Customer Reviews

An Order For Death: 7: The Seventh Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew (Chronicles of Matthew Bartholomew)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once again Susanna Gregory has written a superb exciting book. You can never guess who dunnit, the plot is so intricate and exciting. I have read every book up to the seventh and am about to buy the eighth and can't wait for the ninth. I am never disappointed by any of Susanna Gregory's books.

After the last Susanna Gregory novel, that they were becoming predictable: well-written, interesting, fun and worth reading. An Order for Death does not change this trend. I did find it a little slow to begin with as I struggled to remember which religious order supported which philosophical argument but this minor difficulty was soon surpassed by Gregory's well-drawn characters and events. The usual characters are all present in this book: Matthew, Michael, Agatha and Matilde but they are also joined by some interesting new-comers such as Richard Stanmore and Timothy. And, again, Gregory presents a vivid picture of life in Medieval Cambridge. If you liked the previous Barthomolew books you will like this one. If you haven't yet read them - do so soon.

Am I developing some kind of Gregory-fatigue, having read all previous novels in the series one after the other in rapid succession? Up to the very end 'An order for death' is as good as all the previous novels with all the familiar characters and the many twists and turns I've come to expect from Susanna Gregory's novels, but I couldn't help but feel that the end is not up to the same standard. The culprit isn't really unmasked by Matthew and Michael but just sort of gives himself away I felt.

Be that as it may, this is still a very good historical whodunnit and it certainly hasn't discouraged me from immediately grabbing the 8th volume ('A summer of discontent') and ordering the 9th!

The book arrived well on time in the condition quoted plus it was at a good price. I started to read Susanna Gregory's Mathew Bartholemew series a couple of years ago and found them to be an excellent read. Based around life at Cambridge university around the time of the plague and like Midsomer, dead bodies turn up on a regular basis and Mathew and his Monk friend Michael follow the clues to find the murderer/s. You have to enjoy a Medieval Murder mystery and some information is often repeated across the series but then you have to cater for anyone just 'dipping in'. I find that you get sucked in and want to know the outcome and that's all you want from a good book.

Being from the Cambridgeshire Fens, I tend to be a bit biased and consequently always look forward to the Matthew Bartholomew books with unrestrained enthusiasm. OK, they are clearly written for the masses and despite some impressive attention to detail the books aren't a patch on C.S. Sansom's Matthew Shardlark books but what the hell! They really are page-turners of the first degree. And the dialogue between Matthew and Brother Michael just tickle me pink. Sometimes the villains are a bit too "Victorian melodrama" in their language or even "Scooby Doo," to the point of saying " ... and I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for your meddling!" etc. but I don't care. I've just bought the eighth instalment and am looking forward to getting stuck into it. Juicy murders a plenty, plots and counter plots, cold-blooded villains, Brother Michael's belly, what more could a reader want? I hope she carries on writing this series for years to come!

Perhaps not as good as the previous six. A bit slower than previous novels with a very complex, but still entertaining cast of characters. Still very well written and a very good read.

This time around, Cambridge is in turmoil over the philosophy of 'nominalism'. Some religious houses agree with it, other vehemently regard it as akin to heresey.
With this in the background, a Carmelite friar, and a supporter of nominalism is murdered. Was it an opposing sect?
Michael's assistant proctor soon joins the list of murdered dead and there are secret meetings afoot in a priory where the nuns have a less than wholesome reputation. On a visit there Matthew and Michael are introduced to Tysilia, the bishop's neice, who does little to alay the licentious reputation.

Matthew's nephew arrives back from Oxford and his swagger and attitude upset everbody except the Oxford scholar he befriends. The same scholar Michael is trying to get to agree to a land deal that will benefit Cambridge over their rivals.
As with all Susanna Gregory novels, the dialogue is excellent and the ending not what is expected. Well worth reading and the ongoing romantic overtures between Matthew and Matilde, lead you beautifully into wanting to get novel eight.
Bring it on...

If you like historical murder mysteries then this is the one for you. An easy read with a few twists in the plot

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.