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Matthew Bartholomew #20
Death of a Scholar
The twentieth chronicle in the Matthew Bartholomew series.
In the summer of 1358 the physician Matthew Bartholomew returns to Cambridge to learn that his beloved sister is in mourning after the unexpected death of her husband, Oswald Stanmore. Aware that his son has no interest in the cloth trade that made his fortune and reputation, Oswald has left the business to his widow, but a spate of burglaries in the town distracts Matthew from supporting Edith in her grief and attempting to keep the peace between her and her wayward son.
As well as the theft of irreplaceable items from Michaelhouse, which threatens its very survival, a new foundation, Winwick Hall, is causing consternation amongst Matthew's colleagues. The founder is an impatient man determined that his name will grace the University's most prestigious college. He has used his wealth to rush the construction of the hall, and his appointed Fellows have infiltrated the charitable Guild founded by Stanmore, in order to gain the support of Cambridge's most influential citizens on Winwick's behalf.
A perfect storm between the older establishments and the brash newcomers is brewing when the murder of a leading member of the Guild is soon followed by the death of one of Winwick's senior Fellows. Assisting Brother Michael in investigating these fatalities leads Matthew into a web of suspicion, where conspiracy theories are rife but facts are scarce and where the pressure from the problems of his college and his family sets him on a path that could endanger his own future...
'A first-rate treat for mystery lovers' (Historical Novels Review)
'Susanna Gregory has an extraordinary ability to conjure up a strong sense of time and place' (Choice)
In the summer of 1358 the physician Matthew Bartholomew returns to Cambridge to learn that his beloved sister is in mourning after the unexpected death of her husband, Oswald Stanmore. Aware that his son has no interest in the cloth trade that made his fortune and reputation, Oswald has left the business to his widow, but a spate of burglaries in the town distracts Matthew from supporting Edith in her grief and attempting to keep the peace between her and her wayward son.
As well as the theft of irreplaceable items from Michaelhouse, which threatens its very survival, a new foundation, Winwick Hall, is causing consternation amongst Matthew's colleagues. The founder is an impatient man determined that his name will grace the University's most prestigious college. He has used his wealth to rush the construction of the hall, and his appointed Fellows have infiltrated the charitable Guild founded by Stanmore, in order to gain the support of Cambridge's most influential citizens on Winwick's behalf.
A perfect storm between the older establishments and the brash newcomers is brewing when the murder of a leading member of the Guild is soon followed by the death of one of Winwick's senior Fellows. Assisting Brother Michael in investigating these fatalities leads Matthew into a web of suspicion, where conspiracy theories are rife but facts are scarce and where the pressure from the problems of his college and his family sets him on a path that could endanger his own future...
'A first-rate treat for mystery lovers' (Historical Novels Review)
'Susanna Gregory has an extraordinary ability to conjure up a strong sense of time and place' (Choice)
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2014
About the author
Susanna Gregory
64 books439 followersSusanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She is married to author Beau Riffenburgh who is her co-author on the Simon Beaufort books.
AKA Simon Beaufort
She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medicine and investigator of murders in 14th-century Cambridge.
These books may have some aspects in common with the Ellis Peters Cadfael series, the mediaeval adventures of a highly intelligent Benedictine monk and herbalist who came to the Benedictine order late in an eventful life, bringing with him considerable secular experience and wisdom combined with a deal of native wit. This sets him apart from his comparatively innocent and naíve monastic brethren. His activities, both as a monk and a healer, embroil him in a series of mysterious crimes, both secular and monastic, and he enthusiastically assumes the rôle of an amateur sleuth. Sceptical of superstition, he is somewhat ahead of his time, and much accurate historical detail is woven into the adventures. But there any resemblance to the comparatively warm-hearted Cadfael series ends: the tone and subject matter of the Gregory novels is far darker and does not shrink from portraying the harsh realities of life in the Middle Ages. The first in the series, A Plague on Both Your Houses is set against the ravages of the Black Death and subsequent novels take much of their subject matter from the attempts of society to recover from this disaster.
These novels bear the marks of much detailed research into mediaeval conditions - many of the supporting characters have names taken from the documentation of the time, referenced at the end of each book - and bring vividly to life the all-pervading squalor of living conditions in England during the Middle Ages. The deep-rooted and pervasive practice of traditional leechcraft as it contrasts with the dawning science of evidence-based medicine is a common bone of contention between Matthew and the students he teaches at Michaelhouse College (now part of Trinity College, Cambridge), whilst the conflict between the students of Cambridge and the townsfolk continually threatens to escalate into violence.
Another series of books, set just after the Restoration of Charles II and featuring Thomas Chaloner, detective and former spy, began with A Conspiracy of Violence published in January 2006, and continues with The Body in the Thames, published in hardback edition January 2011.
AKA Simon Beaufort
She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medicine and investigator of murders in 14th-century Cambridge.
These books may have some aspects in common with the Ellis Peters Cadfael series, the mediaeval adventures of a highly intelligent Benedictine monk and herbalist who came to the Benedictine order late in an eventful life, bringing with him considerable secular experience and wisdom combined with a deal of native wit. This sets him apart from his comparatively innocent and naíve monastic brethren. His activities, both as a monk and a healer, embroil him in a series of mysterious crimes, both secular and monastic, and he enthusiastically assumes the rôle of an amateur sleuth. Sceptical of superstition, he is somewhat ahead of his time, and much accurate historical detail is woven into the adventures. But there any resemblance to the comparatively warm-hearted Cadfael series ends: the tone and subject matter of the Gregory novels is far darker and does not shrink from portraying the harsh realities of life in the Middle Ages. The first in the series, A Plague on Both Your Houses is set against the ravages of the Black Death and subsequent novels take much of their subject matter from the attempts of society to recover from this disaster.
These novels bear the marks of much detailed research into mediaeval conditions - many of the supporting characters have names taken from the documentation of the time, referenced at the end of each book - and bring vividly to life the all-pervading squalor of living conditions in England during the Middle Ages. The deep-rooted and pervasive practice of traditional leechcraft as it contrasts with the dawning science of evidence-based medicine is a common bone of contention between Matthew and the students he teaches at Michaelhouse College (now part of Trinity College, Cambridge), whilst the conflict between the students of Cambridge and the townsfolk continually threatens to escalate into violence.
Another series of books, set just after the Restoration of Charles II and featuring Thomas Chaloner, detective and former spy, began with A Conspiracy of Violence published in January 2006, and continues with The Body in the Thames, published in hardback edition January 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 12, 2020
This very exciting mystery is the 20th volume of the excellent "Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles" series from the wonderful author, Susanna Gregory.
Now that we are back within our familiar surroundings of Cambridge, England, you'll find its well-drawn map in the AD 1350s once again at the beginning of the book, while at the end of it you'll encounter a very well researched and documented Historical Note concerning this great medieval mystery.
Story-telling from this author is as ever of a superb quality, all figures featuring within this mystery, whether they are real historical or wonderful fictional, come splendidly to life, and also the atmosphere and surroundings of medieval Cambridge come fabulously off the pages.
The book starts off with a prologue which is divided into three sections, the first one being the death of, Oswald Stanmore, on 1 August AD 1358, the second being the murder of the Junior Proctor, John Felbrigge, at the end of September AD 1358, and the third being the so-called resurrection of the murderer and thief, John Potmoor, on 29 September AD 1358, and these three events are all connected to the "Guild of Saints", and these same three events will play an influential part within the main story.
The main story begins in early October, AD 1358, when the body of, Elvesmere, who's a scholar from the new founded college called Winwick Hall, is found in the latrines, apparently stabbed to death, and so its high time again for our formidable duo of Physician, Matthew Bartholomew, and his friend the Benedictine monk, Brother Michael, to come into action.
Not only more gruesome murders will follow but also many burglaries will appear, while even an attempt is made to steal the Stanton Hutch with all the valuables from Michaelhouse, and so for the time being our friends will be very busy and manipulated while investigating all these crimes.
What is to follow is a thrilling mystery with quite a few twists and turns for Matthew and Michael to absorb, before they are able in the end to solve these mysteries within a well worked out plot and reveal the real culprits of these horrible murders and burglaries.
Very much recommended, for this is another excellent episode of this great series, and one that I would like to call: "A Very Intriguing Scholarly Murder Mystery"!
Now that we are back within our familiar surroundings of Cambridge, England, you'll find its well-drawn map in the AD 1350s once again at the beginning of the book, while at the end of it you'll encounter a very well researched and documented Historical Note concerning this great medieval mystery.
Story-telling from this author is as ever of a superb quality, all figures featuring within this mystery, whether they are real historical or wonderful fictional, come splendidly to life, and also the atmosphere and surroundings of medieval Cambridge come fabulously off the pages.
The book starts off with a prologue which is divided into three sections, the first one being the death of, Oswald Stanmore, on 1 August AD 1358, the second being the murder of the Junior Proctor, John Felbrigge, at the end of September AD 1358, and the third being the so-called resurrection of the murderer and thief, John Potmoor, on 29 September AD 1358, and these three events are all connected to the "Guild of Saints", and these same three events will play an influential part within the main story.
The main story begins in early October, AD 1358, when the body of, Elvesmere, who's a scholar from the new founded college called Winwick Hall, is found in the latrines, apparently stabbed to death, and so its high time again for our formidable duo of Physician, Matthew Bartholomew, and his friend the Benedictine monk, Brother Michael, to come into action.
Not only more gruesome murders will follow but also many burglaries will appear, while even an attempt is made to steal the Stanton Hutch with all the valuables from Michaelhouse, and so for the time being our friends will be very busy and manipulated while investigating all these crimes.
What is to follow is a thrilling mystery with quite a few twists and turns for Matthew and Michael to absorb, before they are able in the end to solve these mysteries within a well worked out plot and reveal the real culprits of these horrible murders and burglaries.
Very much recommended, for this is another excellent episode of this great series, and one that I would like to call: "A Very Intriguing Scholarly Murder Mystery"!
July 1, 2019
I picked up this book on a whim, so it is my first of the series. I really enjoyed the historical back drop, and particularly liked reading the historical note at the end, which linked the story to real life. However, I did feel there were a large number of characters, and at times I got a little lost. Maybe this would be easier if I had read some of the previous books. I am now hoping to get some of the earlier books in the series too.
January 29, 2022
This is Book 20, and I thought it was better than some of the immediately preceding ones. It is set directly after book 19, upon the return from Peterborough by the Michaelhouse contingent.
At the end of The Lost Abbot, Michael receives a message that a new College, Winwick Hall, has been hurriedly established, and is causing difficulties both in the University and the town. Furthermore, Bartholomew’s brother-in-law, Oswald Stanmore, who helped raise him, has died suddenly. So, the Peterborough contingent hurried back to Cambridge to deal with these issues.
There is a huge cast of characters in this one. Some are recurring primary and secondary ones that readers of the series are well acquainted with. But there are also a large number of new ones, and it can be hard to keep up with them and I certainly couldn’t tell which were villains and which were heroes.
Winwick Hall’s founder is John Winwick, a very powerful man, the Keeper of the Privy Seal, (and no, that has nothing to do with an outside toilet) and he is determined for his college to quickly rise to preeminence at Cambridge. As usual, Ms. Gregory inserts actual people into her stories - John Winwick was the Keeper of the Privy Seal from 1355 to 1360 and he did endow a college, but at the Other Place, aka Oxford. 😉 Winwick’s hasty formation upsets the established Colleges - particularly Michael, the Senior Proctor - setting up a conflict inside the University.
At the same time, the Winwick Hall Fellows are all members of the Guild of Saints, set up by Oswald Stanmore as a benevolent organization to help the town’s poor. Winwick gains control of the Guild, with the help of the Deputy Sheriff (Dick Tulyet is conveniently in London), and receives so much Guild money that the poor are cut off. This leads to conflict between the town and the University, which is always a delicate balance.
There has also been a series of burglaries both of town merchants and the Universities. When Michaelhouse’s Stanton Hutch disappears, along with all of their wealth and deeds, certain ruin appears inevitable. Michael and Bartholomew, along with all the other Fellows, are determined to keep this from happening.
Then there are the murders. Two of the Winwick Fellows are murdered, followed by Hemmysby from Michaelhouse. With all of these problems, along with preparing for the start of the new term, Bartholomew has his hands full, yet he still finds time to comfort his recently-widowed sister and visit his most recent lover, Julitta Holm, who is married to the town’s newest surgeon. He has a lot of inner turmoil because of his conflicting feelings for both Mathilde and Julitta (but apparently no feelings of guilt for committing adultery?).
Bartholomew’s recalcitrant nephew also plays a big role in this book, but I was happy that he redeems himself slightly at the end, which makes me hopeful for further reconciliation. Again, Clippesby is a major player, along with his favorite hen, Ethel, who even attends mass with him. I so love Clippesby!!! and he really saves the day here.
So the stage is set for the huge fight scene that brings about the literal and symbolic fall of Winwick Hall. In the action, many of the baddies are thankfully dispatched to the Afterlife (Hell, one presumes, or Purgatory at the very least), except for Surgeon Holm and Julitta who do a bunk with the Guild’s purse. The whole scheme was hers to begin with. Bartholomew feels a fool at having been taken in by Julitta’s beauty and womanly manners.
In the end, peace is restored, the new students have matriculated and the new term is off to a rousing start led by the Michaelhouse Choir, who is mostly enthusiastic rather than eloquent, but with the addition of a new tenor who has “the voice of an angel” as many of the audience marvel.
At the end of The Lost Abbot, Michael receives a message that a new College, Winwick Hall, has been hurriedly established, and is causing difficulties both in the University and the town. Furthermore, Bartholomew’s brother-in-law, Oswald Stanmore, who helped raise him, has died suddenly. So, the Peterborough contingent hurried back to Cambridge to deal with these issues.
There is a huge cast of characters in this one. Some are recurring primary and secondary ones that readers of the series are well acquainted with. But there are also a large number of new ones, and it can be hard to keep up with them and I certainly couldn’t tell which were villains and which were heroes.
Winwick Hall’s founder is John Winwick, a very powerful man, the Keeper of the Privy Seal, (and no, that has nothing to do with an outside toilet) and he is determined for his college to quickly rise to preeminence at Cambridge. As usual, Ms. Gregory inserts actual people into her stories - John Winwick was the Keeper of the Privy Seal from 1355 to 1360 and he did endow a college, but at the Other Place, aka Oxford. 😉 Winwick’s hasty formation upsets the established Colleges - particularly Michael, the Senior Proctor - setting up a conflict inside the University.
At the same time, the Winwick Hall Fellows are all members of the Guild of Saints, set up by Oswald Stanmore as a benevolent organization to help the town’s poor. Winwick gains control of the Guild, with the help of the Deputy Sheriff (Dick Tulyet is conveniently in London), and receives so much Guild money that the poor are cut off. This leads to conflict between the town and the University, which is always a delicate balance.
There has also been a series of burglaries both of town merchants and the Universities. When Michaelhouse’s Stanton Hutch disappears, along with all of their wealth and deeds, certain ruin appears inevitable. Michael and Bartholomew, along with all the other Fellows, are determined to keep this from happening.
Then there are the murders. Two of the Winwick Fellows are murdered, followed by Hemmysby from Michaelhouse. With all of these problems, along with preparing for the start of the new term, Bartholomew has his hands full, yet he still finds time to comfort his recently-widowed sister and visit his most recent lover, Julitta Holm, who is married to the town’s newest surgeon. He has a lot of inner turmoil because of his conflicting feelings for both Mathilde and Julitta (but apparently no feelings of guilt for committing adultery?).
Bartholomew’s recalcitrant nephew also plays a big role in this book, but I was happy that he redeems himself slightly at the end, which makes me hopeful for further reconciliation. Again, Clippesby is a major player, along with his favorite hen, Ethel, who even attends mass with him. I so love Clippesby!!! and he really saves the day here.
So the stage is set for the huge fight scene that brings about the literal and symbolic fall of Winwick Hall. In the action, many of the baddies are thankfully dispatched to the Afterlife (Hell, one presumes, or Purgatory at the very least), except for Surgeon Holm and Julitta who do a bunk with the Guild’s purse. The whole scheme was hers to begin with. Bartholomew feels a fool at having been taken in by Julitta’s beauty and womanly manners.
In the end, peace is restored, the new students have matriculated and the new term is off to a rousing start led by the Michaelhouse Choir, who is mostly enthusiastic rather than eloquent, but with the addition of a new tenor who has “the voice of an angel” as many of the audience marvel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2014
I'm not entirely certain why I keep buying this series. So many of the recurring characters are ridiculous and/or unpleasant that it's difficult to care much what happens to them.
March 15, 2024
Unfortunately although David Thorpe is back as the narrator, he appears to have forgotten the voices of the main characters he used in all his earlier books. This was a bit of painful experience especially as Cinric who is very Welsh had an English accent, Clippesby sounded like the village idiot and William sounded rather cultured! I understand that the correct voices are back in the next book - thank goodness!
June 19, 2014
Another addition to a great series. Can be read on its own but much better if you start the series from Book #1 and read them in order. They are easy to follow and I can never put them down. The characters are like old friends now. You would think with 20 books the series would be running out of steam, but not so. I'm hoping there will be a book 21 sometime in the not-so-distant future.
October 5, 2017
This is the 20th book in the Matthew Bartholomew series, and it's another good one. I truly enjoy this series. It's always exciting and the plot moves along very quidkly in all the books. Ms. Gregory uses actual historical people in the books, and her attention to historical detail helps make the books seem real and relevant. My favoutie thing about the series though is the two main protagonists. I love Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael. They are one of the best crime fighting duos out there, regardless of the time frame. This series is set in 14 century Cambridge, England, and Ms. Gregory makes that era come alive in her books. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves historical mysteries. But be aware, there is no shortage of murder and mayhem in these books! But all the destruction and murder is sprinkled in and around sly and tricky humour . This book could be read as a stand-alone, but it is more fun if you start at the beginning and work your way through.
May 20, 2020
2.5 stars. One of my least favorite to date. I knew who a few of the "bad guys" were going to be from the start and only one person's involvement truly surprised me. I found much of the book boring and almost a copy of earlier books in places. The in-fighting at Michaelhouse is something we've seen twenty times now, not to mention strain on Cambridge between town and gown. I still get enjoyment out of these books, I still laugh out loud reading them from time to time, but they are getting a little too repetitive.
July 31, 2021
Oswald Stanmore, Bartholomew's brother~in~law died and after a period of deep mourning and still grieving, Edith started a cloth dyeing business that stank up the town and employed the town's prostitutes that further aggravated the complaints about the stench and resulted in active protests from the self~righteous and the hypocrites against Edith's Frail Sisters employees. Amid all these, was the turmoil generated by the rapid appearance of monolithic Winwick Hall, its imposing presence in High Street exuding power and the promise of more, overshadowing its dubious construction and building integrity, and posing a danger to all its inmates given the expected influx of wealthy students wanting to take up law at a most prestigious hyped~up institution... even Richard, Bartholomew's debauched London~based lawyer~nephew made a sudden reappearance to the town he so disparaged. Also the guild* that Stanmore founded suddenly acquired new members, some with dubious ethics like Potmoor (a criminal people invidiously believed was brought to life by Bartholomew when actually on an episodic seizure)... while four of the guild's members (Stanmore, Knyt, Elvesmere and Hemmysby) all died of apparent natural causes or suspicious circumstances... plus the new guild's policies were obviously detrimental to the Poor who were grateful recipients of the guild's munificence during Stanmore's time. Edith never believed her husband's death was from a stroke and nagged her brother to investigate... so after Stanmore's funeral and following Hemmysby death that also showed no apparent signs of poison... and with Micheal and Matt clueless and bogged down with their investigations, the Senior Proctor sanctioned an autopsy on Hemmysby, their own Michaelhouse Fellow. Something stinks in Cambridge and it would not be the urine used on Edith's dye.
*The Guild of All Saints had both Town and Gown members as well as women like Edith Stanmore (Matt's sister) and Julitta Holm (Matt's married lady love).
*The Guild of All Saints had both Town and Gown members as well as women like Edith Stanmore (Matt's sister) and Julitta Holm (Matt's married lady love).
August 5, 2017
I love Susanna Gregory's Cambridge series for its evocative descriptions of the town and the era. Her plots are always extraordinarily convoluted, and this book is no exception. This is something I like; your mileage may vary. Matt is, of course, way too modern in his views of medicine, but as a contrast to the other medicos he makes the probable reality of much medieval medicine vivid. Yes, the main series characters have a certain stockness about them--to some extent they are patterns, not characters. But it's rather like running into old friends who don't disappoint your memories of them. I've read a lot of actual history about this period, and with Gregory's work in the background, her vividness makes it feel real. In this case, the town/gown conflicts of a medieval university town come into focus as well as some of the then-current theological disputes.
August 10, 2019
I really enjoy this set of mysteries, but they are not for everyone. I have learned the ominous and threatening atmosphere of Medieval Cambridge, with its continuing and eternal conflict between town and gown, in those times erupting in violence almost constantly. Add the (also eternal) conflict for recognition and advancement among the scholars themselves, and there is so much to draw on for murder plots. The reader develops real affection for the protagonists of the series--Matthew Bartholomew, Medieval physician and Cambridge tutor, and his friend Michael, a well fed and imperious monk. This addition to the series follows the convoluted conflicts involving all aforementioned major conflicts, plus more venal motivations.
January 20, 2018
I'm not a fan of this series, but I told myself I would read the entire series. My complaints with this book is the same as with all of the prior books - the plotline is too long and drawn out, there are too many characters and ALL of the characters (other than Matthew Bartholomew) are evil, mean, avaricious, etc. If there is a character who treats Matthew nicely, you can be pretty sure that he/she will die in the book or be written out of the story line. Three more books to go...
August 27, 2020
I enjoyed this book very much, more so than the past 5 or 6 entries in the series. For starters, it took place in Cambridge with many recurring characters from past adventures. It was nice to have a visit with old friends in familiar places rather than traipsing through the countryside. Also, the plot was not so predictable and the ending was well done.
March 6, 2025
The story is a bit convoluted, especially in the last quarter of the book. There are numerous typos and just bad writing. As usual, Matt and Michael go back and forth to the same people asking the same questions until all is suddenly revealed in the final two chapters. But the dialogue is witty and there are some interesting characters so I keep reading the series.
December 29, 2016
August 1358, Matthew and Michael have returned to Cambridge only to find that Oswald Stanmore has died. That a new college - Winwick Hall - is being built, and then the first body is found.
A very enjoyable series, with likable characters and a good mystery
A very enjoyable series, with likable characters and a good mystery
December 22, 2017
a cavalcade of "baddies".
March 25, 2018
# 20 is one of the best of Ms Gregory's latest group.
October 26, 2018
Not one of the best I've read but then perhaps I should have started at the beginning of the series and it might have made more sense!
February 6, 2021
Very good twists at end
June 30, 2021
Almost everyone one that seems to be a villain is one. The main bad guy I did not suspect, which is characteristic of this author's plot style. 20 books down - 9 more to go.
January 7, 2022
Why do I keep reading the books in the series? The instructors at Michaelhouse are all annoyingly weird, except for Matthew. The mysteries are interesting but overly complicated. I need a break.
June 24, 2024
Another great outing for Matthew and Michael. I did spot the villain some way though, mostly because at times the book was very explicit about how he couldn't have done it.
April 7, 2016
This is probably more of a 2.5 star rating but I'll round it up for that last chapter. Death of a Scholar is the 20th book in the Matthew Bartholomew series, which is a historical crime series set in medieval Cambridge. I picked this up on a whim, after finding it super cheap in a bargain book shop, and this is the only book I've read in the series, I haven't read any of the 19 books that take place before this one. Because of this there were (a surprisingly large amount of) obscure references to things that had happened in previous books, which did take me out of the novel a little, but overall the book stands well by itself. I will say, though, that one of my biggest problems with this was that I didn't feel like I got a feel of 14th century Cambridge at all. There was no world building. I'm guessing this is because there are 19 books, most of which I'm guessing are set in the same place, before this one. So I am letting Susanna Gregory off the hook for that qualm.
World building aside, I really enjoyed Gregory's writing. Her characters were very entertaining for the most part, especially Michael, and I appreciated her using real people from the universities and court at that time to build the characters she used in her novel. The only character I had any sort of problem with was Matthew Bartholomew. At times he was such an idiot. He was extremely biased towards characters who had very obviously something wrong and I got more and more annoyed as he did it over and over and over again. Other characters did the same thing, but not to anywhere near the same extent as Bartholomew did. I just don't understand how he could be that blind to what was going on right under his nose. I'm hoping he isn't like that in the other books. Other than him I really enjoyed the characters Gregory created.
Like I said at the beginning of this review, I'm bumping this up to a three because that last chapter was fantastic. I loved the climax of the novel, though I can't really say that the rest of it felt like it was leading up to anything in particular. Finding out the solution of the mystery was worth finishing this novel for, but I did almost give up halfway through. While the pacing of this novel was ok, there was an awful lot of talking and not a lot of things happening. The vast majority of the novel seemed to be Michael and Bartholomew talking about the crime, though towards the last third of the book things started to get more interesting. Before that there was so much dialogue and nothing was going anywhere, characters were repeating each other's accusations and others were denying said accusations. I started to get bored very quickly. This edition is 450 pages long, but it definitely could have been shorter.
Saying that, I enjoyed this enough to want to start from the beginning. I'm interested to see how she builds up medieval Cambridge from the beginning and how these characters started out. I'm not sure I'll be dedicating my time to this whole series, but I'll definitely be checking out book one.
World building aside, I really enjoyed Gregory's writing. Her characters were very entertaining for the most part, especially Michael, and I appreciated her using real people from the universities and court at that time to build the characters she used in her novel. The only character I had any sort of problem with was Matthew Bartholomew. At times he was such an idiot. He was extremely biased towards characters who had very obviously something wrong and I got more and more annoyed as he did it over and over and over again. Other characters did the same thing, but not to anywhere near the same extent as Bartholomew did. I just don't understand how he could be that blind to what was going on right under his nose. I'm hoping he isn't like that in the other books. Other than him I really enjoyed the characters Gregory created.
Like I said at the beginning of this review, I'm bumping this up to a three because that last chapter was fantastic. I loved the climax of the novel, though I can't really say that the rest of it felt like it was leading up to anything in particular. Finding out the solution of the mystery was worth finishing this novel for, but I did almost give up halfway through. While the pacing of this novel was ok, there was an awful lot of talking and not a lot of things happening. The vast majority of the novel seemed to be Michael and Bartholomew talking about the crime, though towards the last third of the book things started to get more interesting. Before that there was so much dialogue and nothing was going anywhere, characters were repeating each other's accusations and others were denying said accusations. I started to get bored very quickly. This edition is 450 pages long, but it definitely could have been shorter.
Saying that, I enjoyed this enough to want to start from the beginning. I'm interested to see how she builds up medieval Cambridge from the beginning and how these characters started out. I'm not sure I'll be dedicating my time to this whole series, but I'll definitely be checking out book one.
Read
April 1, 2016I have previously enjoyed stories about Matthew Bartholomew and Cambridge but found this one tedious. As a Mediaeval mystery it's fine, although I do dislike the 'Back then it was all so dirty and nasty' attitude which so many writers have. Nothing wrong with the writing, or the setting, just all that constant bickering amongst the professors and scholars got on my nerves. The plot, the new brash college foundation, the in fights and the thefts and murders, just didn't hold together enough for me.
This series of hist-mysts is rightly popular and Matthew Bartholomew is a likeable character. The fact that this novel did not 'fire' for me does not mean that it won't be enjoyed by the many fans and readers who like a well written historical mystery.
This series of hist-mysts is rightly popular and Matthew Bartholomew is a likeable character. The fact that this novel did not 'fire' for me does not mean that it won't be enjoyed by the many fans and readers who like a well written historical mystery.
January 3, 2015
Latest Bartholomew up to Gregory's convoluted best
Followers of Susanna Gregory's medieval series will not be disappointed in her latest installment, peopled as it is with riotous characters, an involved plot and enough corpses to satisfy the armchair ghoul in all of us. Once again we can enjoy a cozy evening (or two) with the most eccentric bunch of medieval scholars ever to grace a page, and gasp at Gregory's ability to keep so many balls in the air until the smashing and completely satisfying end.
If you haven't tried this series then you are missing some of the finest characters, compelling plots and excellent scholarship available in a mystery novel today.
Followers of Susanna Gregory's medieval series will not be disappointed in her latest installment, peopled as it is with riotous characters, an involved plot and enough corpses to satisfy the armchair ghoul in all of us. Once again we can enjoy a cozy evening (or two) with the most eccentric bunch of medieval scholars ever to grace a page, and gasp at Gregory's ability to keep so many balls in the air until the smashing and completely satisfying end.
If you haven't tried this series then you are missing some of the finest characters, compelling plots and excellent scholarship available in a mystery novel today.
May 16, 2016
OK so starting off with book 20 in a series is not the way to do it. The book was a gift and therefor that decision was out of my hands.
That said some amazing historical facts about the early days of the Universities and the political fighting within the different schools was fascinating. An interesting main protagonist with plenty of good and bad qualities and I have to say a cast of thousands.... or so it seemed to the uninitiated reader The hardest thing was trying to keep track of the multitude of characters and their relationships to one another.
If you like historical whodunit's with lots of detail then give this one a tray (or better yet start with book 1 in the series!)
That said some amazing historical facts about the early days of the Universities and the political fighting within the different schools was fascinating. An interesting main protagonist with plenty of good and bad qualities and I have to say a cast of thousands.... or so it seemed to the uninitiated reader The hardest thing was trying to keep track of the multitude of characters and their relationships to one another.
If you like historical whodunit's with lots of detail then give this one a tray (or better yet start with book 1 in the series!)
February 12, 2015
Susanna Gregory has now completed 20 books in her Matthew Bartholomew series, and with each one she gives more insight into the workings of the academic world of Cambridge and its environs. This story which revolves around the establishing of a new Hall and its competition with the scholars of Michaelhouse, is a really good read. Our favorites are there, like Clippesby and his animals, and of course Brother Michael, Edith, Suttone and the others. I thoroughly enjoy this series and have even gotten used to the fact that Matthew is like so many men, a romantic who will not find a true love.
April 13, 2015
Published: 5/06/2014
Author: Susanna Gregory
Recommended for: fans of historical murder fiction novels
Another really great book in the Matthew Bartholomew series! Susanna Gregory has done it again, another book that is hard to put down, it keeps your attention in the fast paced manner it is written in. We follow Matthew Bartholomew on yet another of his adventures and get sucked into the story. A book I would recommend for readers of murder mystery books!
Author: Susanna Gregory
Recommended for: fans of historical murder fiction novels
Another really great book in the Matthew Bartholomew series! Susanna Gregory has done it again, another book that is hard to put down, it keeps your attention in the fast paced manner it is written in. We follow Matthew Bartholomew on yet another of his adventures and get sucked into the story. A book I would recommend for readers of murder mystery books!
January 23, 2015
I always enjoy the Matthew Bartholomew series. In this one, a new college is beginning in Cambridge. There are jealousies among the colleges and friction between town and gown. There are several murders that Brother Michael and Matthew have to solve. Matthew uses his medical expertise as well as his wits. The series is set in the 1300s and gives glimpses of what life was like then.
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