A Vein of Deceit

This book has it all and in spades. As is usual for Matthew Barholomew books, there is a lot of death and the corpses keep piling up while Brogher Michael and Matt try to unravel the whole list of bad things that are going on in Cambridge. The setting is fall 1357 and it all begins when a set of cherished chalices are stolen from Michaelhouse. The College is going through a very bad patch because of lack of money, and when Matt and Michael try to find out what is happening, the corpses start coming. The deaths seem to be unrelated at first, but then as the threads come together, Matt and Michael decide they need to go to Sussex to find out what is happening. Everything appears to be linked to Sussex and to the strange people that they show more meet there. Matt and Michael find there lives are in danger numerous times, and they begin to feel that there is no one that they can trust. I have been reading and loving Susanna Gregory's Matthew Bartholomew series since her first book came out. This is 15 book in this much beloved series. If you are a fan of medeival who-dun-its, then I highly recommend this series. The characters are believable and likeable, the plots are exciting and it's all based on true historical happenings and actual historical people. What more could you ask for? show less

I started to read Susanna Gregory's Mathew Bartholomew series a couple of years ago and found them to be an excellent read. This is the fifteenth book in the series, based around life at Cambridge University in the mid 14th century.
Like the TV series ‘Midsomer Murders’, dead bodies turn up on a regular basis. The protagonists Matthew Bartholomew, the town’s unorthodox medical practitioner, and his friend, Brother Michael, are drawn into intrigue after intrigue – and always manage to bring the culprit to justice.
This story is another complex mystery tale around people's motivations and ambitions. Matthew and Brother Michael, along with Cynric and some of Matthew's students, end up leaving Cambridge for a visit to a nearby town.
I show more love how Gregory blends fiction and fact into a masterful chronicle of the life and times of so many people, and how she paints a picture of life in medieval times that leaps off the page. Over the years, Matthew Bartholomew has been through some tough times, while Brother Michael remains his usual self: fond of life and food, but totally committed to his friendship with Matthew. They seem like familiar old friends now, and I am always delighted to pop back into their world for a satisfying visit. show less

Yet again, Matthew Bartholomew and his friend, Brother Michael, are embroiled in another mystery. Is Oxford University trying to bring its rival down again? Who has been stealing drugs from Matthew's store? Has the college treasurer been cooking the books? Once more, we tread carefully through the ordure of 14th century Cambridgeshire to find the solutions to Matthews problems. Does the poor man ever have a quiet day? He's like the 14th century equivalent of Jack Bauer.

A cluster of unexplained deaths in Cambridge bothers Brother Michael so Bartholomew is dragged into the investigations as well. There also seems to be something wrong with the college accounts. It takes a journey to Suffolk villages to get to the bottom of the mystery.