Reading is going slowly so I looked back to an older unposted review by an author I appreciated. I am sad she is gone. I would like to have read more books involving Adelia.
****
24. - 434.) The Serpent’s Tale by Ariana Franklin –
Salerno doctor of death, Adelia, is called upon by former lover, Bishop Rowley,
to investigate the poisoning of Rosamund, lover of King Henry II. Adelia, in
her guise as Mansur’s helper, has become Henry’s secret investigator. The
estranged Queen Eleanor is suspected. If she orchestrated the killing civil war
is a certainty. A shadowy assassin is involved. To my surprise Adelia has a baby from the
liason with Rowley. While not a family it is a rare event in mystery fiction
for the hero(ine) to have a child. As Rowley, Adelia, Mansur, Glytha and baby
Allie travel to the tower, surrounded by a maze, in which Rosamund lived they
encounter a fierce English winter storm (it sounded like a classic Canadian
prairie blizzard). Initially they are storm stayed at Godstow Abbey. The murder
of a young gentleman on the bridge to the Abbey is another puzzle. An early
criminalist, Adelia, seeks to examine crime scenes and bodies before the
evidence around them is compromised by other investigators and the curious. The
bitter weather, in an era, when winter travel was precarious and dangerous is
as much a challenge as the minimal clues. Adelia, following the approach of
countless mystery detectives exemplified by Spenser, pokes around until the
murderer reacts. The history is interesting. The plot flows well. They are not
too many bodies. The characters are not stereotypes (not every bad guy is ugly
with a miserable personality). The suspense builds through the book.The
solution is credible. Hardcover or paperback. (June 11/08)
In my opinion, this is an excellent series, Bill. Like you, I am sorry that the author has passed away; it's a great loss. I'm very glad you enjoyed this as much as you did, and I appreciate the reminder of the books. I would like to do a spotlight on one of them, and I'm glad to be reminded of that, too.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the reply. I look forward to your spotlight of a book from the series.
DeleteLove Adelia Aguilar. A modern woman in 12th-century England who doesn't hold back and is self-confident and smart.
ReplyDeleteWish Diana Norman had lived many more years and written more about her famous protagonist.
Kathy D.: Thanks for the comment. Your reference to "a modern woman" was my only reservation about the book. I wondered if Adelia could actually have existed in that era.
DeleteI loved this series of books, and was very sorry to hear that the author had died. And, I also associate this with our lost friend Bernadette: I read the first book because she had recommended it.
ReplyDeleteMoira: It was a grand series and I was touched by your association of the book with Bernadette. She was a good source fo recommendations and non-recommendations.
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