Grave Goods

Starred review from January 5, 2009
Set in 1176, Franklin’s excellent third Mistress of the Art of Death novel (after The Serpent’s Tale
) finds Adelia Aguilar, a “qualified doctor from the School of Medicine in Salerno,” in the holy town of Glastonbury, where Henry II has sent her to inspect two sets of bones rumored to be those of Arthur and Guinevere. Henry is hoping that an unequivocally dead Arthur will discourage the rebellious Welsh. The bones have been uncovered by the few monks, under the saintly Abbot Sigward, who remain after a terrible and mysterious fire devastated the town and abbey. Adelia’s party includes her loyal Arabian attendant, Mansur, whose willingness to play the role of doctor allows Adelia to be his “translator” and practice the profession she loves; and Gyltha, Mansur’s lover and the caretaker of Adelia’s small daughter, Allie. Eloquently sketched characters, including a ragtag group of Glastonbury men down on their luck, and bits of medieval lore flavor the constantly unfolding plot.

On a mission from King Henry II, forensic physician Adelia Aguilar travels to Glastonbury Abbey to examine two skeletons, allegedly those of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Adelia solves that puzzle, and several more. Kate Reading performs this twelfth-century story with suitable solemnity for a quest assigned by a king. Her slightly squeaky renderings of children's dialogue are the rare break in her formality. While both text and performance of this novel present a dismal picture of life in that era, through it all, Reading's impeccable diction and spot-on phrasing keep the listener engaged with the story. R.L.L. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine