Product Description

The monks of Glastonbury have discovered two strange skeletons buried in their graveyard - one is tall, the other small and delicate. Are these the remains of King Arthur and Guinevere? King Henry II, on hearing of the discovery, demands evidence that the legendary Arthur is dead in order to stop his belligerent Welsh subjects believing that their Once and Future King will return to lead them against him. And it is his Mistress of the Art of Death, Adelia Aguilar, who he calls upon to examine the bones. But someone doesn't want the skeletons identified - and is prepared to kill in order to prevent it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7444 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
Science and romance vie with superstition and barbarism in this richly detailed, almost indecently thrilling mystery --New York Times

Review
Franklin is one of the very best creators of medieval whodunits writing today

Review
Franklin is one of the very best creators of medieval whodunits writing today

Customer Reviews

Great Series.
Ariana Franklin's Mistress of The Art of Death series has got to be one of the best around. I've read all three and have found them entertaining and have never been disappointed. In the third, Relics of The Dead, Adelia has moved on from the Cambridgeshire Fens to Glastonbury, where she is investigating the appearance of two skeletons, believed to be those of King Arthur and Guinevere. Naturally things are not what they seem.
The series has attracted a great deal of criticism, due mainly to Adelia's anachronistic traits. Yes she does have some feminist ideals that don't sit well in twelth century England, but she was brought up in a different culture by 'enlightened' parents. I find it incredibly hard to believe that feminism suddenly appeared from nowhere in the late ninteenth century - keep in mind women such as Aphra Behn and Mary Wollstoncraft, both pre-19th century, both with feminist leanings. There have always been people ahead of their time, otherwise the human race would have never moved on.
As to the cleanliness issue, there was actually a physician practising in fourteenth century Nottingham, called John of Aderne, who used anathetics and believed in good hygiene, long before Florence Nightingale was even heard of.
I'm not suggesting that this series is perfect and with any book it's very much about personal taste, but if you enjoy interesting well rounded characters and good plots that contain both serious issues and humour, then give these a try.

Adelia investigates
Adelia - Mistress of the Art of Death - has been asked to find out whether two skeletons unearthed at Glastonbury are Arthur and Guinevere. Henry wants to convince his rebellious Welsh subjects that Arthur really is dead and not about to come to life and lead them into battle against him. Adelia and her entourage set off towards Glastonbury having joined forces with the widowed Lady Emma Wolvercote and her small son who are travelling in the same direction.

Identifying the skeletons is not as easy as it might have appeared and Adelia must brave many dangerous situations before her task is complete. There are vested interests in Glastonbury who do not want Adelia to find out the truth and Emma and her companions disappear. This is an exciting story which brings the twelfth century vividly to life. There is a useful author's note at the end of the book which explains the changes the author has made to historical fact to suit the mechanics of her plot.

Even if you haven't read the two previous books in this series you can still enjoy this one as each story is self contained. There is some violence in the book but it is part of the story and is not graphically described. In this book Adelia is mainly dealing with skeletons so there is minimal description of decaying bodies.

It's good to see the Bishop of St Albans is still very much alive and kicking and he plays quite a large part in this story as does Henry II himself. I love the characters in this series; even the villains have their good points and no situation is ever black and white. I shall look forward to the next episode.

A cracking good read
Relics of the Dead is a worthy successor to the first two in this series. I enjoyed the first two and this, the third in the series, did not disappoint. A cracking plot, vivid descriptions of medieval life and a likeable heroine. I love these books and can't wait for the next one.