A Mortal Bane

By: Roberta Gellis

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Magdalene la Batarde is the madam of the Old Priory Guesthouse in Southwark. She and her women are expected to engage in a number of sinful activities, but bloody murder isn't one of them until Baldassare, the messenger, dies. Though Baldassare isn't a regular client of the Old Priory Guesthouse, Magdalene and her women refuse to allow his death to go unavenged. Of course, their efforts aren't completely altruistic. Chances are if they don't find the killer, they will be assumed guilty, because they are whores, and will be gutted and hanged.

Into this sea of intrigue steps the handsome Sir Bellamy of Itchen. The bishop of Winchester, who was served for many years by Baldassare, has put Bellamy, his most trusted knight, in charge of the murder investigation and ordered him to prove Magdalene is the killer. Bellamy is instantly captivated by his chief suspect but also convinced that she is hiding something. Sure that she is involved in the messenger's death right up to her beautiful eyebrows but unable to believe she's a killer, Bellamy must find out how and why Baldassare died, or watch the mysterious Magdalene meet her fate on the gallows.

©1999 Roberta Gellis (P)2002 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"In this top-notch production Nadia May uses different cadences to effectively denote different characters. Her mellifluous voice and accents are perfect for the story. The authentic historical detail, mystery, romance, and well-defined characters work together to create a memorable story." (AudioFile)

An Extremely Unique Mystery

This book was not exactly a fun read. But the author did such an amazing job of introducing the reader to a specific place and time that it was fascinating. And she told it not from the perspective of a celebrity of the time - a king, a duchess or a famous knight, but from the perspective of one of the least discussed types of person who existed at that time - a prostitute. It was a time when a prostitute evidently had a more institutional, integral and accepted role in society so she was a perfect observer, but wasn't really part of the history that was being made all around her.

The mystery itself was secondary to the characters and the plot was at its best when it was introducing or explaining one of the characters or a specific event that we know as History, but was just a part of any given day then.

Ms. May's narration is often too tremulous and old-fashioned for me. But I thought she did a wonderful job, especially as Magdalene.

Interesting premise

Very interesting premise. Unfortunately, the author overuses phrases...if I hear the word "whore" one more time, I think I'll scream. >.<

Excellent Entertainment into another time

What made the experience of listening to A Mortal Bane the most enjoyable?

I have enjoyed reading other Roberta Gellis novels; she researches the time and period well, puts in a great many details to make the story come alive. One gets attatched to Gellis characters. Nadia May reads well and adds further dimension to the story. My hope is that more Roberta Gellis books are added to the audible library and that Nadia May is available to narrate them.

Different than the others.

I liked the eclectic cast of characters in this book. The leads were strong and versatile in their actions in each situation. Not a true thriller novel but entertaining all the same.

Good medieval mystery

Overall, the story was good. Parts dragged and parts went into more detail than I cared for while other parts skipped on details. My biggest complaint was the reader. She read fine and had an English accent which makes sense for the characters. The problem was all the characters sounded the same. Without the visual clues one would have on the written page, one relies on the reader to provide the clues. The were too many points in the story that were making no sense for the last known character to be saying or doing what was being read. Once it became clear who the correct character was, I often needed to rewind to listen in the correct context. By the end of the book I was better as recognizing the characters change so have gotten another to follow the continuing story of Magdalen la Batarde.

Got lost in the Religious/Political intrigue

Great narration, I liked it until I could no longer keep all of the peripheral plots and players straight. I liked the main characters very much.

A rare treat

What a discovery. I wish all mysteries were this good, and as much fun. The reader is, as always, perfect; but she's especially appreciated in this story where Magdalene's clarity and courage are central. The characters are fresh, unique, and interesting. It's a whole different way to look at many things, and offered with humor.

Brother Cadfael's sister?

I enjoy period mysteries, especially anything set in antiquity and the Middle Ages, so had read all of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael and most of Lindsay Davis' Marcus Falco. This book is just as good and has the added feature of a female sleuth, Magdelane. The author entertains readers with Magdelane's clever ability to solve the mystery despite the barriers facing women of the era.

Comical murder mystery with some truths

I found this story hilarious. Having whores living in an abbey rectory house accused of murder playing detective is so funny. Having taken history of religion courses in college, it isn't such a far fetched idea as the church was in a period of corruption. The story even touches upon that too. In all this was a fun murder mystery. I'm going to recommend it to my mother. She almost exclusively reads pulp romance novels. I know she'll like this one too.

Deliciously Medieval

I so enjoyed this book! The premise is very entertaining, the characters interesting and complex, and the mystery is clever. Also, if you like romances, this has a nice gentle romantic thread that develops in later novels.

The historical research is excellent and setting reveals an historically accurate portrayal of the early medieval church as more pragmatic than godly, a general absence of independence for women, and the prevalence of violence in the 12th Century.

The narrator is well suited to the text and pleasant to listen to.