Mistress of the Art of Death

[maclsj]

Book Title: Mistress of the Art of Death

Author: Ariana Franklin

 

Synopsis: In 1170 children start to disappear from Cambridge. Then a body turns up, horribly mutilated. The finger is immediately pointed at the Jewish community who flee to the local castle for protection. To try and solve the mystery and exonerate the Jews, Simon of Naples is sent to Cambridge to investigate. He brings with him Adelia, a doctor from the school of Salerno, and her Moorish man-servant Mansur. Although Adelia is skilled at treating the sick, that is not why Simon has brought her with him. No, the dead talk to Adelia...... Yet England is not as forward thinking as it's European neighbours and Adelia must hide her talents for fear of being branded a witch. Can she overcome this hindrance and help Simon uncover the killer, before they strike again?

 

Review:

I picked this book up because the cover suggested it was a piece of historical fiction, my favourite. I'm a big fan of Susanna Gregory's Matthew Bartholomew series and used to live in Cambridge so this sort of book really appeals to me. The tag line says it all really, 'Murder, mystery and malice in medieval Cambridge'

 

I found the story really drew me in, there was enough going on to keep my interest going but the story didn't get lost or become too complicated to loose track. It was really well written I felt, good use of imagery and the dialogue ran smoothly. I liked the fact that although most of the story was told from Adelia's point of view, from time to time the emphasis moved to the other characters. I particularly liked the character of the Prior and how we are introduced to him. I also liked the fact that Adelia was not an instantly likeable character, she has no bedside manner and is very brusque and not unlike my partner is dying to ask people for their bodies after they've died (his archaeological speciality is human bones). All the characters evolve and change a little through out the story too, like real human beings. They're not static and every little event tells adds to their characters.

 

The background to the book seems to have been well researched. Certainly the politics surrounding Jews during the medieval period and their role as money lenders in society adds credibility to the story and has been well used as a major part of the plot. The role of women in medieval society is a major theme in the book. It takes a lot of skill to have a believable female protagonist in historical fiction as sources suggest that women's roles were confined to the home for much of our past. I don't know anything about Salerno in the 12th century but to me it doesn't seem so far fetched that Adelia could be a doctor, and that many people at the time would have found this abhorrent. I really feel Franklin has done a good job in this respect.

 

I only have one criticism of this book, and that is that when the plot takes a major turn about two thirds of the way in I felt that the quality of the story dropped a little. I'm not sure I liked the ending 100% and felt some of it could have been removed. I don't want to be specific otherwise I'll spoil the story for those that want to read it.

 

If you enjoy Susanna Gregory's 'Matthew Bartholomew' series or enjoy historical fiction with a strong female character I would recommend this book to you.

[wrathofkublakhan]

Thanks for the interesting review -- I have to say, it's an awesome title for a book. Now having read the review, I'd be curious to give it a go - I always like women leaders in any era.

[angerball]

Good review. Sounds like an interesting read, and another one to add to my TBR list.

[Echo]

That sounds like a great book! It almost reminds me a little of The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, and I loved that book. I'll definitely be picking it up! Thanks for the great review.