Review: Grave Goods

The legend of King Arthur underpins Adelia Aguilar’s third case for England’s Henry II.

It’s 1176. An exasperated Henry Plantagenet has just put down another rebellion. In hopes of quelling future unrest he seizes on the story of a dying monk’s vision - the burial of King Arthur at Glastonbury Abbey.

Henry commands Adelia, the Mistress of the Art of Death, to prove the bones Arthur’s so that rebellious Celts everywhere will give up the cherished myth that “a warrior from the Dark Ages is going to lead them to freedom. I want Arthur’s bones and I want them on display.”

But Adelia arrives to find the Abbey burned to the ground. The mythic bones have indeed been recovered, but there are two bodies in the coffin – one of them apparently female. Guinevere? Worse, the smaller skeleton’s pelvic area has been removed, deliberately excised.

And Adelia’s young friend Emma, Lady Wolvercote (from “The Serpent’s Tale”), along with her child and bodyguard, have vanished enroute to her nearby mother-in-law’s estate.

Meanwhile, as if she doesn’t have enough to worry about, Rowley Picot, the father of Adelia’s 4-year-old daughter, now Bishop of St. Albans, arrives to investigate the fire.

Hidden caves, sadistic brigands, desperate serfs and more dead bodies mix in with the lies, intrigue, romance and humor to keep the various plot lines moving at a rapid clip. Franklin, pseudonym of British writer Diana Norman, revels in the medieval atmosphere, immersing the reader in the details of daily life in all its dirt, damp, superstition, and lawlessness.

Readers of the previous two volumes will be familiar with the set-up. There is no such thing in 12th century Britain as a female doctor so Adelia, an Italian from Salerno, where women are permitted to study medicine, has developed an elaborate ruse. She poses as a translator for her friend, the Arab castrato Mansur, who poses as a celebrated doctor. His lover, Adelia’s companion Gyltha, also travels with her, as does her daughter.

Although the first in the series remains unsurpassed (“Mistress of the Art of Death”), and the ending of this one is a bit far-fetched, Adelia’s lively intelligence and determination and the vivid evocation of the times keeps this series among the best.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Lynn Harnett

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.

Book Review: Grave Goods

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.