A Potion for a Widow (The Chronicles of Isaac of Girona) [Mass Market Paperback]

Caroline Roe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2001

Blind physician Isaac of Girona must search beyond the surface to catch the killer of a mild-mannered clerk.

"A splendid, rich series." (Poisoned Pen)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425183653
• ISBN-13: 978-0425183656
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,403,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical mystery, November 27, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Potion for a Widow (The Chronicles of Isaac of Girona) (Mass Market Paperback)

By 1354, the plague has finally ebbed in Europe. In Girona, Isaac, a blind Jew, serves as the physician to Bishop Berenguer. Isaac's protégé Yusuf is a ward of King Don Pedro who is fighting in Sardina. A malicious person threatens Yusuf so his patrons feel it is safer for him to leave the area.

The Bishop has a packet for the king so Yusuf joins the party escorting it. Before they reach the gates, Pasqual Robert arrives with a knife in his chest. He shortly dies but the man who posed as a cleric for years was really acting as an agent for the king. On the road to their destination, Yusuf and his companions meet a girl, Clara, who is obviously of aristocratic stock. She accompanies the envoy to Sardinia where they search the records to find out who Pasqual's wife is and where she lives so they can notify her of her husband's death. How Clara is connected to Pasqual makes for a fairy tale.

It is very obvious that Caroline Roe has done meticulous research on late Medieval Spain so that the reader will gain a better understanding of the callousness of the leadership along with their politics and social mores. Although Isaac plays a secondary role in this tale, he is a pivotal person to the story line. There are various sub-plots that return to the main story line so that no loose threats remain dangling. A POTION FOR A WIDOW is a colorful and appealing historical mystery.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not Great, January 6, 2002

By 

Plum9195 "plum9195" (Cumming, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Potion for a Widow (The Chronicles of Isaac of Girona) (Mass Market Paperback)

This was certainly a fine addition to series and I can't wait for the next book. It did not however, live up to the standards of the first two books. Enjoyable and worth buying.

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, July 31, 2002

By 

Deborah Terrill "DebbieT" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Potion for a Widow (The Chronicles of Isaac of Girona) (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoy this series. The historical detail is interesting, the plots intricate enough to keep me reading, and the characters remain interesting, volume after volume. This book involves more royal intrigue, a refugee in disguise, and Isaac's apprentice gets to solve some mysteries, and cure some people, on his own.