GRAVE GOODS

by Ariana Franklin



In Grave Goods, the third in Ariana Franklin's "Mistress of the Art of Death" series, King Henry II sends Adelia to the recently burned Glastonbury Abbey to prove the skeletons discovered there are in fact the bones of the legendary King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Angry at once again being dragged into Henry's schemes, Adelia makes the trip to the seemingly magical place, but what she and her friends find when they get there is a very different and dangerous mystery.

I just love Adelia and company! It's not just that the stories are entertaining, but the characters are so outstanding they keep me interested even if I feel the storyline losing me. While I find the legend of King Arthur intriguing, I'm not a big fan (yet), so that thread of the plot in this installment of the series slowed it down for me a couple of times. However, Frankin was quickly able to reel me right back in with other story elements and, of course, the marvelous cast.

The only real problem with these books is that I read them right away, then it's a year before I get to see what happens next. And judging by the end of this one, there will be a next, for Adelia's new nemesis is out there waiting. . . .

You can find my thoughts on the second book in the series, The Serpent's Tale, here.

THE SERPENT'S TALE by Ariana Franklin

The Serpent’s Tale, sequel to last year’s Mistress of the Art of Death, finds our medieval MD, Adelia Aguilar, forced out of retirement by Henry II to investigate the murder of his mistress, Rosamund Clifford.

I have seen these books referred to in other reviews as CSI: Canterbury, and I think that is an apt description. The series reminds me a bit of Brother Cadfael. Fans of historical fiction in general and historical murder mysteries in particular would enjoy these books. While there are a few scenes in this installment that seemed unnecessarily slow and I don’t feel the plot was as strong as the one in Mistress of the Art of Death, I still found The Serpent’s Tale to be a satisfying read. Adelia is a wonderfully independent lead character and very believable as a woman doctor/coroner struggling to do her job in a society where her methods are looked upon as witchcraft. But the real magic of this series is in its secondary characters. Mansur, Adelia’s Arab assistant, Rowley Picot, her lover and newly appointed Bishop of St. Albans, and the wildly entertaining Gyltha, whose observations regarding people and political events made me laugh out loud, are people you’ll be glad to meet again and sorry to let go when the last page is turned. (And I’ve probably spelled Gyltha’s name wrong, since I listened to the audio book and am guessing. . .)

Here’s to hoping we have many more adventures with Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar of Salerno and her band of misfits!

Lezlie

PS Just a side note: This is the second book I read this month in which Eleanor of Aquitaine was a character, and I didn't like her in either one. Hmmmm. . .