StarAstrologer - Books : The Serpent's Tale
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780399154645
ISBN: 0399154647
Label: Putnam Adult
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: January 31, 2008
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Sales Rank: 18051
Studio: Putnam Adult
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Ariana Franklin combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the drama of historical fiction in the enthralling second novel in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, featuring medieval heroine Adelia Aguilar.
Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison-and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.
Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter, Allie. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of St. Albans, who is also her baby's father.
Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth-a strange and sinister place from the outside, but far more so on the inside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken captive by Eleanor's henchmen and held in the nunnery of Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries, awaiting the right moment to launch their rebellion.
Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia and Rowley watch as dead bodies begin piling up. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war . . .
Average Rating: 
Rating: -
This book takes up not long after where Mistress of the Art of Death leaves us, and while it's not necessary to have read the other first (this book would work as a stand-alone, the story is not continuous and the character back-stories are summed up nicely) I would recommend it. Just because it will give you a good feel for the characters and the times, which is important to the story.
In this book, we see a lot more frailness in Adelia, a bending of her will in order to protect her ... Read More
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I read the first book in the series, "Mistress of the Art of Death", a few weeks ago, and when I found out there was a sequel I was ecstatic. The action centers around Adelia, an orphan who was adopted and trained by an Italian coroner, and who has traveled to Henry II's England to solve a series of murders. At the end of that story, Henry refuses to let her go home, he values her services so highly, and she is reasonably content to stay near the father of her child, new bishop Rowley. I loved that ... Read More
Rating:  -
If you read the previous book, then you will undoubtedly be champing at the bit to read this newest installment. A great mystery to solve, good history tidbits, and just a great, enjoyable read!
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First Sentence: The two men's voices carried down the tunnels with a reverberation that made them indistinguishable but, even so, gave the impression of a business meeting.
King Henry II refused to let Adelia Aguilar return to her home at the School of Medicine in Sicily so she is living in the fens with her baby daughter Allie, companion and baby's nursemain Gyltha, the Saracan Mansur, who poses as the doctor allowing Adelia to treat patients without being named a witch, and her new dog ... Read More
Rating: -
I really liked this book, as your not sure where its going, and its unusual for a woman in those times to be doing this kind of work. Loved it Easy to read
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