The Hand of Justice

Matthew Bartholomew #10

by Susanna Gregory

In Cambridge 1355 the colleges of the fledgling university are as much at odds with each other as they are with the ordinary townfolk. This tension has recently been heightened by the return of two well-born murderers after receiving the King's pardon, showing no remorse but ready to confront those who helped convict them. And in the midst of this Bartholomew the physician is called to the local mill to examine two corpses. It is almost a relief to be able to turn his back on the fractious town, but as always in Cambridge nothing is disconnected.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Medieval, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime, Fiction

536 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Susanna 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.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful mystery is the 10th volume of the wonderful "Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles" by the very fine author, Susanna Gregory.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a well-drawn map of Cambridge, England, at around the AD 1350s, while at the end of the book you'll notice a very well documented Historical Note with great information concerning this mystery.
Storytelling is as usual of a superb quality, the characters, whether they are real historical or great fictional, come all vividly to life within this mystery, and also the atmosphere in Cambridge and its surroundings are wonderfully described in this novel.
After an intriguing prologue set in early February, AD 1355, the main story heads off late February, AD 1355, and our wonderful investigating duo of Doctor Matthew and Brother Michael come once again into full action.
The story is buit around a so-called relic that goes by the name of "The Hand of Justice", but in reality it is nothing more than the hand of the simpleton, Peterkin Starre.
Also important to mention is the fact that two murderers, Thorpe and Edward Mortimer, are back in Cambridge after a King's Pardon and making their presence felt, especially when Doctor Matthew and Brother Michael are called to the first two deaths at the King's Mill, they being the scholar, Bottisham, and the grocer merchant, Deschalers.
What will follow is a thrilling mystery where quite some people will get murdered by an unseen hand, and only after some considerable investigating skills and with some help from Michael's formidable grandmother, Dame Pelagia, our duo of Matt and Michael will finally be able to unveil the surprising culprit of these murders.
Highly recommended, for this is another fantastic episode and one that I like to call as: "A Truly Fascinating Hand of Justice"!

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The is one of the weakest in the series. Susanna Gregory has a tendency to write books which have pages of discussion between the two lead characters where there is endless speculation about who the murderer could be. This becomes tedious, slows down the plot, and adds pages to what are already pretty long stories. Better editing would make these novels much more enjoyable.
In this particular book I thought there were far too many deaths and that the plot was overly complicated. Overall still a good read though and the historical detail is superb.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still loving this series - love the interplay between Matthew and Michael.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Suzanna Gregory’s Matthew Bartholomew & Brother Michael. However, I sometimes found this plot line exhausting… too many murders, too many suspects, too many possible motives.

As I have mentioned (maybe in every review 😏), the Historical Notes at the end of the novel enrich the time, place & characters!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 ⭐️

[Spuddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#10 Matthew Bartholomew medieval mystery in which the Cambridge scholar/physician becomes the official Corpse Examiner for the University, specifically for Brother Michael, the senior proctor. More physicians have come to Cambridge, easing the pressure on Matt so he no longer needs to run here and there treating everyone and struggle to do his teaching at Michaelhouse college.

A war is heating up in Cambridge--aside from the usual "town and gown" conflicts, there are rival mills vying for business. When two bodies are found mangled in the wheels of one of them, it's believed at first to be a horrible accident, but Matt in his role as corpse examiner finds that each body has a nail rammed into the mouth and up into the brain, which was the cause of death. The two were locked in the mill and there was no one else there, so how did they die?

Matt and Michael both are convinced that two young men who had been convicted of murder but received a pardon from the King and were released have something to do with it--but how to accuse them without being charged with treason themselves--for surely to question the King's judgment is treason. Before long, other bodies and attempted attacks muddy the waters further as the author takes us on another long and convoluted trek through medieval Cambridge with all the political and religious posturing.

Truly, these books seem to get longer and more twisty with each one, and I find myself skimming quite a lot because they just get off track and too wordy. I love the characters and the author's sense of place and time, but they could easily be at least a hundred pages shorter (each is about 500 pages of small print) without losing any of the story.

[Jo Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always a pleasure to visit my friends Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael who live in medieval Cambridge. I love the banter between the two and the setting in the early years of the university town is so bustling and alive. It is like I have just stepped back in time.
This is the tenth in the series and although I enjoyed it, I did feel this outing was over long and would have benefited from tighter editing. The crime plot was satisfyingly confusing with a large amount of dead bodies! I never guessed the perpetrator. Clever!

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susanna Gregory's Matthew Bartholomew books are set in the 14th century beginning with the plague year and continuing after. Matthew is a physician and teacher at Cambridge. He has enlightened ideas because of his training with a middle eastern physician. His best friend Brother Michael is the Senior Proctor for Cambridge which is a sort of policeman detective who keeps law and order.

In this particular episode we see several reappearances from the past. Two convicted killers who have a king's pardon, Michael's grandmother and the fake relic which now goes by the name "The Hand of Justice."

As can be expected the murders pile up and things are far too complicated for an easy solution.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable adventure with Bartholomew and Michael and the rest of the Cambridge scholars and townspeople. This one dealt with possible poisonings so disguised as medicinal “cures,” so it really focused on medieval medicine, which I find fascinating. Also, two killers and a supposedly “holy relic” reappear from an earlier story and play a central part in this installment.

I sussed out the killer fairly early on so I’m getting the hang of picking up on the clues that Ms. Gregory drops throughout the stories.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm addicted to this series.
I'm getting a bit suspicious of Bartholomew though. He's now getting paid per corpse and this was a bumper crop, are we sure he's not bumping off the medieval population of Cambridge to earn a few extra pennies?

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love stepping into Susanna Gregory’s world of Cambridge 1355. This was one of the better ones in the series I thought, although they’re all consistently enjoyable.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 01/06/2005
Author: Susanna Gregory
Recommended for: fans of historical fiction

I love murder mystery novels and I especially love books by the wonderfully talented Susanna Gregory. Matthew Bartholomew is an absolutely lovely character! There isn't a single bad thing I could say about this book. It is a must read for anything fan of murder mystery books. This one is set in Cambridge in 1355, where two well known murderers arrive back in the village ready to find those who got them convicted and have their revenge. Matthew Bartholomew is a physician who gets called to examine two corpses that are found in a local mill. We go on the adventure with Matthew Bartholomew, and along with the wonderful description from the author, the setting is set as an image in the readers mind transporting you there and letting you watch everything that happens.

[PR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where is Cynric?

She does this...main characters disappear...why? Matilda is a fine and go character...where is she? What Is their relationship? It has been book after book...year after year...is Bartholomew ever going to have a meaningful relationship with her or does she incidentally appear to add ribbons and color to a scene or two? I get frustrated with incidental main characters. Cyndi seemed necessary then he disappeared with no explanation. The children who assist in the investigations also disappear with no resolution ...would these men simply leave them to their dates without some help to improve their lot? And...the contemporary language and phrases she uses in her narrative so often...phrases that did not exist during this time period...is there no editor to make corrections? The writing of these books is lax, at best. Wjy? Is this Kindle version, like all the ones I have read simply unedited Advanced reader's copies? It is annoying. The stories are well written, intricate and complex and sometimes I wonder if the scholarship is as complete , as advertised. So wish we knew how Bartholomew looks. Everyone is so well described physically one can almost SEE them but not the main protagonist. It is puzzling. I do believe these books could be tightened up...we know every minute what the weather is doing and where the scents are coming from but do not know the fates of many of the characters used to move the story along. Is Bartholomew just shy of is he just ineffectual with women. Wish the women characters were as "fleshed out" out as most of the men are, except for Bartholomew...we do not really know what he looks like...I like these books but was really disappointed in this one...there is often a lack of emotional depth, engagement with the characters relationships...Will plug zhead...have invested in all these books so will soldier on to the end...hopefully will resolve these issues as stories fill on...and...where is Cynric?

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the two of the town's obnoxious juvenile criminals returned to Cambridge via King's Pardon obtained through corruption and bribery of King's clerks who were notorious of such ignominious practice... the exonerated villains believed the natural outcome of their malevolence and unfortunately, so did the town. And it was not helped by the series of crimes that followed shortly after their reappearance... crimes that were attributed to them sans proof. But it suited them to appear that their two years exile to France hardened them... it was a Myth, though.

On the other hand, there was the tale of the "Cat and the Cockerel". When Bartholomew was planning on separating the ingredients of the remains of a substance found at the scene of a suspicious death... Quenhyth, Matt's best but unfeeling student, told his teacher to test it on the College Cat usually found at Agatha's cosy and warm kitchen. Matt objected given his affection for it. Undaunted, the student tested it on Walter's cockerel instead, when Matt's attention was turned and while the student was supposed to be watching (he volunteered) the heating of said substance so it won't overflow and burn ~ which it it did anyway. Thus, no evidence, though Bird the cockerel died ingesting their proof... an unrepentant Quenhyth said, it was no loss given the fowl's penchant for crowing near its victims' windows at 2~3 PM in the mornings when everyone's sleep was at its deepest plus its propensity in pecking at the parchments and precious book pages inside their rooms and crapping on them... thus Bird's death revealed the presence of a smart sociopath living in their midst. Needless to say Walter was inconsolable until Dumb Deynman generously gave Walter a gift ~ a Peacock.

Despite the multi~layers of sub~plots and crimes pitted against Micheal's and Matt's crime~solving skills... bouts of humour and hilarity are peppered in these preciuos pages. Informative history, humour and mystery what's not to love in this atmospheric prose.

[Lacer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I said I wasn't going to read anymore Matthew Bartholomew books for a while because the last one, book 9 was a bit samey but the book characters feel like family now and I couldn't resist something which I knew would be an easy, absorbing read. And I'm glad that I did pick up book 10 so soon after book 9 because (1) the events of book 10 take place immediately after the events of book 9 and there is a small link and (2) whereas book 9 was "hmmm, okay", book 10 was really, really good. It picks up a storyline from book 4 (another really strong book in the series so far), where the two exiled murderers from that book have received King's Pardons (i.e. there family paid a very large sum of money) and they are now back in Cambridge to reek havoc. Meanwhile, a fake relic (also from book 4) has reappeared and a cult is forming around it. AND of course there's some murders, with a particularly grizzly pair to start off with, when two bodies are found in a water mill and it looks like a murder suicide, except they don't know which was the murderer and which was the victim. There are new characters as well as the much loved old ones and although there was a point where Michael says something along the lines of "I wonder if this is all linked together" and you want to scream at him, going "Yes, Michael, of course it's all linked together because it always is!", this book has definitely reignited my passion for the series.

[Marianne Bash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like this series but the big reveal doesn't make sense. Spoiler alert - the murderer is the person who tells Matt and Michael there has been an incident (2 dead bodies) at the mill...however in the epilogue when they wrap it all up, it turns out the (same) murderer was hiding in the mill immediately after the killings and was still there and overheard Michael and Matt talking while they inspected the bodies . Am I missing something? It seems odd that this wouldn't have been caught by an editor or other readers...? It rather negates the whole premise of the story, and I'd love to hear from the author or editor how this happened, and discuss with other readers.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book in the series. I love Matthew but like brother Michael less. In this particular Bach, that darn hand is back. It is ridiculous and adds humor to the story. The Returned of two evil characters from the past adds interest as does the story of the messenger who died in a snowbank. It is not necessary to have read the books in which these events occur but it is nice, if one is reading the entire series, to see characters reappear. Oh yes, bicycles aunt is back to. It's a lot of fun having them back and the mystery is a very good one.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite of this series. It continues the adventures of the Medieval physician/Cambridge don who uses his knowledge of herbs and drugs and physiology as coroner who helps his friend solve the mysteries of unnatural deaths. This one concerns a false relic that several orders are arguing over. It's a little stretching of credulity, though the characterizations and portrayal of Medieval life are still authentic.

[Alissa McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Bartholomew Book 10. I've listened to all of these as Audible books and thoroughly enjoyed them. There are more books in this series, but there is a new narrator, and the sample was so off-putting I've given up on them. This is not the new reader's fault per se, it's just that I've come to expect the characters to sound a certain way. Changing their voice changes their character.

[J Whittle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read!

Because it is a very good read
I love the humour and the information about life in medieval England the every day life ordinary people.
One learns a lot about the state of medicine.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy this slow, holiday reading, medieval murder mystery series. They are basically the same thing each book, but who cares when you’re reading them for enjoyment. Far too many murders in one small town in each book but this one was certainly better than the last 2-3. Good read.

[Feodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good and well plotted story, as always but this time it was a bit too much. Like the gordic knot and the solution was similar. That was too why it took me over a month to read

[Saundra Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another offbeat killer

I would like a few more concrete clues to the solution to mystery in an effort to solve the mystery before the end of book but do enjoy the journey.

[Zosia Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average of the Bartholomew chronicles.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it was my mood but I really didn’t enjoy this one. Characters kept being added and not one stood out or interested me in any way. Even when they got to the murder mystery I didn’t care.

[Rose Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Reading

This time the author fooled me - had no idea who the killer was and was quite surprised when I found out. Cleverly written!!!!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was engaging but there were lots of typos.

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one definitely carries on from the previous so best avoided as a standalone. Michael’s rather sinister grandmother features.

[Cindie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth every minute

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great MB book! I didn't see the ending coming and that's always a good sign!

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all the books in this series so far, and usually rate them at three or four stars.

This one gets two because the main characters seem to spend most of their time either announcing everything they've discovered aboutt the central murder mystery to any person they happen to meet, irrespective of whether they may actually be on the suspect list, or sitting around endlessly re-hashing everything they know about the crime and the various suspects.

It doesn't make for a terribly exciting or plausible read.

Fortunately Batholomew and Michael and the regular cast of supporting characters are as engaging as ever and the ending was good, so I got something out of it, but I hope the pace picks up a bit with the next one.