Literature review

I am an avid reader, going through about two or three books per week, sometimes more. I finished the above book, "Mistress of the Art of Death", this morning on my way to work. It takes a lot for a book to get me to read it cover to cover. I was sad when this one was over.

It takes place in feudel England. A serial killer has been mutilating and killing children, and an expert in "death", basically a medical examiner, is sent from Sicily to assist in discovering who the killer is. The twist is that the expert is a woman, and in this time period, women are not allowed to practice medicine, and Jews have been accused of the murder, because the Christians of Cambridgeshire believe Jews to torture and kill children for pleasure.

The book also examines the hold the church had over its populice and the king, and how people reacted to papal rule.

Anyhoo, there is romance, intrigue, it is fast-paced, easy to follow, and the characters are relatable. I was immensely impressed with this book.