Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"A fabulous read...irresistible." --
New York Daily News "Vivid and engaging...succeeds brilliantly as both historical fiction and crime thriller. [A] terrific book...with a dozen twists." -- Diana Gabaldon,
Washington Post "One of the most compelling, suspenseful mysteries I've read in years." --
New York Times bestselling author Sharon Kay Penman "The medieval answer to Kay Scarpetta and the CSI detectives." -- Karen Harper, bestselling author of the
Elizabeth I mystery series "Fascinating...a rollicking microcosm of budding science, medieval culture, and edge-of-your-seat suspense." --
USA Today "Expert researched, a brilliant heroine." -- Kate Mosse,
New York Times bestselling author of
Labyrinth "CSI meets
The Canterbury Tales...commercial paydirt...delivered with panache." --
Kirkus Reviews (starred)
Synopsis
Sent to medieval Cambridge in order to exonerate a group of Jewish prisoners with financial ties to King Henry I, University of Salerno medical examiner Adelia and a group of companions struggle to avoid being accused of witchcraft and discover that the killer may be a former crusader. 150,00 first printing.
Synopsis
Set in medieval England, this chilling, mesmerizing novel combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction, as a "mistress of the art of death" an early version of a medical examiner arrives in Cambridge from Italy to investigate the suspicious deaths of four children.
About the Author
Ariana Franklin is the pen name of British writer Diana Norman. A bestselling author and former journalist, she lives in England with her husband, the film critic Barry Norman.