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Title: Mistress of the Art of Death
Author: Ariana Franklin
Genre: Historical mystery (medieval England)
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: A female medieval coroner tries to track down a serial child killer in Cambridge before the town lynches all the Jews in the area for the crimes.
Thoughts: Historical mysteries always have a double challenge, in constructing both a mystery and also a lost world. Franklin has done an excellent job of both.
From what I know of the period, specifically Henry II's reign, this book was well-researched but does not flaunt it. Instead, there are just enough details, whether it be about the crusaders in Outremer, doctors in Salerno, or the civil war between King Stephan and Queen Matilda, to orient readers without overwhelming them.
More importantly, it's a well constructed mystery with engaging characters. Adelia is a wonderful character, brilliant and snarky, with only a bit of anachronism built in. There are suitable twists, including a couple surprising deaths. The crimes are perhaps a bit sensationalistic, but that does seem to be the fashion.
Really, my one complaint is that Franklin has a tendency to withhold information for effect, telling you that she's withholding it, a bit too often. You get descriptions of scenes, ending in phrases "and that's when she found the proof", and then don't get to find out what the character knows for another half a chapter. It's bad once, but increasingly annoying when it happens multiple times in one book.
Still, the book is entertaining enough that I'll read more of them. Fortunately, there's a whole series.
Author: Ariana Franklin
Genre: Historical mystery (medieval England)
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: A female medieval coroner tries to track down a serial child killer in Cambridge before the town lynches all the Jews in the area for the crimes.
Thoughts: Historical mysteries always have a double challenge, in constructing both a mystery and also a lost world. Franklin has done an excellent job of both.
From what I know of the period, specifically Henry II's reign, this book was well-researched but does not flaunt it. Instead, there are just enough details, whether it be about the crusaders in Outremer, doctors in Salerno, or the civil war between King Stephan and Queen Matilda, to orient readers without overwhelming them.
More importantly, it's a well constructed mystery with engaging characters. Adelia is a wonderful character, brilliant and snarky, with only a bit of anachronism built in. There are suitable twists, including a couple surprising deaths. The crimes are perhaps a bit sensationalistic, but that does seem to be the fashion.
Really, my one complaint is that Franklin has a tendency to withhold information for effect, telling you that she's withholding it, a bit too often. You get descriptions of scenes, ending in phrases "and that's when she found the proof", and then don't get to find out what the character knows for another half a chapter. It's bad once, but increasingly annoying when it happens multiple times in one book.
Still, the book is entertaining enough that I'll read more of them. Fortunately, there's a whole series.
