About Me

My photo
Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada
I am a lawyer in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada who enjoys reading, especially mysteries. Since 2000 I have been writing personal book reviews. This blog includes my reviews, information on and interviews with authors and descriptions of mystery bookstores I have visited. I strive to review all Saskatchewan mysteries. Other Canadian mysteries are listed under the Rest of Canada. As a lawyer I am always interested in legal mysteries. I have a separate page for legal mysteries. Occasionally my reviews of legal mysteries comment on the legal reality of the mystery. You can follow the progression of my favourite authors with up to 15 reviews. Each year I select my favourites in "Bill's Best of ----". As well as current reviews I am posting reviews from 2000 to 2011. Below my most recent couple of posts are the posts of Saskatchewan mysteries I have reviewed alphabetically by author. If you only want a sentence or two description of the book and my recommendation when deciding whether to read the book look at the bold portion of the review. If you would like to email me the link to my email is on the profile page.

Monday, April 16, 2018

The Serpent’s Tale by Ariana Franklin


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)

6 comments:

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margot: Thanks for the reply. I look forward to your spotlight of a book from the series.

      Delete
  2. Love Adelia Aguilar. A modern woman in 12th-century England who doesn't hold back and is self-confident and smart.

    Wish Diana Norman had lived many more years and written more about her famous protagonist.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 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.

      Delete
  3. I 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moira: 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.

      Delete