Mistress of the Art of Death

by Ariana Franklin

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399154140
• ISBN13: 9780399154140
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Mistress of the Art of Death

This is a great story about a woman who was much more educated about autopsy and cures. During the 15th and 16th century that this was unheard of, but many kings knew about these marvelous women and where they were taught. This is a great novel and shows how many doctors were quacks and the most educated in the cause of a death.

This is not your usual murder mistery but what a treat I found in Ariana Franklins book .

Transported into a different age when women had no occupation let alone a University education and there meeting a female "Pathologist" / detective who could well hold her own with any of her modern counterparts . Though she is walking a much more dangerous line since women with that much knowledge then, could easily be labeled as a witch ! What a delight to see her manage this difficult task . I have gotten book 2 and 3 and 2 friends waiting in line to read them as soon as I can pass them on .Just ordered Book 4 !!

Wish I Read This Book Sooner!

If you are a fan of medieval history and fast pased excitement PLEASE don't pass this series by. I only regret I didn't discover this author sooner.

Fantastic mystery with elements of horror-reading this while you're all alone isn't the best idea...

One of my very favorite TV shows was canceled last year, a show called "Crossing Jordan" in which coroners did everything from finding bodies to interrogating suspects to solving cases, all with technology that no public office could ever afford. It had a little element of the unreal to it but it was a new spin on crime shows. Let the body lead you to the killer. I'd like to think in part that this book was inspired by that show, or at least the author is a fan. In Cambridge a child is missing, then found dead in the river, apparently crucified. The Jews of the city are blamed and two killed with the rest of the Hebrew population running into the castle in fear of reprisals. King Henry II is not happy about the lack of income he is receiving because the Jews can't work so he send to his friend the King of Sicily and requests a master in the art of death, someone who can tell him what really happened to the poor little boy. Instead a "Mistress of the art of death", Adelia, is sent, along with a large Arab to protect her and Simon of Naples, a Jew who will investigate. Together this unlikely group ponders who is killing children-up to four dead when they finally arrive in Cambridge-and how to catch him. The bodies lead them to a hill where the devil is rumored to dance and to a killer who was once in a holier occupation and soon no one is who they seem. Help is offered by a man who claims to have a personal stake in taking down this killer of children-but he could be the very man they are looking for. And to track a killer this perverted is to put your own life in mortal danger... This is a fantastic book. The mystery if not only really complex but it's explored in a totally different way-the bodies lead us to the clues and the clues to the killer. It's also incredibly spooky because of the subject matter and the ending-I was alone in the house reading much of this and I kept thinking "there's someone upstairs!" and you will too, it's just that kind of book. The characters are all wonderfully portrayed and the setting is a perfect mix between a rural town where everything is friendly and the hunting ground of a serial killer where one wrong turn leads you into his lair. Yes, some stuff is out of place, certain things are inserted that don't really belong in the 12th century and Adelia has ideas about medicine that are so far beyond her time they're a little laughable. But this is a novel of suspense, of horror, far more than it is a novel of history. So get over it. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries, medicine or law and order. Beware though-this is a graphic story and the descriptions of what was done to the dead children, parts of Adelia's training and the final confrontation with the killer are not something that should be read by children or people who can't take graphic violence. Five stars. I can't wait for the next book in the series which is due out the end of January.

A female Brother Cadfael

I have always enjoyed mysteries set in medieval times, and always lament the loss of Brother Cadfael, my ideal sleuth of that time. This book is one that can rival the Cadfael series for interest, mystery, and a bit of romance. The characters are especially exotic, particularly the heroine and her companions, and they are well fleshed out. The folks of the area in England where the action takes place are also well-drawn and believeable. King Henry II really gets a makeover, showing him as amusing, shrewd, and calculating, even after the fiasco of the murder of Thomas Becket. This book seems as if it's just going to stanf alone, but I would encourage the author to possibly write more of her herione, and maybe get a series begun. That might lay to rest the ghost of Brother Cadfael.

Read ONLY if You Don't Need to Go to Work the Next Day

This is a wicked book - in no time at all you'll find yourself looking up to see the clock at 3:00am. And, as I later realized, that won't even get you half way through the book when the really fast-paced action and suspense grows. The writing is well done and perfect after a long day...though admittedly, the use of some of the more modern english ("ain't", etc.) throws one off first, it does serve to help flesh out characters who are educated versus those who aren't. And yes, if you are a fan of CSI, you'll love this book. If you like mysteries, you'll enjoy it. And if you crave a good historical fiction, this is just the thing. And, if you're like me, and have all three of those characteristics together, then don't waste time reading any more reviews -- get this book. Note to the author, Ms. Franklin: I do so hope we get a sequel. Very much enjoyed the protagonist and the world in which she lives. J. Avellanet, Co-Founder of Cerulean Associates LLC

Brava, diva!

The easy thing might be to describe this novel as a "Kay Scarpetta in the 12th Century" romp. Easy and true. That said, Ms. Franklin, besides introducing the reader to a captivating new character, captures the culture and feel of the 1100's and how any woman or man of learning might have chafed under religion-driven strictures of the time. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar deserves another forensic mystery; maybe with an appreciative community this time? Excellent for long flights, a good commuter read, or a lost reading weekend. You'll learn a lot and enjoy it. Encore! Soon, I hope.

Cross the forensic science of a Kay Scarpetta with the historical background of Judith Tarr

In 1171 England, the Jews were given a haven under King Henry's rule, not because he liked them but they paid one seventh of the monies in the royal treasury. In the town of Cambridge, four children have disappeared and the body of only one has been found. A rumor begins that Jews killed the child. In retaliation a mob went on a killing spree, bodily tearing apart two Jews while the survivors take sanctuary in Cambridge Castle. In Sicily the king at the request of Henry II sends three people (Simon a Jew, Mansur a Muslim and the doctor of the dead Adelia Agutar) to England to find the killer. When they arrive the dead bodies of the three children are waiting for their analysis. Adelia knows that all the victims were killed by the same murderer. Adelia who misses her native Salerno finds a place for herself in England and during the course of her investigation she teams up with tax collector Sir Rowley to find the murderer but not before he kills someone dear to her who was closing in on him. Cross the forensic science of a Kay Scarpetta novel with the historical background of Judith Tarr book and the reader will have some idea of what the MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH is all about. Adelia is a great character, a female pioneer allowed to practice in the one country advanced enough to grant females that privilege. She is a plain speaker who seeks justice for the dead and has no tolerance for prejudice of any kind. She has more freedom than the average female in the Middle Ages and she knows how to use it to do what she wants. Readers will admire her and look forward to the next mystery starring this intrepid heroine. Harriet Klausner