Mistress of the Art of Death

A Novel

By: Ariana Franklin

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

so unusual and so excellent

l love historical fiction and particularly something set in this time period...12th century England during Henry II. But the story is a murder mystery to be solved by, of all things, a female coroner. Thus, Mistress of the Art of Death. Beautifully read.

One of the best.

The audio book is about the best for the medieval historical fiction genre. This audio book perhaps outshines the book because the narrator is so good. Her voices are wonderful and melodic. The characters have their own distinct sound and flavor.

Great Woman Character

I enjoyed this book immensely. While versed in parts of English history, the reign of Henry II is new for me. The connection between the plot and its historical significance is cleverly concealed until the end. Adelia, the main character, is anything but a wilting violet and unusual for her time. I was concerned that this book would be gruesome as it revolves around the violent murders of children. While the details are set forth, they are not presented in a gratuitous or prurient manner. There are a few missteps in the writing but none that made me want to put the book down. The narration is fabulous! The author's comments setting out what parts of the book are factual and what parts are fictionalized is narrated at the end which gives the book added historical interest. I highly recomment it!

Great listen

The beginning was a bit confusing at first, but well worth the patience. All the characters are so vivid and never feel forced. They are unveiled as is the plot, layer by layer, Great story that builds upon itself.

Female Quincy During the Reign of Henry II

This book was hugely entertaining. I was kept thoroughly entertained and recommend this book highly. It is both historically interesting (without being preachy) and forensically fascinating -- there is even a dash of romance. What is there not too like? I found no difficulty in the accents used by the narrator and found her voice to be pleasant and expressive. As Gyltha would say.. "her really liked it," and her did.

England 1171 AD, your first Medieval story ?

Murder mystery. Main character a lady with a special talent sent on a secret
mission to help the King of England. There is alot of background explanation
along the way. Good character development. The story is about the people
of the time and their inter workings. This is not a war story. The killer is not
revealed till near the end. And that is not the end of the story. The reader is
a lady and very good in pronounciation. One of my favorites.

Excellent Medieval Mystery

Very enjoyable historical mystery with memorable characters, will keep you guessing while weaving a lot of fascinating facts about Medieval medicine, politics, and society into the plot. Absolutely worth listening to, both the story and narration are excellent.

Glad I found this

I was hesitant about this book because I didn't have a personal recommendation and had to trust the online reviews. I really enjoyed it. It is the middle of the 12th century in England immediately following the murder of Thomas a Becket. Someone is kidnapping and brutally murdering young children and someone versed in the "art of death," in other words, a forensic specialist, is needed to discover who. Imagine Kay Scarpetta in the 12th century.

Excellent night-time read

Fine characters, breath-taking evils, not so obvious villians and historical details make this a rich, compelling mystery.

Phenomenal

Any additional comments?

I've been listening to audiobooks for a looong time and this is one of the best I've heard. Fantastic writing and performance, fascinating characters and time. I found it totally engrossing and unexpected, I read a lot of historical fiction but somehow this one broke the mold.