No catches, no fine print just unadulterated book loving, with your favourite books saved to your own digital bookshelf.
New members get entered into our monthly draw to win £100 to spend in your local bookshop Plus lots lots more…
Find out more
Ariana Franklin was born in Devon and, like her father, became a journalist. Having invaded Wales dressed in combat uniform with the Royal Marines for one of their military exercises, accompanied the Queen on a royal visit, missed her own twenty-first birthday party because she had to cover a murder, she married, almost inevitably, another journalist. At this point she decided that staying married was a good idea so she abandoned her career in national newspapers and settled down in the country to bring up two daughters, study medieval history and write. Ariana was the author of the acclaimed, award-winning Mistress of the Art of Death series. She passed away in 2011.
Author photo © Mary Jane Russell
An absorbing re-creation of the 12th Century ...this is a fast-moving story of humbler folk caught up in cruel battles . (The Independent). Original, atmospheric and genuinely moving ...captures the imagination and does not let go . (Giles Kristian). It's 1141 and freezing cold. Gwil, a battle-hardened mercenary, is horrified to stumble across a little girl close to death. She has been attacked, just one more victim in a winter of atrocities. Clutching a sliver of parchment, she is terrified - but Gwil knows what he must do. He will bring her back to life. He will train her to fight. And together, they will hunt down the man who did this to her. But danger looms wherever they turn. As castle after castle falls victim to siege, the icy Fens ring with rumours of a madman, of murder - and of a small piece of parchment with a terrible secret to tell, the cost of which none of them could have imagined ...
Run, run, girl. In the name of God, run. 1141. A mercenary watches from the icy reeds as a little girl with red hair is attacked by his own men. He is powerless to stop them. But a strange twist of fate brings them together again. Sheltering in a church, he finds the girl freezing cold, close to death, clutching a sliver of parchment. And now he is certain of what he must do. He will bring her back to life. He will train her to fight. And he will protect her from the man who calls himself a monk, who lost a piece of parchment he will do anything to get back ...An epic account of the brutal winter when Stephen and Matilda tore England apart in their battle for its crown - when atrocities were inflicted on the innocent, but bravery found a home in an old solider and a young girl.
One of our Great Reads you may have missed in 2011. The anatomist Adelia Aguilar accompanies a young Princess Joanna, daughter of Henry II, and her huge entourage on a thousand mile, corpse-filled journey across Europe to marry the King of Sicily. It’s the fourth in an excellent medieval detective series and sadly the last as the author recently died. The Lovereading view... Another fabulous historical mystery featuring Adelia Aguilar from The Mistress of the Art of Death series. Franklin always provides plenty of rich historical detail as well as believable, scandalous, roguish characters. Brilliant. Mistress of the Art of Death series:1. The Mistress of the Art of Death2. The Death Maze3. Relics of the Dead4. The Assassin's Prayer
Another fabulous historical mystery featuring Adelia Aguilar from The Mistress of the Art of Death series. Franklin always provides plenty of rich historical detail as well as believable, scandalous, roguish characters. Brilliant. Mistress of the Art of Death series:1. The Mistress of the Art of Death2. The Death Maze3. Relics of the Dead4. The Assassin's Prayer
March 2010 Book of the Month. This is the third in a seriously good medical crime series starring a feisty heroine, anatomist Adelia Aguilar. The first (a must read), Mistress of the Art of Death, won the Crime Writers’ Association’s Historical First Novel prize, the Ellis Peters Award, and this is even better. It concerns the discovery of two skeletons at Glastonbury whom some believe are Arthur and Guinevere, but some are prepared to kill to keep their identity secret. It is riveting stuff. Highly recommended. Comparison: C J Sansom, Cassandra Clark, Susanna Gregory. Mistress of the Art of Death series:1. The Mistress of the Art of Death2. The Death Maze3. Relics of the Dead4. The Assassin's Prayer
Ariana Franklin was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library 2009 - the prize awarded for an author's body of work. A very special historical murder mystery and a wonderful follow-up to her prize-winning Mistress of the Art of Death. Featuring the same sleuth who here needs to discover whether Eleanor of Aquitaine ordered the murder of her husband, Henry II’s mistress. This is glorious stuff both in historical detail and classic whodunit genre. Comparison: C J Sansom, Cora Harrison, Cassandra Clark. Mistress of the Art of Death series:1. The Mistress of the Art of Death2. The Death Maze3. Relics of the Dead4. The Assassin's Prayer
Recent winner of the CWA’s Ellis Peters’ Historical Dagger award, a tale of murder in mediaeval Cambridge. A very special book for although I did pick out the killer and his helper about half way through, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment – besides I had to find out if I was right! In Cambridge someone is kidnapping and killing very young children. Help is summoned from Italy to attempt to solve the crimes. The Jewish community is suspected and the investigators include a female doctor who has to be very careful not to be accused of witchcraft. Bringing this dangerous period very much to life, this is a brilliantly researched historical thriller that draws you into its malicious world effortlessly. I am delighted to discover that it is the beginning of a series. Comparison: C J Sansom, Susanna Gregory, Alys Clare. Mistress of the Art of Death series:1. The Mistress of the Art of Death2. The Death Maze3. Relics of the Dead4. The Assassin's Prayer
Winner of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Crime Award 2007.A medieval thriller about a serial killer, this is just as brutal as any modern day psycho thriller and the lead character is an absolute joy. Adelia Aguilar is a doctor, not a common female occupation at this time, and she specialises in the study of corpses, hence the title of the book. She is a feisty, intelligent, sexy heroine who gives as good as she gets. An unputdownable read. Mistress of the Art of Death series:1. The Mistress of the Art of Death2. The Death Maze3. Relics of the Dead4. The Assassin's Prayer
Run, run, girl. In the name of God, run.It's 1141 and freezing cold. Gwil, a battle-hardened mercenary, watches in horror as a little girl with red hair is dragged away by his own men. Caught in the middle of the fight for England she is just one more victim in a winter of atrocities. But a strange twist of fate brings them together again. Gwil finds the girl close to death, clutching a sliver of parchment - and he knows what he must do. He will bring her back to life. He will train her to fight. And together, they will hunt down the man who did this to her.But danger looms wherever they turn. As castle after castle falls victim to siege, the icy Fens ring with rumours of a madman, of murder - and of a small piece of parchment the cost of which none of them could have imagined . . .Ariana Franklin's final, brilliant standalone novel, left incomplete at the time of her death, now finished by her daughter.
Auer sich vor Wut nimmt Adelia den Befehl Heinrichs II. entgegen, seine Tochter nach Sizilien zu begleiten. Die Reise ist lang und gefahrlich. Doch mehr als Kriege und Pest beunruhigen Adelia die heimtuckischen Morde, die in dem riesigen Tross passieren. Trachtet man der Prinzessin nach dem Leben? Wei einer von dem geheimnisvollen, magischen Schwert, das die Prinzessin mit sich fuhrt? Und warum versucht jemand, Adelia als die Mordverdachtige aussehen zu lassen? Die gewitzte Pathologin spurt, wie eine unsichtbare Gefahr ihr immer naher kommt, doch sie kann den wahren Morder nicht enttarnen. Als Adelia aufgrund ihrer Arbeit in Frankreich von einem Bischof als Ketzerin bezeichnet und zum Tod auf dem Scheiterhaufen verurteilt wird, sieht sich ihr groter Feind in der Gefolgschaft der Prinzessin endlich am Ziel. Er wird sie leiden und sterben sehen ...
Konig Heinrich II. befindet sich wieder einmal in einem Krieg: Er fuhrt ihn gegen die Waliser, die sich erbittert wehren, ihr Land unter die Herrschaft der englischen Krone zu stellen. Noch immer glauben sie an die Ruckkehr ihrer Nationalhelden, Konig Artus und seiner Gemahlin. Als im Kloster Glastonbury zwei Skelette auftauchen, hofft Heinrich, dass es sich um die Gebeine seiner sagenumwobenen Gegenspieler handelt. Nur eine kann dies glaubhaft feststellen: Adelia, die Totenleserin. Wie immer ist sie alles andere als erfreut uber den Auftrag ihres Konigs. Doch nicht nur er, auch die Kirche in Gestalt von Sir Rowley will den beunruhigenden Fund aufgeklart sehen. Kein negatives Licht darf auf das Kloster und damit auf die Kirche fallen. Der Fall ist komplizierter und grausamer als gedacht - und fur Adelia lebensgefahrlich.
Winner of Best Historical Crime Novel 2007In Cambridge a child has been hideously murdered and other children have disappeared. The Jews, made scapegoats by the all-powerful Christian clergy, have been forced to retreat into the castle to avoid slaughter by angry townspeople. Henry, King of England, is displeased. The Jews provide a large part of his revenue and therefore the real killer must be found, and quickly. A renowned investigator, Simon of Naples, is recruited and he arrives in town from the continent accompanied by an Arab and a young woman, Adelia Aguilar. There are few female doctors in twelth century Europe, but Adelia is one of them, having qualified at the great School of Medicine in Salerno. What's more, her speciality is the study of corpses; she is, in fact, a mistress of the art of death, a skill that must be concealed in case she's accused of witchcraft. Adelia's investigation takes her deep into Cambridge, its castle and convents and in a medieval city teeming with life, Adelia makes friends and even finds romance. And, fatally, the attention of a murderer who is prepared to kill again...
Since solving a particularly nasty case of child murder using her forensic skills, Adelia Aguilar is deemed too valuable to send back to the School of Medicine in Salerno. Instead, King Henry II has decided to keep her in England. This is bad news for Adelia - in twelfth-century England women doctors are regarded with great suspicion. So, with her illegitimate child, Adelia is forced to live and practise in the secrecy of Cambridgeshire's fenland. But at Henry's court, terrible things are happening. Queen Eleanor is not only stirring up revolt against her husband, but rumour has it that she has also poisoned the King's favourite mistress, Rosamund Clifford. In a race against time to prove Eleanor's innocence, Adelia is recruited to help. It isn't easy. An assassin is at large and so is Queen Eleanor with an army of supporters. Adelia has never faced greater danger. The armies that might cause civil war lie behind her. The icy winds of a dreadful winter blow around her. And ahead she must brave the thorns of the impenetrable labyrinth that surrounds Fair Rosamund's tower, and decipher the mystery of the dead woman who lies frozen within.
Cambridge 1170. Ein kleiner Junge wird tot aufgefunden,angeblich von den Juden gekreuzigt. Als drei weitereKinder sterben, droht ein Aufruhr. Heinrich II., Knigvon England, muss den wahren Mrder finden undsendet nach einem Totenarzt. Keiner ahnt, dass es sichdabei um eine junge Frau handelt, die Beste ihres Fachs. Um in England ermitteln zu knnen, muss Adelia ihrewahre Identitt verbergen. Mit ihren Fragen stt siebei Stadtvtern wie Kirchenherren auf Misstrauen undSchweigen. Wem kann sie vertrauen?Die Totenleserin von Ariana Franklin: Spannung im eBook!
England, 1176. Beautiful, tranquil Glastonbury Abbeyaccording to legend the last resting place of King Arthur has been burned almost to the ground. The arsonist remains at large, but the fire has uncovered two hidden skeletons, a man and a woman. The skeletons height and great age send rumors flyingcould they be the bodies of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere?King Henry II hopes so. Struggling to put down a rebellion in Wales, he wants definitive proof that the bones are Arthurs. If the Celtic rebels are sure that the Once and Future King will not be returning from the dead to aid them, Henry can stamp out the rebellion for good. He calls on Adelia Aguilar, Mistress of the Art of Death, to examine the bones.Adelia and her household ride to Glastonbury, where the investigation into the abbey fire will be overseen by Church authoritiesin this case, the Bishop of St. Albans, father of Adelias daughter. And as if the task of solving the mystery werent daunting enough, an unexpected evil waits in the woods near Glastonbury.From the Compact Disc edition.
Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poisonand the kings estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter. But Henrys summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the kings trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of Saint Albans, who is also her babys father.Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesans home where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelias investigation is cut short by the appearance of Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken to the nunnery at Godstow. Isolated and trapped, Adelia watches as dead bodies begin piling up. The murders are somehow connected with Rosamunds demise. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war. . . .From the Compact Disc edition.
Four savage murders . . . an elusive killer . . . and one extraordinary woman who can reveal the secrets of the dead. In medieval Cambridge, four children have been murdered. The Catholic townsfolk blame their Jewish neighbors, so to save them from the rioting mob, the Cambridge Jews are placed under the protection of the king. Hoping scientific investigation will help catch the true killer, King Henry II calls on his cousin, the King of Sicilywhose subjects include the best medical experts in Europeand asks for his finest master of the art of death, the earliest form of medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno, an expert in the science of anatomy and the art of detection. But her name is Adelia; the king has been sent a mistress of the art of death.In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia faces danger at every turn. As she examines the victims and retraces their last steps, she must conceal her true identity in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. As Adelias investigation takes her along Cambridges shadowy river paths, and behind the closed doors of its churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to strike again. . . .From the Compact Disc edition.
If this is your author page then you can share your Twitter updates with your readers right here on LoveReading
Find out moreIf this is your author page then you can share your Facebook updates with your readers right here on LoveReading
Find out more