β Scribed by Ariana Franklin
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Adelia Aguilar is to accompany 10-year-old Princess Joanna on her thousand-mile journey to marry the King of Sicily. They must take with them the legendary sword Excalibur.
And so Adelia sets sail with the golden princess and her lavish procession of nobles, musicians, servants, laundresses, grooms, luggage and treasure. But when members of the procession begin to die and it looks as though Adelia is to blame, there are dangerous accusations of witchcraft.
Meanwhile one traveller, armed with a brilliant disguise and a personal vendetta, has been watching Adelia all too closely. He wants Adelia dead . . . but he wants her to suffer first.
In the fourth Mistress of the Art of Death mystery, medieval forensic pathologist Adelia Aguilar has been an enjoying a quiet life in the countryside with her daughter and friends. Then Henry II demands that she accompany his daughter and her formal procession to Italy and offers to keep her daughter with Queen Eleanor until her safe return. But death stalks the procession, and Adelia and her loyal friends soon realize that the killer is someone from her past bent on revenge. As with previous books in the series, historical details are many and add an extra layer of atmosphere. Readers who doubt the likelihood of a female Jewish pathologist in twelfth-century Britain will be reassured by Franklins detailed historical notes at the end of the book. With some uneven pacing and a plot that relies heavily on previous series knowledge, this book isnt the best place to start for readers new to the series, but it will be enjoyed by series fans. --Jessica Moyer
"Franklin is one of the very best creators of medieval whodunits writing today" Guardian "I'd like to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery!" TESS GERRITSEN "A riveting and suspenseful story... this series is one I am already planning to start again from the beginning" Historical Novels Review
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