Customer Reviews

A Mortal Bane

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Being a mystery buff rather than a romance reader, I'd never heard of Roberta Gellis before picking up A Mortal Bane.

What a find! In A Mortal Bane Gellis has created a medieval world so vivid that it nudges up against Cadfael territory. The mystery aspect was well-plotted and wove the endlessly fascinating themes of greed and ambition into the pervasive religiousity of the 12th century. It was so well-crafted I immediately re-read it to catch what I'd missed the first time.

What Gellis achieves so masterfully, though, is a coterie a characters that have enough dimension to bring them beguilingly to life, most particularly Magdalene, the heroine. Gellis took on the unappealing figure of a prostitute/madam - and deftly turned her into a warm, rich, vulnerable, and thoroughly likable woman. Quite a feat.

Roberta Gellis is a remarkable writer and I hope to see A Mortal Bane developed into a series. In the meanwhile, I'll just have to slip over to the romance aisle and see if I can't find more of her.

This is a remarkable mystery story. Excellent! I expected a Gellis Romance story and discovered a rich and extremely well told Gellis mystery. Filled with fun and wry situations, the clash between church, state and public (and private) morals are revealed in this story as they revolve around the murder of a Papal Messenger in 1139. The story is superbly told, the plot so well crafted you know not who the guilty part is until the very end. This is a prime example of the writer's craft; a well-structured story that pulls the reader along, making him/her continue to turn the pages, lifting curiosity, and delaying the answers to the curious. The Characters are well drawn and the reader comes to know them well. There are no shallow characters here. This is a good story and well worth the time. I did not know Gellis wrote mysterys, but I know it now and will be looking for more.

A MORTAL BANE by Roberta Gellis, set in 12th century Southwark, just south of the Thames opposite London, opens with the discovery of a body on a church porch by a blind prostitute who works from a house nearby. Of course the women of the house are accused of the murder of the stranger, and Magdalene and her women, and Sir Bellamy, the Bishop of Winchester's man, eventually do find the murderer. In the meantime, we are treated to a feel for the life of medieval London, as well as a taste of the convoluted history of the time. Ms. Gellis is another of the cross-over writers. She has written historical fantasy and romance, and now we can welcome her to the mystery genre. A MORTAL BANE brings a small part of London in 1139 to life.

No one can bring you into a time period better than Roberta Gellis. It's also very interesting that the people she writes about are average folks, so the reader gets a feel for daily life of the time period. Interesting characters and a good old-fashioned murder mystery make this good reading. The only reason this book didn't get 5 stars is Gellis sometimes gets a tad bogged down in speculative conversations about politics of the time. It's hard to follow, with the people being discussed not actual characters in the book, they just are spoken of. Sometimes referred to by their names, sometimes by their titles. Gellis obviously finds the minutia of the politics of the time fascinating, but for the average reader with only basic background knowledge, it can be just plain confusing. Fortunately, she only falls into this trap 3 times and soon enough we get back to Magdelene and her would-be lover Bell. I can't wait for the next book in the series to find out what happens between them next.

No one writes about the middle ages with the confidence of Roberta Gellis. In this book, the women of a high-class whorehouse are imperiled when a messenger from the pope is killed on the doorstep of the Church next door. They must find the killer or medieval views on the evilness of whores will see them hung. Gellis' book gives us a clear, unsentimental window into the workings of the world as it was -- without detracting from the charisma of her characters. The noble born whoremistress, the knight who serves the Bishop of Winchester, and even the nasty-but-holy pryor from the church next door fill this tale with color. And it's a darn good mystery, too.

In 1139 Madam Magdalena la Batarde runs the most discreet whorehouse in Southwark, England. Her aristocratic patrons enjoy the pleasures of Magdalena's girls in utter confidence. William of Ypres, leader of King Stephen's forces in the civil war against Maude, serves as Magdalena's protector. Her landlord turns out to be the king's brother, the Bishop of Winchester, irate with the monarch for not naming him the Archbishop of Canterbury. Winchester expects the pope to name him a papal legate.

A wealthy stranger visits Magdalena's house. When he departs to keep his appointment at St. Mary Overy, a prostitute finds his corpse. The ladies of the night find his pouch that he hid in their home. Inside the pouch is a papal bull that proves the pope named Winchester as a legate. Magdalena knows that if the pouch is found in their possession, they will be accused of the dead man's murder. She delivers it to St. Mary's and waits for its discovery. Winchester orders his most trusted knight Sir Bellamy of Itchen to locate the pouch and uncover the identity of the murderer. Bellamy's work necessitates him working close with Magdalena whom he does not trust in spite of their growing attraction for each other. They continue to place their lives on the line to see that justice is served.

Readers who enjoy a powerful historical mystery will be utterly be thrilled once they discover the works of Roberta Gellis, renowned for her historical novels. The story line of A MORTAL BANE shows how much research the author must have conducted so that readers can have a true feel for the Medieval era. The mystery contains a mystery within it that the audience will realize is well executed and fascinating to follow. Ms. Gellis has provided fans of Medieval mysteries with the first of what is certain to be a best-selling series.

Harriet Klausner

Nobody brings the Middle Ages to life like Roberta Gellis! As a mystery/suspense fan, I'm ecstatic that this fabulous author has turned her talents to historical mystery. Her characters are original and totally engaging, as is the story.

Roberta Gellis has been a favorite for years, and this medieval mystery showcases her skills at their finest. This is a fantastic read, and I can't wait for the next one!

Being a long time fan of Roberta Gellis, I will read anything, absolutely anything with her name on it. I have been looking forward to a new Gellis for a long, long time and this is Gellis at her best. No one writes historical like Gellis.

Her in depth analysis of history and its impact on the lives of her characters is masterly. With sparkling flashes of wit and convoluted plot this book is a definite keeper. The sparks between Magdalene and Bell are subtle nuances at this point, but are very real and of course there are some conflicts to be resolved, but Ms. Gellis lays a good solid foundation for the explosion to come. As in real life the romance is sometimes secondary to the life and times of her characters but the essence is there and ready to build to a crescendo in the subsequent books in this series. Thank you Roberta for a wonderful read!!!! Can't wait for the next installment.

The action in this book takes place around the same time frame as the Brother Cadfael series, with the struggle between King Stephen and Empress Maud as a somewhat distant background. To call this book "Cadfael lite" is, to me, not a disparagement but a compliment, for I feel that the Cadfael series set the benchmark for historical mysteries set in 12th century England. There's an excellent plot, with a lot of twists and turns, red herrings and all. The characters appear to act appropriately for their positions and the times in which they live, and the historical minutia appears to be correct. Don't overlook this book because it was written by an author who normally pens historical romance novels: it's an excellent mystery,and an accurate (at least as far as I can tell) overview of an earlier time.