The Killer of Pilgrims (Matthew Bartholomew Series #16)

by Susanna Gregory

Overview

The sixteenth chronicle in the Matthew Bartholomew series.

When a wealthy benefactor is found dead in Michaelhouse, Brother Michael and Matthew Bartholomew must find the culprit before the College is accused of foul play. At the same time, Cambridge is plagued by a mystery thief, who is targeting rich pilgrims. Moreover, pranksters are at large in the University, staging a series of practical jokes that are growing increasingly dangerous, and that are dividing scholars into bitterly opposed factions.

Bartholomew and Michael soon learn that their various mysteries are connected, and it becomes a race against time to catch the killer-thief before the University explodes into a violent conflict that could destroy it forever.

'A first-rate treat for mystery lovers' (Historical Novels Review)

'Susanna Gregory has an extraordinary ability to conjure up a strong sense of time and place' (Choice)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780748124510
Publisher:	Little, Brown Book Group
Publication date:	11/04/2010
Series:	Matthew Bartholomew Series , #16
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	82,057
File size:	769 KB

About the Author

Susanna Gregory was a police officer in Leeds before taking up an academic career. She has served as an environmental consultant, worked eighteen field seasons in the polar regions, and has taught comparative anatomy and biological anthropology.

She is the creator of the Matthew Bartholomew series of mysteries set in medieval Cambridge and the Thomas Chaloner adventures in Restoration London. She now lives in Wales with her husband, who is also a writer.

Editorial Reviews

British author Gregory again displays her mastery of complex storytelling and period detail in her 16th mystery set in 14th-century Cambridge, the home of doctor, instructor, and corpse examiner Matthew Bartholomew (after 2009's A Vein of Deceit). Amid an atmosphere of increasing tension between Cambridge's colleges and the less affluent hostels, Bartholomew must identify the killer of taverner John Drax, who was initially believed the victim of an accident, until the physician found a fatal stab wound on his body. For many, the book's pleasures will stem less from the resolution of the various interlocking puzzles than from the utterly convincing portrait of an England still recovering from the great pestilence of the previous decade, complete with familiar complaints about the timeliness of home contractors' work and avaricious people seeking to profit from the tragic plague. Unlike in many other long-running series, newcomers will find nothing inaccessible in this installment. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Gregory again displays her mastery of complex storytelling and period detail. . . . Unlike in many other long-running series, newcomers will find nothing inaccessible in this installment."  —Publishers Weekly starred review

"A perfect choice for historical fans who miss Ellis Peters."  —Library Journal on A Vein of Deceit

From the Publisher

It is 1358, and the university town of Cambridge is in a state of upheaval as the populace recovers from the ravages of the plague, a vicious rivalry between the colleges and the hostels vying for student patronage results in near riots, a thief preys on visiting pilgrims, and a powerful landlord is murdered. VERDICT After 15 series titles, Gregory has not gone stale. Her latest is a fresh, lively tale that follows her sleuth, Matthew Bartholomew, through the unhygienic streets of Cambridge on the trail of a heartless killer. For historical mystery fans.

Library Journal