Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Series: Mistress of the Art of Death #1
Published by Penguin Audio on February 6, 2007
Source: Purchased
Genres: Historical Mystery
Length: 13 hrs 12 mins
Pages: 384
Format: Audiobook
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A chilling, mesmerizing novel that combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction. In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, taken as evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous ceremonies. To save them from the rioting mob, the king places the Cambridge Jews under his protection and hides them in a castle fortress. King Henry II is no friend of the Jews-or anyone, really-but he is invested in their fate. Without the taxes received from Jewish merchants, his treasuries would go bankrupt. Hoping scientific investigation will exonerate the Jews, Henry calls on his cousin the King of Sicily-whose subjects include the best medical experts in Europe-and asks for his finest "master of the art of death," an early version of the medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno. But her name is Adelia-the king has been sent a "mistress" of the art of death. Adelia and her companions-Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor-travel to England to unravel the mystery of the Cambridge murders, which turn out to be the work of a serial killer, most likely one who has been on Crusade with the king. In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia must conceal her true identity as a doctor in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she is assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, one of the king's tax collectors, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. Rowley may be a needed friend, or the fiend for whom they are searching. As Adelia's investigation takes her into Cambridge's shadowy river paths and behind the closed doors of its churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to strike again . .
It’s 1171 and King Henry II has a problem. Children are being murdered in Cambridge, and the Jews have been blamed, which wouldn’t matter much, except the King gets a lot of taxes from them. The Jews are currently under the King’s protection in a castle fortress, but the situation needs resolved. He requests aid from the King of Sicily, who send an unlikely trio to England: Simon of Naples, a Jewish investigator; Mansur, a eunuch Saracen; and Adelia Aguilar, a woman doctor trained in the study of corpses.
The medieval setting was fascinating.. Religion and politics are completely intertwined. The crusades are on-going. There are calls for the Jews removal from England. Women have little to no value or sway. Adelia, herself, has to pretend she is not as competent and knowledgeable as she is, just to avoid being burned as a witch. Women in historical novels are so often more progressive and have more agency than the majority did at the time. Not that I’m complaining – it’s part of what makes the books enjoyable.
The mystery was well done. We had several suspects, plenty of clues, and I liked that Adelia was able to look at the clues and circumstances and didn’t allow herself to become glued to one idea.
It was darker than most books I read and the killer was downright evil. I thought it was resolved well. There is a bit of romance, but it didn’t overwhelm the mystery. It’s a shame it took me so long to get around to this series.
About Ariana Franklin
Ariana Franklin (25 August 1933 – 27 January 2011) was the pen name of British writer Diana Norman. A former journalist, Norman had written several critically acclaimed biographies and historical novels. She lived in Hertfordshire, England, with her husband, the film critic Barry Norman.
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