The Mark of a Murderer by
Suzanna Gregory
hbk out June 05
Published by Time Warner
at £17.99
This is the eleventh in Susanna Gregory's well-known series of historical
mysteries, revolving around Matthew Bartholomew, a physician-teacher
at Michaelhouse College, Cambridge, in the middle of the 14th century.
The author, who herself holds a Cambridge PhD, has immersed herself in
the colourful history of that university and her books reflect her great
depth of knowledge about its vissitudes in the Middle Ages.
This new book is no exception, being partly based on the rivalry between
Oxford and Cambridge and the antagonism between 'town and gown'.
Her historical postscript shows that part of the story comes straight from
the traumatic events in Oxford in 1355, when a riot started by several
scholars resulted in scores of deaths and in the town being placed under
an interdict. Susanna uses the real names of a number of Oxford men
involved in this fracas and brings them to Cambridge, where there are
fears that a similar riot may be provoked during the visit of the
Archbishop of Canterbury.
The two lead characters in the series, Matthew the university's Corpse
Examiner and his portly friend Brother Michael, the Senior Proctor, are
faced with a complex series of deaths, mainly involving the Oxford
visitors. Matthew is apparently distracted from their investigation by his
nightly visits to a local courtesan, Mathilde, who runs a trade union for
local prostitutes, but even here, all is not what it seems.
The rivalry between the various colleges and even intra-college
jealousies, all play their part in the intricate plot – it seems that in those
days, colleges might even resort to murder to rid themselves of
unsatisfactory Fellows! There are some intriguing characters, including a
University Chancellor with severe B.O. and a Fellow who talks to wild
animals. This is a substantial book of 470 pages and requires some
concentration to follow the twists and turns of the story-line, much of it
being delivered through dialogue between Matthew and Michael, who get
themselves into a number of dangerous scrapes. This is certainly a
'thinking-person's whodunnit', with excellent descriptions of medieval
academia, leavened with snatches of the great philosophers such as
Grossetest! I can usually spot the perpetrator half-way through a book,
but this one had me guessing far beyond that.
(
Bernard Knight
ex Home Office Pathologist and author of the highly acclaimed Crowner John series)
The Mark of a Murderer by
Suzanna Gregory
