A Murderous Procession

February 1, 2010
In Franklin's well-paced fourth Mistress of the Art of Death novel (after Grave Goods
), Henry II of England assigns his trusted doctor friend, Adelia Aguilar, who studied at the School of Medicine in Salerno, Italy, to accompany his 10-year-old daughter, Joanna, on Joanna's wedding procession to Sicily, where the girl is to marry Henry's cousin, William II. Along the way, the clever and brave Adelia has to not only contend with the dangers facing the princess but thwart a diabolical and conniving assassin named Scarry, who bears Adelia a murderous grudge. The suspense rises as members of the royal party start to die unnatural deaths as they journey across Europe. At times, Franklin, who's obviously done a lot of research into the period, in particular into the House of Plantagenet, overexplains or lapses into pedantic description. Still, both fans of historical fiction and mystery readers will be rewarded.

January 15, 2010
In the fourth installment of Franklin's "Mistress of the Art of Death" series (after "Grave Goods"), King Henry II orders Adelia Aguila to accompany his ten-year-old daughter Joanna to Palermo to marry his cousin, the king of Sicily. To make sure Adelia returns to England, Henry holds her daughter as a "ward." Also joining the procession are Mansur, Adelia's Arab protector, and Rowley, the Bishop of St. Albans and father of her daughter. The expedition soon starts to go badly, with deaths, delays, and illness further complicated by the reappearance of the outlaw Scarry seeking vengeance for his lover's death. VERDICT Sprinkled with fascinating historical facts about the medieval period, Franklin's plots always intrigue. For fans of Sharon Kaye Penman and medieval mysteries, this is essential reading. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ" 12/09.]Susan T. Hayes, Chattahoochee Valley Libs., Columbus, GA

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