Chambers of Death by Priscilla Royal

In college at Lawrence University I had a medieval history professor, Dr. Cheney, who we always said had one foot in the middle ages at all times.  He lived and breathed it.  We could picture how people felt, what they did and how they talked by his descriptions.  I topped of my medieval experiences at Lawrence by taking a seminar class in medieval literature, which I also enjoyed very much.

When I get an opportunity to read history, or history in the form of an historical novel, set in the middle ages, I usually read it.  Priscilla Royal's "Chambers of Death" is no exception.

Royal studied medieval literature at San Francisco State University and continues to live in Northern California.  She has five other novels set in that period, specifically the end of the thirteenth century.  The Afterword in the book hints that she will be tackling the considerably more troubled 14th century next with her cast of characters from the Tyndal Priory.  The 13th century was comparatively enlightened compared to the century after with its frequent Black Death scourges, harsh politics and mini-ice age.

"Chambers of Death" is set on a road trip away from the Priory.  Prioress Eleanor, a high born woman who preferred to run her own domain from inside a convent, has gone to settle some disputes about the priory's far flung lands and has with her a young novice and a monk who is normally involved in the work of the infirmary in the Priory, Brother Thomas. The young girl, Mariota, takes deathly ill in a storm and the group stop to tend their sick companion at the manor that is stewarded by a gentleman named Master Stevyn.  We meet his strange family at the door of the manor, and not everyone is very welcoming.

The groom is murdered shortly after the arrival and in the course of the book others die.  Several members of the staff and family have either motive, means or opportunity, but Eleanor and Thomas are hard pressed to find anyone with all three at the time of each of the murders.  I must say Royal had me fooled until shortly before the chapter where the murderer is revealed. The sheriff, Sir Reimund, never has a clue and is inclined to accuse and hang the first convenient low-born member of the household.

There is much to like about this book.  It is very well researched.  We have accurate descriptions of manor life in the thirteenth century.  We get inside the minds of people of different stations. We find out what people thought about affairs and the inequality of treatment between husbands and wifes caught cheating.  We find out about the rules of illegitimacy and what being born out of wedlock meant for the future of that child. We get inside the minds of not only the main characters, but also many of the people from the manor. The descriptions and the characterizations make this book so much more interesting than a mystery that is mainly plot and action.  In fact, this book evolves rather slowly, but the complexity of it and the large cast of characters demands a little attention to detail.

"Chambers of Death" is a good choice of a mystery read for those who enjoy historical and medieval mysteries. Fans of Prioress Eleanor and Brother Thomas will not be disappointed.

Liz Nichols

P.S.: For those who have wondered about my son and his retinal surgery, it went well. He has to wait a week or so before much activity until a gas bubble inserted in the eye disappears. At that point the eyesight should have returned to around 20/30 and we can get his glasses adjusted.

City of Silver by Annamaria Alfieri

This is Annamaria Alfieri's first novel. She is a student of Latin American history, and her careful research shows in every detail in this book.

The story is about the events that lead up to and include the visit of the Grand Inquisitor to the City of Potosi in Chile. Potosi is the center of the silver lode in 17th century South America and the home to both sin and corruption and some saintly good works.

The saint is represented by Mother Maria Santa Hilda, the Abbess of the powerful Convent of Santa Isabella de los Santos Milagros. One of the convent's novices is found dead and the Abbess chooses to bury her in sacred ground, even though she cannot prove right away that the girl did not commit the mortal sin of suicide. When she is taken by the Inquisition for the crime of heresy her Sister Herbalist and the Father Confessor of the convent are left to resolve the issue of what killed the girl.

There is also considerable interplay between two rival families, both of whom lost their daughters to the convent when the girls disobeyed their fathers. There is considerable social commentary about the fate of women during the 17th century in Spain and her colonies, the miserable working conditions for the conscripted Indian miners, the rivalry between Spanish and Portuguese inhabitants of Potosi, secret debasing of silver coins and the King's punishment for this crime, colorful holidays and festivals, herbal remedies and poisons known by the Incas, costumes and weapons of the day, details on the Inquisition, and many other historical and cultural details. For those who enjoy this period of history and wish to know more about Latin American history while enjoying the excitement of a mystery novel-- this is the ticket.

I will say that I was a little confused and bored at first. I persisted and after the first 10 or 15 pages I got into the time period and locale and began to let the puzzle of how the novice died carry me into the details of the book. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, or matte, but those who like historical mysteries and Latin American history will probably appreciate the painstaking detail in this book.

Good first novel.

Liz Nichols

The Matters at Mansfield by Carrie Bebris

I generally enjoy period mysteries where characters are either real historical figures or characters we came to know and love from 19th century novelists. This is the case with Bebris' take-off on Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park" and the characters Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

The problem is, this novel is both plodding and forgettable. I found it difficult to care whether Darcy and his wife solve the mysteries of what has happened to a star-crossed relative's lover, and to others at Mansfield Park.

Instead of following Bebris' "A Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mystery" I recommend instead, Stephanie Barron's "Jane Austen Mystery" series, which I have always found delightfully in step with the spirit and language of Jane Austen herself.

Liz Nichols

"The Black Dove" by Steve Hockensmith

For those who like mysteries with an American wild west twist, "The Black Dove" may be just your read. The author incorporates some important historical insights about the Asian slave trade in the United States and the way young Chinese girls were sold by their families or tricked into coming to the U.S. and then made to work in Chinatown brothels or sold into marriage in San Francisco and other big cities.

The story takes place in San Francisco in the 1890s where cowpokes turned PIs, Otto and Gustav Amlingmeyer, team up with former Union Pacific PI, Diana Corvus, to figure out who killed Gee Woo Chan and where the brothel slave, Hok Gup (the Black Dove) has gone.

At times the plot feels like a Keystone Cops chase. At times it reminds me of a Chinese version of the movie "The Streets of New York." At times it feels like a melodrama. That is probably intentional, since the narrator, Otto Amlingmeyer is a budding dime novelist and gets good news about the publication of one of his stories toward the end of the book.

I look forward to reading more about the Amlingmeyer brothers and hope they team up again with the intrepid Diana.

Liz Nichols

"The Serpent's Tale" by Ariana Franklin

"The Serpent's Tale" is an absorbing historical mystery set it 12th century England around the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine's rebellion against her husband, Henry II. There are many accurate historical details in the book, and the Franklin has the social context of women in that society pegged right.

The heroine, Adelia Aquilar, is in secret a medical doctor who has been trained to forensic work, a "doctor of the dead" as she calls it. She was transplanted to England in the wake of Henry II's crusade, along with her Islamic servant, Mansur, who must pretend to be the doctor because of the low tolerance of women in professions during that time. If left on her own, she would have been considered a witch. Adelia's lover is one of Henry's knights, who has been rewarded for his loyalty with a bishopric- Rowley, Bishop of St. Albans. Together they have a baby girl.

The mystery revolves around finding the killer of Rosamund, Henry II's consort, and to determine if there is a tie between that murder and the death of a young lord who loses his life on his way to elope with a young woman who is being educated at the Godstow Convent.

Franklin does a masterful job of drawing interesting characterizations that are multi-dimensional. Even the villains are complex and worthy of consideration as to why they are the way they are. The details about how people lived in medieval times are accurate and interesting.

Two thumbs up for "The Serpent's Tale."

Liz Nichols

"Why Mermaids Sing" by C.S. Harris

I had not previously read anything by C.S. Harris, but mysteries set in Regency period England are generally my cup of tea, and this one kept my attention throughout. This is Harris' third in her Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery series. The other two are "What Angels Fear" and "When Gods Die." I plan on going back to read those in order to learn more about the Viscount sleuth and his forbidden liaison with a London actress.

The mystery to be solved is who is murdering the sons of several seemingly unrelated members of the nobility and the gentry in and around London and the Kent countryside. The first order of business is to discover a connection in the clues, which turns out to be a poem by John Donne called "Go and Catch a Falling Star." Symbols from that poem end up stuffed in the mouths of the unlucky victims.

The second part of the mystery is to determine the connection between all of the victims. Were the boys all at school together? Is there some connection between the fathers or the mothers? St. Cyr finally solves that part of the puzzle, something I won't reveal here.

The subplot is the romance between St. Cyr and his paramour, Kat Boleyn, an Irish woman who has made her mark on the London stage. Kat is hiding a secret that she fears will ruin her relationship with the Viscount. The Viscount, once he discovers what that secret is, feels that marrying his lover is the only way to keep her safe from a ruthless lynchpin to the royal throne, Lord Jarvis. There are some surprising twists and turns to the romance, just as there are to the murder investigation.

The characters are compelling, the plot absorbing, if on occasion a bit melodramatic, and the historical details interesting.

I give "Why Mermaids Sing" a thumbs up for those who like Regency period mysteries and romances.

Liz Nichols