Grave Goods (Paperback) (original 2009; edition 2009)

Incredible. Maybe the best of the three so far. I adore Adelia, and I love the way Ariana Franklin writes - her books are funny, informative, and articulate. And her Henry II makes me proud to be English (even though he wasn't) in a way that recent history doesn't.

I read this in one sitting - I can't wait for the next Adelia book. ( )

Incredible. Maybe the best of the three so far. I adore Adelia, and I love the way Ariana Franklin writes - her books are funny, informative, and articulate. And her Henry II makes me proud to be English (even though he wasn't) in a way that recent history doesn't.

I read this in one sitting - I can't wait for the next Adelia book. ( )

Incredible. Maybe the best of the three so far. I adore Adelia, and I love the way Ariana Franklin writes - her books are funny, informative, and articulate. And her Henry II makes me proud to be English (even though he wasn't) in a way that recent history doesn't.

I read this in one sitting - I can't wait for the next Adelia book. ( )

This book, third in the series of historical mysteries about a woman physician/forensic pathologist in Henry II's England (yes! really!), was a perfectly fine entry in the series but just didn't blow me away. Of course, the book of Franklin's that *did* blow me away was a stand-alone, [b:City of Shadows|28695|City of Golden Shadow (Otherland, #1)|Tad Williams|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1230504146s/28695.jpg|1570074], which was also historical but set in 1920s and 30s Berlin. I wish she'd write, or the publishers would publish, more like that.

Brief synopsis: Henry II is having trouble with the Welsh and other Celtic people in Britain. Glastonbury Abbey has burned down and the monks claim to have found a coffin which may contain the remains of Arthur and Guinevere. Since the Celts cling to a belief that Arthur is only sleeping and will return to save them, Henry thinks proof of their deaths would be a Good Thing. Adelia (the physician) is sent to Glastonbury in hopes she can "prove" the death. There are a number of subplots as well. I enjoyed the discussions of medieval medicine and herbalism and the ingenious way Adelia treats a torn Achilles tendon. Her relationship with the Bishop of St. Albans grows ever more complicated. The book seemed to drag a bit at the end. I'll probably read more of the series, but I may not be quite as eager as before. ( )

The book opens in 1154 as an earthquake engulfs Glastonbury Abbey and a dying monk sees people lowering a coffin into a fissure created in the earth. Did the coffin contain the body of the legendary King Arthur, long-thought to be merely sleeping in the nearby hills until his people need him again? Twenty-two years later the monk’s nephew, who was present as his uncle died, shares the information with King Henry II who has just quashed one Welsh rebellion and is desperate to rid himself of the legend of Arthur lying in wait to rise again. There has been a fire at Glastonbury Abbey and Henry orders the coffin to be dug up. He then commands the one person in his kingdom who has the skills to authenticate the bones as Arthur’s. Adelia Aguilar, the doctor who can ‘read bones’, reluctantly agrees to attempt to determine the age of the bones. With her daughter and faithful attendants she travels to Glastonbury, travelling part of the way with Lady Emma Wolvercote and her party who are on their way to lay claim to Lady Emma’s estate. Later, Adelia discovers she did not make it to her destination. Or did she?

As with the previous two books in this series, Relics of the Dead is first and foremost a good old-fashioned adventure full of brave Knights performing feats of derring-do while less noble souls engage in more prosaic acts. The legend of Arthur and Guinevere is woven artfully into the story unfolding around Adelia in the present day and there’s barely a moment for the reader to catch her breath with several action-packed threads playing out at once.

All of this is accompanied by engrossing information about the historical period, so you feel like you’re learning something while being thoroughly entertained. Under her real name (Diana Norman) Franklin has researched and written extensively about Henry II and her affection for the man is evident in this book. His faults are talked about, but Franklin generally tends to highlight his foresight and modern thinking by introducing such things as trial-by-jury and other innovations. Having read three of these books now, I’m beginning to develop my own crush on Henry Plantagenet.

Although some people argue that Adelia is an unbelievable character for her time, Franklin makes a a good case that women in her situation would have had more scope to fend for themselves than the true upper class women that Adelia sometimes mixes with. And even if she is not entirely credible for her time, she’s wonderful: strong, loving, loyal and smart. Her loyal attendants from the previous books, Mansur and Gyltha, are again excellent in their supporting roles and of course the Bishop of St Albans, the father of Adelia’s child, makes another trouble-filled appearance. There are some unforgettable new characters in this tale too, not least of which is the old woman who runs the Pilgrim’s Inn at which Adelia and her party stay while in Glastonbury. Franklin is a dab hand at developing very strong, memorable characters quite quickly.

Sadly Diana Norman passed away earlier this year and I have not heard of any unpublished manuscripts lying about so I only have one last book in this series to read, which I think I shall save for some time. I thoroughly recommend this installment of the series to anyone who loves getting absorbed in well-written adventures full of memorable characters. ( )