Mistress of the Art of Death - Softcover

Franklin, Ariana

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593056485 ISBN 13: 9780593056486

Publisher: Berkley Books, 2007

Synopsis

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 I 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

About this title

About the Author:

Ariana Franklin (Diana Norman) was born in Devon and at twenty became the youngest reporter then on Fleet Street. She was also the author of the critically acclaimed Death Maze, Relics of the Dead and The Assassin's Prayer all featuring anatomist Adelia Aguilar. She passed away in 2011.

From AudioFile:

Rosalyn Landor narrates a complex story that merges history, mystery, human rights, feminism, and a touch of romance. Adelia, who is educated in forensics of the period, is sent with a Jewish detective and Muslim eunuch bodyguard to clear the Jews of Cambridge, England, who are accused of murdering Christian children. Landor navigates the tension and tenderness of a headstrong Italian woman caught between cultures and the clash of science and religion. Landor steers listeners skillfully through Adelia's desire to understand what has taken place and her horror at the deeds of a mass murderer. Landor's portrayal reflects Adelia's struggle to maintain scientific detachment in the face of disease, death, and her attraction to a Crusader whom she suspects. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0593056485
• ISBN 13: 9780593056486
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320