Death Comes As Epiphany

May 31, 1993
A medievalist breathes life and vigor into the scholastic debates and religious controversies of 12th-century France in this entrancing mystery debut. Catherine LeVendeur, a young novice and scholar at the Convent of the Paraclete, is sent by the Abbess Heloise on a perilous mission to find out who is trying to destroy the reputation of the convent and, through it, that of the abbess's onetime lover and patron, theologian Peter Abelard. A psalter created at the convent and given as a gift to the powerful abbot Suger of Saint-Denis is later rumored to contain heretical statements in its accompanying commentaries. Catherine, in the role of a disgraced novice, must find the book and copy the disputed passages to determine if they are forgeries. Further complicating her search, Saint-Denis's master stonemason, Garnulf, is murdered, a crime which may be tied to the sinister hermit Aleran and the rebuilding of the splendid Abbey of Saint-Denis. Re-entering worldly life, the young novice must face both her sometimes disapproving family and her attraction to Garnulf's mysterious apprentice, Edgar. Newman skillfully depicts historical figures and issues in a very different age, one in which piety and great beauty coexist with cruelty.

February 1, 1994
YA-Although knowledge of the Middle Ages is helpful while reading this novel, the dialogue and fast action will appeal to YAs wanting a mystery set in an interesting place and time. Catherine, a young scholar who plans to become a nun, is sent by Heloise, the abbess at the convent where she is studying, to help her old friend, Abelard, when someone fraudulently copies his texts. Little does she realize that Catherine's own life will be in danger as she becomes involved in a murder mystery before the forger is discovered. The reading level is easier than Ellis Peters's "Brother Caedfel" series (Mysterious). Characters are believable, though somewhat predictable. The creative plot, however, has a special twist as unusual family ties become known. The voice of Catherine's conscience is realistically portrayed through the use of italics. Glimpses of many aspects of the time period are woven into the plot.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA