Medicus; Ruth Downie

This is an historical mystery set in ancient Roman controlled Britain. Ms. Downie is a new to me author, there are two other titles in this series. The next one is Terra Incognita and the newest is Persona non Grata. The Hubby and I listened to this as we road tripped from home to mid-coast Maine and back again. Medicus was released in March 2007 by Bloomsbury.


Gaius Ruso, the eponymous medicus (doctor) has arrived in the wild and uncivilized territory called Britannica. He’s divorced, childless, originally from the south of France, and has served in the emperor’s army in rather warmer climbs. Ruso is his father’s oldest son, thus inheritor of the estate upon his father’s recent death. However, due to his father’s financial house of cards Ruso is forced to serve in the army to keep the estate afloat and to fund the upkeep of a large passel of relatives. Ruso appears to be a capable and caring physician, short tempered in the face of unyielding bureaucracy especially when it interferes with the good care of those soldiers who are injured.

Newly arrived in town, Ruso is out exploring and getting small errands done when he rescues a young female slave who is injured and being maltreated by her owner. Eventually Ruso ends up buying her with his last pocket money so that she will get treatment. Besides, he and his roommate Valens live in a filthy bachelor hovel that could use a little cleanliness. First he has to hide her & treat her and get her healthy.

Via performing an autopsy on a drowning victim, Ruso begins to poke around town asking questions about a few missing or murdered prostitutes. The prevailing attitude in the garrison, and even among some of the natives, is: “Who cares about some missing whores, really? Don’t you have better things to do?”Meanwhile, the hospital bean counter is making Ruso’s life hell, Valens is taking off at critical moments, and the female slave isn’t as grateful or compliant as Ruso thought she ought to be. Imagine that? LOL 

The critical thing to remember is that Ruso isn’t a detective, he’s a physician. That’s his worldview, his identity and the basis for all of his actions. What does this mean for the reader? It means that Ruso is slow and misses the obvious and is oblivious when suspicious things happen to him or others around him. Ms. Downie manages to find that delicate balance between shining a light on life in ancient Britain and not overwhelming the reader or the storyline.


As an audiobook, this worked quite well. The reader has a pleasant voice, although the accent made me wonder if a well traveled French military doctor would really have a British accent! Of course, I probably over think these things, so don’t mind me. Otherwise, we enjoyed this quite a bit. It’s funny, and some of the dialogue is very deft.

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Why Mermaids Sing; CS Harris

This is the third title in Ms. Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr regency mystery series. The first title is What Angels Fear. I don't think it's necessary to read them in order, like most mystery series each stands easily on his own. However, if you're a reader who enjoys digging deeply into a character's personality and motivation than I suggest you begin with the first book. Ms. Harris has written romance novels as well (under the name of Candice Proctor), but if you're a romance reader I think it best to set aside the standard romance genre 'rules' and read these strictly with your "mystery reader" hat on. According to Ms. Harris' blog the next Sebastian mystery will be titled What Remains of Heaven. She's also busily plotting the book after that one. I'm thrilled to know that there are plenty of books to come!

Sebastian St. Cyr is investigating yet another gruesome case. Young well born men are being murdered, partially dissected and left in prominent public places. Because St.Cyr (or Devlin, if one calls him by his title) moves in these circles, he is asked to make discreet inquiries. His sister and his father are scandalized by both his inquires into the murders and by his quiet but well known amorous relationship with a well known Irish actress. Not that St. Cyr cares much for their opinion mind you. St. Cyr has some trouble linking these disparate young men together at first, the Ton, after all, is not a monolith. On the surface there is little to link them together.

In the midst of all this Devlin proposes to his ladylove, Kat Boleyn. Unbeknownst to Devlin Kat was a French spy in the recent past. Kat is now attempting to shed her past role, but she finds that doing so is like trying to get out a modern street gang- impossible. Powerful political figures know who she is and what she used to do. People who are willing to resort to nefarious techniques to try and force her to do what they want. Apart from that, Devlin's father, Alister St. Cyr, Earl of Hendon, and Kat discover something that irrevocably changes the relationship between the three of them. Something that Devlin may never forgive him for.

All in all, a wonderful installment in the series. Kept me on the edge of my seat wondering just how it would all shake out in the end. The relationship issue between Kat & Devlin was a huge-huge surprise. Yet, Devlin never asks questions of Kat. His head is buried firmly in the sand & he wanted it that way. So..his reactions kind of perplex me. It's hard to discuss this aspect without revealing what happens, but I really think that if your lover has a dubious past & you don't ask questions or do a little quiet questioning you get what's coming.
As for the mystery part, I was completely at a loss for a good while, and Ms. Harris had me questioning and trying to figure out plot twists all on my own.

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When Gods Die; CS Harris

When Gods Die by CS Harris is the second title in Ms. Harris’ ongoing Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series. The first title is What Angels Fear, the series is currently on its fourth title. This is the only one I’ve read, so I can’t say if you can read these out of order. I suspect you could if you’re only reading them to decipher the mysteries, but if you want to put together the puzzle pieces of St. Cyr’s background it’s probably important to read them in order. I’ve already messed that one up, but I have the rest of the books from the library so I can fix that. Ms. Harris used to write romances under the name Candice Proctor. I’ve several of those in my TBR. I’m currently not planning to read them.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, age 31, is a Napoleonic War veteran, heir to the Earldom of Hendon, investigates murder-mysteries on the side. He is his father’s only surviving son, his mother is deceased, he is estranged from his sister and he is head over heels in love with an actress. Kat Bolyen, age 26, is that actress. She is of Irish descent and she hides a big secret from Devlin. They claim to love each other, but she’s using a pseudonym. Kat is Sebastian’s anchor. The person he turns to for comfort. The one he uses as a sounding board when he’s thinking over tidbits of information. He’s careful not to press her about the details of her past and she’s careful to always say no whenever he proposes. My question is: can love survive ideology? Which is worse: the act itself or omission of what you’ve been doing? My other question is: does Devlin realize he’s surrounded by people who withhold important things from him? Family related things, personal things- as opposed to things relevant to solving the mystery.

The mystery itself appears to be straightforward. Young Guinevere Ellsworth, Marchioness of Anglessey, is found stabbed and dead in the arms of the Regent, Prince George. George, rumored to be mentally unstable, is wildly unpopular due to his profligate ways and total unconcern for the populace. The powers behind the throne are Lord Jarvis, the Regent’s cousin, and Lord Portland. Jarvis summons Devlin and convinces Devlin to investigate by showing Devlin a necklace the Marchioness had been wearing at the time of her death. A necklace last seen clasped around Devlin’s mother’s neck when she died.

Lady Anglessey was in her early twenties married to a man in his late sixties or early seventies. According to those who knew the couple, they were fond of each other and loyal. Unfortunately, the Marquis of Anglessey was childless with both of his wives- much to his chagrin. His heir is an inveterate gambler who is continually short of money due to his fondness for wine, women and song. Also- the heir had a short temper and had been heard to threaten Lady Anglessey. On top of all that, he claims Lady Anglessey’s early pregnancy wasn’t the Marquis’ baby.
Devlin struggles to put the pieces together while coming to an horrifying conclusion about his family. Kat receives news she has been dreading for months. One of Devlin’s servants is falsely imprisoned and an inn is gutted by arson to hide a murder. How in heaven’s name are all of these things connected? The reader knows that he’ll put them all together before the last page, but there are other questions left to be answered.

Ms. Proctor’s previous writing history as a romance author shows subtly here. The richness and depth of the setting and the characterization really caught my attention. I figured out the mystery but only a few pages before the final events began to wind up the action. I have to say, I’m hooked on Devlin and his mysteries now. I’ve been told that Ms. Proctor’s romances are superb and I have to say that the mysteries are off to a fantastic start. Brava!

Face Down Beside St. Anne's Well, K. L. Emerson

This is a new to me author, Kathy Lynn Emerson, who had this published through Perseverance Press in 2006. I have two older titles by her in my TBR. This copy is via the library, though. This title is set in 1575 (or thereabouts) Elizabethan England.

Lady Susanna Appleton is the foster mother of Miss Rosamund Appleton, who is the bastard daughter of Lady Susanna's husband. It's a long & complicated story. Kinda amazing, but who am I to ask too many impertinent questions?? Anyhow, Rosamund's a handful, even from my 21st centruy POV and so has been shuffled around in search of a suitable place for her to be 'trained.' She ends up in the tiny village of Buxton, notable only for the warm mineral waters from St.Anne's well (hence the title).

She and two coconspirators have snuck out of the house in the dead of night to have a go in the spa waters. Horror of horrors- they get caught. It was a neat opening scenario though, three middle school age girls sneaking into the spa in the dead of the night. Their French instructor, Mlle. Louise Portier, sends them home in disgrace and promises punishment to be handed out next morning after church. Only, the next morning Mlle. Portier is found dead by the well.

Why was her death ruled an accident, when Rosamund is sure it was murder? How can Rosamund investigate without raising suspicion or revealing where she actually was that night? Where did Mlle.'s special mushroom box get to? Lady Susanna descends on Buxton to get to the bottom of all these issues, bringing her stout housekeeper along for chperoneage. There are wheels within wheels, spies and counterspies and endless speculation. Not to mention a forced engagement & a creepy animal abusing teenage boy.

There are plenty of historical details, a May Day festival, nude mixed bathing, spelunking, Puritans and more. Not a hint of romance, although Ms. Emerson's bio on the inside cover says she's written a few of those too.

The Traitor's Tale; M. Frazer

The Traitor's Tale is the most recent installment in the ongoing Sister Frevisse 15th century historical mystery series. Link to descrption of book and image of book jacket in link in title. This one takes place a few months after The Sempster's Tale, which I read a week or ten days ago. Some of the dangling strings leftover from TST are merely mentioned in passing. I'm not altogether pleased with that, frankly, but there's nothing I can do about it.

Basically this is a political espionage whodunit. Frevisse has been dragged out of her convent again to provide solace and support for her bereaved and beseiged cousin Alice de la Pole, Duchess of Suffolk. Joliffe pops up. He and Frevisse and Alice must work together to try and save both Alice's young son John (the new duke) and the Duke of York from unknown but powerful political enemies.

The Sempster's Tale; M. Frazer

Another Sister Frevisse mystery, this one taking place in London. Sister Frevisse has a dual mission. Buy hard to get supplies for her convent, St. Frideswide's, choose fabric and patterns for vestments honoring the now deceased Duke of Suffolk (a commission from Frevisse's cousin Alice, the Duke's widow) and a secret, unknown mission on Alice's behalf.

The political atmosphere in England is fraught with strife. There are minor uprisings & generalized discontent- aimed primarily at the nobility around the king, but Henry isn't widely loved either. London has been the focus, being both the seat of power and the commercial and economic hub of England. Too, there are rumblings that there are heresies spreading through the kingdom.

Into all of this Frevisse and her fellow travellers from St. Frideswide are dropped. The commercial goods must be ordered and paid for, the vestment cloth and embroidery patterns must be chosen, negotiated and paid for. Not to mention figuring out Alice's secret mission. All in the hustle and bustle of London.

There are really two plots happening in this book. Frevisse must help solve a murder that occurs amid negotiations with a cloth merchant and she must complete Alice's mission too. A teenage boy is found murdered beneath a local church, his body defaced with odd carvings. Could it be a nasty heresy imported from the Continent? Or perhaps connected with the cloth merchant's hidden trade? Part of a political plot, even? This same merchant is also one of the contacts Frevisse had for Alice's mission.

Of the two plots, only the murders are solved. Frevisse's mission on Alice's behalf has been left unfinished, presumably to be continued in the next volume. I'm impatient to see what happens with Frevisse's mission for Alice. What kind of problems must Alice be having for her to ask a cloistered nun for help? Help that is, honestly, a little underhanded and deceitful? I also felt that Frevisse's actions after the murders in London was not as aboveboard & honest as I expected. Her actions, taken in concert with the assistance of the merchant's family, left me out in the cold. I was very surprised that Frevisse's conscience allowed her to go through with what she did. Even so- I want to know if she accomplished Alice's mission. What is happening in Alice's world? And can Frevisse really go through with it all?

Other questions- could you fall in love with someone knowing he lived a double life? That he likely had a family elsewhere? That you & he didn't have a chance at an honest future together? Love him deeply despite knowing he purposely hid things from you? Love him even though he was technically fobidden in your country & that your faith holds him anathema? Is love & sex worth all of these painful questions?? Maybe some of these questions too can be answered next.

The next book in the series is Traitor's Gate.

4 Mysteries

The Bastard's Tale
Written by Margaret Frazer and published by Berkley in 2003, TBT is a historical political thriller set in the town of Bury St. Edmonds. The Duke of Gloucester's wife has been held by the King on trumped up charges for the past five years. His Grace, naturally, would like to get her back. Since the King (Henry VI) and his entire court has descended on Bury St. Edmonds, Gloucester travels there from Wales with a retinue to try and win her back. Sister Frevisse is in Bury too- with her cousin Lady Alice de la Pole, Marchioness of Sufflok, trying to woo gifts of land and property for her priory St. Frideswide's. Joliffe, the player (actor) who also has his own book series, is there too. His company has been hired to help keep the court entertained.

The Bastard's Tale has much more of an edge of your seat, urgent feel to it. There are many threads in this plot- Alice & Frevisse's kinship, Joliffe & the players, Joliffe Frevisse & the Bishop's plans. The King, his advisors & the war in France. Best of all, though, was Alice's young son John who strongly reminded me of Nephew #1 down in Richmond.

The Hunter's Tale
Written by Margaret Frazer and published by Berkely in 2004, this story had a dark, melancholy tone the deeper I dug into it. Sir Ralph & Lady Anneys Woderove had two sons & miscellaneous daughters, plus Ralph had a son form his first marriage. Ralph is a violent & brutal man who stops at nothing to terrorize his family & the serfs attached to his land. Unsurprisingly, he is found dead in the woods one day following a hunt. It is declared murder, but no one seems overly inclined to find the murderer. Lady Anneys and Ursula retreat to St. Frideswide's priory to gain some quiet & ease. Too bad for her, one of her sons is murdered while she's there. Frevisse is sent back to Lady Anneys' manor to help & begins digging around for the truth, much like a terrier after a fox. She finds her quarry, but not before asking herself difficult and painful questions about the essential nature of truth. About emotional pain and healing and justice. Excellently done. Highly recommended.

The Widow's Tale

Written by Margaret Frazer and published by Berkley in 2005, this title is similar to The Bastard's Tale above in that it is a political thriller & has an urgent edge of your seat tone. At least- the last half does. The first half is alot of setting the stage for later action & drags a little. Lady Christiana is imprisoned under false pretenses at St. Frideswide's. Later, under duress, she is freed but two of the nuns accompany her home as they lack authority to simply free her. Family issues arise, as well as an unexpected visit from the now Duchess of Suffolk, Sister Frevisse's cousin Alice. Oh yes- the King & Queen are coming too. And- who keeps spying on Christiana & her brother? Will the evil brother in law succeed with his nefarious plot? Can Christiana save her daughters before it's too late?? And how can Alice come to terms with the awful, powerhungry, amoral man her husband has turned into? This is the only book in the series I figured out before the end.

The Merchant's Partner

Written by Michael Jecks and published in 1995, second title in a long series that starts with The Last Templar. Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and Simon Puttock, Baliff of Lydgate Castle, are buddies. Puttock & his wife are visiting Furnshill at his manor when an old woman is found murdered at the edge of a meadow. Furnshill falls in lust with a young Frenchwoman married to a local, wealthy merchant. Puttock's wife is preggers & grouchy & likes to meddle. Another person is murdered, in the same manner as the first. Unfortunately for both victims, someone has confessed, but there's no real proof he did it. Gossip complicates matters, as always. Neatly done. Much better than the first.

A Play of Isaac; M. Frazer

Yes, I'm glomming Margaret Frazer's backlist. This is a newer series featuring a former Oxford scholar turned itinerant actor Joliffe. The feast of Corpus Christi is nearing and Joliffe's company has been hired to perform several features for a wealthy merchant and another play, Abraham & Isaac, on the feast day itself. Meantime the company will be housed & fed by the merchant. Old heresies, hidden friendships, Down's Syndrome (referred to as being an Eden Child, a phrase I really love), marriage and inheritance problems each take their turn. Joliffe is an observant loner who uses his classical education to help him solve problems by asking irritating questions others might hesitate over.

The reputation of the players and culture of the time means that the acting companies are often outsiders, openly reviled & blamed for many things (much like tinkers)- giving Ms. Frazer an opportunity to showcase a view of medieval life from a viewpoint vastly different than the more commonly written of Lord of the Manor. A more intersting and varied one, IMO. Highly recommended.

2 Reads

The Clerk's Tale

Written by Margaret Frazer and published by Berkeley in 2002, this is part of an ongoing mystery series featuring a nun, Sister Frevisse, as the sleuth. This particular book is pretty much in the center of the series, but is a standalone. TCT is set in the town of Goring in the year 1446. The king's crowner (official who investigates deaths) has been found murdered in a garden in a convent. His son Christopher steps into his shoes & is forced to investigate his own father's death. Sister Frevisse is pulled into this by virtue of being at St. Mary's with her Domina (Mother Superior) to visit the Domina's elderly cousin Sister Ysobel, dying of tuberculosis. Sometimes justice delayed isn't in fact justice denied. Features greed, lust and legitimacy issues. Plus- just how long can one hold on to grudges from their youth? Apparently quite a long time. Excellent. Longer than Ellis Peters, but shorter than Michael Jecks. Deceptively light in tone. Very well researched.

To the Castle

Written by Joan Wolf and published by Mira in 2005. Set in the early 12th century in England. Ms. Wolf has brought the feud between King Stephan and Empress Maud (or Matilda, I don't remember) from earlier times for plot purposes. Ordinarily it might not have bothered me so much except that I am an avid fan of Ellis Peters, whose Brother Cadfael books are all set in the 9th century & prominently discuss this feud. So that was the first problem. Eleanor de Bonvile (2nd problem- I continually thought of her as vile instead of ville which is the more common spelling of this name), anyway, has been removed from the convent after 9 years & is er..persuaded to marry Roger de Roche for dynastic purposes. Only 6 months away from her final vows, Nell feels angry, betrayed and abandoned by her parents. Roger, OTOH, is merely happy that she is attractive enough to bed & 'get children on' as his grandpa puts it. They are both of an age, she 18 & he 22- so that worked. This was well done, and normally I love medievals, but somehow TTC simply didn't grab me. Nell & Roger are a cute couple facing arduous political and personal circumstances. Their characterization was well & realistically drawn.

The Dragon King's Palace; L. J. Rowland

Written by Laura Joh Rowland in and published in 2003 by St. Martin's Minotaur. This is the eighth in an ongoing series. Set in 17th century Japan the sleuth is Sano Ichiro, often aided by his wife Reiko. I love this series because Ms. Rowland carefully maps out the interconnected spiderweb like relationships between all of the characters. Pluck one string on a spider's web and many others vibrate with it, if you see what I mean.

Reiko is one of the ladies in waiting for the Shogun's mother. When Lady Keisho-In decides to take a vacation Reiko & 2 others must go as well. Staying in Edo Palace without Lady Keisho-In isn't an option; never mind that one of the women is pregnant and due any day. During their travels the ladies are kidnapped by a well armed, well trained group of mercenaries. Who are they and what do they really want? Having the Shogun's mother is a powerful political chip- what is the agenda?

The husbands were left behind with the Shogun in Edo Palace. Too late they discover the kidnapping. Finding and rescuing the 4 women is problematic. The Shogun is weak minded and easily led. Sano and one of the other men are political and personal enemies who are very reluctant to have to work together, to put it mildly. The fourth man is Sano's assistant. Who among them has enemies powerful & wealthy enough to kidnap these women?

How far would you go to ensure your survival and that of your friends? How many bridges can you either build or burn, politically and personally, to rescue your loved ones? How much of your own integrity can (or should) you compromise to ensure you survive? Is the price you must pay worth it?

ETA~This is the first book in the series that really pushed my ick factor. I won't reveal why or how because of plot factors. I did finish reading it and there is some resolution to particular issues raised by the kidnapping. As in 'real life' however, other factors are left grey. I appreciate having a few strands left hanging loose. A little detail, but one I felt added to the realism.