
Adelia, our heroine, misses her native Sicily dreadfully, but she is becoming attached to her new home in England. She is practicing medicine, really making a difference in the lives of the people around her, despite the fact that she must continue the charade that her servant Mansur is the doctor and she, a mere woman, his assistant. The best thing in her life, though, is her new baby daughter, and it is delightful to see how besotted the hard-as-nails forensic specialist is with the beautiful child. So much of her life prior to coming to England was on a purely intellectual level, and now Adelia is experiencing life in a visceral, physical way, revealing a more passionate, emotional side of her character.
She is summoned to investigate the murder of Rosamond, King Henry II's favorite mistress - she is to accompany Rowley Picot, the father of her child who is now the Bishop of St. Albans, which creates some interesting tension. Their journey is a dangerous one, and it leads them to a deadly maze with a tower in which Rosamond's body awaits, perhaps with clues that will lead Adelia to the identity of her murderer.
I have listened to both books in this series, and while this reader, Kate Reading, did a fine job, I preferred Rosalyn Landor's interpretation of the first book, which was marvelous. This is a taut story with a cast of fascinating characters, full of twists and turns and all kinds of intriguing details about medieval life. I love King Henry, his keen intellect and wry sense of humor, and I adore Adelia for her strength and intelligence, her fallibility and her passion. The setting is so vivid that I could feel 12th-century England lurking in the back of my mind while I went about my day, and I was always anxious to get back to the story to see what would happen next. There are four books in this series to date, and I look forward to continuing on with the third book - but not too soon. I plan to space them out a bit, so I won't run through them too quickly!
Books in the Mistress of the Art of Death series:
1. Mistress of the Art of Death
2. The Serpent's Tale (also published as The Death Maze)
3. Grave Goods (also published as Relics of the Dead)
4. A Murderous Procession (also published as The Assassin's Prayer)
The Serpent's Tale (#2 in the Mistress of the Art of Death series) by Ariana Franklin; narrated by Kate Reading (Penguin Audiobooks, 2009)
Source: My local public library
Also reviewed at:
Bippity Boppity Book: "...Franklin produces several likely suspects for the murders which leaves you guessing who the culprit(s) were until the end. I like that I’m not able to figure out the ending half way through the book..."
The Good, the Bad and the Unread: "Great pacing, great writing, great dialogue, great plot, memorable characters - great read. I read this book non-stop all during my days off and then slowed it down to savor the last few pages."
Jen's Book Thoughts: "The turbulence of the time period, the amazingly intricate characters and an exotic setting all add up to an incredible novel"
I am usually a big fan of this author, and I liked this book a lot. I am however currently read A Murderous Procession and not enjoying it as much as I normally do. I will keep reading the series though and hope that it is just an anomaly.
ReplyDeleteYou know i was thinking of reading this, the Mistress of Death series - following your recommendation, I think I will give it a go!
ReplyDeleteMarg - Oh, no! It is so disappointing when that happens. Maybe things will improve. I'll be by when you write your review to see how things turn out.
ReplyDeleteVA Gal - I'd love to hear your take on this series!
I just read a review of the first one where the reviewer described it as a "medieval CSI" story which sounded odd but interesting!
ReplyDeleteLadytink - That is a good description! It's dark and gritty with vivid characters and historical detail. Very gripping, too. I hope you'll give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI really have liked all of the first three books in this series. I read the second and third right on top of one another, though, so I felt like I was just picking up where the one left off. There are some changes in the third, yes, but I think she remains true to Adelia's character. I can't wait to read the fourth, but our library does not own it (bummer) and you cannot request a new book from another library until they have owned it for six months. Can't wait to see what you review next!
ReplyDeleteCheryl - I hope your library gets it - mine has it ordered, but it's not in yet. Glad to hear you continue to enjoy the series. I will wait a little while before I read the third, because I enjoy making a series last as long as I possibly can! :-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great series!
ReplyDeleteJoanna - It really is! Hope you'll give it a try some time.
ReplyDelete