- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: St Martin's Press; First edition (25 Jun 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0312310145
- ISBN-13: 978-0312310141
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.7 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
59,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Series
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Review
""Kathryn is an appealing heroine, a medieval Jane Ten-nison, and this quick read is chockfull of recondite information from ancient coins to homeopathic cures."
Product Description
Could a village blacksmith and his wife have independently, and on the same day, murdered each other with two entirely different poisons? The local medicine woman doesn't think so. And neither does Kathryn Swinbrooke, physician of Canterbury, who is in Walmer with her new husband, Colum Murtagh. Kathryn and Colum are visiting on state business: the fate of nations hinges on a meeting between the local grandee, Lord Henry, and agents of the French king. Now murder stalks the land, and only Kathryn can cut through the web of deceit that descends with the Spider King's minions.
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Louis XI, by the wrath of God, King of France, was busy fishing. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Louis XI, by the wrath of God, King of France, was busy fishing. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Terrible things are happening in Walmer. The village blacksmith and his wife both die at the same time, but of different poisons administered seperately. How could this have happened? Katherine Swinbrooke, physician, apothecary and reluctant sleuth, is called in to find out. Other strange things have happened recently in the village, the death, apparently an accident, of Sir Henry Beauchamp's wife, and the murder of a group of Lancastrian supporters. Can Katherine sort it all out? Do you doubt it for a moment? Fans of Katherine will be glad to know that she is finally married to her hunky Irish boyfriend Colum Murtagh, and that she is enjoying married life very much. Colum lures her into bed whenever he can get her to take a break from solving murders. As with all the books in this series, there are colourful and interesting descriptions of medieval life, and lots of varied characters. I felt that there were perhaps an excessive number of muders in this book (two or three murders per mystery is about enough, I think), but of course Katherine can handle it. This is an enjoyable edition to this fun series.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Wickedness in Walmer
18 Jun 2004
Format:Hardcover
In the village of Walmer on the Kent coast, the blacksmith and his wife both die at the same time of different poisons administered seperately. How could this have happened? Katherine Swinbrooke, physician, apothecary and reluctant sleuth, is called in to find out. Other mysterious things have happened in Walmer, the death, apparently an accident, of the wife of Sir Henry Beauchamp, and the murder of a group of Lancastrian supporters. Can Katherine sort it all out? Do you doubt it for a moment. Fans of Katherine will be relieved to know that she has finally married her hunky Irish boyfriend Colum Murtagh, and is enjoying married life very much. Inbetween solving murders, Colum lures her back to bed whenever he can. As with all the books in this series, there are enjoyable and vivivd pictures of medieval life, and a host of interesting supporting characters. I feel that there are perhaps too many murders in this one, two or three per mystery is enough I think, but Katherine can cope with it. I would just like to comment on the previous reviewer who refers to Kathereine as an independent women at a time when women were just the chattles of their menfolk. In fact there was no shortage of independent women in the Middle Ages, they were far les chattels then than they became in later centuries. Anyway, this is a fun series and kathereine is a likeable heroine, and I am so glad she has got Colum at last!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Not quite up to earlier books in series
6 Aug 2004
Format:Hardcover
While the French ambassadors visit Lord Henry, hoping to secure a permanent peace between France and England, a rash of poisonings breaks out in Lord Henry's nearby town of Walmer. Visiting physician Kathryn Swinbrooke, newly married to Irishman Colum Murtagh, suspects that the poisonings are related to the recent execution of three Lancaster loyalists after the York victories of Barnet and Tewkesbury. Of course, Walmer has a dark past--not long before, Lord Henry had broken up a gang that lured ships to the dangerous shore and despoiled them. Of course, the treacherous Frenchmen, or possibly the visiting preacher, could have something to do with it. Besides, as Colum points out to Kathryn, even Lord Henry is hardly above suspicion.
Set in War of the Roses England, A FEAST OF POISONS deals with greed, the fears that drive men to sin, and atonement of guilt. Because virtually everyone has some great guilt, some horrible secret, hanging over their heads. When one of the French ambassadors is found poisoned, Kathryn wonders whether there could possibly be a connection between the remote rural village and the high and mighty of the kingdom.
Author C. L. Grace spent a bit too much time with Kathryn and Colum admiring how much in love with one another they were and how perfect their bodies were. In mystery, I like to get a good feel for the various red herrings, their possible motives, their private guilts. I didn't feel that I got enough of that in FEAST.
The War of the Roses is a particularly fascinating point in English history and Grace's strong adherence to the Yorkist cause is a nice switch from the Shakespearian-based histories that followed the eventual Lancaster victory. A FEAST OF POISONS is an interesting story but I would have liked to see more interesting character development to add to the late-medieval atmosphere. For me, at least, FEAST did not live up to the promise set in earlier novels in the Kathryn Swinbrooke series.
Set in War of the Roses England, A FEAST OF POISONS deals with greed, the fears that drive men to sin, and atonement of guilt. Because virtually everyone has some great guilt, some horrible secret, hanging over their heads. When one of the French ambassadors is found poisoned, Kathryn wonders whether there could possibly be a connection between the remote rural village and the high and mighty of the kingdom.
Author C. L. Grace spent a bit too much time with Kathryn and Colum admiring how much in love with one another they were and how perfect their bodies were. In mystery, I like to get a good feel for the various red herrings, their possible motives, their private guilts. I didn't feel that I got enough of that in FEAST.
The War of the Roses is a particularly fascinating point in English history and Grace's strong adherence to the Yorkist cause is a nice switch from the Shakespearian-based histories that followed the eventual Lancaster victory. A FEAST OF POISONS is an interesting story but I would have liked to see more interesting character development to add to the late-medieval atmosphere. For me, at least, FEAST did not live up to the promise set in earlier novels in the Kathryn Swinbrooke series.
Feast of a Medieval Mystery
29 July 2004
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Kathryn and her new husband Colum are spending their honeymoon at the manor of Lord Henry, naturally amidst murders. On the national front, the French are trying to keep King Edward from their shores and keep Henry Tudor safe. Locally, the village of Walmer has a series of deaths by poison. Kathryn uses logic to catch the murderers. The author deftly weaves history and social life of the middle ages into an intricate plotted mystery. If you like Candace Robb's Owen Archer mysteries this is one you will want to read. The plot is strong, the characters multi-faceted, and a very strong heroine.
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