A Mortal Bane

Magdalene La Batarde #1

by Roberta Gellis

Magdalene la Bâtarde was madam of the Old Priory Guesthouse in Southwark, where Baldassare, the messenger, was murdered. Sir Bellamy of Itchen, a most trusted knight, was sent to investigate who killed Baldassare, and why. Failing to succeed, Sir Bellamy could see the beautiful and mysterious Magdalene hanged for a crime she did not commit. Medieval Mystery by Roberta Gellis; originally published by Tor

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Medieval, Mystery Thriller

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Roberta Gellis has been one of the most successful writers of historical fiction of the last few decades, having published about 25 meticulously researched historical novels since 1964. She was married to her husband Charles for over 50 years and they lived together in Lafayette, Indiana with a lively Lakeland terrier called Taffy. She has one child called Mark.

Her page at the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a slog... if ever a book needed an abridged version, this is it! I stuck with it out of stubbornness, as well as some interest in the resolution of the murders; unfortunately, that came through as a rushed anti-climax.

The "hook" here of the womens' profession, and (various) disabilities, grew old fast. Actually, it grew creepy with them defining themselves as, and being regularly referred to as, "whores" every few minutes.


Rounded up to three stars, though that's generous from my experience.

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only other book I've read by Roberta Gellis is 'Alinor' which I would have given 4.5 stars to if I had bothered to put it in my Goodreads library.
This book wasn't as good. I still liked it but it didn't pull me along with its own momentum. Roberta Gellis is very good at painting a picture of life in the medieval world. Unfortunately, I was not entralled with all the church/political intrigue and had a hard time keeping track of all the bishops, archbishops and other men in positions of power. Once again I'm so very grateful to have not been born a woman in those times. In fact, I don't think I'd want to have been a man either.
Gellis is strong on characterization and that is what kept me reading the book. I was interested in Magdalene and the women of her whorehouse and the various monks and other people populating the story.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I thought it was a marvelous mystery plot, well designed and captivating to the end. The romantic element between Magdalene La Batarde and Sir Bellamy was good, and generally the historical setting in 1139 London with the political intrigues of church and king thrown in seemed fairly believable. On the other hand, I was put off by the central idea that the main character was the madam of a brothel, unrealistically housed in a building literally outside the back gate of a priory, and by the intermittent references to her "women" servicing their "clients". That wasn't terribly graphic, but still disturbing.

I enjoy some good historical novels, such as the Brother Cadfael stories by Ellis Peters and the Candace Robb medieval Owen Archer stories. Ms. Gellis' Magdalene La Batarde novels have been compared favorably to the Brother Cadfael tales, but I think Ellis Peter's stories are far superior, and certainly Brother Cadfael has higher moral standards.

Although I enjoy a little romance in a story - the way people become attracted to each other and how they deal with it, I'm not an avid romance genre fan. Roberta Gellis has established a reputation as a much loved romance story writer. In reading reviews, I found that many people LOVE this series, too. I got a little tired of Magdalene repeating her report of events to others (sometimes artfully avoiding the complete truth and other times outright lying). The reader already knows what she knows, so it was tedious to read it all again and again. There were a number of historical characters referred to in long speculations about political and church intrigue that became rather confusing because the people were sometimes referred to by name, and sometimes by title, and generally not even appearing in the action of the story. I found myself impatient to get on with the resolution of the mystery. It seemed that the writer worked very hard to convince the reader that the brothel was clean, safe, happy and respectable, but I was not won over. And so, although I appreciate the well-crafted mystery, I will not be reading any more of Roberta Gellis' works.

[Mahayana Dugast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Read by Nadia May, the same wonderful narrator as in "The Dress Lodger," who contributes equally well to this novel.

[Aneca · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you probably already know I am one of those people who thinks Roberta Gellis cannot write a bad book, some less good yes but never a bad one. I am glad to report then that I really loved reading A Mortal Bane and it definetely joins the group of her good books.


It is a medieval murder mystery set in a whorehouse located in an old priory that the Bishop of London has let to Magdalene La Batarde. Magdalene was once a whore herself but now she just controls the business, checks that everything is in order for her "guests" who come and visit her women. All of the women have some disability, one is deaf, another is blind and so on... Madalene provides them with a ceiling and they all seem reasonably happy with their lot. But one day one of their visitors is murdered in the church next door. Magdalene just knows that the whores will be the first ones to be blamed so she decides to conduct a private investigation. When the victim is revealed as a papal messenger even the Bishop of London is called upon to discover the culprit.


I really enjoyed reading about these people, Magdalene was a bit reserved at first and we get to know her better as the action progresses. The whores are treated more superficially and we don't know all of them all that well although I suppose that can happen in future books. Sir Bellamy of Itchem is the Bishop of London' man, charged with investigating the crime he starts to feel a bit jealous of the visits to Magdalene's house till he discovers she only manages the business. And there's also William of Ypres, Stephen's man in the war against Matilda which gives us a glimpse of the politics of the period, he is also Magdalene's protector which pleases Bellamy a bit less... The characters were interesting and engaging and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.


I have no idea if whores could rent from the church but I think Gellis wrote a compelling story that seemed to me with a believable medieval atmosphere. The morals of the time, from church members and otherwise are called into question and there are several twists and turns before the culprit is finally found. As a whole a really interesting story. I will be looking forward to read the next books in the series.


Grade: 4/5

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love almost all of the Roberta Gellis books I have read. In this one she meets my expectations once more by blending interesting characters, a historical setting (1139 England)with just enough historic detail to keep one interested without feeling like one is getting a history lecture and a very enjoyable plot.

The main character is a noble born lady running a select whore house, a murder nearby sends her carefully tended establishment into a spin and she draws upon contacts in the church to help solve the crime and establish the innocence of her household. I had actually read a latter novel in this series already; it was good to back track and read the first though they are perfectly fine to read out of sequence also.

The ending satisfies and one closes the book with a feeling of a novel well read.

[Iza Brekilien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice introduction to a series taking place in the Middle Ages in England, at the time when there was a battle for the throne between Stephen and Matilda.

It takes place, mostly, in a whorehouse near (very near !) an old priory, hence the name "Old Priory Guesthouse" rented to Magdalene. Magdalene is a former noble lady whose past is tied to a murder that she was accused of. We don't learn exactly what happened, just that she had to escape, change her name, become a prostitute, then she became the favourite of William of Ypres who settled her in this house where she doesn't have to service clients any more. The women who work for her (and are exceptionally well treated) are Sabine, blind, Letice, dumb and Ella, a gentle half-wit. Dulcie, their servant/cook, is half deaf. One night, a traveller comes to their house but is later found dead near the door of the church nearby, so Magdalene, with the help of Bellamy of Itchem, appointed by the bishop, sets out to find out the murderer if she doesn't want (her and her girls) to end up charged with murder.

There is intrigue, murders, romance (apparently, Roberta Gellis was a famous romance writer who had masters' degrees in biochemistry and medieval literature) and it's an captivating story, so what more is there to ask for ? I have book #3 in the series on my shelves but not book #2, so I'll finish the stories later - TBR clearout first ! No book buying as much as possible !

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A papal messenger is murdered on the porch of a London monastery in the spring of 1139. Next door, the residents of a high end brothel find themselves the chief suspects. Magdalene La Batarde, the madam of the house, joins forces with the bishop's investigator to find the killer and the missing pouch of papers being brought to the king by the messenger. The matter is crucial to the bishop because he believes that among the papers in the pouch was his appointment as papal legate. It is important to the king because it may have contained the pope's ruling on the ownership of the crown - Stephen or Maud? - and it is most important of all to Magdelene, since it can help to prove her innocence and that of her three working girls. The inner workings of a medieval monastery, clerical law and the relationship between legal prostitution and the Church are all intriguing parts of the tale. Magdelene is an interesting protagonist for a mystery series.

[Jean Doane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy whodunits, especially those with strong female protagonists. However, it seems to me that the "virtuous madam" is a bit of a cliché. Here Magdalene is educated, influential, and compassionate, providing employment for women who would be scorned by others for their disabilities. She plies her trade in the shadow of a monastery with the permission of the prior and the bishop. A bit of a stretch! I was bothered by two things: Magdalene's protector, Sir William is crude and rough with her. It seems so refined a madam would not have put up with that. Also, one of Magdalene's women is a girl with decreased mental capacity, but a voracious appetite for sex. Was Magdalene protecting her or exploiting her?

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the book started, I was really unsure that I was going to like it. It had a tone that just felt very cliche romance novel-y.

But it got much better quickly, and ended up being very interesting and believable enough (mysteries just have to be believable ENOUGH). The motivations felt right, and I think that's one of the hardest things to do right in fiction. Enjoyed.

[smokeandmirrors · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously must be compared to Cadfael, being a historical detective novel taking place in the same time period, but the protagonist here is Magdalene la Batarde, whoremistress, which is probably the opposite of Brother Cadfael, priest. That's fun, but I fear the Cadfael books take the title of better historical mysteries set during the anarchy... Not to always be going on about clarity of emotion, a thing I don't think I could even really explain in sensible words, but I certainly feel that Ellis Peters sketches out her cast of characters more discerningly, with more of an understanding of their psychology. Agatha Christie also does this superbly if that helps anyone understand me better...The raving priest who hates whotes here is illustrative, like he's just so comically angry at them all the time that it ceases to feel plausible, or maybe I should say interesting or compelling since it probably is plausible that a 1300s priest would hate whores. The other thing about this book is that I did end up feeling there were a LOT of repeated explanations, Magdalene is constantly explaining to some guy or another what happened the night of the murder and then telling a slightly different story to someone else and then repeating herself and/or editing her story as new information comes to light. She and her investigating partner also did a lot of extended hypothesising which is not my favourite thing... after a point even if the hypothesis is well supported you're just like well now you're just saying stuff. Now you are just making that up... Nevertheless I didn't find this actively bad or anything and will probably continue with the series for a couple more books at least

[Nightwitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberta Gellis is right up there with Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter in terms of writing a believable middle ages: her characters are sympathetic but not ahistorical and there are a million tiny details which make the setting feel lived-in and real. Romance, which Gellis usually writes, can be a very constricting genre - medieval marriages were almost never made for love, and historical romance readers have very clear expectations of what they want to be reading, whether or not that matches how things would have played out in history - and the fact that this one is a mystery gives her a lot more space for realism.

The heroine, Magdalene le Batarde, is a whore (actually a madam), which allows her a great deal of latitude in her actions (she is, after all, a businesswoman) while keeping this freedom realistic. That said, the fact that every other whore in the brothel is somehow different (blind, mute, developmentally delayed) is a little ridiculous, and the plot did have a tendency to plod at points. Overall, however, an engrossing read which feels like reading fiction about an actual historical event.

One warning note, however, is that while I think the level of realism is at Peters/Pargeter's, the overall feel is much grittier; there is more violence (or, properly, more frightening violence: it is sometimes directed at the main characters, often casually, rather than kept at a safe investigatory remove) and because several of the main characters are whores, there is much more attention devoted to how medieval attitudes towards women were harmful and awful. The Brother Cadfael novels are much more soothing, and the genre of medieval mysteries they spawned have a tendency to be cozy and pleasant, with less attention devoted to the dirt, violence, and (literally) cutthroat politics of the early middle ages. That cannot be said of Gellis' work, so readers should know what they're getting into.

[Karla Huebner]

This was one of the library's giveaways, so as I tend to enjoy mysteries and medieval history, I gave it a try.

Overall, I found it readable but nothing special. I enjoyed the choice of a high-class brothel as setting, though I was decidedly skeptical of the disabilities (one blind, one mute, one simple whore, plus a deaf maid). The bit of romance between the madam and the bishop's detective-knight was certainly formulaic--mildly cute but not interesting--and I had trouble keeping track of the various political and ecclesiastical characters despite my being reasonably familiar with medieval Britain. I also found it very strange that in a story set 100 or so years after the Norman Conquest, there was really no acknowledgement of the Saxon vs Norman tensions, linguistic issues, etc. The maid spoke a dialect that I suppose was intended to represent Old English but apparently everyone else must have conversed in French, which again was a bit hard to believe.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Extremely Unique Mystery ... This book was not exactly a fun read. But the author did such an amazing job of introducing the reader to a specific place and time that it was fascinating. And she told it not from the perspective of a celebrity of the time - a king, a duchess or a famous knight, but from the perspective of one of the least discussed types of person who existed at that time - a prostitute. It was a time when a prostitute evidently had a more institutional, integral and accepted role in society so she was a perfect observer, but wasn't really part of the history that was being made all around her.

The mystery itself was secondary to the characters and the plot was at its best when it was introducing or explaining one of the characters or a specific event that we know as History, but was just a part of any given day then.

Ms. May's narration is often too tremulous and old-fashioned for me. But I thought she did a wonderful job, especially as Magdalene.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good three, this, or a 3.5, though for the first few chapters the writer seems to be obsessed with hair. A nice change from the usual mediaeval monks and nuns whodunnits (some of which are splendidly done, but some of which are a little overdone), though not too far from them, either. The concept of a high-class whorehouse with liberated feminine minds in charge is perhaps a little familiar, too, but this is well-handled and enjoyable, and as it’s the first of a series I’d also say it’s promising. I sometimes found some of the characters difficult to distinguish, but maybe I'm just getting old!

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is set in England in the 1100s, and the main character is the madam of a higher-grade brothel. Despite the setting, this book was not sexual in nature at all. Instead, the madam is involved in solving mysteries.

The plotline was interesting, but it was way too much talk and not enough plot movement. Something would happen, and then you read two more scenes of one character telling another a recap of the thing that happened. Redundant. Not bad, but I wouldn't read another one.

[BookAddict · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and probably for all the wrong reasons since I don't think I was supposed to find what I thought was funny as, well, funny. I just couldn't stop cracking up about hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil (and think no evil) as whores. The characters were a bit too cartoonish for me BUT the mystery itself was very well done, very well done indeed. This was a great light bit of fun for a long commute and gadzooks methinks I may listen to #2!

[Jami · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I had any notion that working/being in a whorehouse was romantic or could be, this book might have elicited some positive thoughts on it. Alas, I have never thought this and could not get past how ridiculous the story was. But finished it because I hate to leave it undone.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

good. setting:1100's brothel - protagonist: madame

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good story but I’m conflicted because the author makes prostitution seem like a good job.

[Michael Spangler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the first novel in a set on a par with Ellis Peters' Cadfael series. Brilliant dialogue and sense of place but with considerably more sweat, tears, and sex.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should have been warned by the ridiculous pseudonym of the main character. I was attracted by the time period (Cadfael and the Anarchy) but this is not Ellis Peters (a decent historian). The best writers of historical fiction do have some investment in the era of which they write.
It is true that the Bishop of Winchester had a profitable brothel in Southwark, at that time and for long after, the licensed den of iniquity south of the Thames, not yet part of London.
Even in Dickens's day Southwark wasn't anywhere you'd want to go, unless you were decidedly unrespectable. Bill Sikes lived on Jacob's Island! (All now gentrified beyond most folk's means.)

This whorehouse, where everyone is beautiful beyond belief, the women love sex, never become pregnant, catch unpleasant diseases, bathe twice a day, have periods, lose their teeth or grow older is a sad travesty. Magdalene must be well over 30, old in those times, but is unwrinkled (secret supply of Botox??) so attractive that men fall at her feet if she goes out without a veil - Barbie 12th century style!

And besides, Mary Magdalene wasn't actually a whore.

There's no way I'd ever have read this book, but it was bearable to listen to, in the background of my daily activities. Glad to say there wasn't very much overt sex or butchery.

I am mildly ashamed of having bought and listened to it.

[Skip Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one came at me from an odd place; a local health care clinic has an exchange library in the space between two sets of doors that access the facility. I mention this only to point out that I'd never heard of this author or her Magdalene la Batard series and that it might be hard to find. Published in 1999, I discovered that this first book in the series is unavailable at my local library (all four branches),nor are any other books in the series or anything else by the author. In point of fact, the book that I borrowed from the exchange library was the third novel in the series, entitled Bone of Contention and the draw for me was a painting on the cover that showed characters in their medieval (12th century) costumes and a quick glance/read at the opening chapter. I immediately decided that I wanted to start at the beginning and went in search of the debut novel, A Mortal Bane. I purchased it from a second hand book store ($5, free shipping) and launched into it. Now I have to look for the second book in the series (A Personal Devil) and wait to read the third one.

The author (Roberta Gellis) has a masters degree in medieval literature and another in (?) biochemistry. The first certainly shows in A Mortal Bane and what little I read in the opening paragraphs of a Bone of Contention. This is both good news and bad news. There is a central element of political intrigue in the first book and it embraces competition for the English throne, between Maud and Stephen. Who is the rightful King or Queen? I have to admit that my medieval history is a little rusty and some of the elements of the tale that relate to this era specifically are a little hard to grasp without a Wikipedia search for the British monarchy, circa 1139. Even then, the ins and outs of the Maud vs. Stephen story are a little difficult to follow. And it's important to the story and how it relates to Pope Innocent II. A messenger from him has been sent to Southwark, outside of London, with a missive related to all of this. This puts both messenger and message in the vicinity of the Old Priory Guesthouse, now a whorehouse run by Magdalene la Batarde.

I found myself kind of breezing over some of the more specific plots and counterplots circling around the struggle for the British crown, while the narrow story engaging Magdalene and the whores in her charge drew much more of my focus. It's a well-told tale with engaging characters and a very upfront and practical look at some of the whys and wherefores of prostitution, which was viewed at this highly religious time as much more moralistically scandalous, while at the same time, easier to understand for everyone who wasn't a priest or some other representative of the Church.

There is a death, early on, and much of the novel is taken up with Magdalene la Batarde's attempt to expose the killer, because members of a nearby Church are adamant in their belief that a member of this disgraceful gathering of whores is responsible. It is in la Batarde's best interest to dispel this notion quickly, because a) she or one of her whores might just get hanged by some Church tribunal for something they didn't do and b) it's basically just bad for her business.

She is eventually joined in her quest for a killer by the most trusted knight of the nearby Bishop of Winchester, Sir Bellamy of Itchen, who's just itchin' (sorry, couldn't resist) to canoodle with the Madam of the whorehouse, but is constrained by the impropriety of sleeping with a suspect and by his own desire to be with her without having to pay her. He's not just being cheap, he's a bit smitten, as is the object of his desire, Madame la Batarde. I can see this pair moving on through numerous sequels wrestling with this issue, further complicated by aspects of Madame la Batarde that she needs to resolve. There's a bit of 'damned if they do, damned if they don't' side of it, with Itchen reluctant, but willing to pay, while la Batarde is concerned that to sleep with him without pay would be indicative of a special favor granted to a murder suspect. There's more to it, but it slips into 'spoiler' territory, best encountered by a reader.

None the less, a compelling narrative that doesn't linger, or even really detail any intimate scenes in the whorehouse. Madame la Batarde is running a business. Customers come and go, somewhat literally, and she is fierce in her dedication and desire to protect the women in her charge. Customers come by appointment sometimes and if engaged at a mealtime, are generally fed, as are the women. They're treated well by their Madame, who also assures that the customers do not take liberties with these women that involve violence or exploitation outside the confines of the Priory Guesthouse. The whole whorehouse angle of the tale is very matter-of-fact. Balanced against the self-righteousness of a few church officials who think the very idea of the place is scandalous and should be stopped, it creates a conflict dynamic that, along with the author's background in medieval literature, paints what it appears to be a very accurate picture of what's come to be known as the world's oldest profession at the time.

And then, there's the mystery, which, after engaging with just the idea of a whorehouse and its inhabitants, takes center stage. Sir Bellamy of Itchen appears to have a passing knowledge of forensics, to include such matters as the color of blood (changing over time, after a death), the mechanics of rigor mortis and some common sense (knowing, for example, that the killer had to be of a certain height and that based on the wound and no signs of a struggle, the killer was known by the victim).

And so it goes, merrily forward to its conclusion. It's a good ride. You might want to familiarize yourself with some of the political intrigue of the mid-12th century era. It'll help you to understand some of the back and forth banter about who wants whose job, what the implications of having this or that archbishop might be and of course, the somewhat central intrigue of who's going to emerge as the rightful heir to the throne of England. It won't take long; delving too deeply is unnecessary, because the story does manage to stand on its own, even if you don't do the research.

[Kristy Trauzzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does anyone else find it odd that a "whore"leader solved the murder in the end? You have these "detectives" and other random people looking into the murder, and here is this dignified adult pleaser who just knows everything. Maybe she was in on it. lol.

My husband picked this book for me. When we go to the library together, he grabs books at random (that have a church role even though he's atheist - how ironic) - and I have to read them. This one turned out to be not bad.

I found the escorts story much more interesting then the actual murder story. A blind, a deaf, and a "simple" girl. And they are the most expensive brothel in town? They did well.

Being on the same grounds, I guess, as the church and the monks? So funny. This book was comical. And I don't think it was supposed to be. And I don't know if that makes it good or bad? If a book is not what it was supposed to be, but you got enjoyment from reading it, that should make it a good book, yes?

I think it was good.

[KayDee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magdalene la Bâtarde is a whoremistress in London. Although prostitution is not illegal in 12th century England, she and her women have been excommunicated from the Church. Renting the Old Priory Guesthouse from the Church, she has a powerful protector in Sir William of Ypres and the Bishop. That protection, however, can only go so far. When a papal messenger is murdered on the church steps, Magdalene and her women are accused of the murder. If convicted, they will be gutted and hung. Magdalene decides that she must investigate the murder herself and, with the help of Sir Bellamy of Itchen, a knight assigned to her by the Bishop, they descend into the murky waters of church politics, corruption, and murder.

APPEAL: This is an amazing historical mystery. There is a wealth of historical detail, an unusual main character, and a riveting mystery all rolled into one book you won't be able to put down.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a good, realistic medieval novel with a splash of romance, and this totally fit the ticket. The only thing I found a little far fetched was the whole concept of Magdalene's house (how were the ladies not pregnant 10x over? Maybe if there had been more ladies working there or some mention of how they dealt with disease/accidental pregnancies, it would have been more believable) but I enjoyed everything else- strong heroine, well researched historical backdrop, intricate political maneuverings behind the scenes and natural prose. I look forward to reading the sequels to this novel!

[Hugues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aux aurores de la guerre civile du XIIe siècle, soit à la même époque que le frère Cadfael d'Ellis Peters (c.1140) mais avec davantage de détails, cette série est une heureuse découverte, haute en couleur, qui rejoint les enquêtes de Hugh Corbett (vers 1300) et de frères Athelstan (fin XIVe).

L'héroïne est une tenancière d'une maison close de luxe sur la rive sud de Londres. Dans ce premier opus, Magdalaine doit faire face à un meurtre commis dans le prieuré voisin mais menace l'existence de sa maison et sa vie même. Décidément, il n'y a pas beaucoup mieux que l'Angleterre médiévale.

[Tressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed A Mortal Bane. I liked the era it was set in; I don't think I've ever read a book set in the 12th century. I thought the characters and the setting were fascinating. The mystery was interesting, too.

Magdalena and her women were interesting and strong. Looking at these characters from the 21st century, I was impressed with how the female characters worked within the confines and constraints of the 12th century. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, where was the glossary?

Terms like Vespers, Compline, Matins, and Prime are not familiar to today's readers and need an explanation. Especially so since they were used to place characters at various locations at various times.

This was an interesting plot, with a lot of historic information and descriptions of the hard life and times. However, it was a bit repetitive whenever she reported her version of the victim's actions the night of his murder.

I really would have appreciated a map and a cast of characters.

I borrowed a copy from the public library.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authors of historical mysteries always have a problem with giving agency to female characters in a historically believable way. As the manager of a brothel, Magdalene la Batarde is a plausibly independent woman, but she still needs the protection of powerful men. When a papal messenger is killed almost on her doorstep, Magdalene must investigate to protect herself. The setting is 12th century England right before the brutal civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda (see “Siege Winter” by Ariana Franklin).