied the 12th century in any detail but I would say that if you're looking for a serious piece of historical fiction which is correct in every detail then you need to look elsewhere. Accept this book for what it is though, and it's an enjoyable read.
The writing in the prologue and opening chapters feels quite light and humorous and I expected the whole book to have the same tone, but when Adelia begins to investigate the mystery things start to feel a lot darker. I should point out that the story does revolve around the abduction and murder of children which isn't nice to read about; it's quite graphic in places and a bit disturbing. As for the mystery itself, I didn't guess who the murderer was, but then I wasn't really trying to guess. Sometimes I prefer not to attempt to work things out and just enjoy the story - and this was one of those occasions.
I found Adelia a fascinating and engaging character although, as I mentioned earlier, she thought, spoke and behaved more like a woman from the 21st century than the 12th. She's a strong, independent person who is constantly questioning the role of women in society and has a very modern outlook on medicine, the law and life in general; I liked her but she wasn't a believable medieval woman. Most of the secondary characters are well-rounded and interesting, particularly Adelia's housekeeper, Gyltha, and her grandson, Ulf - and I loved the depiction of Henry II.
I enjoyed Mistress of the Art of Death and I look forward to being reacquainted with Adelia Aguilar in the other three books in the series.
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LibraryThing member bragan
It's the 12th century, and in Cambridge, England, small children have gone missing only for their bodies to turn up later, mutilated. The local Jews are blamed, because of course they are, and the King isn't pleased, because he was collecting a lot of taxes from those Jews, who are now holed up in
I have kind of mixed feelings about this one. The medieval murder mystery plot is interesting enough and there are some fairly likeable characters. It could perhaps have done with some editing in the earlier parts of the novel, as I feel like we're too often given the same information more than once, but overall it's a decent read.
But I kept being distracted by my utter inability to suspend my disbelief for the way medieval medicine is treated. I don't necessarily have a problem with the idea that the main character is ahead of her time in being an unusually scientific thinker. But there's no sense at all of the context in which she's operating, in terms of the world's understanding (or misunderstanding) of medicine at the time. There are things she's ignorant of, but nothing she's wrong about, and no sense that 12th century medicine was fundamentally any different from 21st century medicine. And, while I'm no expert in history, I'm pretty sure it was. Given how much historical detail the author includes in other areas, this seems particularly odd, and I found it jarring and a little hard to get past.
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hiding and not doing any business. So he sends for an expert to examine the bodies and hopefully figure out who killed them. He gets Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, who was educated in Salerno, Italy, the one place where women are trained to be doctors.I have kind of mixed feelings about this one. The medieval murder mystery plot is interesting enough and there are some fairly likeable characters. It could perhaps have done with some editing in the earlier parts of the novel, as I feel like we're too often given the same information more than once, but overall it's a decent read.
But I kept being distracted by my utter inability to suspend my disbelief for the way medieval medicine is treated. I don't necessarily have a problem with the idea that the main character is ahead of her time in being an unusually scientific thinker. But there's no sense at all of the context in which she's operating, in terms of the world's understanding (or misunderstanding) of medicine at the time. There are things she's ignorant of, but nothing she's wrong about, and no sense that 12th century medicine was fundamentally any different from 21st century medicine. And, while I'm no expert in history, I'm pretty sure it was. Given how much historical detail the author includes in other areas, this seems particularly odd, and I found it jarring and a little hard to get past.
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LibraryThing member gaeta1
Several well-read friends whose opinions I respect recommended this book to me. The title sounded intriguing--even poetical--and when I saw a copy at my library of the audio book (read by one of my favorite narrators, Rosalyn Landor), I snapped it up. I was even more thrilled when I saw that the
I almost stopped the book a few chapters in, quilting be damned. It's very hard listening to descriptions of a child being tortured, and Rosalyn Landor's elegant delivery of the gruesome details somehow made it worse. But then came Ariana Franklin's depiction of Henry II. Her Henry is marvelous--one of the best I've ever read--a real force of nature- brilliant, egotistic and enthusiastic--he fairly picks up the plot and carries it before him. So I continued the tale of Adelia Aguilar, female doctor of Salerno, who along with her manservant-Mansur, is sent to England to investigate the series of strange child-murders in Cambridge. And yes, it was fun to read about Cambridge's long-vanished castle, and the towns I'd mostly forgotten--Cherry Hinton(!), Fen Ditton.(!) It was like bumping into old friends. So I kept listening, despite my growing misgivings.
It's strange what a reader can find that he can overlook, and what he cannot. I could handle the mostly inexplicable advanced knowledge that Adelia possesses long before the age of Lister and Pasteur--the emphasis on sterilization by alcohol, the frequent hand-washing, the scorning of leeches and purges (the cornerstones of a medieval doctor's repertoire). I shrugged it off by saying that she was from Salerno, and Saracen medical techniques were indeed far ahead of western European knowledge. A body farm at the medical school where students could study the advance of decay? Very unlikely, but maybe so. Her love of salads and dislike of meat? Yes, perhaps more of a modern outlook, but there were certainly eccentrics of any era. Her CSI-like autopsies (complete with slate-wielding attendant)? Um, I guess so. The PC correctness of the superior Mansur? Heavy-handed, but tolerable. Even laudable.
But modern attitudes--as opposed to knowledge--well, that was the stumbling block for me. In the end, the murderer is of course, unveiled. And Adelia pleads mercy for him, saying that the cathartic release of the trial (a very modern entirely Anglo-Saxon attitude by the way and quite alien to most of the world) and imprisonment were sufficient. For any medieval person to be against the death penalty--and a murderer who tortured and slaughtered the most innocent of victims--for that person to plead mercy for such a monster--seems unbelievable to me. She seemed, at that point, to be not of that world at all--but rather a being from somewhere else altogether. Certainly not of medieval Europe, wherever she might have been born. Her dispassionate view seemed more akin to that of an angel's--and angels are terrifying creatures. I wanted nothing to do with angels, thrown into a plot where they didn't belong. And I won't be reading any more books from this series.
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mystery took place in Cambridgeshire, where I had lived for several years, and looked forward to several long quilting sessions getting reacquainted with the town I left long ago, perhaps learning some things I hadn't known before, and enjoying a fun mystery along the way.I almost stopped the book a few chapters in, quilting be damned. It's very hard listening to descriptions of a child being tortured, and Rosalyn Landor's elegant delivery of the gruesome details somehow made it worse. But then came Ariana Franklin's depiction of Henry II. Her Henry is marvelous--one of the best I've ever read--a real force of nature- brilliant, egotistic and enthusiastic--he fairly picks up the plot and carries it before him. So I continued the tale of Adelia Aguilar, female doctor of Salerno, who along with her manservant-Mansur, is sent to England to investigate the series of strange child-murders in Cambridge. And yes, it was fun to read about Cambridge's long-vanished castle, and the towns I'd mostly forgotten--Cherry Hinton(!), Fen Ditton.(!) It was like bumping into old friends. So I kept listening, despite my growing misgivings.
It's strange what a reader can find that he can overlook, and what he cannot. I could handle the mostly inexplicable advanced knowledge that Adelia possesses long before the age of Lister and Pasteur--the emphasis on sterilization by alcohol, the frequent hand-washing, the scorning of leeches and purges (the cornerstones of a medieval doctor's repertoire). I shrugged it off by saying that she was from Salerno, and Saracen medical techniques were indeed far ahead of western European knowledge. A body farm at the medical school where students could study the advance of decay? Very unlikely, but maybe so. Her love of salads and dislike of meat? Yes, perhaps more of a modern outlook, but there were certainly eccentrics of any era. Her CSI-like autopsies (complete with slate-wielding attendant)? Um, I guess so. The PC correctness of the superior Mansur? Heavy-handed, but tolerable. Even laudable.
But modern attitudes--as opposed to knowledge--well, that was the stumbling block for me. In the end, the murderer is of course, unveiled. And Adelia pleads mercy for him, saying that the cathartic release of the trial (a very modern entirely Anglo-Saxon attitude by the way and quite alien to most of the world) and imprisonment were sufficient. For any medieval person to be against the death penalty--and a murderer who tortured and slaughtered the most innocent of victims--for that person to plead mercy for such a monster--seems unbelievable to me. She seemed, at that point, to be not of that world at all--but rather a being from somewhere else altogether. Certainly not of medieval Europe, wherever she might have been born. Her dispassionate view seemed more akin to that of an angel's--and angels are terrifying creatures. I wanted nothing to do with angels, thrown into a plot where they didn't belong. And I won't be reading any more books from this series.
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LibraryThing member mrstreme
The first in a series, Mistress of the Art of Death introduces us to Adelia Aguilar - a medieval version of Kate Scarpetta - who travels to England to determine who was killing young children around Canterbury. Adelia hails from Salerno, where women were allowed to study medicine, and she was an
The residents of Canterbury had blamed its Jewish residents for the children's deaths, based on circumstantial evidence. When Adelia and her entourage arrive, they begin investigating the murders with the blessings of the Church and King. The children died violently, and as Adelia began to uncover clues, her investigation becomes of interest to the King's tax collector, Sir Rowley Picot. Together, they begin to compare notes - and a little romantic chemistry starts to bubble up.
I have no idea how historically accurate this book is. Would a person from the 12th century have enough forensic skills to learn anything from skeletons? Would the King of England really authorize a woman to investigate murders? I will leave these questions to experts of this time frame. What I can tell you is that Mistress of the Art of Death was a good, suspenseful novel. It had a slow beginning, but once Adelia began her investigation, the book enjoyed a nice pace. I liked the characters as well.
I wouldn't classify Mistress of the Art of Death as literary fiction, but more of a historical novel with a murder mystery twist. If this genre appeals to you - or you like books set in medieval England - then give Mistress of the Art of Death a go.
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expert in examining bodies post-mortem to determine their cause of death.The residents of Canterbury had blamed its Jewish residents for the children's deaths, based on circumstantial evidence. When Adelia and her entourage arrive, they begin investigating the murders with the blessings of the Church and King. The children died violently, and as Adelia began to uncover clues, her investigation becomes of interest to the King's tax collector, Sir Rowley Picot. Together, they begin to compare notes - and a little romantic chemistry starts to bubble up.
I have no idea how historically accurate this book is. Would a person from the 12th century have enough forensic skills to learn anything from skeletons? Would the King of England really authorize a woman to investigate murders? I will leave these questions to experts of this time frame. What I can tell you is that Mistress of the Art of Death was a good, suspenseful novel. It had a slow beginning, but once Adelia began her investigation, the book enjoyed a nice pace. I liked the characters as well.
I wouldn't classify Mistress of the Art of Death as literary fiction, but more of a historical novel with a murder mystery twist. If this genre appeals to you - or you like books set in medieval England - then give Mistress of the Art of Death a go.
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LibraryThing member bell7
In 1170, a child is found brutally murdered in Cambridge, and the townspeople are quick to blame the Jews. King Henry II doesn't particularly care about the Jewish people, but he does care about his lost income now that they are holed up in a castle for their own protection, and arranges to have
The best historical fiction, to my mind, teaches you something about a time period, a people, or a culture while telling a really good story. This book does that in spades, giving such information about the Church at that time, medicine, and more. Yet there's no time for an information dump, because the story reads fast, at first because there is a lot of dialog and short paragraphs and, as the story progresses, an ever-faster pace as we draw closer to the conclusion. I have to say, the identity of the murderer was not all that surprising to me (one of a few people I had on my own suspects list), but exactly how it happened and how everything was resolved was indeed unexpected. In this sort of book, you're always on the lookout for glaring anachronisms. Adelia herself is the biggest anachronism of all - not so much because she's a woman doctor, which is handled believably, but because of her modern ideas and practices. The others are dealt with well in the author's note. The descriptions of the dead and what had been done to them was a bit much for the squeamish side of me. Granted, I was reading so fast much of this washed over me and I only noticed looking back.
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someone sent to investigate. Enter Adelia, a woman doctor from Salerno, and her traveling companions Simon and Mansur, who arrive to look into the matter.The best historical fiction, to my mind, teaches you something about a time period, a people, or a culture while telling a really good story. This book does that in spades, giving such information about the Church at that time, medicine, and more. Yet there's no time for an information dump, because the story reads fast, at first because there is a lot of dialog and short paragraphs and, as the story progresses, an ever-faster pace as we draw closer to the conclusion. I have to say, the identity of the murderer was not all that surprising to me (one of a few people I had on my own suspects list), but exactly how it happened and how everything was resolved was indeed unexpected. In this sort of book, you're always on the lookout for glaring anachronisms. Adelia herself is the biggest anachronism of all - not so much because she's a woman doctor, which is handled believably, but because of her modern ideas and practices. The others are dealt with well in the author's note. The descriptions of the dead and what had been done to them was a bit much for the squeamish side of me. Granted, I was reading so fast much of this washed over me and I only noticed looking back.
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LibraryThing member BrynDahlquis
The more I think about it, the more annoying and pointless it gets. And unrealistic. Geez.
LibraryThing member zibilee
Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar has just been dispatched from Salerno to Cambridge in an effort to help catch a killer. This particular killer chooses children as his victims, and as the story begins, he has had his savage and bloodthirsty way with four of them. As the murdered children
I rarely read books that are part of a series nowadays. For one thing, they're a bit tougher to review than standalone novels. Also, I find myself wanting to gulp down the entire series at one time, which can be a problem when there are so many other books vying for attention. I made an exception for these books after reading some really great reviews on them, and I have to admit the medieval setting was one that I couldn't ignore. I'm really glad I made the choice to read these books, but now I'm in the predicament that I dreaded, with wanting to read on and continue the series, come hell or high water.
What I noticed first about this book as I was reading, was the unremitting darkness that surrounded the plot and characters. One could argue that the medieval age was one of particular darkness, but I think this book strove deeply for a real feeling of foreboding and ominousness. From the outset, the murders of the children take center stage and there is no shying away from all the gruesome details. Even the introduction of Adelia manages to be suffused with cryptic portent, explaining her time among the other scholars of Salerno who are fluent in the art of death. This setting of the scene may have come across as too maudlin had it not been handled in the right way, but Franklin does a lot during these sections to set the perfect stage and to make these characters into people the reader is eager to know. As things begin to move forward, the pall remains, hanging over every description and scene, creating a medieval England that's not only dangerous and sinister, but ripe for the talents that Adelia has to offer.
The historical sections were what really interested me the most. Ostensibly, this book has a dual genre, bobbing between historical fiction and mystery, but I think I took the most enjoyment from the history. Franklin does a great deal to make the book feel authentic, from the prejudices and strictures against women, and particularly women skilled in the art of healing, to the oppressive and heavy-handed role of the church in Cambridge society. The attitudes of the population at that time were particularly backward in most cases, and the commoners needed little urging to become bloodthirsty, which in the case of this story, felt all too real. As Adelia is forced to investigate under cover, I began to see that the things which hindered her were not only the conventions of the people surrounding her, but the lack of enlightenment that spread far and wide throughout the realm.
I wasn't as impressed with the mystery aspects of this book early on, because it was pretty obvious to me who the killer was. But Franklin had a few aces up her sleeve and I managed to be shocked at the mystery despite myself. Often I shy away mysteries because it's always too easy for me to figure things out, but here, the mystery had a fullness and an unexpectedness that really thrilled me. There was definitely more to this story than met the eye, and turning the last page, I was both horrified and excited to find out where the next book would lead me. It was definitely a more sinister story than I had first thought it would or could be, and I liked that every character in the book played their part with skill and efficiency. The implications this story raised were much more troubling than the murder that Adelia was contracted to solve, leaving me to marvel at Franklin's skill at creating this microcosm of the medieval world, a world seething with malevolence.
it's interesting to note the position of women in this society. Being a woman tied to the Church or the wife of a commoner were the excepted norms, but for Adleia's safety, it's better that she hides her status as a learned woman, lest she be accused of witchcraft. A lot of the time, these strictures hinder and anger her, for coming from a place that respects the contributions of both male and females, Adleia is loathe to give up her rights and privileges. Though she must be covert in her dealings with the dead, a few of the other characters come to know her for who she really is and must protect her secret alongside of her. Even those in the know find her strange and inexplicable knowledge almost sinister, and realize the possession of this knowledge means danger to themselves. Though Adelia is severely limited in the ways she can investigate, she finds a way to do what is necessary and complete her job.
The plight of Cambridge's Jews was also very interesting. As taxpayers, they are of great importance to the king, but since the murders of the children, the other townsfolk have basically kept them in fear for their lives and hiding in an abandoned castle. It seems Cambridge and England is no stranger to anti-Semitism, and in fact, throughout history and across continents, Jews have been vilified for a number of reasons that are incredible to think about. By highlighting this aspect of the story, Franklin is able to discourse on the unfair blame that the Jews have shouldered, even in a place so far removed in time. In the discovery of the true murderer, the Jews are forgiven and accepted back into the town, but the damage has been done and things will never be the same. The unfortunate sting of blame and recrimination becomes just one pinpoint of the humiliations and injustices the Jewish population must endure throughout time.
I was unexpectedly pleased with the depth and power of this book. Many of the topics and situations are specific to the time and place described, but I found that Franklin's ability to make them resonant, even in today's society, was masterful. Though this was one of the darker books I've read in some time, I found it to be one that I couldn't put down, and the intelligence and complexity of the narrative was delightful to me. I think lovers of historical fiction would do well to pick up this book, as well as those mystery lovers looking for something beyond the norm. I'm already in the middle of the next installment and am finding it to be just as entertaining and engrossing as the first. It was a really great read, made greater by the author's ability to tease out the more meaningful aspects of the story. Recommended.
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are all Christians, suspicion begins to fall on the Jews of Cambridge, much to the chagrin of King Henry, who wishes to see them absolved. Adelia finds herself in a strange predicament after landing in Cambridge, for although she's a doctor of particular renown in Salerno, the attitudes of the English prevent her from practicing openly: one because she is a female, and two because her specialty in the examination of dead bodies is regarded with suspicion and considered witchcraft. Under a cloak of secrecy, Adelia begins her investigation into the brutal murders, uncovering surprising and damning evidence of not only the supposed killer, but of the town and the people he is hidden among. When Sir Rowly Picot joins the investigation at Adelia's side, she's far from happy. Rowley has his own reasons for wanting information about the killer, but Adelia isn't quite sure he shouldn't be considered a suspect. As the two creep closer and closer to the truth, the unknown killer begins to venomously resist from the shadows, placing Adelia and Rowley into some of the most sinister and dangerous situations that they've ever faced. In this complex and deeply dark blend of historical fiction and mystery, two of the most unlikely allies must come together to unmask a horrible and demonic killer, and to save Cambridge's children before it's too late.I rarely read books that are part of a series nowadays. For one thing, they're a bit tougher to review than standalone novels. Also, I find myself wanting to gulp down the entire series at one time, which can be a problem when there are so many other books vying for attention. I made an exception for these books after reading some really great reviews on them, and I have to admit the medieval setting was one that I couldn't ignore. I'm really glad I made the choice to read these books, but now I'm in the predicament that I dreaded, with wanting to read on and continue the series, come hell or high water.
What I noticed first about this book as I was reading, was the unremitting darkness that surrounded the plot and characters. One could argue that the medieval age was one of particular darkness, but I think this book strove deeply for a real feeling of foreboding and ominousness. From the outset, the murders of the children take center stage and there is no shying away from all the gruesome details. Even the introduction of Adelia manages to be suffused with cryptic portent, explaining her time among the other scholars of Salerno who are fluent in the art of death. This setting of the scene may have come across as too maudlin had it not been handled in the right way, but Franklin does a lot during these sections to set the perfect stage and to make these characters into people the reader is eager to know. As things begin to move forward, the pall remains, hanging over every description and scene, creating a medieval England that's not only dangerous and sinister, but ripe for the talents that Adelia has to offer.
The historical sections were what really interested me the most. Ostensibly, this book has a dual genre, bobbing between historical fiction and mystery, but I think I took the most enjoyment from the history. Franklin does a great deal to make the book feel authentic, from the prejudices and strictures against women, and particularly women skilled in the art of healing, to the oppressive and heavy-handed role of the church in Cambridge society. The attitudes of the population at that time were particularly backward in most cases, and the commoners needed little urging to become bloodthirsty, which in the case of this story, felt all too real. As Adelia is forced to investigate under cover, I began to see that the things which hindered her were not only the conventions of the people surrounding her, but the lack of enlightenment that spread far and wide throughout the realm.
I wasn't as impressed with the mystery aspects of this book early on, because it was pretty obvious to me who the killer was. But Franklin had a few aces up her sleeve and I managed to be shocked at the mystery despite myself. Often I shy away mysteries because it's always too easy for me to figure things out, but here, the mystery had a fullness and an unexpectedness that really thrilled me. There was definitely more to this story than met the eye, and turning the last page, I was both horrified and excited to find out where the next book would lead me. It was definitely a more sinister story than I had first thought it would or could be, and I liked that every character in the book played their part with skill and efficiency. The implications this story raised were much more troubling than the murder that Adelia was contracted to solve, leaving me to marvel at Franklin's skill at creating this microcosm of the medieval world, a world seething with malevolence.
it's interesting to note the position of women in this society. Being a woman tied to the Church or the wife of a commoner were the excepted norms, but for Adleia's safety, it's better that she hides her status as a learned woman, lest she be accused of witchcraft. A lot of the time, these strictures hinder and anger her, for coming from a place that respects the contributions of both male and females, Adleia is loathe to give up her rights and privileges. Though she must be covert in her dealings with the dead, a few of the other characters come to know her for who she really is and must protect her secret alongside of her. Even those in the know find her strange and inexplicable knowledge almost sinister, and realize the possession of this knowledge means danger to themselves. Though Adelia is severely limited in the ways she can investigate, she finds a way to do what is necessary and complete her job.
The plight of Cambridge's Jews was also very interesting. As taxpayers, they are of great importance to the king, but since the murders of the children, the other townsfolk have basically kept them in fear for their lives and hiding in an abandoned castle. It seems Cambridge and England is no stranger to anti-Semitism, and in fact, throughout history and across continents, Jews have been vilified for a number of reasons that are incredible to think about. By highlighting this aspect of the story, Franklin is able to discourse on the unfair blame that the Jews have shouldered, even in a place so far removed in time. In the discovery of the true murderer, the Jews are forgiven and accepted back into the town, but the damage has been done and things will never be the same. The unfortunate sting of blame and recrimination becomes just one pinpoint of the humiliations and injustices the Jewish population must endure throughout time.
I was unexpectedly pleased with the depth and power of this book. Many of the topics and situations are specific to the time and place described, but I found that Franklin's ability to make them resonant, even in today's society, was masterful. Though this was one of the darker books I've read in some time, I found it to be one that I couldn't put down, and the intelligence and complexity of the narrative was delightful to me. I think lovers of historical fiction would do well to pick up this book, as well as those mystery lovers looking for something beyond the norm. I'm already in the middle of the next installment and am finding it to be just as entertaining and engrossing as the first. It was a really great read, made greater by the author's ability to tease out the more meaningful aspects of the story. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
Okay. Everyone seems to have really liked this book, and I think I'm weird because it just didn't thrill me. I did enjoy the central mystery and the premise, but if it's possible for history to spoil a good novel, then I think that's what happened.
Set in medieval England (Cambridge, to be
I liked the mystery; did not like the romance (pluey, ick, gross) parts. I also think that this book could have been a LOT more streamlined by getting out a lot of the what seemed to me superfluous history lessons. Don't get me wrong -- I was a history PhD but this was WAY too much and really interfered with my enjoyment of the novel. If that kind of stuff doesn't bother you, then I'd say you'd probably like the book. Otherwise, enjoy the mystery and skim the history.
Set in medieval England (Cambridge, to be
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precise), four children have been found murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on the local community of Jews. Well, this doesn't sit well with the king, because he needs the revenue brought in from taxing; he offers them protection but he knows he's got to find the killer so that things can get back to normal. He asks his friend the King of Sicily for a "master of the art of death," which we would consider now a CSI agent or coroner. Turns out that the master is actually a mistress, Adelia, who travels with 2 friends and colleagues to England. She deduces right away that the killer is the same person in each case. Adelia and her friends, with the help of some of the locals, also narrow down who the killer might be, but there are a number of suspects who fit the description. She can't trust anyone, making her search for the killer that much more difficult. I liked the mystery; did not like the romance (pluey, ick, gross) parts. I also think that this book could have been a LOT more streamlined by getting out a lot of the what seemed to me superfluous history lessons. Don't get me wrong -- I was a history PhD but this was WAY too much and really interfered with my enjoyment of the novel. If that kind of stuff doesn't bother you, then I'd say you'd probably like the book. Otherwise, enjoy the mystery and skim the history.
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LibraryThing member AprilHamilton
Review based on Audible audiobook. This is the tale of a female forensics doctor living in the 1100's, long before the days of coroners or even much understanding of how the human body works, called from Salerno to Cambridge to help catch a child killer. The many criticisms I've read about the
There's no analysis of the murderer's psyche or motives, once captured the murderer is simply written off as a "freak". There are also no passages told from the murderer's point of view, which could have enriched the story overall quite a bit. I think my worst criticism is that after building the protagonist, Adelia, up to be totally pragmatic, intellectual, fiercely independent and unconventional in her attitudes about love and marriage---basically, she sees love and marriage as the shortest, surest path to oppression for women, and in those days she would've been right---, the author undoes everything that's terrific about Adelia by having her fall silly-in-love with a guy who started out as her prime suspect. It's not at all clear why she falls for him, especially since he doesn't treat her all that differently than a typical man would treat a typical woman of the time. When he berates her for having gone off after the killer alone and proclaims that she is "his woman," despite the fact that she's badly hurt and has only just been rescued from the killer's clutches, Adelia adoringly melts into his arms. At the point where I stopped listening, while bathing her and noticing her many bruises and cuts, he'd proposed marriage, she'd accepted, and they'd consummated the proposed union prematurely---despite her broken ribs and likely concussion, she even insisted they do it twice. I had to wonder...who is this woman, and what has she done with Adelia?!
Overall, I did enjoy most of the audiobook----that is, the portion I listened to. The narrator was very good, giving each different character a different voice and in some cases, even a different accent or dialect. If there had been a bit more exploration of the killer and Adelia had been allowed to remain true to the character she was originally set up to be, I would rate the book higher.
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author's anachronisms are true, but didn't bother me much because I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the time period in question and in fact chose the book partly to get a 'slice of life' sort of look at that period in history. Anyway, I liked the protagonist, and the historical setting held my interest very well, but the main murder mystery is solved about 3/4 of the way through and the book just fell apart for me after that. I didn't even bother listening to the last two hours of the audiobook because it seemed like they wouldn't have much to offer.There's no analysis of the murderer's psyche or motives, once captured the murderer is simply written off as a "freak". There are also no passages told from the murderer's point of view, which could have enriched the story overall quite a bit. I think my worst criticism is that after building the protagonist, Adelia, up to be totally pragmatic, intellectual, fiercely independent and unconventional in her attitudes about love and marriage---basically, she sees love and marriage as the shortest, surest path to oppression for women, and in those days she would've been right---, the author undoes everything that's terrific about Adelia by having her fall silly-in-love with a guy who started out as her prime suspect. It's not at all clear why she falls for him, especially since he doesn't treat her all that differently than a typical man would treat a typical woman of the time. When he berates her for having gone off after the killer alone and proclaims that she is "his woman," despite the fact that she's badly hurt and has only just been rescued from the killer's clutches, Adelia adoringly melts into his arms. At the point where I stopped listening, while bathing her and noticing her many bruises and cuts, he'd proposed marriage, she'd accepted, and they'd consummated the proposed union prematurely---despite her broken ribs and likely concussion, she even insisted they do it twice. I had to wonder...who is this woman, and what has she done with Adelia?!
Overall, I did enjoy most of the audiobook----that is, the portion I listened to. The narrator was very good, giving each different character a different voice and in some cases, even a different accent or dialect. If there had been a bit more exploration of the killer and Adelia had been allowed to remain true to the character she was originally set up to be, I would rate the book higher.
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LibraryThing member 30oddyearsofzan
My copy of Mistress of the Art of Death tells me that David Starkey considered it the best researched historical novel of the year, and even if I didn't hold his opinion in such high regard I'd agree. Twelfth century Cambridge comes alive in this whodunnit. The tension between Henry II and the
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Church following the martyrdom of Thomas Beckett is palpable, as is the sense of evil permeating the child killings which Adelia Aguilar must investigate. Adelia is a worthy heroine, intelligent, compassionate and personable, but flawed and exasperating enough to be real - you cheer for her successes and feel for her in her failures. And joy of joys, there's a second book in the series to look forward to. Show Less
LibraryThing member pmarshall
I raced through this book. That is not to say I didn't get waylaid but Franklin always knew the exact moment to return to the story. I truly enjoyed this book. I learned from this book, it entertained and enthralled me. What more can I ask of a book?
LibraryThing member ejj1955
Extremely well-done medieval mystery concerning the serial killing of children in Cambridge. Initially blamed on the city's Jews, the crimes are investigated by an unlikely trio of visitors: Simon, a Jew; Mansur, a Saracen eunuch; and Adelia, a woman trained as a doctor in the progressive medical
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school at Salerno. Their English allies include Sir Rowley Picot, who is also chasing the killer of children; Gyltha, the cook-housekeeper for the foreign trio, and Ulf, her grandson. Franklin's crime is truly chilling in its details and her characters are strongly individual. I'm definitely interested in reading more of this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheCriticalTimes
For the first time I'm having a difficult time reviewing a book. I agree with both the praising reviews as well as the scathing comments. There is much to be found here that is silly and contrived. A learned female doctor from Salerno is asked to investigate the murder of a number of young children
Events and people are depicted all to real. I'm not saying they are described believably, they are not. But we can relate to them, understand them and follow them with ease and understanding. Never does the author try to add apologies for what she feels is the nature of evil and the expression of madness. There are no euphemisms that attempt to disguise anachronisms. In that way the writing is brutally honest and with that the author comes over as very confident. I have no illusion that the author sees herself as writing literature but I can see that she sees herself as writing well designed historical romance with a good mystery. There is good storytelling going on here and that is the novel's main reward. Events are fluid, the immersion into a time long gone by is complete and the dialog comes with ease and feels natural.
I would like to add one important note, something I've found other reviewers have misinterpreted. The main characters aren't handsome, perfect, sleek or nicely acceptable. I would have to go back but in this historical romance novel (which it is) I recall the female lead being described as plain at best and the male lead as essentially a large boar. This to me is refreshing, very refreshing. We can relate to regular people who struggle and who make mistakes.
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in medieval Cambridge. It always is important to add terms such as "fiercely independent", "highly competent", etc to reviews of this type of novel. It is however that part of the novel that feels forced. A female physician no matter how skilled would not have been accepted in that time period and artificially creating a conducive situation doesn't help. But does that negate the story telling? No, in this case definitely not and here's why.Events and people are depicted all to real. I'm not saying they are described believably, they are not. But we can relate to them, understand them and follow them with ease and understanding. Never does the author try to add apologies for what she feels is the nature of evil and the expression of madness. There are no euphemisms that attempt to disguise anachronisms. In that way the writing is brutally honest and with that the author comes over as very confident. I have no illusion that the author sees herself as writing literature but I can see that she sees herself as writing well designed historical romance with a good mystery. There is good storytelling going on here and that is the novel's main reward. Events are fluid, the immersion into a time long gone by is complete and the dialog comes with ease and feels natural.
I would like to add one important note, something I've found other reviewers have misinterpreted. The main characters aren't handsome, perfect, sleek or nicely acceptable. I would have to go back but in this historical romance novel (which it is) I recall the female lead being described as plain at best and the male lead as essentially a large boar. This to me is refreshing, very refreshing. We can relate to regular people who struggle and who make mistakes.
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LibraryThing member michellebarton
A great story about a fearless woman doctor who comes to Great Britain to help King Henry II solve mysterious murders that threaten his kingdom's peace. This is like CSI of the middle ages. Because of the culture of Great Britain during this time, she must pretend that she is actually the assistant
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and that her Moorish male companion is the doctor or risk her own safety. I really enjoyed all the books in this historical novel series. Show Less
Media reviews
What he gets is Adelia Aguilar, a doctor whose independent mind and arrogant manner are as unorthodox as her profession. Adelia is a delight and her spirited efforts to stop the killings, while tending to the sick, making friends and finding romance, add to our appreciation of her forensic skills.
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But the lonely figure who truly stands out in Franklin’s vibrant tapestry of medieval life is King Henry — an enlightened monarch condemned to live in dark times. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0399154140 / 9780399154140
Physical description
400 p.; 6.25 inches
Pages
400