A Deadly Brew

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The Books Just Get Better and Better - 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 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.

A new, and very well endowed college has opened and Matthew Bartholomew is caught in the middle of some petty squabbling among the academics as they all vie for position as the new appointments are made. The town of Cambridge and its residents have still not recovered from the havoc wreaked by the plague and the winter and spring have not helped, being extremely wet. There is a fever outbreak amongst the poorer people of the town and the fact that the Cambridge colleges are gaining a reputation for their wealth is making the tension between the townsfolk and the students even more precarious.

On top of all this there is a death, a student, killed it is reported by poisoned wine. Then there is a second victim, Dittone, the deputy master of the new college. But the puzzling thing is that there seems to be little or no connection between the master and the student. Bartholomew must try to solve the mystery before the town and the universities are at one another's throat.

This is the fourth book in the series and Matthew Bartholomew now seems like an old friend to the reader. It was also inspirationally by the author to place the books in mediaeval Cambridge. It just seems to add some extra atmosphere to the books.

Very good - Rated
Another good medieval story with the reluctant detective Matthew Bartholomew and his brother-in-arms Michael. Intricate plot, believable characters, and a very colourful depiction of medieval Cambridge.

At times I found myself wondering if there were any inhabitants left alive there with all this murdering and disappearing going on but maybe that's just because I've read all first four novels in a row now (and starting on number five 'a wicked deed' as soon as I finish this review)

Excellant - Rated
Another well written and plotted murder and smuggling mystery. It includes almost the whole gammut of human 'negative' emotions and reactions, from greed and revenge to assumption of guilt, fear and double-dealing. Nothing is quite what it seems almost up to the last page, with the reader not being too sure if they can take any character wholly at face value. This is not to say that truth and honesty don't get a look in, it's just that even the 'good guys' are sometimes drawn into the 'gray' areas of life.

The building of the main characters from one book to the next - Bartholomew, Brother Michael, Tulyet, Cynric etc - lends an authenticity to the proceedings. This is helped by the fact that some of the characters - both main and bit-parts - are actual historical figures.

Once again the smells, sight, sounds and strange mixture of philosophy & religion are brought vividly to life. At turns you wish you'd been there to experience life on a (sometimes) simpler level, but then you encounter the lack of sanitation, cleanliness & 'comforts' we take for granted today. How people managed to survive when medicine was not much more than astrology,symbolism & superstition is anyone's guess. The ongoing fight of Matthew Bartholomew against fear and ignorance, makes one wonder how medicine actually managed to progress to where we are at nowadays (!)

Another wonderful evocation of the history of Cambridge, and the truth that - although over 600 years ago - it is still greed, hate and revenge that motivates most crime.

Recommended.

Brilliant murder mystery! - Rated
'A deadly brew'continues Susanna Gregory's fantastic Matthew Bartholomew series of books. The town of Cambridge is still recovering from the plague. People are scared, the townsfolk are rebellious and the university is unsupportive. Three University members are poisoned and once again the duty falls on Matthew Bartholomew a Michaelhouse college physician and scholar to find the murderer.
This book is filled with intrigue,suspense and mystery. There are more twists and red herrings then in any other historical fiction. The medieval city of Cambridge is brought to life with the sights and smells, fears and prejudice that characterised it in the medieval period. The differences in lifestyle between Town and Church are cleverly highlighted in this graphic book which is as good as any Ellis Peters book I have ever read. What makes this series of books exceptional is the characters who have so much depth and identity that you cant help liking them. This is a series of books that is more complex and compelling than any other historical fiction I have read and I can assure you that you will never guess the murderer or motive like you can with others.
A deadly brew is an amazing read!