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Starred Review. 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. (Mar.)
From Booklist
Rich period detail supersedes suspense in Franklin’s second historical novel to feature twelfth-century forensic investigator Adelia Aguilar. A graduate of the Salerno School of Medicine, Adelia is one of the few female doctors of her era. But her professional efforts are often thwarted by those who believe her to be a witch. King Henry II isn’t one of them. When Glastonbury Abbey, one of England’s holiest sites, is burned to the ground, Henry summons the “Mistress of the Art of Death” to identify two skeletons found among the rubble. Could they be the bodies of the legendary King Arthur and his Lady Guinevere? King Henry hopes so. News of King Arthur’s demise would help him snuff out the rebellion in Wales for good. With the help of her Arab assistant, Mansur, Adelia picks through the bones in pursuit of the truth. But her obstacles are many: wary villagers, enigmatic men of the cloth, and a monster lurking in the woods. Plenty of dark cellars and caves add a whiff of Gothic to this engaging entry. --Allison Block
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