Cheryl R. (Spuddie) - , reviewed on 7/14/2007 + 412 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 6

I believe this is the first in a new series of historical mysteries featuring Adelia, a female physician trained at Salerno, where such things as autopsies and female doctors were allowed. She is sent by the King of Sicily to investigate the serial murders of several children in Cambridge UK in the year 1137 along with two companions--Simon, an expert investigator, and Mansur, a large Arab man who poses as the doctor with Adelia as his assistant--which would have been acceptable in England at that time. Henry II has also commissioned one of his tax collectors to find the murderer before the English people rise up and demand that all Jews be expelled from England, as they are presently being blamed for the deaths. King Henry needs the Jews' income on his tax rolls and thus can't let that happen. Adelia uses crude forensic techniques to discover clues and soon the suspect list is narrowed down. What she doesn't count on is being attracted to one of her suspects--she, avowed to celibacy, sworn to be a doctor first and foremost above all. While the mystery itself wasn't too hard to figure out, certain aspects of it were surprising. I really enjoyed this book, which is set my favorite time period, and I already feel like I know many of the characters--Adelia as well as the peripheral characters--and do hope it becomes a series!

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