Customer Reviews

The Death Maze

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

...like a woman scorned." And there are more than a couple scorned women running around in "The Serpent's Tale", another fine thriller from Ariana Franklin set in Plantagenet England.

Back from Ariana Franklin's unique and inventive "Mistress of the Art of Death" is the resourceful Adelia Aguilar, a student of the period's fledgling medical sciences in Sicily's opened-minded University of Salerno which allowed a - gasp - woman to be trained in these arcane arts. After successfully solving the serial murders of children in "Mistress", the guileful King Henry II decides to keep poor Adelia around for a while, just in case the need for her services should arise again. Adelia is not happy, pining for Sicily's warmer climates and attitudes, while caring for her newborn daughter in an unusually frigid English winter.

But when Henry's mistress, "the fair Rosamund" is poisoned, it is feared to be murder at the hands of the redoubtable Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, threatening to plunge England into another Civil War. Adelia is summoned by the King to travel to the tower in which Rosamund was cloistered to investigate the facts surrounding Rosamund's death in an attempt to determine if Eleanor was indeed involved.

As with "Mistress", Franklin plays a little loose with the history, as Rosamund was admittedly more legend than historical record. But this in no way detracts from another great yarn, steeped in the culture, mores, and ignorance of a time when stubborn religious doctrine trumped science and the course of history was directed - and recorded - by the Church. The research is impressive and the pace lively - Franklin has a knack for embellishing her plots with interesting side stories, Rosamund's Tower's labyrinth and man trap notable here. Stranded in the blizzard-ravaged deep freeze of Oxfordshire, life inside the Godstow Abbey is vibrantly rendered with well drawn characters in vivid - and miserably cold - settings. And while there may be some liberties taken with Rosamund-lore, the politics of the brilliant and volatile Henry II and his rebellious wife and sons provide a compelling and credible backdrop to this terrific yarn.

So where's the fifth star? As remarkable a character as Adelia is, "The Serpent's Tale", despite some great moments of suspense and delicious morbidity, fell just a bit flat, dragging in places and somewhat overburdened with the dysfunctional relationship between Adelia and Rowley, her daughter's father, now a Bishop forbidden to marry. The love element in the story just didn't do it for me - probably a guy thing - and Adelia seemed to mope and moan to the point just short of being annoying. But hey - I quibble - this is terrific historical fiction, a great follow up to a fresh approach to the period novel, and a great primer for 12th Century England. If you haven't discovered Ariana Franklin and her wily Adelia yet, your missing a fun and illuminating read.

Have you ever a read a book that was just great-one of the best books you had read in a long time and then found out there was a sequel? And then, full of optimism and confidence you run out to the closest bookstore and buy the sequel, carrying it home as if it the secret to a long life of happy fulfillment-only to find out it just didn't compare to the first. I think everybody has. The latest book in my long line "sequel ineptus" is, very sadly, "the Serpent's Tale" by the author of "Mistress of The Art of Death" (and sequel to.)

I want to say how much I loved the first book in what looks to be a long series of the Middle Ages forensic magician Adelia Aguilar. "Mistress..." was an amazing, scary mystery with twists and turns that were unforeseen and very enjoyable. In addition, it had romance, tragedy and a lot of humor. It was wonderful. And it comparison it just made this book fall rather flat.

In "The serpent's tale" Adelia, now with a daughter and has been separated from her lover Rowley (who is now a bishop) for more than a year and expects to never see him again. But she is summoned by Rowley from her contended, but slightly boring and commanded life (since Henry II refuses to let her go back to Sicily) in the Cambridge Fens when she is summoned by a returned Rowley. The king's favorite mistress Rosamund Clifford has been poisoned and Rowley needs Adelia to prove that Queen Eleanor had nothing to do with it.

The rest of the book is fermenting rebellion, a hired assassin and a snowed in winter with the players stuck at an Abby near Woodstock. But though the atmosphere is perfect for a mystery the story didn't take me there.

Like its predecessor this book has the short fragmented sentences that make it a humorous pleasure in parts and a fun read. But unfortunately, the rest of the elements don't measure up. The mystery is confusing-not, "oh I can't figure it out confusing" but just plain old "this doesn't make sense" confusing. The atmosphere in no way compares to the totally scary and creepy first book and for me there were a lot of facts that didn't add up.

For instance, most historians discount the tale of "Fair Rosamund" living in a labyrinth near Woodstock but I'll admit it makes for a great setting. Also Henry II had two sons named Geoffrey, one was legitimate, and one was not but the legitimate one is never mentioned though the other is multiple times.

And Eleanor's portrayal was....odd. Childish almost, in behavior if not in appearance. Now I'm not so sure that any fiction writer has ever portrayed any historical figure as they truly were (for we leave such few and strange traces behind when we leave this life) but I've seen a lot of fictional Eleanor's and this one was the strangest I have seen.

It's possible that the first book was so great that no matter how good the second one was I wouldn't have liked it as much. But to me this book was a let down, and though I raced through the first in a day and a half this one took me almost a week to read.

I didn't hate it though. Three point five stars.

The five page prologue of Ariana Franklin's "The Serpent's Tale" may be the best part of the book. An assassin who calls himself Sicarius ponders his tradecraft. For him, killing people is strictly business; he is annoyed with clients who make a big production out of the preliminaries. They insist on donning silly disguises, and demand that he meet with them in remote and drafty locales. He would prefer to conduct the necessary transactions without so much fuss, but human nature being what it is, assassins must be patient with their customer's peccadilloes. After this tongue-in-cheek introduction, the author indicates that a serious dispute may be brewing between King Henry II and his irate Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Precipitating the rift is the suspicious death of Henry's mistress, Rosamund Clifford, who died after eating poisonous mushrooms.

Caught in the middle of what could potentially result in a civil war is our heroine, the brilliant and unconventional Adelia Aguilar, originally of Salerno, Italy. Adelia has a baby girl, Allie, but she refused to wed the child's father lest she be forced to give up her identity and profession. Although she would like to take her daughter back to her sunny homeland, she has been commanded by the King to stay in England so that he can take advantage of her medical skill and expertise in investigating deaths, both natural and unnatural. Adelia still loves Allie's father, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of Saint Albans, but marriage is out of the question. Her top priority is to learn the identity of the person who orchestrated Rosamund's death; unfortunately, she is repeatedly thwarted by a determined and stealthy killer.

The plot is initially intriguing. Could Rosamund's agonizing death have been an accident? Perhaps someone picked the mushrooms not realizing that they were lethal. Adelia, who is as observant as she is intelligent and intuitive, examines the evidence and uses her keen powers of deduction to conclude that Rosamund was indeed murdered. A series of complicated events, including a persistent snowstorm, place the main characters behind the walls of Godstow Abbey, where they are forced to while away the time with Queen Eleanor and her entourage. More killings ensue, and Adelia fears that she and her friends may be next on the assassin's hit list.

At Adelia's side is the devoted Mansur, a Saracen who speaks with her in Arabic and pretends to be a doctor, while she acts as his assistant and translator for show; Glytha is a loving friend who tends to Allie while Adelia is busy risking her life; Rowley is loyal to Henry and cares for Adelia but feels constrained by the demands of his new role as bishop. Queen Eleanor, a proud and still striking woman, bitterly resents her husband's faithlessness. The secondary characters include bloodthirsty mercenaries, a formidable and resourceful group of nuns, and a young woman who is betrothed to a monster.

Franklin has a delightful sense of humor and a refreshing forthrightness. She captures the spirit and atmosphere of life in medieval England, a time when the underclass was completely at the mercy of the rich and powerful. Alas, "The Serpent's Tale" falters badly in the second half; for long stretches, very little happens. The conclusion is somewhat anticlimactic and lacks the spice of the opening pages. Although the novel takes place in the twelfth century, Franklin inserts a modern sensibility into the narrative that is a bit jarring at times. In addition, the bad guys are one-dimensional and rather dull; a boring villain is always a fatal flaw in a mystery. By the time all of the myriad threads are finally unraveled, many readers will feel exhausted rather than exhilarated.

I've noticed that at least two of the previous reviews are by professional/commercial reviewers - not usually a good sign - but this is an excellent book and shouldn't require paid praise.

If you've read 'Mistress of the Art of Death,' rest assured, this one is almost as good. And if you haven't, by all means start with that.

The historical background is well-researched and integrated into the novel, but, for me, it's all about the characters. Each in his/her own way is a gem: Adelia, the serious physician/scientist and new mother; Rowley, the rejected suitor and newly appointed bishop; the wiley Henry II and his sophisticated and self-centered queen. Franklin's a gifted experienced professional and the plotting is deft and the story line interesting. What's not to like?

btw, if you like this one, you might want to click over and read about the earlier books written by this author under the name 'Diana Norman.'

I love this author's style. She imbues her characters with a dry wit that is refreshing and natural. And about those characters....not a stinker in the lot. Each and every one brings a unique personality and contribution to the sumptuous table of this tale. Fascinating and well researched facts provide the base of the storyline; she builds from there with splendid results. The book stands alone, but I think you'll enjoy it even more if you first read, Mistress in the Art of Death. Ms. Franklin....are you working on a third book?? Fingers crossed.

You guys have to get it together. We all know British titles are not always the same as American titles for the same book, but you need to give us a heads up. We thought this was a new book by Franklin that we had somehow missed. I can't afford a $22 mistake from ignorance. I loved the book, but don't need two AND don't know who to give it to for Christmas.

Excellent Medieval mystery. The auhor has a knowledge of the period - Henry Plantagenet's England and has a knack for good story telling. Intriguing premise and character studies too - especially Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The book "the death maze" is also published as "the serpent's tale. This should have been noted in your review. Now I own two copies of the same book

The Serpent's Tale continues the crime-solving adventures of Adelia, doctor to the dead and new single mother. Her babydaddy is a man of the cloth now, a source of considerable angst to our heroine. Unable to return to home in Salerno under the orders of King Henry II (who wants her around in case mysteries pop up), she idles away her time in the fens, taking care of her child and attempting to doctor the living. Then the king's mistress, Rosamund the Fair, dies after eating poisoned mushrooms and Adelia is pulled unwillingly back into her job as secret royal detective. I say "unwillingly" but it would be more accurate to say "resentfully," because really Adelia lives for her job. It's just that she doesn't like being forced to stay in England (and rightfully so). The stakes are much higher this time, as the identity of the killer could lead to another civil war.

I was in the mood for a medieval historical mystery, so on that level this book delivered. Ariana Franklin (nom de plume of the late Diana Norman) is excellent at crafting disturbing imagery and atmosphere, the sorts of scenes that repulse you and send chills down your spine. Unfortunately, I don't think this book was as good as its predecessor, Mistress of the Art of Death. I read Franklin's afterword in which she defends her stylistic choices and her protagonist's anachronistic worldview, but I still think they're a stretch. I didn't mind the fictional fairy-tale-esque tower surrounded by a maze. I didn't mind Henry II ordering a forensic detective from Europe. But I just can't fathom how a woman like Adelia could exist in 12th century England. And if she somehow magically wound up there, she wouldn't survive for long. Her impassioned and open loathing for the church would be particularly problematic for her well-being. Additionally (and this is more of a personal pet peeve) I don't particularly care for her "angry assumptions first, questions later" attitude. My favorite historical mysteries are not the ones with kickass females made for readers to live vicariously through, but the ones that keep me immersed in that world. I dislike feeling jerked out of it when a character starts espousing modern social/political/religious ideals.

But I have to say, I do enjoy Ariana Franklin's unusual take on Henry II. Really, I think he's the most interesting character in The Serpent's Tale. The romance angst detracted from the novel for me. As for the mystery itself...it lacks suspense and the denouement falls a bit flat. There's also not much by way of medieval forensics, which is what Adelia is known for. Instead she solves mysteries mostly by using her apparently very keen intuition, which is fine I suppose, but not what I expected after reading the first mystery.

Still, it satisfied my craving for a medieval mystery, and I'll probably read the next one. Hopefully it'll be better.

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!

I was introduced to Ms. Franklin's work with Mistress of the Art of Death, which I enjoyed immensely. The plot was intricate enough to retain my interest but not so complicated as to strain my brain at day's end, my reading time. And, it was all set in a richly textured historical milieu with witty dialogue, a rather modern non-sapppy romance, and useful nuggets about healing practices of the time. (Most sounded quite logical and practical. Why did we stop?) You travel to many worlds in that book.

I agree with one reviewer that it is hard to equal the initial surprise and pleasure at encountering such an intriguing cast of characters and storyline in Mistress of the Art of Death. But for me, at least, Ms. Franklin has done a masterful job. I'm enjoying The Serpent's Tale every bit as much.

Even after a long day's work, this is a wonderful escape that entertains and holds my interest, warding off nagging thoughts of the day's work left undone. Franklin has my gratitude, as a big stack of books by my bed failed at this task.

I can't wait for the next one.

Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder