An Order for Death (Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles)

Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. Her series of mediaeval mysteries have gained a formidable following. This book is the second in the series and introduces the physician Matthew Bartholomew to the reader. There are now a number of books in the series and they are always eagerly awaited by the author's fans. Besides practising medicine Matthew is also a teacher at a Cambridge University and his sometimes unorthodox treatment of his patients draws accusations of heresy from his more traditional, but less skilled colleagues. Intense arguments on the subject of theology appears to be the main motive for a string of brutal murders among the various religious order in Cambridge. But Matthew Bartholomew thinks it is more likely to be the baser instincts of his fellow men that are the more likely cause of the violence. Once again his powers of deduction are called upon to solve the murders himself.

Susanna Gregory's seventh and latest murder mystery - 'An Order for Death' - shows a growing consolidation of the political umbrage that encloses Cambridge. More and more of the previous novels are tied in, evidence and narration from them used to complete this mystery. For now, it does not matter, but should the author continue in this way we may get a new story where reading of earlier installments are a pre-requisite.This latest has Matthew's latest sleuthing finding him firmly paired with the Senior Proctor, Michael, investigating the multiple deaths of the young but brilliant upand coming nominalist Raricus, Kyrkus, his and his junior proctor Walcote. The mystery uses several potential motives behind the murders, from philosophy to desperation to both insitigate and conclude each death.Gregory has done a fair amount of research into the patristic debate between nominalism and realism that gripped the universities of Oxford and Cambridge (providing the link to the former with the arrival of Michael's political nemesis and his faithful follower, Richard Stanmore) so that intellectual debate is used as both motive and focus for this excellent novel.We are introduced to multiple conspiracies in this novel with Walcote's shadier meetings at St Radegast's (a nunnery masquerading as a brothel which provides an excellent additional plotline for Mathilde and Matthew to delve into) revealing a new political powerbase in Cambridge which gives Gregory the chance to truly bring Michael into play as a somewhat different sleuth in his own right. Portrayed as fiercely intellectual, he is somewhat impetuous and still requires Bartholomew's quiet intropsection to solve the murders that begin to pile up. From the initial murder during a riot, all the way to the riot at the nominalist debate where we reach a conclusion, `An Order For Death' is firmly settling Susanna Gregory amongst the elite of murder mystery authors, not the least through her wonderful desciption of life in thirteenth century Cambridge. I look forward to many more installments.