A Plague on Both Your Houses - Rated 
Interesting read though the plot gets extremely complicated towards the end of the book and interest in whodunnit began to wane. Far more effective is the author's depiction of a plague ridden town, which perhaps would have made a more interesting novel without the murders. Matthew Barthlolomew seems a bit vague and wet but serves his purpose. Not sure if I would pick up the next one in the series.
"captivating read" - Rated 
This book is filled with so many exciting twists and turns you won't be able to put it down! With a host of inriguing characters and a plot filled with suspense and humour it is well worth the money. A great start to a great series. A brilliant read for any fan of medieval fiction.
Great Start to a Great Series - Rated
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 first 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.
The year is 1348 and the inhabitants of Cambridge live under the shadow of a terrible pestilence that has swept through northern Europe, crossed the channel and moved voraciously through southern England. As if Matthew had not enough to contend with he is distracted by the death of the Master of the university, an inexplicable death and one that the authorities do not seem to want solving.
When three more scholars died in unexplained circumstances Bartholomew decides enough is enough and begins his own enquiry into the death, but his pursuit of the truth leads him into a complex tangle of lies and deceit that causes him to question the innocence or otherwise of close friends and even his family. On top of all this the Black Death has finally arrived in Cambridge . . .
Better than Cadfael - Rated
This is a fantastic medieval mystery and a glorious introduction to the Matthew Bartholomew series. I've read them all now, and they really should be read in sequence, so if you are considering reading these chronicles, this is the best place to start. One of the best things about this book, and in fact the whole series, is that they are wonderfully atmospheric - so much so that you can actually feel yourself transported to medieval Cambridge. The characters are well-defined and the story provides some real surprises - all necessary for a good murder mystery. The temptation is, of course, to compare this series with the Cadfael books by Ellis Peters. Having read both, I would say that Susanna Gregory's are superior in every way. In particular, they are less formulaic than Cadfael and in my opinion, readers are therefore less likely to become bored with the Matthew Bartholomew series.
Good start... - Rated 
I was looking for a medieval murder mystery type book having finished Ellis Peter's Cadfael series. I was researching in my local bookstore when I came across the Matthew Bartholomew series. I found this one a bit slow to start with and with perhaps too many characters and sub plots to remember who was who as a put down, pick up type reader. But hang in there...
I persevered and am now on my 5th novel. I'm hooked. They get better and better as do the plots and characters, who skillfully draw you into their lives and intrigues.
If you like Cadfael and the likes, this is for you.
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