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Rarely do I so enjoy a book that I look forward during the day to returning from work and resuming the story that I was forced to leave the night before. I found, however, that this was one of those stories in which you "live," so much are you absorbed by the characters. I was sorry when it ended, though the mystery needed to be solved, and I will look for others in the series.

This is part of a series of mysteries featuring a woman forensic pathologist at the court of Henry II of England, 1133-1189. This mystery involves Adelia, our pathologist in the affairs of the Abbey at Glastonbury and the finding of the supposed grave of Arthur and Guinevere. Henry II, hoping to defuse a Welsh rebellion, has commanded Adelia to prove whether or not the long-hidden skeletons are really those of the Once and Future King and his Queen. Adelia when she arrives at the Pilgrim Inn finds that she has arrived in a community fraught with dangerous secrets and violent emotions.

The basic premise of a woman pathologist is totally anachronistic, but the author makes it credible - the woman learned her skill in Saracen Sicily. The other medieval details are well-researched and add color and credibility. The author also uses modern language and slang, explaining why in a postscript, and this actually adds to the authenticity. I thought the conversation of the characters was one of the delights of the book: it makes them seem entirely real and also introduces frequent notes of humor. Note, though, that everyone makes use of swear words. This is perfectly right with the context, but some may be offended.

I think that fans of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series of mysteries will fall upon these books with delight. The pathologist, Adelia, solves the mysteries by using clues from the bodies and the crime scene just as Cadfael did. Her investigations turn up issues of morality, spirituality, honor, and good and evil in unexpected places. In this book there is a strong monastic and Welsh connection. I think also fans of Celtic tales and mysteries involving holy relics and ancient puzzles will enjoy this. I certainly hope so, because I'm hooked!

Other titles in the series I will be trying are:

The Serpent's Tale

Mistress of the Art of Death