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    The Serpent's Tale
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    The Serpent's Tale
    Unavailable
    The Serpent's Tale
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Serpent's Tale

    Written by Ariana Franklin

    Narrated by Kate Reading

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The follow-up to Mistress of the Art of Death- in the national bestselling series hailed as "the medieval answer to Kay Scarpetta and the CSI detectives."

    When King Henry II's mistress is found poisoned, suspicion falls on his estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. The king orders Adelia Aguilar, expert in the science of death, to investigate-and hopefully stave off civil war. A reluctant Adelia finds herself once again in the company of Rowley Picot, the new Bishop of St. Albans...and her baby's father. Their discoveries into the crime are shocking- and omens of greater danger to come.


    From the Trade Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 31, 2008
    ISBN9781429592512
    Unavailable
    The Serpent's Tale
    Author

    Ariana Franklin

    Ariana Franklin was the award-winning author of Mistress of the Art of Death and the critically acclaimed, bestselling medieval thriller series of the same name, as well as the twentieth-century thriller City of Shadows. She died in 2011, while writing The Siege Winter.

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    Reviews for The Serpent's Tale

    4/5

    618 ratings57 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Spectacular. Loved it. Funny, interesting and a rollicking good mystery. Admirable heroine with an ascerbic wit and a good grasp of reality. Excellent supporting characters, but I missed Ulf int his book. Hopefully he'll be back in the next one. Looking forward to reading the next three books.
    • 5/5
      Good read. Not as dark as the first and third book. But the intrigue and colorful characters are still there.
    • 4/5
      This was an excellent read; well written, interesting & engaging. It was difficult for me to put it down.

      This furthers the adventures of Adelia (Doctor to the Dead), Mansur (Saracen bodyguard), Glytha (Adelia's housekeeper), Bishop Rowley Picot, & King Henry II.

      Someone has poisoned Henry II's mistress, Rosamund the Fair (even though she was being kept in a maze guarded tower). The blame is placed on Henry II's wife Eleanore of Aquitaine (as she has escaped the prison Henry had her locked in) in hopes that a Civil War will erupt. In addition, Adelia & company have discovered the body of a young man hanged from the Priory's bridge...and later those of his assassins.

      Bishop Picot, Adelia, & the Bishop's men are abducted by Eleanore's army of mercenaries as they search for the responsible parties...and in the midst of being transported as prisoners back to the Priory, Bishop Picot jumps ship into the icy Thames...his body can not be recovered, leaving Adelia to fend for herself.
    • 3/5
      This barely squeaked buy with 3 stars. I'm being a little generous really. Quite a disappointment after her first book. The plot of this one was kind of slow and plodding. Not much happening - you kind of feel like you and the main character spend much of the book just sitting around twiddling your thumbs waiting for something to happen. Oh, but then the author decides to go ahead and fill the reader in on what she had been doing behind the scenes. I hate that!! I hope the third book in the series is better.
    • 4/5
      A good second book in the series; I enjoyed Franklin's continued exploration of her rather non-traditional characters. It reminds me a lot of the Brother Cadfael series (for obvious reasons) but with a more interesting protagonist.
    • 4/5
      I dithered about the rating of this one. In some ways I did enjoy this even more than the first book in the series, Mistress of the Art of Death. I loved the portraits of Henry II of England, his queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and his mistress the "Fair" Rosamund. In all those cases they are takes unlike what I'd read of them and made me want to read more about the real history--and I even poked around a little online. That's what good historical fiction does--not only draw you into another world, but make you want to read more about the reality.However, just a cursory look at what's online revealed more that a few inconsistencies. A lot of the material about Rosamund belongs more to legend than history. There's a reference in the first book (and this one) to Henry having done penance in the past for the murder of Thomas Beckett. That penance was done in 1174. This book is set at the start of the "Great Revolt" of 1173 to 1174 in the immediate aftermath of Rosamund's death (1176). The thing is, can I really mark down a book for taking liberties I wouldn't have even noticed if the book itself hadn't sparked my interest in the real events? Well, a bit, especially when I found the historical fiction aspects of the series of more interest than the romance, mystery or stylistic merits. Yet I still like Adelia, the "mistress of of the art of death" at the center of the tale. I liked the characters Franklin surrounds her with. The mystery is in some respects stronger--I didn't guess the murderer quite as easily. It's a gripping and suspenseful tale I consumed as greedily (and mindlessly?) as a bowl of popcorn. So, a light fluffy snack? Despite some macabre aspects, this is certainly less harrowing than the first book that dealt with a serial killer of children, anti-Semitism and the blood libel. I was entertained and do want to read the two other books left in the series. So on the whole I'd say Franklin did a good job.
    • 4/5
      Nicely researched historical fiction set in England during the rule of Henry II and Eleanor. The created characters are engaging and the circumstances surrounding the story make for a very nice little mystery. The settings are well depicted and the characters interesting and, if a bit of philosophy about women's right slips in, it's well and smoothly handled.
    • 5/5
      Arianna Franklin has created a great historical mystery series with The Serpent's Tale and The Mistress of the Art of Death. In this book, Henry II's favorite mistress has been murdered and the queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Unless Adelia can solve the mystery, England will be thrown into a civil war. The combination of strong plot, great narration, and historical setting made this book a pleasure to listen to. There was enough historical basis in the book to make me check out facts on wikipedia. One thing is for sure - women's rights have come a long way since the 12th century!
    • 4/5
      I really liked this one! Better than the first!
    • 4/5
      This is second book featuring Adelia from MISTRESS IN THE ART OF DEATH. King Henry and his wife Eleanor are at odds and Henry's mistress Rosamund has just been poisoned. Can Adelia solve the crime before the royal marital spat causes another civil war? Another CSI-ish book made more intersting by setting it in the middle ages and having a strong female lead.
    • 5/5
      I loved this story in the Mistress in the Art of Death series much better than the first. This story seemed more appropriate to the time period. The historical backdrop was beautifully described and the mystery itself was well-written. When the revelation was made at the end of the story, I felt all of the pieces clicking together and found myself saying, Doh, I should have guessed that." The clues were there, but were written very subtly. I really enjoyed reading this one (although I did love book 1, too).
      "
    • 2/5
      This audiobook was not good. Even worst than the first one, and that one wasn't good either. There is hardly a story here at all, at least half of the book is just feminst propaganda. The little plot that exists is, someone wants it to look like the queen is trying to kill people. Our protagainst, an 11th century single mother who is also a doctor and a forensic scientist, goes on the case to find out. Her baby dady's who is a Catholic Bishop, shows up and then she thinks he dies. in the end every member of the clergy is fornicating and all the nuns are lesbians. and somethign about happily ever after?
    • 3/5
      I like this series!
    • 4/5
      Book on CD performed by Kate Reading3.5***From the book jacket: Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison—and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.My reactionsThere are several things I like about this series. I love a strong, independent, resilient and resourceful heroine. Adelia Aguilar is all these things, and then some. Her personal life is more complicated now that she is a mother, but this also adds interest.I like the return of certain characters (even if I don’t necessarily like all of them): Mansur (Adelia’s Arabic manservant), Gyltha (their housekeeper), Sir Rowley Picot (Bishop of Saint Albans), and King Henry. And I loved her smelly little dog!Franklin does a lot of research and it shows in the way she sets the tone and describes the landscape and relationships in 12th century England. Book two in this popular series includes much more actual history of the period, though Franklin takes liberties in imagining this plot. The plot is intricate, and had more than one surprise for the reader. Kate Reading is fast becoming a favorite narrator. She has great pacing, and is a talented voice artist, able to give the many characters unique voices.
    • 4/5
      This book was a solid follow-up to “Mistress of the Art of Death”. As the book begins, King Henry II’s mistress Rosemund is poisoned and his estranged wife Eleanor is suspected. Fearing a civil war, Henry calls for Adelia’s services in uncovering the murderer. This requires Adelia to reunite and travel with Rowley Picot, a bishop now and the father of Adelia's child. This book was a bit different than the first in that there is quite a bit of traveling done, but most of the important characters were all present. The only disappointments were that Ulf didn’t appear in this one (I love his character), and the fact that Adelia still has yet to be able to make more than a cursory examination of a body. I would love to see her be able to conduct a full autopsy. Small nitpicks, as overall I enjoyed the book a lot.
    • 4/5
      The Serpent's Tale is the follow up to Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death, the story of Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, a brilliant doctor living during the rule of King Henry II. Adelia, as she is most often called, cannot return to her homeland of Sicily because the king, who knows of her ability to identify the cause of death from the remains of a victim, finds her useful and is keeping her in England.The Serpent's Tale is a good read, but doesn't live up to Franklin's wonderful first book. Adelia has a love interest, Rowley Picot, who, after Adelia turned down his proposal, accepted a royal appointment to become a bishop. Rowley is the father of Adelia's child. In Mistress of the Art of Death Adelia's relationship with Rowley grew during the course of the book. In this novel, Adelia's feelings for Rowley are mostly in her thoughts. There's one scene on a barge where they are tied up near each other that's interesting, but other than that the couple spends most of the book apart. Adelia's focus in this novel is more on her child than her lover.The plot is about about the aftermath of a rivalry between Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Henry's queen, and Rosamund Clifford, the king's mistress. I didn't know the history before reading this book, so it was interesting to google Eleanor of Aquitaine to learn about this period. Eleanor supported her son's rebellion and, in Franklin's book, the people who could benefit from this conflict took advantage of Eleanor and Rosamund's hatred of each other.What I find most interesting about Franklin's writing is the way she takes a modern perspective to her historical novel. The people of twelfth century England are not accepting of a woman doctor or a woman stepping out of her traditional role in any other way. So Adelia, who is educated, brilliant, and willing to raise her child alone, has to contend with the bigotry of the period. It's fun to see how, after she decides not to submit to a marriage requiring her to sacrifice her career, she deals with the reactions of the people. Steve Lindahl – author of White Horse Regressions and Motherless Soul
    • 4/5
      The Serpent’s Tale is the second book in the Mistress of the Art of Death series set in Medieval England during the reign of King Henry II featuring Adelia Aguilar, a female physician from Italy.Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of the King, has died an agonizing death by poison-and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king and his new Bishop Rowley Picot (and Adelia’s lover and father of her child Allie) must once again summon Adelia to uncover the truth. Adelia and Rowley travel to the Rosamund’s home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth. However they become trapped inside a nearby nunnery by the snow and cold. Soon dead bodies begin piling up and Adelia realizes that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is plunged into civil war. I again enjoyed this character of Adelia—a feminist in a time when women only have indirect power. I was a little disappointed that Rowley was only in a small portion of the book—the relationship and give and take between he and Adelia in the first book was something that I missed. 3 ½ out of 5 stars.
    • 5/5
      The Serpent’s Tale by Ariana Franklin is the second entry in the excellent Mistress of the Art of Death Series. Set in the 12th Century during the rule of Henry II, this historical mystery has the main character Adelia Aguilar being sent off with the Bishop of St. Albans to investigate the death of Henry’s mistress, Rosamund Clifford. First and foremost, Adelia must answer as to whether Queen Eleanor was involved.To complicate matters further, the Bishop of St. Albans is Rowley Picot, the father of Adelia’s baby and the love of her life. This story is full of action and adventure although taking place in the dead of winter. Even as she is being held captive by the Queen’s unscrupulous subordinates, Adelia is investigating the murder not realizing that a very efficient assassin is following her every move. I found The Serpent’s Tale delivered an excellent mystery while at the same time brought the 12th Century to vivid life. Although there was some repetition at the beginning of the book in order to remind the reader of Adelia’s medical training and how she ended up in England these were quickly dealt with. I will definitely be following more of Adelia’s adventures in the next medieval mystery of this series that is all the more valued due to the death of the author.
    • 3/5
      This is a 12th century mystery with a compelling heroine. Adelia Aguilar, who was trained as a pathologist, has to disguise her knowledge for fear of being called a witch. This novel is interesting and well-written, and it does a good job of dramatizing the various roles of medieval Englishwomen. King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine are among the characters.
    • 1/5
      I will pick up just about any book and give it a chance. I will read horror stories about a lot of things. I drew the line today though. In the very first chapter a woman threw a live cat in a vat of boiling water and closed the lid. It screeched. Why am I drawing the line here? I've read worse about humans. I think I must like animals more. I don't think that says anything good about me but I don't care. I've convinced myself the rest of this is just drivel I don't need to hear.

      Also this line might not have been drawn on a different day in different circumstances but that's just your dumb luck Ariana Franklin.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this second outing for Adelia, mistress of the art of death, as she investigates the death of Henry II's mistress, Fair Rosamund, and becomes embroiled in a rebellion by Eleanor of Aquitaine. Still not as good as City of Shadows, and marred by consistent grammatical errors.
    • 5/5
      Spectacular. Loved it. Funny, interesting and a rollicking good mystery. Admirable heroine with an ascerbic wit and a good grasp of reality. Excellent supporting characters, but I missed Ulf int his book. Hopefully he'll be back in the next one. Looking forward to reading the next three books.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed it. She really captured for me the danger and the drama and the sheer claustrophobia of a bad winter before central heating and snowplows and broadcasting. Not being able to get away from the smells and the noise and the decay and the violence and sometimes the outright madness of people who have to stay together until the weather breaks, growing steadily more frustrated and frightened, knowing that someone is a murderer and yet knowing death is even more certain if you venture forth into the snow and ice. Great stuff.
    • 4/5
      The Serpent’s Tale by Ariana Franklin
      Book #2 in the Mistress of the Art of Death
      4 Stars

      Synopsis:
      A forensic scientist in medieval times, Adelia Aguilar finds herself embroiled in another case of murder and politics when King Henry II's mistress is poisoned. Adeila must discover the murderer's identity before she and her loved ones are caught up in the civil war that threatens to break out between Henry and his rebellious wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

      Review:
      Gets off to a slow start but increases in pace and tension and packs a huge wallop at the end. Adelia is one of my favorite characters. Her intelligence and fierce independence are awe inspiring and I really enjoy reading about her love/hate relationship with Rowley Picot, now the Bishop of Saint Albans.
      The political machinations that constitute the basis for the murder plot may be a little confusing at times, especially for those unfamiliar with English history in that period. Nevertheless, the basic motives of greed and ambition come through quite clearly. I must say that the identity of the assassin caught me by surprise. He turns out to be the one character I never suspected.
      Recommendation: An interesting and entertaining read. I am eagerly looking forward to the next one.
    • 5/5
      Set during the reign of Henry II, we are introduced to Adelia Aguilar, a doctor and anatomist from Sicily but now living in the fenlands of Cambridgeshire with her baby daughter, assistant Mansur, friend Gyltha and her dog. Called on by the local bishop to help investigate the suspected poisoning of Henry's favourite mistress, Rosamund Clifford, she journeys to Oxfordshire, where Rosamund's body lies in a tower surrounded by an intricate maze. With queen Eleanor being blamed for her rival's death, Adelia and her friends have to work hard to prevent the start of another civil war.Starting with the first few sentences, the author conjures up the lives and customs of the middle ages, with the characterizations so extraordinary and believable that they jump off the page, from the main protagonists down to the minor players, she is able to imbue even a dog, a baby and a corpse with personalities. The descriptions of the wintry countryside, Wormhold Tower and its surrounding maze, as well Godstow convent cut off by snow, are wonderful and extremely vivid, I could feel the bitter cold creeping into my bones as I read. Devoured in just over 48 hours, this is a well-researched and clever historical whodunnit, and even though the identity of the assassin's client was not too difficult to guess, the name of the assassin himself came as a total surprise. The choice of protagonist is highly unusual, and the author comments on a lot of social issues pertinent to that time through the mouths of her characters. With the evocative prose bordering on the lyrical at times, the author nevertheless displays an extraordinary lightness of touch that is compelling and an utter joy to read. Even if the first chapter of the preceding book, Mistress of the Art of Death, hadn't been included, I would have sought out the first and any subsequent titles of the series just on the strength of this book alone. Thoroughly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar is still in England after solving one case for King Henry Plantagenet who decides she is too smart and valuable to let return home to Sicily. So she stayed with her new friend Glytha, her old friend, Mansur, and her new baby, Almeisan, Allie for short, and her new dog, Ward, to replace the smelly and beloved Safeguard. The baby's fathey, Rowley, late a knight is now a bishop.Henry sends for Adelia again, to determine who had given poison mushrooms to his mistress, Rosamund. On the way to her tower surrounded by a maze of blackthorn hedges, they come across a murdered man on a bridge. More to investigate.This series is so satisfying. We get political intrigue with the historical story as well as several forensic mysteries to be solved. Adelia is wonderfully ahead of her time, scientifically and as a proponent for better conditions for women. On to the next one!
    • 4/5
      I stupidly did a simultaneous read of this book whilst listening to The Archer's Tale on audio book. The jumps between the beginning of the Hundred Years War (Cornwell's book starts in 1342) and the thirteenth century setting of this book were at times a bit disconcerting. But I was able to prevail, especially since I did no driving the last day of reading this book and could stay in one century for a while.Franklin has a good way of describing history and interspersing a mystery within it, adding enough realism and facts to interesting characters. I enjoyed catching up with Adelia and her company. There was enough forensic pathology to interest fans of Kay Scarpetta or Tempe Brennan and enough descriptions of England of Henry and Eleanor to interest history buffs.
    • 4/5
      A good follow-up to Mistress of the Art of Death. I enjoyed hearing of the exploits of Adelia and her friends, even if the history edges on the side of the fanciful.
    • 3/5
      I did not think this as well written as Mistress of the Art of Death or the story as good. She spent a lot of time going over what happened in the first book. But, a good read
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the first in this series so I was excited about this one. Many more twists - I definitely never would have guessed who the assassin was. As in the first one, [Mistress of the Art of Death], it could have done without the love story aspect, but it was still good. I love the characters in this, and I was glad to see more of Henry there at the end.