Love's Knife

robairitz Sleuth #1

by Tracey Warr

1093. The music of murder. Beatriz de Farrera is a trobairitz (a female troubadour) at the court of Toulouse. She sings of love but intends to evade marriage and romantic entanglements. Her patron, Lady Philippa, is the heiress of the rich city and county of Toulouse. Philippa’s uncle Raymond plans to marry his niece to the ageing king of Aragon, sweep her out of his way and usurp her rights in Toulouse. In a world of scheming lords and plotting abbots seeking to control the riches of local salt production and the pilgrim routes, and set against the Reconquista, a brutal murder occurs. Beatriz finds she has skills other than poetry and music. She must uncover the secrets lurking beneath the glittering surface of the Toulouse court to expose the murderer and avert a great injustice.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2024

About the author

Tracey Warr was born in London, lived in southwest Wales and now lives in southern France. The castles and landscapes of Wales and France inspire her historical fiction. She is the author of six historical novels set in medieval Europe. She draws on old maps, chronicles, poems and objects to create fictional worlds for readers to step into. Sign up for her quarterly newsletter for book offers, events, and articles on writing and publishing. https://justmeandering.substack.com

Her writing awards include an Author’s Foundation Award, a Literature Wales Writer’s Bursary, the Rome Film Festival Book Initiative, and a Santander Research Award.

She has also published books on contemporary art including The Artist's Body and Remote Performances in Nature and Architecture. She is the author of future fiction: Meanda (French edition) and The Water Age and Other Fictions. She has also published the workbooks: The Water Age Art and Writing Workshops and The Water Age Children's Art and Writing Workshops.

Before becoming a full-time writer she worked as a contemporary art curator and art history academic. She teaches on MA Poetics of Imagination at Dartington Arts School, UK.

She is a member of the Society of Authors, the Historical Novel Society, Historical Writers Association.

Reviews

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well well well, what can I say about this one, humm
To be honest, I have mixed feeling about this book, I'll tell you why.
At first, I had some trouble diving in, more than a hundred pages were spent on describing the placen the era and the characters, but nothing on the murder. I'm usually ok with that, but when it's about murder and gathering clues, I'm a very impatient person.
Then, it occured! and that was my moment! things started to move and masks to fall, and I loved it!
The plot is great, the cast of characters was various and well develpped, you get to hate some, adore some and being on your gard from others.
The writing style is good and engaging, I didn't get bored at all, there were no repitions and what had to be said was said.
So, why the mixed feeling?
I thought there could've been more to the investigation, it felt it was too easy, with no troubles and no dangers, I would've loved for Beatriz's intelligence to be challenged and for Phillipa to play a more important role.
Plus, I felt that the end was a bit rushed as what happened didn't make complete sense to me and it ended on a cliffhanger, maybe it's the reason.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with the three ladies and can't wait to meet them on the next installment!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Katherine Hilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich period detail and the characters. The book moved along at a fast pace and kept my interest. The mystery was satisfying and had a twist I wasn't expecting. I very much recommend this book, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Lise Mayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love’s Knife presents the sights, sounds, smells and life-style of the inhabitants of the Medieval World of Southern France, not only the nobility but the everyday people, from fishermen to salt miners, stable hands to travelling minstrels. Beatriz, the main character, is a trobairitz , a female troubadour, who plays the vielle, a stringed instrument similar to a violin and the oud, a short-necked, lute-type, pear-shaped, fretless stringed instrument, and composes her own songs. As a child who lived on the streets, she learned to fend for herself, until rescued by a well-respected troubadour, to become his protégée. Her experience and astute observations of human character make her a plausible detective. In a world where women were considered little more than property, she manages to gain a measure of agency under the patronage of the noble Lady Philippa, whose servant Anna also becomes a friend. Lady Philippa is struggling against her father’s demands that she make an unwelcome marriage, which would mean the end of her independence and friendship with these two women, her closest and most trusted allies. The character of Anna, who is literate, though deaf from a childhood illness, brings another element of interest to this historical fiction; I have never read any historical fiction novel portraying a person with different abilities, describing the cruel prejudice they endured and how they might have coped.

Throughout Love’s Knife, we meet characters who intrigue and repel us, from the faithful man-servant Roger to the repellent Bertrand, the lover Lluis to the wily troubadour Imbert. Each character is finely drawn and believable for their station in life and the era, keeping the reader wondering what their fate might be. When a murder occurs, we are anxious to discover the guilty party, before a grave miscarriage of justice occurs. We see corruption and dirty dealings, no different than today, and how vulnerable people were in confronting rigid social, religious and legal systems. There are parallels to modern times, unfortunately. Beatriz gathers evidence and faces danger as the struggle to find the truth becomes desperate. Anxious to discover the outcome, I raced to the end, which set the stage for the next book in the series. Thanks to Tracey Warr’s impeccable research, I learned a great deal about medieval customs such as the cakes at the feast of St. Agatha (quite disturbing!), the music, which I searched out, and the legalities of the times. Beatriz is a character who will remain with me, my personal measure of a good read!

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toulose in the 11th century was then a city in Occitania, as this was long before the unification of France. The author brings us into this exotically remote setting with fantastic world building and unrivalled research. The story is a thriller recounting how trobaritz (female troubador) Beatriz has to turn detective so as to save a dear friend from wrongful accusations of murder. Beatriz, her patron Lady Philippa and the clever, literate servant girl Anna, who whilst being deaf has many other talents, are an immensely attractive trio of characters, their personalities complementing each other. Beatriz in particular is a tough, stylish figure, devoted to her music. We are told in her backstory that she lived for some time on the streets; this reminded me of the modern jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux who also lived, for a time, by busking on the streets.
A slight downside to the book's structure, its detailed scene-setting, is that the murder (though glimpsed in a prologue) does not really occur until we are 130pp in. However there is much to fascinate us even in those early chapters. For example, Philippa is living in fear of an unwelcome dynastic marriage, and the possible breakup of her friendship group. Many of the characters really leap off the page - Beatriz's taciturn, heavily built assistant Roger is a fine achievement.
I was struck by how free and uninhibited the female characters were at this time, compared to later centuries, but I am sure that this feature must be be well based on the available facts. Leaning heavily on recorded history, in that many of the supporting characters are historical, does have some downsides, for example certain names repeat themselves. And there is a vast cast of characters. You need to read with attention. But it is rewarded. A fine piece of work, and very good value.

[Danae Penn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating mystery novel with a trobairitz sleuth.
While reading Love's Knife I lived in eleventh century Toulouse, sleeping and working in the Chateau Narbonnais and walking through streets lined with red brick buildings, as they still are. Beatriz is a musician and a sleuth, brave and tough - except to her colleague Anna who is deaf - and she manages to survive in a world of schemers and egoists. I savoured the wonderful descriptions of life, people, food and drink; I imagined the sound of Beatriz's vielle (a sort of violin); I enjoyed the rival schemes to attract the pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela; and I learned that, like in Venice, salt was the most lucrative product and the earliest source of riches. I particularly liked the way the novel showed how talented and independent medieval women were, so different from descriptions of them by medieval monks and Victorian historians, and I am looking forward to reading about how Beatriz solves her next mystery.

[Tim Goff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Medieval Women…

…Become embroiled in a tale of murder and intrigue. Philippa is a noblewoman being forced into an unwanted marriage. Anna is her deaf servant and scribe. Beatriz is an illiterate female bard on service to Philippa and is attempting to dodge marriage to her mentor, Imbert. When Imbert is murdered, all three women are implicated and investigate his death out of self-preservation, a task that involves dealing with duplicitous clerics and aristocrats.

The characters and setting are distinct, coming across as ‘real.’

I recommend this book for those who like slow-paced, low-action mysteries with abundant details.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really well done historical murder mystery novel, it had that time-period element that I was looking for and enjoyed the mystery element that I wanted. Tracey Warr has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more in this series and from author. The characters were everything that I wanted and thought they worked in this plot, it had that elements that I was looking for and glad the mystery was so well written.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Harper Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look into women’s stories

Warr skillfully immerses readers in the vibrant yet unforgiving world of a female troubadour, shedding light on a chapter of history where women’s stories are often overlooked. Through rich detail and keen historical awareness, she reveals a society where a woman without children can be confined to a convent and an heiress’s fate decided by a marriage against her will. Yet amid these harsh realities, Beatriz refuses to be subdued—sharp-minded, tenacious, and unwilling to accept the limitations imposed upon her.

[Sara Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beatriz is a trobairitz, she sings mostly love songs in the court of the Tolouse. Lady Phillipa is her patron and her friend, that she will try to help to escape her marrige of old king Sancho. At the same time she have to solve the murder of her fiancé.
Really love all the historical contex about salt production and the pilgrim routes. Also the friendship betteween the three girls (Beatriz, Phillipa and Anna) was really lovely, to watch they do everything for protect each other.

[Michèle Callard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just spent the most wonderful hours in 1093 Toulouse in the company of Beatriz, a female troubadour. Streetwise, independent, just as we like our heroines, Beatriz and her little group of court maidens made fascinating companions for this travel in time. Not an epoch I was familiar with, it threw up quite a few surprises. I look forward to sharing more of this troubadour's adventures.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is impressive history and impressive and entertaining story telling. The characters inhabit an utterly convincing 11th century SW France and the politics and skull duggery differ little from today. Fantastically well researched, a really good read.