Death and the Maiden

“Superb. an appropriate homage”—Marilyn Stasio, NewYork Times. The much-anticipated final installment in ArianaFranklin’s popular Mistress of the Art of Death historical mystery series,finished by the author’s daughter after her death. England. 1191. After the death of her friend and patron,King Henry II, Adelia Aguilar, England’s vaunted Mistress of the Art of Death,is living comfortably in retirement and training her daughter, Allie, to carryon her craft—sharing the practical knowledge of anatomy, forensics, andsleuthing that catches murderers. Allie is already a skilled healer, with aparticular gift for treating animals. But the young woman is nearly twenty, andher father, Rowley, Bishop of Saint Albans, and his patron, the formidableQueen Eleanor of Aquitaine, have plans to marry Allie to an influential husband. if they can find a man who will appreciate a woman with such unusualgifts. When a friend in Cambridgeshire falls ill, Allie is sent toEly, where her path will cross with Lord Peverill, a young aristocrat who wouldbe a most suitable match for the young healer. But when Allie arrives, all ischaos. A village girl has disappeared—and she’s not the first. Over the pastfew months, several girls from the villages surrounding Ely have vanished. Whenthe body of one of the missing is discovered, Allie manages to examine theremains before burial. The results lead her to suspect that a monstrouspredator is on the loose. Will her training and her stubborn pursuit of the truthhelp her find the killer. or make her the next victim. A richly detailed, twisty thriller, Death and the Maiden. is historical mystery at its finest—and a superb final episode in ArianaFranklin’s much-loved, much-acclaimed series.