Mistress of the Art of Death: Ariana Franklin

Dr. Adelia Aguilar has been sent to a small community to examine the bodies of several murdered young children and possibly ascertain the identity of the murderer. The members of the community have already laid the blame at the door of the Jewish members and taken violent steps upon that assumption. Dr. Aguilar must not only fight the misogynistic beliefs against female doctors in a small town but she will have to use all her skills to find the killer before he takes another child. Sounds very similar to the plot of many modern novels... However this one takes place in 12th century England, in the town of Cambridge. The danger is only just beginning.

The Jews of England are the only individuals allowed to practice usury (money-lending) and therefore provide a great deal of tax money to King Henry II. With a child-killer on the loose, the Jews are the first to be blamed, thus they have all been rounded up and placed in the castle at Cambridge, nominally for their protection. This has led to a sharp decrease in tax money for the king. To that end he sends to the medical college at Salerno, the finest in the world, requesting a doctor of the "art of death" to come and examine the bodies, and solve this mystery so that the Jews may be freed.

Unbeknownst to him, the very best that the college has is Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, a chaste 25-year old female who has devoted her life to her work. Knowing that the town will not accept her she must travel, and work, incognito. A lucky meeting and a midnight surgery performed on the prior of the local abbey gains her an unfailing ally. As she bends herself to the task of reading the bodies of the children to see what they can tell her of their horrifying final moment’s suspicion and subterfuge weave themselves around her. In the end it is up to Adelia to trust in her skills as a Mistress of the Art of Death.

Historical novels of this sort are often hard to sink into and believe. It takes a skilled hand to weave in the right amount of historical facts and conjecture, all while telling a tale that is interesting and keeps the reading hanging on, without getting bogged down in the details. Ariana Franklin has managed to tackle this task and succeeds incredibly well. Adelia is a sharp and cunning girl with much knowledge; not sweet, but just giving enough to make the reader want to follow her along to see where she's going to end up. This book was a true pleasure to read.
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Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Reprint edition (January 29, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0425219259
ISBN-13: 978-0425219256