Re-read review: Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin
What if Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan lived in the twelfth century? What, you say she might have been burned as a witch? Well, that is certainly a risk to the heroine of this tale, Doctor Vesuvia1 Aurelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar - Aurelia for short. But not one that is going to stop her from pursuing justice!
She ends up in Cambridgeshire when the head of the medical school in Salerno2 receives a request from King Henry II for a 'master of the art of death' to help investigate some murders and absentmindedly dispatches Aurelia and a small team...without reflecting that a sharp-tongued female doctor, her Muslim eunuch bodyguard Mansur, and Jewish fixer/investigator companion Simon might be a tad conspicuous in rural England. The local Christian populations have blamed a series of gruesome child murders on their Jewish neighbors, who have had to take refuge in a castle - where, of course, they can't do the money-making stuff the crown relies on them to do3, which is making Henry very cross. The discovery of a sugar-based sweet on one of the bodies turns Aurelia's suspicions toward someone who has been to the Middle East. And one former crusader keeps crossing her path: the jovial Sir Rowley Picot, an agent of the king who seems willing to help. But should she consider him an ally or a suspect?
A trigger warnings definitely needed for this story: The violence is pretty graphic, sexual violence in particular comes up A LOT (even if it mostly doesn't happen 'on screen'), there is at least one major character death, and of course there is the period-accurate anti-Semitism and misogyny that this whole story hinges on4. But it is very well written, maintaining a high degree of tension even on a re-read when you know who the killer is. The medical knowledge and techniques are all plausible for the time period - even if Adelia ends up resurrecting some she's only seen in ancient manuscripts. It also makes good use of the conflict between church and state during Henry's reign, and the idea of the "blood curse" so often weaponized against Jews in Medieval Europe.
Despite the rather grim nature of the story, there is also a good bit of humor here in the interaction of the characters, as is evident a few pages into the first chapter:
The woman rejoined her two men at the cart.
Mansur was regarding Simon with one of his looks, a slow form of ocular flaying. "Gabblemouth here said I was a doctor from Salerno."
"Did I say that? Did I say that?" Simon's arms were out. "I said my companion..."
Mansur turned his attention to the woman. "The unbeliever can't piss," he told her.
..."Hmmm," she said.
Adelia has a very intense 'Holmesian' way of latching onto a puzzle, especially if she gets to help someone by solving it!
Besides the forensics crew and Sir Rowley, the cast includes the reluctantly helpful Prior Geoffrey, no-nonsense Saxon fenswoman Gyltha and her grandson Ulf, and a gaggle of returning pilgrims (clearly inspired by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales) who are the most likely suspects. The friendships, old and new, between the central characters are delightful. I've tagged this story as a romance too, because it manages to fit in two romance sub-plots as well. No spoilers...but one includes Mansur5, and both are simultaneously unconventional and extremely wholesome.
Overall recommendation: Definitely worth picking up
if you like history, murder mysteries, and/or female leads who are badass
without ever picking up a weapon. The sequels are pretty good too, but this is
the one I keep coming back to.
1. She was a foundling discovered on Mount Vesuvius and raised by a pair of doctors, which leads to Prior Geoffrey being momentarily confused because he thinks Adelia had two dads. She gives him a look - he already knows SHE is a doctor and therefore 'doctor' does not equal 'male' - and explains that she was brought up by a Jewish father and a Christian mother...which of course is only slightly less bizarre by his standards.
2. The only one at the time to accept women.
3. See, at the time, the church considered things like lending money at interest (usury) to be a sin and so Christians weren't allowed to do it. But being able to get a loan is extremely useful. So if Christian kingdoms allowed Jews within their borders at all, they often pushed such jobs onto them, while banning them from many alternative professions. Which of course gave rise to the stereotype of the money-grubbing Jew. [Deep frustrated sigh]
4. This is the main reason I didn't put this in the 'This oughta be a movie' category. It might be hard to cut enough of the graphic stuff to make it watchable (it's not supposed to be 'Saw' after all!) without losing something - Adelia being very blunt and angry about this stuff is an important part of her character, for instance. It could probably be done, I just wouldn't want to be the one to try to do it.
5. Puzzled? So was Rowley, to whom Adelia has to sharply point out that eunuchs may not be able to have kids, but they can still get romantic feelings. And erections. (I looked it up, and this is actually often true - though it is more difficult. Testosterone levels are low, not 100% absent).
