Mistress of the Art of Death, Adelia Aguilar series 4

The Assassin's Prayer

A lavish, romping, corpse-filled medieval mystery featuring England's first female anatomist - the 'Mistress of the Art of Death'

'I'd like to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery!' TESS GERRITSEN 
 
The King of England has called upon his Mistress of the Art of Death - anatomist and doctor Adelia Aguilar - to accompany 10-year-old Princess Joanna on her thousand-mile journey to marry the King of Sicily. They must take with them the legendary sword Excalibur. 
 
And so Adelia sets sail with the golden princess and her lavish party of nobles, musicians, servants, laundresses, grooms, luggage and treasure. But when members of the procession begin to die and it looks as though Adelia is to blame, there are dangerous accusations of witchcraft. 
 
Meanwhile one traveller, armed with a brilliant disguise and a personal vendetta, has been watching Adelia all too closely. This secret assassin wants her dead . . . but he wants her to suffer first. 
 
'An excellent medieval mystery, full of colour and tension' CHOICE 
________ 
 
Readers are enthralled by The Assassin's Prayer: 
 
'Great characters and a gripping plot packed full of historical detail' ***** 
'Masterly . . . A mixture of history, mystery, a poignant romance and a gripping plot' ***** 
'A totally engrossing medieval tale' *****

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

Few historical novelists make their oddly clad characters, from monarchs to wattle-and-daubers, seem so much like real people

I'd like to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery!

An excellent medieval mystery, full of colour and tension

Ariana Franklin (Diana Norman) was born in Devon and at twenty became the youngest reporter then on Fleet Street. She was also the author of the critically acclaimed Mistress of the Art of Death, The Death Maze and Relics of the Dead, all featuring anatomist Adelia Aguilar. She passed away in 2011.

The King of England has called upon his Mistress of the Art of Death - anatomist and doctor Adelia Aguilar - to accompany 10-year-old Princess Joanna on her thousand-mile journey to marry the King of Sicily. They must take with them the legendary sword Excalibur. 
 
And so Adelia sets sail with the golden princess and her lavish party of nobles, musicians, servants, laundresses, grooms, luggage and treasure. But when members of the procession begin to die and it looks as though Adelia is to blame, there are dangerous accusations of witchcraft. 
 
Meanwhile one traveller, armed with a brilliant disguise and a personal vendetta, has been watching Adelia all too closely. This secret assassin wants her dead . . . but he wants her to suffer first.

Mistress of the Art of Death, Adelia Aguilar series 1

Mistress Of The Art Of Death

Winner of the CWA Best Historical Crime Novel of the Year 
Medieval England. A hideous murder. Enter the first female anatomist...

Winner of the CWA Best Historical Crime Novel of the Year 
 
'Great fun! Franklin succeeds in vividly bringing the 12th century to life with this cracking good story' KATE MOSSE 
 
Medieval England. A hideous murder. Enter the first female anatomist... 
 
Adelia Aguilar is a rare thing in medieval Europe - a woman who has trained as a doctor. Her speciality is the study of corpses, a skill that must be concealed if she is to avoid accusations of witchcraft. 
 
But in Cambridge a child has been murdered, others are disappearing, and King Henry has called upon a renowned Italian investigator to find the killer - fast. 
 
What the king gets is Adelia, his very own Mistress of the Art of Death. 
 
The investigation takes Adelia deep into Cambridge; its castle and convents, and streets teeming with life. And it is here that she attracts the attention of a murderer who is prepared to kill again... 
 
'Exhilarating... I want to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery!' TESS GERRITSEN 
 
________ 
 
Readers are gripped by Mistress of the Art of Death: 
 
'Unputdownable . . . Her characters are beguiling' ***** 
'Utterly enthralling' ***** 
'JUST what I want from a historical detective novel . . . The storytelling is phenomenal' *****

A vigorous evocation of medieval life in all its richness and squalor and an attention-grabbing thriller.

Franklin is one of the very best creators of medieval whodunnits writing today

Great fun! Franklin succeeds in vividly bringing the 12th century to life with this cracking good story.

A morbidly entertaining novel that outdoes the competition.

Exhilarating... I want to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery!

Great fun! Franklin succeeds in vividly bringing the 12th century to life with this cracking good story

A morbidly entertaining novel that outdoes the competition

Ariana Franklin (Diana Norman) was born in Devon and at twenty became the youngest reporter then on Fleet Street. She was also the author of the critically acclaimed Death Maze, Relics of the Dead and The Assassin's Prayer all featuring anatomist Adelia Aguilar. She passed away in 2011.

Adelia Aguilar is a rare thing in medieval Europe - a woman who has trained as a doctor. Her speciality is the study of corpses, a skill that must be concealed if she is to avoid accusations of witchcraft. 
 
But in Cambridge a child has been murdered, others are disappearing, and King Henry has called upon a renowned Italian investigator to find the killer - fast. 
 
What the king gets is Adelia, his very own Mistress of the Art of Death. 
 
The investigation takes Adelia deep into Cambridge; its castle and convents, and streets teeming with life. And it is here that she attracts the attention of a murderer who is prepared to kill again...

Mistress of the Art of Death, Adelia Aguilar series 3

Relics of the Dead

Medieval Glastonbury - human remains have been uncovered. Are these the bones of King Arthur and Guinevere?

'An exhilarating whodunit and my favourite book of the year.' TESS GERRITSEN 
 
1176- The monks of Glastonbury have discovered two skeletons buried in their graveyard - one is tall, like that of a warrior, the other small and delicate. Are these the remains of King Arthur and Guinevere? 
 
On hearing of the discovery, King Henry II demands evidence that the legendary Arthur is dead - he needs to stop his belligerent Welsh subjects believing that their Once and Future King will return to lead them against him. 
 
So, he calls upon his Mistress of the Art of Death, the anatomist Adelia Aguilar, to examine the bones. But someone doesn't want the skeletons identified - and is prepared to kill in order to prevent it... 
 
'Franklin is one of the very best creators of medieval whodunits.' GUARDIAN 
 
________ 
 
Readers are captivated by Relics of the Dead: 
 
'Brilliantly executed and with edge-of-your-seat suspense' ***** 
'The history is skilfully woven into the racing story . . . Thoroughly enjoyable' ***** 
'The attention to detail is superb, and will certainly keep you enthralled and entertained' *****

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

Feisty and delightful series heroine... easy, enjoyable summer reading.

An exhilarating whodunit and my favourite book of the year. I'd like to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery.

Thrilling and vividly told, this is definitely one to keep you up all night.

Pacy, full of suspense and larger than life characters... An absorbing read.

Feisty and delightful series heroine... easy, enjoyable summer reading

Pacy, full of suspense and larger than life characters... An absorbing read

An exhilarating whodunit and my favourite book of the year. I'd like to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery

Thrilling and vividly told, this is definitely one to keep you up all night

Ariana Franklin (Diana Norman) was born in Devon and at twenty became the youngest reporter then on Fleet Street. She was also the author of the critically acclaimed Mistress of the Art of Death, The Death Maze and The Assassin's Prayer, all featuring anatomist Adelia Aguilar. She passed away in 2011.

On hearing of this momentous discovery, King Henry II demands evidence that the legendary Arthur is dead. 
 
So he calls upon his Mistress of the Art of Death, anatomist Adelia Aguilar, to examine the bones. 
 
But someone doesn't want the skeletons identified - and is prepared to kill in order to prevent it...

Mistress of the Art of Death, Adelia Aguilar series 2

The Death Maze

The second novel from the award-winning author of Mistress of the Art of Death.

'Wonderfully atmospheric, fast-paced and intelligent' GUARDIAN 
 
Twelfth-century anatomist Adelia Aguilar must once again examine the dead as gruesome events are beginning to unfold... 
 
Henry II's favourite mistress, Rosamund Clifford, has been poisoned - and, rumour says, by his jealous wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. If Henry believes the stories, England will be torn apart as King battles Queen. 
 
In a race against time to prove Eleanor's innocence, and with a dangerous assassin on the loose, 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. 
 
'Highly entertaining . . . Franklin is an adept storyteller who disseminates her research into the period with clarity and lightness of touch' THE TIMES 
 
________ 
 
Readers are gripped by The Death Maze: 
 
'The pace of the narrative kept the candle burning in a page turning frenzy!' ***** 
'A brilliant, feisty female lead, highlighting the perils for women in medieval times.' ***** 
'The author conjures up the lives and customs of the middle ages . . . an utter joy to read.' *****

Highly entertaining... Franklin is an adept storyteller who disseminates her research into the period with clarity and lightness of touch.

Franklin is one of the very best creators of medieval whodunits writing today. The snow falls, the death toll mounts... and the Thames freezes over in this wonderfully atmospheric, fast-paced and intelligent recreation of a vanished world.

Captivating... this excellent adventure delivers high drama.

It's as original as its prize-winning predecessor: a real treat.

Mesmerizing... A colourful cast of characters, both good and evil, enhance a tale that will keep readers on edge until the final page.

Highly entertaining... Franklin is an adept storyteller who disseminates her research into the period with clarity and lightness of touch

Franklin is one of the very best creators of medieval whodunits writing today. The snow falls, the death toll mounts... and the Thames freezes over in this wonderfully atmospheric, fast-paced and intelligent recreation of a vanished world

Captivating... this excellent adventure delivers high drama

It's as original as its prize-winning predecessor: a real treat

Mesmerizing... A colourful cast of characters, both good and evil, enhance a tale that will keep readers on edge until the final page

Ariana Franklin (Diana Norman) was born in Devon and at twenty became the youngest reporter then on Fleet Street. She was also the author of the critically acclaimed Mistress of the Art of Death, Relics of the Dead and The Assassin's Prayer, all featuring anatomist Adelia Aguilar. She passed away in 2011.

Twelfth-century anatomist, Adelia Aguilar must once again examine the dead as gruesome events are beginning to unfold... 
 
Henry II's favourite mistress, Rosamund Clifford, has been poisoned - and, rumour says, by his jealous wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. If Henry believes the stories, England will be torn apart as King battles Queen. 
 
In a race against time to prove Eleanor's innocence, and with a dangerous assassin on the loose, 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.

Ariana Franklin

Winter Siege is a thrilling novel infused with the haunting spirit of the Cambridgeshire Fens, at turns rousing and chilling. Recommended.

James Wilde, author of the bestselling Hereward

Original, atmospheric and genuinely moving . . . [this] heartfelt story of survival and redemption captures the imagination and does not let go.

Giles Kristian, author of God of Vengeance and the Raven trilogy

An absorbing re-creation of the 12th Century . . . this is a fast-moving story of humbler folk caught up in cruel battles.

A great story, beautifully written, with engaging and distinctive characters

A strongly flavoured tale, thoroughly researched and well imagined, and the siege itself is magnificently vivid and exciting

Told with colloquial vigour, a gripping narrative.

Strong female characters dominate this involving tale of medieval warfare . . . Compelling

A superb and fitting last novel that will have you gripped on every page

A chilling and thrilling novel for wintery nights by the fire

This gripping tale of survival and redemption is beautifully written and acutely observed

'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 . . .

Ariana Franklin

Praise for Winter Siege

Winter Siege is a thrilling novel infused with the haunting spirit of the Cambridgeshire Fens, at turns rousing and chilling. Recommended.

Original, atmospheric and genuinely moving . . . [this] heartfelt story of survival and redemption captures the imagination and does not let go.

An absorbing re-creation of the 12th Century . . . this is a fast-moving story of humbler folk caught up in cruel battles.

Winter Siege is a thrilling novel infused with the haunting spirit of the Cambridgeshire Fens, at turns rousing and chilling. Recommended.

Original, atmospheric and genuinely moving . . . [this] heartfelt story of survival and redemption captures the imagination and does not let go.

An absorbing re-creation of the 12th Century . . . this is a fast-moving story of humbler folk caught up in cruel battles.

Winter Siege is a thrilling novel infused with the haunting spirit of the Cambridgeshire Fens, at turns rousing and chilling. Recommended.

Original, atmospheric and genuinely moving . . . [this] heartfelt story of survival and redemption captures the imagination and does not let go.

An absorbing re-creation of the 12th Century . . . this is a fast-moving story of humbler folk caught up in cruel battles.

Books by Ariana Franklin

Series by Ariana Franklin

Adelia Aguilar

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