First published 2008
Cambridge, 1170. A young boy lies dead, and townspeople blame the Jews for crucifying him. When three more children die, riots threaten to tear the city apart. King Henry II dispatches his best death reader to find the real killer. That expert is Adelia, a physician trained at the prestigious medical school of Salerno, but she must hide her gender to work in England. The city fathers block her investigation at every turn. A nearby monastery cares only about profiting from relics made from the first victim's bones. Even Sir Rowley, the king's tax collector assigned to help her, pursues mysterious goals that make Adelia question his motives. Yet Rowley stirs feelings in her that she cannot ignore. As more children die and the city edges toward violence, Adelia races to unmask the murderer. She must decide whom to trust while concealing her true identity in a world where being discovered as a woman could end her mission and her life.
Genres: historical, historical-fiction, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, gender-disguise
Setting: Cambridge, Salerno
Period: 1170
496 pages · Paperback · Knaur
Content warnings: child-death