Mistress of the Art of Death
by Ariana Franklin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ariana FranklinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2008-01-29
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Book Reviews of Mistress of the Art of Death
Book Review: Mistress of the Art of Death
Summary: 5 Stars
It is the 12th century, and in Cambridge, England children are being viciously murdered. The superstitious townsfolk have blamed the killings on the town's Jewish community, claiming these murders prove the common belief that Jews murder Christian children as part of their blasphemous religious rites. The Jews have had to be locked up in the town's garrison to protect their lives, which means that all of their business transactions have been brought to a halt. King Henry II is not happy about this, because a good portion of his tax revenue comes from the Jew's money-lending enterprises, and the royal coffers are suffering. To remedy the problem, he appeals to his cousin, the King of Sicily, whose domains house the most advanced medical institution in the known world. He requests that a "master of the art of death" (a term for an early forensic investigator of sorts) be sent to Cambridge to attempt to catch the murderer and absolve the Jews of the crime so business as usual may resume. However, instead of a master of the art of death, Cambridge is sent a mistress, in the form of Adelia Aguilar, whose brilliance in the field is unsurpassed. In a world where women are treated like cattle and an accusation of witchcraft could send her to her doom, Adelia must keep her true identity a secret and use all of her wits to identify the perpetrator of the brutal crimes...before he claims more victims.
I'm pleased to say that this is the first book in what seems like a very long time that I was unable to put down (except for sleep). Once I started reading I found the story so engaging that I just HAD to find out what the outcome of everything was going to be. Adelia reminded me so much of Dr. Temperence Brennen from Bones, which was a good thing because that show is one of my favorites. However, I do have to say that this is a book that does require the reader to suspend their disbelief when reading, because the likelihood that any of it could actually happen in the 12th century seems kind of slim. But I say if you want strict historical accuracy then go read a non-fiction book. This is a good story with a gripping plot and engaging characters...who cares if it could actually happen? Other than that the only other thing I might have preferred to be different was the amount of gore. Parts of the book were quite disturbing (as one might expect...it is after all a book about child murders), and the author definitely doesn't gloss over the gruesome details. But if you've got a strong stomach and are in the mood for something a little different from your usual crime thrillers/historical novels, I'd recommend this book highly.
Summary of Mistress of the Art of Death
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.
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