What do you think?
Rate this book
Catherine LeVendeur #2
The Devil's Door
1140 Anno Domini:
A wealthy countess lies dying at the Convent of the Paraclete, brutally beaten by unknown assailants. Despite entreaties, she is unwilling to name her killer. Beautiful Catherine LeVendeur, the Paraclete's most learned young novice-scholar, vows to find out the identity of the woman's attacker.
When her beloved Edgar comes to lead her from the convent to a life of the flesh, Catherine is torn between her quest for justice and the pledge she made him. Catherine doesn't want to break any of the vows she's made-and if she abandons her crusade for the truth, others will die, and the convent she loves may be destroyed...
A wealthy countess lies dying at the Convent of the Paraclete, brutally beaten by unknown assailants. Despite entreaties, she is unwilling to name her killer. Beautiful Catherine LeVendeur, the Paraclete's most learned young novice-scholar, vows to find out the identity of the woman's attacker.
When her beloved Edgar comes to lead her from the convent to a life of the flesh, Catherine is torn between her quest for justice and the pledge she made him. Catherine doesn't want to break any of the vows she's made-and if she abandons her crusade for the truth, others will die, and the convent she loves may be destroyed...
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
10 people are currently reading
578 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 39 reviews
August 14, 2020
"She was wakened in the night by the bells calling the sisters to the night office. She had gotten up and was out the door before she realized that there was no longer a place for her in the choir. Slowly, she returned to her bed. She lay awake a long time, clutching the ivory cross until the pattern of it was etched into her hand."
The life of the Paraclete is behind Catherine, who has followed the earthly call of her desires, but the splitting of her ambitions leaves her at a crossroads. In this second installment of the series, misogyny, property rights, and deeply repressed family secrets are at the fore, in a plot that focuses squarely on how badly people are willing to treat each other for power. Catherine and Edgar intervene, as they will, and it's intriguing to see how Sharan Newman repurposes the previously non-carnal, spiritual devotion both characters had before encountering each other. Now, joined as they are, their quest for unearthing inequity seems to burn as brightly as their commitment to God and all the saints. The external drama, which supplies the meat on the bones of the narrative, felt very pointed and symbolically freighted throughout: the injustices against women, against the poor, against those damaged by both Church and State, these felt not only solidly, but pointedly established. At times, I felt myself drawn out of the concerns of the book by this insistence, but I was pulled back in, every time, by what I feel to be the slower-build, the careful and detailed braiding of the entire series, taking place behind the front-facing concerns of the primary plot. Which is not to say the plot doesn't concern me; it does -- but even then, I'm more swept up in the wake of what I can imagine about these players in Newman's tableau (particularly Sister Paciana, whom we may not meet beyond the boundaries of this book, and Abbess Héloïse, whom we certainly will) than what is explicitly explored about them on the page.
Still, nothing at all compels me to abandon Catherine LeVendeur. I want to know more about her, and the times that made her, and the faith that both enthralled and could not contain her, and I want to learn it from Newman. So onward to The Wandering Arm!
The life of the Paraclete is behind Catherine, who has followed the earthly call of her desires, but the splitting of her ambitions leaves her at a crossroads. In this second installment of the series, misogyny, property rights, and deeply repressed family secrets are at the fore, in a plot that focuses squarely on how badly people are willing to treat each other for power. Catherine and Edgar intervene, as they will, and it's intriguing to see how Sharan Newman repurposes the previously non-carnal, spiritual devotion both characters had before encountering each other. Now, joined as they are, their quest for unearthing inequity seems to burn as brightly as their commitment to God and all the saints. The external drama, which supplies the meat on the bones of the narrative, felt very pointed and symbolically freighted throughout: the injustices against women, against the poor, against those damaged by both Church and State, these felt not only solidly, but pointedly established. At times, I felt myself drawn out of the concerns of the book by this insistence, but I was pulled back in, every time, by what I feel to be the slower-build, the careful and detailed braiding of the entire series, taking place behind the front-facing concerns of the primary plot. Which is not to say the plot doesn't concern me; it does -- but even then, I'm more swept up in the wake of what I can imagine about these players in Newman's tableau (particularly Sister Paciana, whom we may not meet beyond the boundaries of this book, and Abbess Héloïse, whom we certainly will) than what is explicitly explored about them on the page.
Still, nothing at all compels me to abandon Catherine LeVendeur. I want to know more about her, and the times that made her, and the faith that both enthralled and could not contain her, and I want to learn it from Newman. So onward to The Wandering Arm!
October 25, 2022
This is another rather good medieval murder mystery set in 1140 France during the showdown between Peter Abelard and Bernard of Clairvaux. Abelard and Heloise are major characters in this story, actually. The main character, Catherine, has decided to leave the convent where she was raised and marry. Right before leaving, though, a countess who has been beaten nearly to death is brought there for healing and prayers. Catherine finds more questions than answers and gets involved in finding out what happened to the poor woman. The mystery is okay, the medieval setting is perfect, and the book was pretty compelling overall.
October 3, 2009
The story in this historical novel takes place during the time period leading up to the final confrontation between Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter Abelard at the council of Sens. (The novel says this occurred 1140 A.D.; Wikipedia says 1141 A.D.) This historical setting is peripheral to the fictional murder-mystery story, and is not an important part of the story. However, it places it firmly into a particular time in history. One of the things I appreciate most about Sharan Newman is her concern with accurately portraying the life and times surrounding the fictional plot.
The actual plot itself is quite contrived, but what murder mystery isn't contrived? The plot of this book contains a legal hearing (a trial) near its end that is worthy of a Perry Mason TV show with emotional outbursts from almost everybody present. There's even a missing human head in the story that appears near the end in a very public way. The story includes a primer on medieval smelting of iron. The main character gets married in this story so there's ample discussion of their frustrated honeymoon. There are plenty of hints toward the end that she may be pregnant, and at the very end we learn the truth.
One interesting aspect of the ten part Catherine LeVendeur series of novels is to try and figure out the thinking behind the selection of the book's title. The titles are always intriguing, but their application to the story tends to be obscure. This book is the second one in the series. I think anyone who enjoys the Brother Cadfael novels by Ellis Peters would also enjoy these novels as well.
The actual plot itself is quite contrived, but what murder mystery isn't contrived? The plot of this book contains a legal hearing (a trial) near its end that is worthy of a Perry Mason TV show with emotional outbursts from almost everybody present. There's even a missing human head in the story that appears near the end in a very public way. The story includes a primer on medieval smelting of iron. The main character gets married in this story so there's ample discussion of their frustrated honeymoon. There are plenty of hints toward the end that she may be pregnant, and at the very end we learn the truth.
One interesting aspect of the ten part Catherine LeVendeur series of novels is to try and figure out the thinking behind the selection of the book's title. The titles are always intriguing, but their application to the story tends to be obscure. This book is the second one in the series. I think anyone who enjoys the Brother Cadfael novels by Ellis Peters would also enjoy these novels as well.
October 26, 2015
Catherine and Edgar, Part Two
This second book in the Catherine LeVendeur mystery series rivals the first in depth, plot complexity and sheer entertainment. Catherine is at the Abbey awaiting Edgar and their marriage when a woman, beaten nearly to death, is brought to the Abbey by her husband, a local Lord. He states that his wife was set upon and beaten by a local rival lord. However, he displays no upset at his wife's condition and abruptly leaves. Edgar appears, he and Catherine wed, but the woman dies. Before death, however, she asks that she be made a sister of the Abbey so her land can pass from her to the Abbey upon her death. Her husband is outraged and accuses Heloise, the Abbess, of stealing the land. Catherine and Edgar set out to solve the mystery of why the woman was murdered and why the land is so important. They soon become entangled in several other mysteries all of which are related. Their lives, as well as the lives of Catherine's Jewish cousins, are at risk. Undaunted, the pair continue towards a shocking climax that not only solves the murder but resolves the unanswered questions. The characters are lively and well developed, with fast-paced action and a complicated yet comprehensible plot. This is a most enjoyable series and I highly recommend it.
This second book in the Catherine LeVendeur mystery series rivals the first in depth, plot complexity and sheer entertainment. Catherine is at the Abbey awaiting Edgar and their marriage when a woman, beaten nearly to death, is brought to the Abbey by her husband, a local Lord. He states that his wife was set upon and beaten by a local rival lord. However, he displays no upset at his wife's condition and abruptly leaves. Edgar appears, he and Catherine wed, but the woman dies. Before death, however, she asks that she be made a sister of the Abbey so her land can pass from her to the Abbey upon her death. Her husband is outraged and accuses Heloise, the Abbess, of stealing the land. Catherine and Edgar set out to solve the mystery of why the woman was murdered and why the land is so important. They soon become entangled in several other mysteries all of which are related. Their lives, as well as the lives of Catherine's Jewish cousins, are at risk. Undaunted, the pair continue towards a shocking climax that not only solves the murder but resolves the unanswered questions. The characters are lively and well developed, with fast-paced action and a complicated yet comprehensible plot. This is a most enjoyable series and I highly recommend it.
November 13, 2008
This is actually the second book in "A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery" series. i did not tead the first one. However the details in the book often hint back at past evcents so it's not like you would not be able to understand it without reading the first one.
Ths book is about a girl who is a young noice scholar residing at a Convent, who falls in love and leaves the place where she had grown up. Though she left the church, she finds that her path still revolves around the arguements between the bible and philosophy. some famous people are actually named in the book, like Peter Abelard the famous philosopher and his wife, the beautiful Heloise who later becomes a nun.
This is a really interesting book because I'm not necessarly into the teachings of the bible but i am into the idea of bibke studies.This book talks about how philosophers can be challenge the ideas raised in the holy bible and still believein it's teachings. It raises questions like what does it mean to be a true Christain and does being Christain mean that it should dictate every aspect of life.
Ths book is about a girl who is a young noice scholar residing at a Convent, who falls in love and leaves the place where she had grown up. Though she left the church, she finds that her path still revolves around the arguements between the bible and philosophy. some famous people are actually named in the book, like Peter Abelard the famous philosopher and his wife, the beautiful Heloise who later becomes a nun.
This is a really interesting book because I'm not necessarly into the teachings of the bible but i am into the idea of bibke studies.This book talks about how philosophers can be challenge the ideas raised in the holy bible and still believein it's teachings. It raises questions like what does it mean to be a true Christain and does being Christain mean that it should dictate every aspect of life.
July 2, 2009
Another satisfying outing from the author of Death Comes as Epiphany. Sharan Newman's training as a historian and compendious research allows these books a breadth of subject matter. Whereas the first book was more closely concerned with the politics and practice of the medieval Catholic Church, this volume's murderous plot is squarely 'of the world' and concerns its laws and problems.
That plot was a good one: I was able to guess the central secret, but not too long before our heroine did. The villains were suitably villainous, the authorities well-meaning but not unrealistically helpful. I continue to enjoy the secondary characters and the enveloping reality of a medieval world I can smell (all too well!) and see. I really like the heroine, Catherine, and look forward to many more adventures with her.
That plot was a good one: I was able to guess the central secret, but not too long before our heroine did. The villains were suitably villainous, the authorities well-meaning but not unrealistically helpful. I continue to enjoy the secondary characters and the enveloping reality of a medieval world I can smell (all too well!) and see. I really like the heroine, Catherine, and look forward to many more adventures with her.
March 23, 2008
I love historical fiction. I'm always looking for new authors. I found Sharan in The Oregonian book review announcing her new book "Shanghai Tunnel". While waiting for a copy "on-hold" I've read several of her earlier books from the Catherine LeVendeur series.
Her books are well researched and offer a wealth of information about medieval time. Did you know in France washing hands before eating was common and there were private rooms in public bath houses?
The mysteries become formulaic, but the substance is always interesting and the characters are well rounded and whole. The books are hard to put down, good reads.
I'm looking forward to learning more about Portland's history from Shanghai Tunnel.
Her books are well researched and offer a wealth of information about medieval time. Did you know in France washing hands before eating was common and there were private rooms in public bath houses?
The mysteries become formulaic, but the substance is always interesting and the characters are well rounded and whole. The books are hard to put down, good reads.
I'm looking forward to learning more about Portland's history from Shanghai Tunnel.
August 22, 2016
The book jacket compares this book to the Brother Cadfel series. For some reason every medieval mystery is compared to that series. In this case the only similarity is that both are set in the 12th century. While I enjoyed the book, there is nothing particularly special about it. Several historical figures, most notably Heloise and Abelard, appear in the book but the historical details are sketchy at best. I don't think the presence of these figures particularly added to or detracted from the mystery itself. This is the second book in a series but I didn't like it well enough to bother going back to read the first one.
December 18, 2015
Catherine's second adventure begins with a countess dying at the convent that she will be leaving shortly. When the countess is discovered to have been beaten, Catherine cannot stop in her quest to bring the perpetrator to justice, even if that means putting off her impending marriage. In her pursuit of the truth, she stumbles on the countesses disturbing family secret.
I really like Catherine, she’s plucky and fearless. Taking her family secret of being Jewish in stride and expecting there to be justice, even if she has to prove it herself, just endears her to me more.
I really like Catherine, she’s plucky and fearless. Taking her family secret of being Jewish in stride and expecting there to be justice, even if she has to prove it herself, just endears her to me more.
July 6, 2016
Having recently read the first Catherine mystery, I found this one much better. I enjoyed Catherine and Edgar's excitement during the early days of their marriage (although why Edgar kept having to show the marriage certificate to everyone I do not know-can't they be trusted to just tell the truth?!) I had no clue what the big secret behind all the murders was until the end-which I love in a mystery. Catherine also seemed to have matured from her first escapade-it made her actions more believable.
August 6, 2011
The second installment in this series is a solid good. The characters are so likeable and believable, and Newman does a good job of bringing that world to life. However, the conflicts with Peter Abelard and Heloise go on a bit too long and slow the story down. It's not as interesting as the first one, but good enough to send me after the third book.
September 23, 2014
A nice follow-up to the first volume, with a solid mystery of the type that reminds me of the Dame Frevisse ones. Of course, the denouement is a bit sloppy (you'll understand when you get there) and the construction of the puzzle could have been tighter. But the characters are good, and the motivations work.
August 17, 2025
When a brutalised noblewoman arrives at Catherine's convent, and dies shortly after, she is determined to get to the bottom of matters. She is married, kidnapped and semi-tortured before uncovering a horrific story of incest and abuse
Enjoyable but complicated
Enjoyable but complicated
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2019
This was a fairly interesting, cozy little mystery. The guilty party was well hidden until late in the book with some decent sub-plots. I liked the historical features of 13th century France throughout the book but, when the intrepid Miss LeVendeur finally identified the murderer, the murderer would have gotten off if they hadn't confessed when confronted as there was nothing available in that time period that would have proven their guilt to a reasonable extent. I find Miss LeVendeur a little too arrogant for my taste but generally like the interaction between her and her fiance, Edgar.
October 22, 2019
An okay installment in the Catherine LeVendeur mysteries. What I love about Newman is her historical research and how it makes the story concrete. However, the portions about Catherine and Edgar's new marriage read like cringey purity romance (12-year-old me would have been titillated, though). I am looking forward to the rest of the series as light reading where I still learn a bit about the 12th century.
July 17, 2019
March-June 1140 murder mystery
August 30, 2019
A slightly more convoluted scenario than the first, or maybe I wasn't as focused. But still a great heroine: plucky and multidimensional. And great setting that gives life to this medieval period.
July 7, 2021
3.5 stars.
This is an excellent medieval mystery series. With bonus Abelard and Heloise!
This is an excellent medieval mystery series. With bonus Abelard and Heloise!
November 17, 2024
Very similar in both strengths and weaknesses to the first installment in this series. But I really appreciate Newman's research into the time period and how that informs the characters' decisions.
November 13, 2020
Fantastic!
Her writing, plotting, complexity of the tale, and full descriptions make one feel truly there with these characters. The main characters are so fully realized they feel like people you need to know! I loved this book...Though at times truly harrowing. The resolution of this tale is remarkable. I cannot wait for the next book in the series and all the rest that follow. What a gifted author! I am so glad at my age, 64, to find another great medieval series to fill my days and nights so meaningfully! Ms. Newman is truly a learned historian and a True teller of tales that inform and teach while telling an intriguing story. I am grateful.
Her writing, plotting, complexity of the tale, and full descriptions make one feel truly there with these characters. The main characters are so fully realized they feel like people you need to know! I loved this book...Though at times truly harrowing. The resolution of this tale is remarkable. I cannot wait for the next book in the series and all the rest that follow. What a gifted author! I am so glad at my age, 64, to find another great medieval series to fill my days and nights so meaningfully! Ms. Newman is truly a learned historian and a True teller of tales that inform and teach while telling an intriguing story. I am grateful.
November 11, 2011
So, so good! Plenty of action, with just enough thinking, a sprinkling of humour and a dash of romance between two very well suited people... could you ask for more? Yet another wonderfully researched and written medieval mystery by Sharan Newman! If you were a fan of the first one, you won't be disappointed.
November 30, 2015
I love Catherine LeVendeur. She is both a product of her time and refreshingly human. These books are never dumbed down or sensational, but are intricate and measured. If you like mysteries, give them a try.
August 30, 2007
If you want to
1) Have fun
2) Understand everything about medieval France and esp. about Héloïse and Abélard
3) Understand the religious debates of the time
Then this book is a must read.
Sharan Newman writes one of the very best historical detective novels in the whole world.
1) Have fun
2) Understand everything about medieval France and esp. about Héloïse and Abélard
3) Understand the religious debates of the time
Then this book is a must read.
Sharan Newman writes one of the very best historical detective novels in the whole world.
September 30, 2011
I really like these books, set in the mid-12th century and featuring two students of Peter Abelard and Heloise. I appreciate how the main characters are on the progressive edge of their time while not being anachronistic. It's a great way to learn history!
June 27, 2013
just as engrossing as the first book by this author. I didn't think she could pull it off twice but I found myself engrossed in trying to figure out who the culprit was throughout this intriguing second installment with Catherine and Edgar.
I enjoyed every page!
I enjoyed every page!
July 10, 2014
If brother Cadfeal were a young woman, this would be the story. Set in 12th century France during the reign of Henry and Eleanor and with the added backdrop of the building the great cathedral of Notre Dame, Catherine and Edgar seek the truth and uncover mysteries and murder.
August 22, 2007
I liked it, but these really sad things kept happening to the main characters and I decided not to continue the series.
September 27, 2010
2 1/2 stars, really. Not bad, but not great, either. The pace was too slow and the array of characters were too confusing.
December 26, 2010
for art history...
February 11, 2012
Medieval mystery. What's not to like?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews