When I first read about the R.I.P. II Challenge, one book popped into my head: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. Its menacing cover just screams Halloween. Halfway through the book, however, I realized it wasn't that type of story. Not that it wasn't scary, it was, just not in a haunted house kind of way. It's scary in more of a deranged-killer-on-the-loose way. Come to think of it, perhaps those are the scariest stories out there, so maybe this was the perfect pick after all...

Picture this. The year is 1171. The place: Cambridge, England. The problem: Children are disappearing from the town. When one of the children's corpse is found on the lawn of a wealthy Jewish usurer, all Hell breaks loose. A mob murders the homeowners, forcing the town Prior to herd all Jews into the castle for their own protection. This causes problems for Henry II, King of England, whose purse suffers every day the Jews are confined. The solution: Clearly, a master of death (the 12th Century equivalent of a medical examiner) is needed to study the body for clues and find the responsible party. The problem with the solution: An expert is sent from Salerno, Italy - a town renowned for its medical school - only the doctor is not a master of death, but a mistress of death, in the form of Adelia Aguilar. While Adelia has been schooled in medicine, her real expertise lies not in treating the living, but in examining the dead. Thus, the King of Sicily orders her to investigate the deaths in England, a country where women healers are routinely burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft. Thus, Adelia and her two companions - her Saracen servant Mansur and the king's investigator, Simon of Naples - are forced into a charade where Mansur is the physician and Adelia is but an assistant. Although they are determined not to call attention to themselves, the three gain notoriety on the journey to Cambridge when Adelia deftly cures the Prior of a bladder infection. When word spreads, Adelia and Mansur find themselves inundated with patients. Adelia tries desperately to keep up the charade while helping the sick and investigating the children's murders. Another problem with the solution: Although Adelia is sadly lacking in bedside manner and femininity, she is not invisible to men. In fact, she has attracted the attention of tax collector Sir Rowley Picot, a jolly man who shows an unusual interest in the murdered children. His presence disconcerts Adelia, who increasingly suspects him to be the killer. The rest of the story: As Adelia and her companions come closer to finding the murderer, they find themselves in increasing danger. Adelia fears, in particular, for her young friend, Ulf. When he disappears from town one day, desperation overcomes her. Can Adelia save him as she couldn't save the other kids? Can she trust Sir Rowley with her secrets? Her life? Her heart? And, most importantly, can she find the killer, absolve the Jews, and return to her beloved Salerno? Or will she find herself the victim of a lunatic bent on terrorizing women and children?


One reviewer described Mistress of the Art of Death as "CSI meets The Canterbury Tales," and it is exactly that. The atmosphere is all Canterbury Tales, with vivid period detail and a cast of quirky knights, nuns and clergymen; but the plot is as taut and suspenseful as an episode with Gil Grissom and friends. It took me a chapter or two to get used to Franklin's style (I considered reading with a dictionary next to me, since she employed words I had never even seen before), but once I did, I was hooked. I literally could not put this book down until I finished it. Although I had the guilty party (or is it parties?) figured out long before Adelia did, there were plenty of other plot twists to keep me on the edge of my seat.


A warning: This book is not for the squeamish. It's also not for those who want to get something done, because trust me, you won't be able to complete anything until you finish this book.

After 31 years of unremarkable living, pint-sized Cornelia Brown is ready for a little drama. So, when Martin Grace, a debonair Cary Grant clone, walks into the coffee shop she manages, she embraces the winds of change that seem to blow in with him. Martin is, after all, movie star perfect. Okay, he's older, emotionally distant and not that great in bed, but Cornelia really wants to be in love with him. Before she has time to contemplate their relationship further, Martin re-enters the shop with a child in tow. A child who, in Cornelia's opinion, "[looks] fierce and furious and terrified and bottomlessly sad. No one would need to ask this girl if her heart had been broken" (97). Turns out, the girl is Clare, Martin's 11-year-old daughter. A daughter Martin has never mentioned and clearly has very little to do with. Because she so obviously needs it, Cornelia enfolds the child in her arms. Later, she learns that Clare's mother, Viviana, has deserted her daughter, flitting off to Barcelona with no explanation. Cornelia immediately takes the girl under her wing, causing the awkward Martin tremendous relief. Adding "bad father" to her growing list of reasons she can't be with Martin, Cornelia throws her efforts into healing Clare. Cornelia, along with her brother-in-law, Teo, create an unlikely "family" for the child, who comes to trust them more than her own parents. While the three are content with the arrangement, they know it can't last. And it doesn't. Tragedy strikes, leaving Clare's future in further jeopardy. Cornelia's bond with Clare is so strong, she can't bear the thought of losing the girl, a separation that is heartbreaking, but inevitable. In the end, Cornelia must decide just how far she's willing to go not only for the love of a man, but also for the love of a child.

I've already got 2 reading challenges going on, so I've been debating whether or not to do this one. Unfortunately, it's just too alluring...scary reads, giveaways, an engaging host...what's not to love? Since it's still hitting 110 degrees here, I'm hoping this will get me into the Fall/Halloween spirit. If you want to join in, check out Carl's site for all the details.

Is it just me or have you had sequels coming out your ears, too? Or more accurately, sequels overflowing your bookshelf. I love series fiction for many reasons, but mostly because the characters feel like old friends, and I've always been better at maintaining old friendships than building new ones. At any rate, my newest sequel read was Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs. Her Temperance Brennan series is one of my favorites.

Bones to Ashes seems more personal than Reichs' previous books, mostly because it discusses Tempe's background in more depth than before. Specifically, it examines the disappearance of her childhood friend, Evangeline Landry. Well, that and a boatload of other cases - as a forensic anthropologist working in both the U.S. and Canada, Tempe always has her hands full. While she works overtime on the Landry cold case, she has a slew of bones from more recent deaths to examine. Several of the murders seem to be linked, possibly the work of a serial killer. As if that wasn't enough, Tempe also has to deal with an extended visit from her impulsive sister, Harry, as well as her more-complicated-than-ever love life. Her estranged husband, Pete, announces his engagement to a woman 20 years his junior, while her on-again-off-again boyfriend, cop Andrew Ryan, decides to heal a relationship with his ex for the sake of their daughter. Between the rejection from two men, a missing old friend and onimous telephone and email threats, Tempe's dealing with more than she can seemingly handle. Still, she can't let the disappearances go, not the cold ones or the active ones, despite the very dangerous turns they seem to be taking.

Fast-paced and exciting, this is a page-turner of the highest order. I did think the bad guys were a little bit generic, and the ending is kind of predictable. Still, it's always fascinating to "watch" Tempe solve a case. Reichs is a master at explaining forensic science simply and understandably, without coming across as condescending. Her writing style engages with warmth and wit. The character of Tempe Brennan shines, as always. As for minor characters, Harry wins the title of Most Entertaining, as Ryan and Pete don't clock much time in this one. I love Ryan, so I'm anxious to see what happens to him and Tempe. Alas, another sequel I'll have to read...