|
Book Description
A
chilling, mesmerizing novel that combines the best of modern forensic
thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction.
In
medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The
crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, taken as
evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous
ceremonies. To save them from the rioting mob, the king places the
Cambridge Jews under his protection and hides them in a castle
fortress. King Henry I is no friend of the Jews-or anyone, really-but
he is invested in their fate. Without the taxes received from Jewish
merchants, his treasuries would go bankrupt. Hoping scientific
investigation will exonerate the Jews, Henry calls on his cousin the
King of Sicily-whose subjects include the best medical experts in
Europe-and asks for his finest "master of the art of death," an early
version of the medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task
is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno. But her name is
Adelia-the king has been sent a mistress of the art of death.
Adelia
and her companions-Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor-travel to England
to unravel the mystery of the Cambridge murders, which turn out to be
the work of a serial killer, most likely one who has been on Crusade
with the king. In a backward and superstitious country like England,
Adelia must conceal her true identity as a doctor in order to avoid
accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she is assisted by Sir Rowley
Picot, one of the king's tax collectors, a man with a personal stake in
the investigation. Rowley may be a needed friend, or the fiend for whom
they are searching. As Adelia's investigation takes her into
Cambridge's shadowy river paths and behind the closed doors of its
churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to
strike again .
About the Author
Ariana Franklin is the pen name of British writer Diana Norman. A
former journalist, Norman has written several critically acclaimed
biographies and historical novels. She lives in Hertfordshire, England,
with her husband, the film critic Barry Norman.
|
