![]() ![]() The Jews are, in effect, the kingdom’s bankers. Henry has need of the Jews because Christians are barred from the practice of lending money with interest. One prosperous moneylender has already been killed by a mob as the novel opens, his co-religionists are under royal protection, waiting out the hysteria behind castle walls. The victims were all children, and a hue and cry has been raised against the Jews of the region, in accordance with the allegations of blood libel. Mistress of the Art of Death starts out with a convoluted premise: at the request of England’s King Henry II, the King of Sicily has sent a deputation to Cambridge to investigate a series of murders. My reservations evanesced as I fell under the spell of Rosalyn Landor’s reading. As I often do in cases like this, I decided to try the audiobook. But two people whose opinion I value highly urged me to give it another shot. ![]() I was bothered mainly by the tone, which seemed ironic, with an overlay of slapstick thrown in for good measure. The first time I tried to read this novel, I didn’t make it past the first three or four pages. Januat 2:19 am ( Book review, Historical fiction, Mystery fiction) Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin ![]()
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