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Catherine LeVendeur #3
The Wandering Arm
Heaven has a way of playing with mortals. When the mummified arm of St. Aldhelm is stolen from the Salisbury Cathedral in England, Catherine LeVendeur must find the lost reliquary to save those she loves -- and to do so, she must finally confront and come to terms with her family's Jewish heritage. The first Catherine Le Vendeur mystery to appear in trade paperback, The Wandering Arm is an absorbing, richly authentic adventure.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
15 people are currently reading
348 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 )
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 23, 2023
This is a great book concerning the angst betwene the Jewish people and the Christians. There is also a mystry of a missing artifact which they endevour to uncover.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
February 22, 2023
It has been a few years since I read the first two books in this series, and for a while I thought I wouldn't continue with it. But I got a hankering for some good medievalism and Newman does deliver that.
Her plots aren't the best, and sometimes it feels like she takes too long to tell the story, but her historical research makes the world come alive in ways other medieval mystery novels don't. She chooses to explore topics like interactions between Christians and Jews before restrictive laws, and they have the ring of truth because they are based on primary sources whenever possible. Her characters are realistic about their conflicting beliefs (the Christians think the Jews are going to hell, the Jews think the Christians are idolators) but they manage to get along anyway, a complexity rarely explored in novels of this type.
I don't love the characters in this series, but that's just me. Catherine has the ingredients of a truly memorable heroine, but she doesn't quite click for me. This series fills a niche in the genre and Newman is a pretty good writer. I might keep picking up these books every once in a while just to scratch that medieval itch.
Her plots aren't the best, and sometimes it feels like she takes too long to tell the story, but her historical research makes the world come alive in ways other medieval mystery novels don't. She chooses to explore topics like interactions between Christians and Jews before restrictive laws, and they have the ring of truth because they are based on primary sources whenever possible. Her characters are realistic about their conflicting beliefs (the Christians think the Jews are going to hell, the Jews think the Christians are idolators) but they manage to get along anyway, a complexity rarely explored in novels of this type.
I don't love the characters in this series, but that's just me. Catherine has the ingredients of a truly memorable heroine, but she doesn't quite click for me. This series fills a niche in the genre and Newman is a pretty good writer. I might keep picking up these books every once in a while just to scratch that medieval itch.
February 24, 2020
It’s been a while since I read the first book in the series, which I remember with sort of general good feeling. With such a hazy memory it’s hard for me to say if I’d just forgotten how well this author writes or if his book was much better than the first book. But either way I very much enjoyed this story. I should also note that it’s usually extremely hard for me to like a book with so much religious discussion. But I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
December 22, 2017
A good mystery, a great medieval piece, a lot of fun characters. What's to complain about? This is a great series with lots of scholarship behind it which never gets in the way of the action.
Can't wait for #4.
Can't wait for #4.
August 17, 2025
A missing saints arm sends Catherine and her new husband Edgar on the hunt for relic thieves. Enjoyable
February 6, 2021
This book was passed along to me from my mom. It’s an interesting historical mystery. Racism is rampant, admittedly between Jews and Christians, but still very recognizable to racism today. I think the most interesting parts are the descriptions of every day life of “regular “ people. The religious prejudices are also fascinating.
The mystery itself is good. I don’t know that you would guess the answer until nearly the end. Again, the social norms are a big part of the plot development.
I would recommend this book to anyone I who enjoys historical fiction.
The mystery itself is good. I don’t know that you would guess the answer until nearly the end. Again, the social norms are a big part of the plot development.
I would recommend this book to anyone I who enjoys historical fiction.
August 7, 2020
This was a lot of fun. I don't think there were quite enough clues to the mystery (I might have failed to notice some), but I loved the characters, their interactions, and the atmosphere. I learn so much each time, too. I was struck by the fact that Normandy and France were spoken of as different countries.
There was some sadness in this one, that was very much a part of that time in history and is not completely absent from our time.
I will definitely read the whole series.
There was some sadness in this one, that was very much a part of that time in history and is not completely absent from our time.
I will definitely read the whole series.
February 1, 2022
From this remove, the whole concept of relics seems to be so obviously a bunch of scams, but I suppose that at the time, information didn't pass around so readily, so maybe the typical soul didn't tot things up and discover there were 18 toes of St. Peter running around.
*Anyway.* Not the point of the book, which is another fascinating medieval mystery, with a relic at its heart.
*Anyway.* Not the point of the book, which is another fascinating medieval mystery, with a relic at its heart.
December 7, 2018
The book was very funny.
July 17, 2020
Another enjoyable instalment, although closer to 3 1/2 stars that 4 for me
April 7, 2021
An okay cozy mystery novel. I like these because the author is an academic medievalist and they give an insight into like in 12th century France.
Read
May 11, 20238/18/2001 Reread 3/10/2023
July 10, 2009
This installment brought us a lot more insight into the lives of French Jewry in the late 12th century (I think it's the first book where the dates that head each chapter are given in Gregorian and Jewish calendars.) The details of medieval life, work and industry are not only interesting, they're integral to the plot -- good plotting.
Newman continues to develop her main characters -- Solomon and Edgar, especially, get some new wrinkles in this volume. I continue to be impressed by Newman's ability to use historical characters seamlessly and gracefully. I was surprised to find, in the Afterword, how many incidental characters are plucked from the annals!
Audiobook note: I do still enjoy Donada Peters's narration, but I am a little surprised that as of this book (the third) the French Catholic characters suddenly have French accents. It means the narrator and the handful of British characters are the only ones without a put-on accent. She does them well, but I find it somewhat offputting, especially since it puts a little distance between me and Catherine, who is after all the ostensible protagonist.This installment brought us a lot more insight into the lives of French Jewry in the late 12th century (I think it's the first book where the dates that head each chapter are given in Gregorian and Jewish calendars.) The details of medieval life, work and industry are not only interesting, they're integral to the plot -- good plotting.
Newman continues to develop her main characters -- Solomon and Edgar, especially, get some new wrinkles in this volume. I continue to be impressed by Newman's ability to use historical characters seamlessly and gracefully. I was surprised to find, in the Afterword, how many incidental characters are plucked from the annals!
Audiobook note: I do still enjoy Donada Peters's narration, but I am a little surprised that as of this book (the third) the French Catholic characters suddenly have French accents. It means the narrator and the handful of British characters are the only ones without a put-on accent. She does them well, but I find it somewhat offputting, especially since it puts a little distance between me and Catherine, who is after all the ostensible protagonist.
Newman continues to develop her main characters -- Solomon and Edgar, especially, get some new wrinkles in this volume. I continue to be impressed by Newman's ability to use historical characters seamlessly and gracefully. I was surprised to find, in the Afterword, how many incidental characters are plucked from the annals!
Audiobook note: I do still enjoy Donada Peters's narration, but I am a little surprised that as of this book (the third) the French Catholic characters suddenly have French accents. It means the narrator and the handful of British characters are the only ones without a put-on accent. She does them well, but I find it somewhat offputting, especially since it puts a little distance between me and Catherine, who is after all the ostensible protagonist.This installment brought us a lot more insight into the lives of French Jewry in the late 12th century (I think it's the first book where the dates that head each chapter are given in Gregorian and Jewish calendars.) The details of medieval life, work and industry are not only interesting, they're integral to the plot -- good plotting.
Newman continues to develop her main characters -- Solomon and Edgar, especially, get some new wrinkles in this volume. I continue to be impressed by Newman's ability to use historical characters seamlessly and gracefully. I was surprised to find, in the Afterword, how many incidental characters are plucked from the annals!
Audiobook note: I do still enjoy Donada Peters's narration, but I am a little surprised that as of this book (the third) the French Catholic characters suddenly have French accents. It means the narrator and the handful of British characters are the only ones without a put-on accent. She does them well, but I find it somewhat offputting, especially since it puts a little distance between me and Catherine, who is after all the ostensible protagonist.
April 26, 2009
I wanted to like this book. It paints a vivid picture of life in 12th century France and of the conflicts between the Jewish and Christian communities. Some of the characters have some charming interactions. But I didn't find the mystery particularly compelling, which left me to be distracted by frequent point of view shifts, authorial intrusion (several times pointing out things that the characters *didn't* notice!), and overly chatty or repetitive dialogue and character trains-of-thought.
I'm also realising that I prefer murder mysteries when the professionals are involved--or the main character is someone who goes looking for trouble and/or collects enemies (like Amelia Peabody). It seems awfully odd for an ordinary person to keep stumbling across dead bodies!
I'm also realising that I prefer murder mysteries when the professionals are involved--or the main character is someone who goes looking for trouble and/or collects enemies (like Amelia Peabody). It seems awfully odd for an ordinary person to keep stumbling across dead bodies!
November 13, 2020
Another Great Book
I am loving this series. I recommend it with no reservations. I cannot wait to read the next one and all the rest after that. May Be Newman live forever. This is another, "you were there"story where you feel you know the main characters, you are sitting, running, falling, chatting, singing and almost everything else With them! I love getting absorbed in the story in a way that al the world goes away. I want to know more and more. I want to learn Hebrew Latin, French, Saxon and Norman....the languages of the time to fully engage ! Ah, well she does translate most of the passages for those of us who do not....I simply wish to miss nothing! What a wonderful way to spend my days reading these books.
I am loving this series. I recommend it with no reservations. I cannot wait to read the next one and all the rest after that. May Be Newman live forever. This is another, "you were there"story where you feel you know the main characters, you are sitting, running, falling, chatting, singing and almost everything else With them! I love getting absorbed in the story in a way that al the world goes away. I want to know more and more. I want to learn Hebrew Latin, French, Saxon and Norman....the languages of the time to fully engage ! Ah, well she does translate most of the passages for those of us who do not....I simply wish to miss nothing! What a wonderful way to spend my days reading these books.
June 21, 2009
Good reading. She heads straight into the religious attitudes of the era, not an easy thing to get across to a modern audience, I think. It’s hard to portray the depth of religious conviction, entirely supported by history and community, and make it convincing in characters modern people can identify with. This business of bringing a Really Different World into focus is the central idea of my own writing ambitions. I’m not certain Newman has actually pulled it off here, but I’m also uncertain as to whether that is because my skepticism just can’t make that leap or whether it is even theoretically possible at all. Still enjoyed the story.
April 12, 2010
I definitely half bought this book at the used mystery bookstore for its bizarre title. Part mystery, part crazy porno. Not the book, though, which is about 12th century France, and a stolen reliquary. Interesting stuff about Christian/Jewish relations way back when. The author is a historian, and if I were a history buff of this period, a lot of this book would have made more sense to me. As it was, I kept having to re-read things to figure out what was going on. Maybe I should have read the first two books in this series first, but how could I not skip directly to "the wandering arm"!!
January 23, 2012
I have to admit that this series is a huge favorite of mine. I don't really care about the myseries themselves, but the characters have captured me heart and soul! I love the dynamics between Edgar and Catherine, I love Solomon, I love Eliazar and Johanna, I even love Hubert, Catherine's family and Edgar's clerical buddies.
The mysteries themselves may not be much to write home about, but the relationships between the characters and the carefully researched setting of 12th c. France will definitely keep you coming back for more!
The mysteries themselves may not be much to write home about, but the relationships between the characters and the carefully researched setting of 12th c. France will definitely keep you coming back for more!
December 18, 2015
I continue to enjoy this series. Catherine and Edgar are wonderful characters and 12th century France is a fascinating setting.
Catherine's love of her Jewish family endears her to me and this story features them even more prominently as Catherine and Edgar work to find a lost reliquary and solve a murder.
Catherine's love of her Jewish family endears her to me and this story features them even more prominently as Catherine and Edgar work to find a lost reliquary and solve a murder.
August 30, 2011
My first Catherine LeVendeur mystery, but absolutely not my last. Newman draws one in so convincingly that the streets are pungent with the smells of the market, the characters visible in their finery or cotton homespun. I didn't want the book to end, frankly.
March 17, 2014
I can't get enough of this series. I love the story of the mixed Christian and Jewish family along with details about life as a Jew in the middle ages. Pair that with a good mystery to solve and a strong female character, and I am sold. So glad there are lots of books to come.
November 30, 2015
This series manages to combine real-feeling history with solid mysteries and some of my favorite characters in all fiction. Simply a winner.
February 25, 2008
A solid entry in the Catherine LeVendeur series, with effective detective work adding to the usual pleasures of authentic historical detail and description of Jewish life in 12th Century France.
March 28, 2008
I absolutely loved this book!!!! The history, the characters, the scenarios!!!
My new favorite author!
My new favorite author!
October 13, 2008
I love the history behind the stories. Great fun.
January 3, 2009
Good historical fiction. I appreciate her research into the 12th century.
August 12, 2010
If you love historical fiction with a good mystery then you will love this.
February 19, 2011
My first Catherine Le Vendeur mystery -- the setting is intriguing, the characters interesting and I will read more.
March 23, 2011
This series is good, well written, complex plot, etc...But it's getting kind of boring. I'm ready to give up after the next one if it doesn't grab me.
September 15, 2011
A good historical mystery. I appreciate Newman's attention to historical detail.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews