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Loading... The Serpent's Tale (original 2008; edition 2008)| 1,778 | 95 | 9,623 | 
(3.86) | 233 | Fiction.
Literature.
HTML:Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poisonâ??and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.
Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of Saint Albans, who is also her baby's father.
Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken to the nunnery at Godstow. Isolated and trapped, Adelia watches as dead bodies begin piling up. The murders are somehow connected with Rosamund's demise. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war. . . .
From the Compact Disc edition.… (more) |
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 Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. ▾Conversations (About links) No current Talk conversations about this book. » See also 233 mentions » Add other authors (1 possible) | Author name | Role | Type of author | Work? | Status | | Franklin, Ariana | — | primary author | all editions | confirmed | | Frąc, Cezary | Translator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Gębicka-Frąc, Maria | Translator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Himmelstoß, Beate | Narrator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Himmelstoss, Beate | Narrator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Rijsewijk, Erica van | Translator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Reading, Kate | Narrator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Timmermann, Klaus | Translator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Wasel, Ulrike | Translator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed | | Yoshizawa, Yasuko | Translator | secondary author | some editions | confirmed |
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To Dr. Mary Lynch, MD., FRCP, FRCPI,
consultant cardiologist.
My literally heartfelt thanks.  | |
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The two men's voices carried down the tunnels with reverberations that made them indistinguishable but, even so, gave the impression of a business meeting. | |
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Information from the German Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language. "Dum vivimus, vivamus," he said. "Let us live while we live. I subscribe to the Epicureans." - "Do you know the mortality rate among Epicureans?" Eleanor leaned forward, cupping her ear again, then stood back. "Demons? Belial?." She turned to her audience. "The woman threatens me with Belial. My dear, I married him." Henry swived more women than most men had hot dinners. "Literally, a father to his people," Rowley had said of him once, with pride. Life was sacred; nobody knew that better than a doctor who dealt with its absence. That didn't get any applause either, but from somewhere deep into the congregation, someone farted. Loudly. The men-at-arms turned their heads this way and that, looking for a culprit. But, though a shiver swept though the crowd, every face remained stolid. How I love the English, Adelia thought. "It's bad luck to see your bridegroom before the wedding," Adelia said vaguely. - "I wouldn't want to see him after," Gyltha said. This was a tale reeking of the cardinal sins and Father Paton preferred humanity in the abstract. "Mansur, I'm going to bring that man down." The Arab bent his head. "Let us pray that Allah wills it." - "He'd better." "You bastard," she said. - "True to an extent," he said, picking her up. He chucked her onto the nearest bed and planted himself on top of her. "Ma and Pa married eventually. I remember exactly, I was there." "I've seen snowmen with more defensive acumen than Wolvercote." "Tell them to go after him. Will they catch him?" - "They'd better," he said. "That's a bloody good horse." "I wouldn't absolve the swine anyway," Henry said to Adelia. "Even the Lord'll have to think twice." | |
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All she could see now was the Plantagenet three-leopard pennant fluttering as the barge rounded a wooded bend, but the king's voice carried cheerfully over its trees: "You're never going to be safe." (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.) | |
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US Title: The Serpent's Tale | |
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▾References References to this work on external resources.  Wikipedia in English
None ▾Book descriptions Fiction.
Literature.
HTML:Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poisonâ??and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.
Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of Saint Albans, who is also her baby's father.
Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken to the nunnery at Godstow. Isolated and trapped, Adelia watches as dead bodies begin piling up. The murders are somehow connected with Rosamund's demise. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war. . . .
From the Compact Disc edition. ▾Library descriptions No library descriptions found. ▾LibraryThing members' description
| Book description |
The Fair Rosamund, mistress of King Henry II, has died a suspicious death -- and the king thinks his estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, may be behind it. If Eleanor really is guilty, the result could be all-out civil war in England. Henry must summon medical examiner Dr. Adelia Aguilar, "mistress of the art of death," out of retirement to uncover the truth. | |
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| Haiku summary |
Lovely Rosamund
lies poisoned; did jealous Queen
Eleanor do it?
(passion4reading) Doctor to the dead
Adelia must prevent
all-out civil war.
(passion4reading) | |
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