Mistress of the Art of Death

A Novel

By: Ariana Franklin

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

The national best-selling 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.

©2007 Ariana Franklin (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and Books on Tape. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"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 best-selling author Sharon Kay Penman)

well done and different

A serial murder mystery with a twist. This story takes place during the reign of Henry II, making it an historical murder mystery. The pomp and majesty of the times, the deviousness of politics (even then, some things never change!), the rivalry between the church and king, and the squalor in which the peasantry lived provide a rich and interesting background for the horrible murders that take place. The 'detectives' working with the tools of the time must find a killer of children. I thought that the narration was excellent and actually added to the story. The narrator moved between the delicate voice and accent of the female doctor, the king, his many knights, the prior and nuns and the rest with such facility that I was never really aware while listening that there was only one narrator. I was able to lose myself in the book.

tour de force

This is a teriffic book, even more inspiring for its being its writer's first effort. It scores on every point - a rich plot with twists and turns, marvelous characters, engrossing period detail, even a feminist outlook to go with 12th century England! I could not rate it highly enough. It's a book I will return to. I look foward to hearing from the author again.

Better than the book!

I loved listening to this even more than I loved reading it...which was a lot! Marvelous setting, excellent characters, story. While it can be said that Adelia is a woman before her time, she is not outlandishly so. Female doctors did exist at this time, as did forward thinking, strong woman (Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II's wife for one). Loved it!

Great Female Character, Great Time Period --

Great Book! And a worthy reader in Rosalyn Landor who does a wonderful job bringing it to life. While this is a historical set piece, (and I enjoy them), the theme of a woman doing a 'man's' work is universal. I love Adela's intelligence and unwillingness to play dumb. I also enjoy her compatriots, who are a mixed bag of great characters. It's rare to find a book this good, and I know I'll 'read' it over and over in the years to come. I only hope this series goes on and on and on. Very, VERY well done! Thank you Ariana Franklin!

This is one of my favorite books.

What did you love best about Mistress of the Art of Death?

I Love the fact our main character is a head strong woman who is brilliant and determined. I also love the way our Ariana Franklin creates her characters with good and bad traits.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes through the whole book and into the next!

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Her reading is outstanding.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

You become so caught up in the characters you can't stop thinking about them.

A High Middle ages murder mystery

For those who like a good murder mystery mixed with historic content and a strong female protagonist...this is the book for you. You'll be drawn along with this one cheering on the team of detectives that come to early Cambridge to solve a string of hideous murders.

absolutely brilliant!

*warning spoilers*

this was beautifully written, I fell in love with her writing style. powerful yet subtle. I loved the development of the characters and I loved how well researched and thorough it is!

*spoiler*

the dog dies. now if I hadn't so completely loved this story, in would have stopped reading it there, but I appreciate that the author didn't expound on this topic to force emotion and drama for the reader. also another main character dies, which I feel was un needed.

Great book

I enjoyed this book and the audio so much I ordered the entire series. I recommend it highly!!

hang in there!

I almost gave up on this book a few times early on. You really have to actively listen to this one. so worth it though. dark and painful to listen to it times but a really compelling story.

Superb character development and plotline

Thank you, THANK YOU,
💖Ma. Franklin💖. I am an 80-year-old NON-evangelical Christian who was reared in the 1950s when no one questioned why Jews were not eligible for membership in the local country club, Franklin presents authentic depictions of the vile, grisly and grotesque antisemitism which has been a Stage 4 cancer on the soul of humanity since Man sauntered out of caves and formed societies grounded in the beliefs that might-makes-right and the-Other-is-evil. The horror of the brazen world-wide resurgence of antisemitism is breathtakingly frightening and a scourge that MUST NOT be ignored.