What do you think?
Rate this book
Catherine LeVendeur #1
Death Comes As Epiphany
Entering the Convent of the Paraclete in order to conquer her natural willfulness, twelfth-century novice Catherine LeVendeur travels to the Great Abby of St. Denis, where she uncovers a plot involving stolen gems, mad monks, and murder. Reprint.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
27 people are currently reading
3900 people want to read
About the author
Sharan Newman
52 books194 followersSharan Newman is a medieval historian and author. She took her Master’s degree in Medieval Literature at Michigan State University and then did her doctoral work at the University of California at Santa Barbara in Medieval Studies, specializing in twelfth-century France. She is a member of the Medieval Academy and the Medieval Association of the Pacific.
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
August 27, 2009
A quick look (not necessarily exhaustive or complete) through the list of those who have read this book on Goodreads.com shows that I may be the only person of male gender to have read this book. Hmmm, Oh well, I enjoyed it anyway. It's a murder mystery, historical novel (12th Century France), romance and thriller all rolled into one. However, the medieval setting gives the book a mood and tone that will never be found in a modern mystery-romance-thriller novel. It helps for the reader to be familiar with the story of Abélard and Héloïse before reading this book. Otherwise, you'll miss the significance of some things in the book.
One twist to this story I found noteworthy; The body of the murdered victim literally falls down on top of the story's heroine while she's walking across a courtyard at night. Talk about a mystery being thrust upon you! She had no choice but to become a 12th Century sleuth and try to solve the mystery. She has several more narrow escapes before the story finally reaches a conclusion. I think the ending will not be anticipated by most readers.
This book is first in a series of ten books in the Catherine LeVendeur series written by Sharan Newman. I had previously read the sixth book in the series, and I decided I needed to read the first one to get a better understanding of the characters. I'm not sure I'll have time to read all the books in the series anytime soon. A complete list of the books in this series is listed at the end of this review.
I noticed that the author has written an errata that acknoledges and explains some historical inaccuracies in the book. (Note, the website where the errata used to be located is no longer active.) Only a well trained scholar of medieval history would care about the level of detail that she explains there. The story is fictional, but what we're talking about here are details contained in the story that don't fit into 12th Century life. No movie producer has ever worried about this sort of problem.
Speaking of historical details, this book has details that the most creative writer of fiction would never dream up. Apparently dried moss was used then (at least by some) for toilet paper. Who would have known such a thing. I can just image the author with this tidbit of historical trivia trying to find a place in the story to mention it.
Here's my favorite quote from the book:
"Catherine Le Vendeur," he asked sententiously, "have you known this man carnally?"
"No father," Catherine answered. "But, with your kind permission, I would very much like to."
Now that is the level of sexual explicitness that I can feel comfortable with.
List of books in the Catherine LeVendeur series:
1. Death Comes As Epiphany
2. The Devil's Door
3. The Wandering Arm
4. Strong As Death
5. Cursed in the Blood
6. The Difficult Saint
7. To Wear The White Cloak
8. Heresy: A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery
9. The Outcast Dove
10. The Witch in the Well
One twist to this story I found noteworthy; The body of the murdered victim literally falls down on top of the story's heroine while she's walking across a courtyard at night. Talk about a mystery being thrust upon you! She had no choice but to become a 12th Century sleuth and try to solve the mystery. She has several more narrow escapes before the story finally reaches a conclusion. I think the ending will not be anticipated by most readers.
This book is first in a series of ten books in the Catherine LeVendeur series written by Sharan Newman. I had previously read the sixth book in the series, and I decided I needed to read the first one to get a better understanding of the characters. I'm not sure I'll have time to read all the books in the series anytime soon. A complete list of the books in this series is listed at the end of this review.
I noticed that the author has written an errata that acknoledges and explains some historical inaccuracies in the book. (Note, the website where the errata used to be located is no longer active.) Only a well trained scholar of medieval history would care about the level of detail that she explains there. The story is fictional, but what we're talking about here are details contained in the story that don't fit into 12th Century life. No movie producer has ever worried about this sort of problem.
Speaking of historical details, this book has details that the most creative writer of fiction would never dream up. Apparently dried moss was used then (at least by some) for toilet paper. Who would have known such a thing. I can just image the author with this tidbit of historical trivia trying to find a place in the story to mention it.
Here's my favorite quote from the book:
"Catherine Le Vendeur," he asked sententiously, "have you known this man carnally?"
"No father," Catherine answered. "But, with your kind permission, I would very much like to."
Now that is the level of sexual explicitness that I can feel comfortable with.
List of books in the Catherine LeVendeur series:
1. Death Comes As Epiphany
2. The Devil's Door
3. The Wandering Arm
4. Strong As Death
5. Cursed in the Blood
6. The Difficult Saint
7. To Wear The White Cloak
8. Heresy: A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery
9. The Outcast Dove
10. The Witch in the Well
November 15, 2016
This was an enjoyable murder mystery set in 12th century France. It had a likable pair of characters in Catherine and Edgar; I especially liked Edgar's sense of humor. Although the ending was a bit overly dramatic, and the shift in one of the characters was a tad far fetched, the overall impression was that of a pleasant read.
January 21, 2015
I enjoyed many aspects of this book. It is always interesting to see how different life was. In this case particularly how religion played such an important role. There were some aspects that were somewhat overdone for me however . I would be open to reading more of the series though.
September 25, 2022
Lê-se.
Custou-me um bocado entrar na história e acho que a tradução estragou a experiência. Duvido que, no século XII, as pessoas se tratassem de forma tão informal; neste livro, as personagens tratam-se todas por “tu”, independentemente da sua posição social. A não concordância em relação ao nome de Peter Abelard, uma das personagens, também me provocou alguma comichão. O senhor, ora aparecia como Peter Abelard, ora como Pedro Abelardo. Geralmente, é por causa destas coisas, que prefiro ler livros em inglês; as traduções portuguesas soam-me estranhas.
A história lê-se, como já escrevi, mas não ficará na minha memória. Mesmo com a sua premissa peculiar.
Custou-me um bocado entrar na história e acho que a tradução estragou a experiência. Duvido que, no século XII, as pessoas se tratassem de forma tão informal; neste livro, as personagens tratam-se todas por “tu”, independentemente da sua posição social. A não concordância em relação ao nome de Peter Abelard, uma das personagens, também me provocou alguma comichão. O senhor, ora aparecia como Peter Abelard, ora como Pedro Abelardo. Geralmente, é por causa destas coisas, que prefiro ler livros em inglês; as traduções portuguesas soam-me estranhas.
A história lê-se, como já escrevi, mas não ficará na minha memória. Mesmo com a sua premissa peculiar.
February 15, 2014
There's so much more of a gamble making your main character a young unmarried woman in a time when women had few rights and if they came from families with money, their movements were even more restricted.
Catherine has been living in an abbey for 3 years with the intention of becoming a nun. Her Mother Superior asks her to pretend to leave the abbey in disgrace to track down a book the abbey produced in honor of a controversial religious figure. Its been rumored that this book has been defaced or altered to bring even more censure upon the controversial religious figure as well as the abbey.
So right off the bat we have a big problem. The Mother Superior is so without male supporters that she has to ask a novitiate to sacrifice her family's honor to go get a book? The MOther Superior is friends with the controversial religious figure who is a teacher to many many young men. Surely it would make a lot more sense to involve this guy who has the freedom of his gender to go figure this all out.
There's a couple of obvious lapses of logic related to the main character being a young single woman from a wealthy family. At one point, reliable and moral people looking out for Catherine's welfare leave her alone with a man about her age who they don't know in a basement for hours while they try to get a message to her father. I'm sorry but exactly how would that go over with her father??!!? These lapses took me out of the story too often. If you want your main character to be a plucky young novitiate/bloodhound, then make her a modern woman or keep the story in the abbey or within her family.
If you really like this kind of story, go read Cora Harrison. Set in Ireland in a time long ago, when women actually held positions of power. The main character is a brehon - a woman of learning, judgment and the respect of her county and the author backs up her main character's actions with information on Irish law and custom. It's truly fascinating and fun.
Catherine has been living in an abbey for 3 years with the intention of becoming a nun. Her Mother Superior asks her to pretend to leave the abbey in disgrace to track down a book the abbey produced in honor of a controversial religious figure. Its been rumored that this book has been defaced or altered to bring even more censure upon the controversial religious figure as well as the abbey.
So right off the bat we have a big problem. The Mother Superior is so without male supporters that she has to ask a novitiate to sacrifice her family's honor to go get a book? The MOther Superior is friends with the controversial religious figure who is a teacher to many many young men. Surely it would make a lot more sense to involve this guy who has the freedom of his gender to go figure this all out.
There's a couple of obvious lapses of logic related to the main character being a young single woman from a wealthy family. At one point, reliable and moral people looking out for Catherine's welfare leave her alone with a man about her age who they don't know in a basement for hours while they try to get a message to her father. I'm sorry but exactly how would that go over with her father??!!? These lapses took me out of the story too often. If you want your main character to be a plucky young novitiate/bloodhound, then make her a modern woman or keep the story in the abbey or within her family.
If you really like this kind of story, go read Cora Harrison. Set in Ireland in a time long ago, when women actually held positions of power. The main character is a brehon - a woman of learning, judgment and the respect of her county and the author backs up her main character's actions with information on Irish law and custom. It's truly fascinating and fun.
June 7, 2013
I adore ecclesiastical mysteries. It began with with the Brother Cadfael series and ran wild from there.
This book had two things going for it: an amazing heroine, and a. beautifully layered mystery. Catherine would be right at home alongside Galileo' s daughters. She's that rarity in the medieval world: intelligent *and* educated. Her piety is somewhat underdeveloped,, but the true lure of the convent for Catherine lay in books: reading writing, assembling. And it is a book that lands Catherine in a world of trouble, religious politics, family politics, secrets, murder...and perhaps even worldly love.
Catherine's voice may be too "modern" for some readers, and the tangle of alliances can be tough to track. I thought I'd figured out the mystery early on, and will happily confess to having landed a juicy red herring instead.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the development of the characters. I would've enjoyed a little more depth all around, but for the first book of a series, it has plenty of hooks raises lots of questions, but ends well. A reader could stop with this book and be satisfied, or move on to the other titles.
Guess which options. I chose?
This book had two things going for it: an amazing heroine, and a. beautifully layered mystery. Catherine would be right at home alongside Galileo' s daughters. She's that rarity in the medieval world: intelligent *and* educated. Her piety is somewhat underdeveloped,, but the true lure of the convent for Catherine lay in books: reading writing, assembling. And it is a book that lands Catherine in a world of trouble, religious politics, family politics, secrets, murder...and perhaps even worldly love.
Catherine's voice may be too "modern" for some readers, and the tangle of alliances can be tough to track. I thought I'd figured out the mystery early on, and will happily confess to having landed a juicy red herring instead.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the development of the characters. I would've enjoyed a little more depth all around, but for the first book of a series, it has plenty of hooks raises lots of questions, but ends well. A reader could stop with this book and be satisfied, or move on to the other titles.
Guess which options. I chose?
September 13, 2023
A little on the melodramatic side, but enjoyable enough that I will probably continue the series.
September 27, 2025
Death Comes As Epiphany (Catherine LeVendeur #1) by Sharan Newman isn't terrible, but I realized pretty quickly I wasn't as interested in the characters or the story as much as I thought I would be. That said I did like the realistic look into medieval France. I don't think I'll be continuing this series.
June 13, 2009
An engrossing plot, charming heroine and intriguing historical details. The main characters were well-drawn and likeable, and the use of Heloise and Abelard did not seem ponderous or contrived (as use of historical personages in fiction sometimes does.) I liked the thorough depiction of the culture, especially the way people's belief in the supernatural was pervasive and convincing.
My only quibble was with the occasional forays into the perspective of secondary characters. I felt it added little to the story while sacrificing some of the mystery.
Note on the audiobook: The narrator was great. Her voices varied, she read dramatically but not bombastically, and her Francophone pronunciation of names added to the atmosphere.
My only quibble was with the occasional forays into the perspective of secondary characters. I felt it added little to the story while sacrificing some of the mystery.
Note on the audiobook: The narrator was great. Her voices varied, she read dramatically but not bombastically, and her Francophone pronunciation of names added to the atmosphere.
August 6, 2013
Do you like…?
• The Middle Ages
• Mystery
• Historical fiction
• Intelligent, zealous, and innocent heroines
• Mysticism
• France
• Sean Connery inGoldfinger The Name of the Rose
Then you’ll like this book.
My Medieval Studies professor recommended this as a good example of a realistic medieval setting. She was true to her word: Newman slips in interesting facts without once appearing pedantic. We learn about cures for ailments, religious rituals, strained race relations, and chivalrous tournaments as easily as you learn about New York from Sex in the City . I was fascinated, but even if you’re not a Medievalist, you can easily enjoy the book without getting bored or distracted.
What my professor didn’t tell me about was the complex web of a mystery. The French heroine Catherine leaves her convent to figure out who defaced a holy book and stumbles into theft, heresy, riots, and murder. She tries to solve the crimes using her logic and Christian morality, all while fighting against others’ dismissal of her as a woman. Along the way she meets a suspiciously smart English stoneworker with stormy eyes, a hermit who works magic, real scholars and religious leaders from history, and people who believe wholeheartedly in saints, immortal souls, and the devil. Okay, so maybe it’s Asceticism in the City.
The plot is complex, but the storytelling is simple. The moral arguments are intriguing without being preachy or prescriptive. The mystery unfolds at a good pace, and I guessed some of the pieces but not the whole pie. I also liked the romance between Catherine and the English stoneworker. No insta-love, thankfully, but also no I-can’t-stand-the-sight-of-you-and-we-fight-and-fight-until-just-kidding-it’s-love.
Some bits were contrived. Catherine seemed to be auditioning for The Three Stooges given the number of things that kept falling on her or tossing her to the ground. There were also a few right place, right time coincidences. Still, these were small enough that I didn’t really mind them.
Don’t expect car chases (or even wagon chases), but if you like any of the items above, you’ll like Death Comes as Epiphany.
• The Middle Ages
• Mystery
• Historical fiction
• Intelligent, zealous, and innocent heroines
• Mysticism
• France
• Sean Connery in
Then you’ll like this book.
My Medieval Studies professor recommended this as a good example of a realistic medieval setting. She was true to her word: Newman slips in interesting facts without once appearing pedantic. We learn about cures for ailments, religious rituals, strained race relations, and chivalrous tournaments as easily as you learn about New York from Sex in the City . I was fascinated, but even if you’re not a Medievalist, you can easily enjoy the book without getting bored or distracted.
What my professor didn’t tell me about was the complex web of a mystery. The French heroine Catherine leaves her convent to figure out who defaced a holy book and stumbles into theft, heresy, riots, and murder. She tries to solve the crimes using her logic and Christian morality, all while fighting against others’ dismissal of her as a woman. Along the way she meets a suspiciously smart English stoneworker with stormy eyes, a hermit who works magic, real scholars and religious leaders from history, and people who believe wholeheartedly in saints, immortal souls, and the devil. Okay, so maybe it’s Asceticism in the City.
The plot is complex, but the storytelling is simple. The moral arguments are intriguing without being preachy or prescriptive. The mystery unfolds at a good pace, and I guessed some of the pieces but not the whole pie. I also liked the romance between Catherine and the English stoneworker. No insta-love, thankfully, but also no I-can’t-stand-the-sight-of-you-and-we-fight-and-fight-until-just-kidding-it’s-love.
Some bits were contrived. Catherine seemed to be auditioning for The Three Stooges given the number of things that kept falling on her or tossing her to the ground. There were also a few right place, right time coincidences. Still, these were small enough that I didn’t really mind them.
Don’t expect car chases (or even wagon chases), but if you like any of the items above, you’ll like Death Comes as Epiphany.
August 30, 2007
Amazing. Makes 12th-century France seem very alive and real, and avoids the trap of making characters in a historical novel paragons of the modern day. Later novels fall off in quality, but this one is absolutely top-notch.
April 28, 2016
Sharan Newman shows her amazing expertise in this era of history, but this isn't all dry facts. Fast paced story, great characters and a satisfying mystery and romance.
May 11, 2016
Nuns. Murder. Cathedrals. Hermits. Sassy females.
June 9, 2019
A solid, well-plotted, and mystery with interesting characters and lucid prose. And with Héloïse and Abelard thrown in to make it all really compelling.
August 3, 2020
"This was not the simple piety and gentle human love of the Paraclete. There was something almost wild in this place, a fierce striving. She recognized in it the burning need of Man to reach, straining, to the heavens, just once, to touch the mind of God. The passion of it frightened her even as it lured."
Catherine LeVendeur is an anomaly for her time, in 1130s France: a young woman with an 'uncommon' intelligence, bound for holy orders but with an appetite for life's adventures, mysteries and oddities that may take her out of the realm of the convent. I enter into this reading experience with a certain amount of gentle disposition towards anachronism and speculative enactments of a long-gone history (as all historical records, including the most 'factual', have always depended on speculation), and am therefore not bothered or perturbed that Catherine's behaviour, in particular, 'is not like a woman from 1130s France' would behave, think, or feel. It actually seems to be one of the central concerns of the novel -- and what I imagine the series will explore, as well -- to think about, and represent, a woman outside of her time, as much as she is a direct product of it.
How Catherine levies her indoctrinations towards obedience, religious submission, and good daughterliness, against her irrepressible intellectual curiosity, her philosophical and physical rambling forays, is -- I suspect -- the meat on the bones of the books, beginning with this one. Reading experiences and cultures of religious ecstasy -- of a life enshrined to God that is relative to absolute passion -- has always been compelling to me. It's part of why I will stick with this series, part of the "fierce striving" this first book reaches for, and sometimes, with beautiful clarity, attains.
Catherine LeVendeur is an anomaly for her time, in 1130s France: a young woman with an 'uncommon' intelligence, bound for holy orders but with an appetite for life's adventures, mysteries and oddities that may take her out of the realm of the convent. I enter into this reading experience with a certain amount of gentle disposition towards anachronism and speculative enactments of a long-gone history (as all historical records, including the most 'factual', have always depended on speculation), and am therefore not bothered or perturbed that Catherine's behaviour, in particular, 'is not like a woman from 1130s France' would behave, think, or feel. It actually seems to be one of the central concerns of the novel -- and what I imagine the series will explore, as well -- to think about, and represent, a woman outside of her time, as much as she is a direct product of it.
How Catherine levies her indoctrinations towards obedience, religious submission, and good daughterliness, against her irrepressible intellectual curiosity, her philosophical and physical rambling forays, is -- I suspect -- the meat on the bones of the books, beginning with this one. Reading experiences and cultures of religious ecstasy -- of a life enshrined to God that is relative to absolute passion -- has always been compelling to me. It's part of why I will stick with this series, part of the "fierce striving" this first book reaches for, and sometimes, with beautiful clarity, attains.
April 19, 2017
What a ridiculously awful book, and not even in the "so bad it's good" way. I first heard about this author on a podcast I listen to about the middle ages, where the host interviewed her. She seemed knowledgeable about the middle ages, so I looked her up. I decided to read the first book in her series, instead of the most recent one, just because I prefer to start at the beginning. I had misgivings about it, because what are the chances that an 18 year old girl can be written seriously as a crime-fighting novice nun? Well, it turns out the chances are a big fat ZERO. No girl from the 1100s would do the things she does or talk the way she does. Her character is written as a modern girl (modern in 1993, that is), and all the other characters are written as modern as well. None of it rings even slightly plausible. Also, her constant clumsiness, tripping and falling over everything including her own two feet, was just irritating rather than charming as I'm sure the author intended.
At least I bought this book used instead of brand new, so I only wasted a couple bucks.
At least I bought this book used instead of brand new, so I only wasted a couple bucks.
December 24, 2024
I am always challenged by books that are period pieces and then don’t really follow through on the full details involved to make the stories historically accurate. Was this an interesting book? Yes. Was it as good as it could have been? I don’t think so.
Want to read
October 22, 2019Synopsis: Catherine is a young scholar at the Convent of the Paraclete in 12th century France where a famous manuscript has disappeared.
September 8, 2018
Preemptive tl;dr: I recommend the Catherine LeVendeur mysteries for excellent medieval settings, strong character development and likable, engaging characters, and compelling writing of marginalized people, which can be hard to find.
I started this series with the seventh book, then the third, and then the first. I think the seventh book might have benefitted from having some previous context, but the first book certainly benefits by having read later books first. Knowing who Catherine is as an adult makes it very charming to meet her as a naïve eighteen-year-old, newly returned to the outside world from within a convent. I can see where, starting from the first book, her innocence, self-doubt and clumsiness would make her a tiring protagonist. There's really very little need to read in order, though, so just start with a later book and revisit young Catherine later.
I really only write reviews if other people's reviews annoy me, so here are the main complaints I saw: (1) It's poorly plotted and (2) No woman at the time could do these things. I actually can't speak to (1) because I just got into mystery very recently and I have very little to compare to (I read some other medieval mysteries last summer and that's it). I will say that one if the major draws for me in Newman's work is that, as a medievalist, her understanding of the medieval world is very rich, and she really brings medieval France to life in a way that the other medieval novels I've read don't.
The other major draw for me is her treatment of marginalized people in the setting. Catherine is an exceptional woman with exceptional privilege for the time, but the other women around her life with the expected constraints and that reality is something that Catherine runs up against often. In addition, [MINOR SPOILER] she discovers late in the novel that her father was born to a Jewish family and converted after the murder of his mother and sisters, and she has a Jewish aunt, uncle and cousin she was unaware of. [SPOILER ENDED.] In each novel I've read, conflicts between Jews and Christians sit close to the heart of the story.
Which brings me to (2) "No woman could do these things." So first, yes, you have to suspend some disbelief to read a novel about one woman in 12th century France solving ten murders. Just like how the towns in Father Brown and Murder, She Wrote would be insanely dangerous places to live based on the murder rates. There's an element of fiction to fiction. The idea of an exceptional woman carving a place for herself is not the fiction. Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe, and Joan of Arc all managed to do exceptional things in a time of male dominance. Historical women were not as weak as we think they were. Historical women were not weaker or stupider than modern women. Catherine is ahead of her time, but there are always real people ahead of their times or we wouldn't get to these times. I like books that treat oppressed people with respect. Catherine is not a likely woman, but if Margery Kempe could get her husband to agree to abstinence (she did) then there's no reason to believe it's impossible for Catherine LeVendeur to get her father to let her read.
I started this series with the seventh book, then the third, and then the first. I think the seventh book might have benefitted from having some previous context, but the first book certainly benefits by having read later books first. Knowing who Catherine is as an adult makes it very charming to meet her as a naïve eighteen-year-old, newly returned to the outside world from within a convent. I can see where, starting from the first book, her innocence, self-doubt and clumsiness would make her a tiring protagonist. There's really very little need to read in order, though, so just start with a later book and revisit young Catherine later.
I really only write reviews if other people's reviews annoy me, so here are the main complaints I saw: (1) It's poorly plotted and (2) No woman at the time could do these things. I actually can't speak to (1) because I just got into mystery very recently and I have very little to compare to (I read some other medieval mysteries last summer and that's it). I will say that one if the major draws for me in Newman's work is that, as a medievalist, her understanding of the medieval world is very rich, and she really brings medieval France to life in a way that the other medieval novels I've read don't.
The other major draw for me is her treatment of marginalized people in the setting. Catherine is an exceptional woman with exceptional privilege for the time, but the other women around her life with the expected constraints and that reality is something that Catherine runs up against often. In addition, [MINOR SPOILER] she discovers late in the novel that her father was born to a Jewish family and converted after the murder of his mother and sisters, and she has a Jewish aunt, uncle and cousin she was unaware of. [SPOILER ENDED.] In each novel I've read, conflicts between Jews and Christians sit close to the heart of the story.
Which brings me to (2) "No woman could do these things." So first, yes, you have to suspend some disbelief to read a novel about one woman in 12th century France solving ten murders. Just like how the towns in Father Brown and Murder, She Wrote would be insanely dangerous places to live based on the murder rates. There's an element of fiction to fiction. The idea of an exceptional woman carving a place for herself is not the fiction. Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe, and Joan of Arc all managed to do exceptional things in a time of male dominance. Historical women were not as weak as we think they were. Historical women were not weaker or stupider than modern women. Catherine is ahead of her time, but there are always real people ahead of their times or we wouldn't get to these times. I like books that treat oppressed people with respect. Catherine is not a likely woman, but if Margery Kempe could get her husband to agree to abstinence (she did) then there's no reason to believe it's impossible for Catherine LeVendeur to get her father to let her read.
January 2, 2009
A medievalist breathes life and vigour into the scholastic debates and religious controversies of 12th-century France in this entrancing mystery debut. Catherine LeVendeur, a young novice and scholar at the Convent of the Paraclete, is sent by the Abbess Heloise on a perilous mission to find out who is trying to destroy the reputation of the convent and, through it, that of the abbess's onetime lover and patron, theologian Peter Abelard. A Psalter created at the convent and given as a gift to the powerful abbot Suger of Saint-Denis is later rumoured to contain heretical statements in its accompanying commentaries. Catherine, in the role of a disgraced novice, must find the book and copy the disputed passages to determine if they are forgeries. Further complicating her search, Saint-Denis's master stonemason, Garnulf, is murdered, a crime which may be tied to the sinister hermit Aleran and the rebuilding of the splendid Abbey of Saint-Denis. Re-entering worldly life, the young novice must face both her sometimes disapproving family and her attraction to Garnulf's mysterious apprentice, Edgar.
There were several things attractive to me in this book, it’s a medieval, it’s a mystery and it features Abelard and Heloise as secondary characters. I was looking forward to see how Newman would develop the story and I wasn’t disappointed.
Catherine Levendeur is a young novice at the Convent of the Paraclete, she isn’t as humble and well behaved as she could be but she believes she has a true vocation as the convent is the only place where she can pursue her studies. The convent seems to be under attack though and the Abbess Heloise asks Catherine to go back home to investigate who is trying to close them down. We get a glimpse of her life in the convent and, after she goes home, of the everyday life in the middle ages, the relationship with god and the divine...
Newman doesn’t shy away from showing the good and bad parts of medieval living, not to mention the prejudices against women and other religions. In her quest to discover who falsified a Psalter from the convent Catherine has the help of Edgar, a young man who worked in the construction of the new abbey and has a few secrets to hide. Her relationship with him is interesting and full of tension; both seem a bit unaware at first of what is going on with them.
It’s obvious that Newman has a strong medieval background and can make the story and the characters come alive like no one. While a woman of her time Catherine knows the choices she can make and doesn’t hesitate to change the course of her life and go in search of her happiness even against her family’s wishes. Abelard and Heloise are not a big part of the story but what we get was enough for me to be interested and the setting of medieval France sounded like a breath of fresh air after so many books set in England (not that those are bad of course). Now I’m very interested in knowing what more life has in store for Catherine.
Grade: 4.5/5
There were several things attractive to me in this book, it’s a medieval, it’s a mystery and it features Abelard and Heloise as secondary characters. I was looking forward to see how Newman would develop the story and I wasn’t disappointed.
Catherine Levendeur is a young novice at the Convent of the Paraclete, she isn’t as humble and well behaved as she could be but she believes she has a true vocation as the convent is the only place where she can pursue her studies. The convent seems to be under attack though and the Abbess Heloise asks Catherine to go back home to investigate who is trying to close them down. We get a glimpse of her life in the convent and, after she goes home, of the everyday life in the middle ages, the relationship with god and the divine...
Newman doesn’t shy away from showing the good and bad parts of medieval living, not to mention the prejudices against women and other religions. In her quest to discover who falsified a Psalter from the convent Catherine has the help of Edgar, a young man who worked in the construction of the new abbey and has a few secrets to hide. Her relationship with him is interesting and full of tension; both seem a bit unaware at first of what is going on with them.
It’s obvious that Newman has a strong medieval background and can make the story and the characters come alive like no one. While a woman of her time Catherine knows the choices she can make and doesn’t hesitate to change the course of her life and go in search of her happiness even against her family’s wishes. Abelard and Heloise are not a big part of the story but what we get was enough for me to be interested and the setting of medieval France sounded like a breath of fresh air after so many books set in England (not that those are bad of course). Now I’m very interested in knowing what more life has in store for Catherine.
Grade: 4.5/5
August 21, 2008
DEATH COMES AS AN EPIPHANY - Okay
Newman, Sharan - 1st in Catherine LeVendeur series
Catherine LeVendeur, a young novice and scholar at the Convent of the Paraclete, is sent by the Abbess Heloise on a perilous mission to find out who is trying to destroy the reputation of the convent and, through it, that of the abbess's onetime lover and patron, theologian Peter Abelard. A psalter created at the convent and given as a gift to the powerful abbot Suger of Saint-Denis is later rumored to contain heretical statements in its accompanying commentaries.
Catherine, in the role of a disgraced novice, must find the book and copy the disputed passages to determine if they are forgeries. Further complicating her search, Saint-Denis's master stonemason, Garnulf, is murdered, a crime which may be tied to the sinister hermit Aleran and the rebuilding of the splendid Abbey of Saint-Denis. Re-entering worldly life, the young novice must face both her sometimes disapproving family and her attraction to Garnulf's mysterious apprentice, Edgar.
I don't know why i didn't care for this. Since I read it in 1995, it may be that I wasn't reading historical mysteries. I may have to try it again, one of these days.
Newman, Sharan - 1st in Catherine LeVendeur series
Catherine LeVendeur, a young novice and scholar at the Convent of the Paraclete, is sent by the Abbess Heloise on a perilous mission to find out who is trying to destroy the reputation of the convent and, through it, that of the abbess's onetime lover and patron, theologian Peter Abelard. A psalter created at the convent and given as a gift to the powerful abbot Suger of Saint-Denis is later rumored to contain heretical statements in its accompanying commentaries.
Catherine, in the role of a disgraced novice, must find the book and copy the disputed passages to determine if they are forgeries. Further complicating her search, Saint-Denis's master stonemason, Garnulf, is murdered, a crime which may be tied to the sinister hermit Aleran and the rebuilding of the splendid Abbey of Saint-Denis. Re-entering worldly life, the young novice must face both her sometimes disapproving family and her attraction to Garnulf's mysterious apprentice, Edgar.
I don't know why i didn't care for this. Since I read it in 1995, it may be that I wasn't reading historical mysteries. I may have to try it again, one of these days.
January 9, 2013
I thought I would end up enjoying this book since the beginning of it was so strong. The characters seemed interesting and the portrayals of medieval life appeared well researched. I was looking forward to a nice medieval mystery novel. But somewhere in the middle of the book, the mystery and logic got lost. Or maybe I just got turned off by the over-sexed Satanist that appeared mid-way that solicited Catherine (I literally cracked up laughing at that part and I'm sure the author had not meant for it to be funny - but it was just too weird!). The last few chapters were extremely disappointing and they only led up to a very strange "resolution." Not sure if the author was going for an amazing twist at the end but it didn't really work. Nor did I quite believe the relationship that sprung up between the Anglo/Saxon mason/student fellow and Catherine either.
This story just didn't hold up to my expectations. A friend had given me books #2 and #3 in the series but I might simply end up skimming them and passing them along to Goodwill.
This story just didn't hold up to my expectations. A friend had given me books #2 and #3 in the series but I might simply end up skimming them and passing them along to Goodwill.
December 18, 2015
This is book one in a historical mystery series set in 12th century France. The main character is Catherine LeVendeur, daughter to a wealthy merchant and novice at the Convent of the Paraclete.
When the abbess requests that she return home in disgrace in order to determine who is trying to discredit their convert, Catherine agrees. Through murder and madness, love and narrow escapes, Catherine resolves to solve the mysteries she has encountered and she does it with humour, determination and lots of help.
It was well written and well thought out, with a clever and stubborn heroine. I haven’t enjoyed a mystery book so much in years.
When the abbess requests that she return home in disgrace in order to determine who is trying to discredit their convert, Catherine agrees. Through murder and madness, love and narrow escapes, Catherine resolves to solve the mysteries she has encountered and she does it with humour, determination and lots of help.
It was well written and well thought out, with a clever and stubborn heroine. I haven’t enjoyed a mystery book so much in years.
January 14, 2013
I read this years ago and remember really enjoying it...there was also a romance, which just added to its appeal :) Very firmly entrenched in the medieval period, yet still accessible to all contemporary readers.
May 9, 2016
I love the clumsy, intelligent, realistic Catherine. She's so much fun to read because she's not perfect.
March 22, 2016
One of the best historical fiction mysteries I've ever read!!
August 25, 2024
Not great.
I love the time period and I adore the "peek" into Paris during that time period . . . and that's about it.
I'm sure the author wants the MC, Catherine, to come off as independent/ahead of her time/gutsy, yada, yada, yada, but . . . to me she just seemed snappy, short-tempered, churlish, and blurty. I mean, I know people like this and I take pains to avoid interacting with them. 🙄 There's no way I'm going to enjoy them as an MC in a book (unless they're the villain or some such thing.)
Other issues:
The author appears to presuppose that the reader will know the story of Heloise and Abelard. This is not true for this reader. Since the couple are actually secondary characters in the story and the plot involves how the church views Abelard (which appears to be negatively), I feel like the bits that include Abelard have additional meaning I'm probably missing - and that's annoying. It might have been nice to have a bit of a preface that could briefly cover their story. It would also help if that preface would include an overview of the church politics of the time (since they figure heavily in the plot) and the key players, particularly those referred to and/or used as secondary characters in the book.
I could live with the "other issues" list (Lord knows there have been other books where I've had similar feelings and one can always seek out specifics on the Internet), but Catherine? Nope. I'll take a big pass. I will not be trying any further books in this series - and that's a shame, because I do love the time period and always enjoy good books in this kind of setting.
I would personally not recommend because the MC is so annoying. However, if you like mysteries in this time period, you could give it a whirl - I'd just advise to avoid paying full price 😁
I love the time period and I adore the "peek" into Paris during that time period . . . and that's about it.
I'm sure the author wants the MC, Catherine, to come off as independent/ahead of her time/gutsy, yada, yada, yada, but . . . to me she just seemed snappy, short-tempered, churlish, and blurty. I mean, I know people like this and I take pains to avoid interacting with them. 🙄 There's no way I'm going to enjoy them as an MC in a book (unless they're the villain or some such thing.)
Other issues:
The author appears to presuppose that the reader will know the story of Heloise and Abelard. This is not true for this reader. Since the couple are actually secondary characters in the story and the plot involves how the church views Abelard (which appears to be negatively), I feel like the bits that include Abelard have additional meaning I'm probably missing - and that's annoying. It might have been nice to have a bit of a preface that could briefly cover their story. It would also help if that preface would include an overview of the church politics of the time (since they figure heavily in the plot) and the key players, particularly those referred to and/or used as secondary characters in the book.
I could live with the "other issues" list (Lord knows there have been other books where I've had similar feelings and one can always seek out specifics on the Internet), but Catherine? Nope. I'll take a big pass. I will not be trying any further books in this series - and that's a shame, because I do love the time period and always enjoy good books in this kind of setting.
I would personally not recommend because the MC is so annoying. However, if you like mysteries in this time period, you could give it a whirl - I'd just advise to avoid paying full price 😁
October 24, 2020
There are interesting elements here, but ultimately this book fell flat for me.
On the positive side, Newman does write a convincing medieval France; she neither romanticizes her setting (the scene of Catherine falling in among some desperate peasants was especially sharp) nor writes from the “medieval Europe was a nightmarish, dirty hellscape” view. The details are good, but the main characters and story do not work for me. (Also, justice for Adulf, please.)
Catherine is not a convincing main character. We are told she is a brilliant thinker but this is never shown in any meaningful way. She has no personality apart from being a Smart Girl, and there is a lot of tiresome internal dialogue involving her unconvincing romance with Edgar. For a future nun, she has very little interest in religion, or in anything besides what the plot needs her focus on.
What are Abelard and Heloise doing here? They contribute nothing to the story, and the supposed “let’s defame Abelard plot” goes nowhere.
The sudden point-of-view shifts were jarring and contributed nothing, and most of the time I couldn’t keep track of what the mystery even was. Perhaps the real mystery was how I managed to stay awake….
Maybe I’ll give one of the later books a try.
2.5 stars.
On the positive side, Newman does write a convincing medieval France; she neither romanticizes her setting (the scene of Catherine falling in among some desperate peasants was especially sharp) nor writes from the “medieval Europe was a nightmarish, dirty hellscape” view. The details are good, but the main characters and story do not work for me. (Also, justice for Adulf, please.)
Catherine is not a convincing main character. We are told she is a brilliant thinker but this is never shown in any meaningful way. She has no personality apart from being a Smart Girl, and there is a lot of tiresome internal dialogue involving her unconvincing romance with Edgar. For a future nun, she has very little interest in religion, or in anything besides what the plot needs her focus on.
What are Abelard and Heloise doing here? They contribute nothing to the story, and the supposed “let’s defame Abelard plot” goes nowhere.
The sudden point-of-view shifts were jarring and contributed nothing, and most of the time I couldn’t keep track of what the mystery even was. Perhaps the real mystery was how I managed to stay awake….
Maybe I’ll give one of the later books a try.
2.5 stars.
December 27, 2025
This is the first of Newman's Catherine LeVendeur mystery series, set in mid-12th century France. Scholarly and intelligent Catherine is a novitiate at Paraclete, Heloise's convent. When Heloise receives word that someone at the St. Denis monastery has been altering a Psalter created at Paraclete for St. Denis, she sends Catherine on a mission to find out who is attempting to slander the convent. While visiting St. Denis, one of the stone workers is murdered, and Catherine finds out that there is a lot more going on than just the alteration of the Psalter.
I enjoyed this mystery a lot. It was fairly intricate, with lots of different threads woven in, from that of a blasphemous and fraudulent hermit to a complex trade scheme akin to money laundering. Catherine also has to contend with some fraught family relationships as well as the pull of both the convent and a potential love match. All of this kept me on my toes. Catherine is such a sympathetic and engaging character - very smart, loyal, strong-willed, and often brave.
I enjoyed this mystery a lot. It was fairly intricate, with lots of different threads woven in, from that of a blasphemous and fraudulent hermit to a complex trade scheme akin to money laundering. Catherine also has to contend with some fraught family relationships as well as the pull of both the convent and a potential love match. All of this kept me on my toes. Catherine is such a sympathetic and engaging character - very smart, loyal, strong-willed, and often brave.
December 17, 2017
Loved the connection between Heloise and Abelard, the historical accuracy, the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, and the very realistic way people lived at the time. People live in twig huts, get soaked to the bone while walking in the rain or snow, worry about dying from a bad cough, and turn in desperation to their religion in times of crisis.
Interesting studies of being a knight and being a Jew. Basically, knights were thugs who roamed the streets of Paris and persecuted citizens who were unable to defend themselves. Jews were segregated and persecuted. If you could leave your Jewish heritage behind, it was a great benefit to you as an individual and businessman.
The setting is excellent, the story is hard to believe. Catherine is too brash, too intelligent, and too independent for this environment. She roams around solving crimes, while her sister and other females are trapped and contained in their castles. Hard to understand how this could possibly have happened.
Interesting studies of being a knight and being a Jew. Basically, knights were thugs who roamed the streets of Paris and persecuted citizens who were unable to defend themselves. Jews were segregated and persecuted. If you could leave your Jewish heritage behind, it was a great benefit to you as an individual and businessman.
The setting is excellent, the story is hard to believe. Catherine is too brash, too intelligent, and too independent for this environment. She roams around solving crimes, while her sister and other females are trapped and contained in their castles. Hard to understand how this could possibly have happened.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews