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sandygx260's review against another edition
1.0
What a dull, plodding book. Imagine taking a tale about whores and murders and making it dull. What an accomplishment.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
A really good historical mystery. When a papal messenger is found murdered outside the church steps, the women of the Old Priory Guesthouse are accused and since they are whores they decide to find out the real culprit before they hang.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
4.0
Roberta Gellis is right up there with Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter in terms of writing a believable middle ages: her characters are sympathetic but not ahistorical and there are a million tiny details which make the setting feel lived-in and real. Romance, which Gellis usually writes, can be a very constricting genre - medieval marriages were almost never made for love, and historical romance readers have very clear expectations of what they want to be reading, whether or not that matches how things would have played out in history - and the fact that this one is a mystery gives her a lot more space for realism.
The heroine, Magdalene le Batarde, is a whore (actually a madam), which allows her a great deal of latitude in her actions (she is, after all, a businesswoman) while keeping this freedom realistic. That said, the fact that every other whore in the brothel is somehow different (blind, mute, developmentally delayed) is a little ridiculous, and the plot did have a tendency to plod at points. Overall, however, an engrossing read which feels like reading fiction about an actual historical event.
One warning note, however, is that while I think the level of realism is at Peters/Pargeter's, the overall feel is much grittier; there is more violence (or, properly, more frightening violence: it is sometimes directed at the main characters, often casually, rather than kept at a safe investigatory remove) and because several of the main characters are whores, there is much more attention devoted to how medieval attitudes towards women were harmful and awful. The Brother Cadfael novels are much more soothing, and the genre of medieval mysteries they spawned have a tendency to be cozy and pleasant, with less attention devoted to the dirt, violence, and (literally) cutthroat politics of the early middle ages. That cannot be said of Gellis' work, so readers should know what they're getting into.
The heroine, Magdalene le Batarde, is a whore (actually a madam), which allows her a great deal of latitude in her actions (she is, after all, a businesswoman) while keeping this freedom realistic. That said, the fact that every other whore in the brothel is somehow different (blind, mute, developmentally delayed) is a little ridiculous, and the plot did have a tendency to plod at points. Overall, however, an engrossing read which feels like reading fiction about an actual historical event.
One warning note, however, is that while I think the level of realism is at Peters/Pargeter's, the overall feel is much grittier; there is more violence (or, properly, more frightening violence: it is sometimes directed at the main characters, often casually, rather than kept at a safe investigatory remove) and because several of the main characters are whores, there is much more attention devoted to how medieval attitudes towards women were harmful and awful. The Brother Cadfael novels are much more soothing, and the genre of medieval mysteries they spawned have a tendency to be cozy and pleasant, with less attention devoted to the dirt, violence, and (literally) cutthroat politics of the early middle ages. That cannot be said of Gellis' work, so readers should know what they're getting into.
bookcraft's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the mystery and the setting quite a bit, but the protagonist being so beautiful that she causes riots and gets assaulted if she goes out in public without being veiled felt a little over the top.
gifflesnooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jillyfae's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a series than lingers, an unusual historical setting, an interesting main character, a solid and interesting mystery.
staceylynn42's review
4.0
Magdalene runs a high class whorehouse in the Old Priory Guesthouse, owned by the bishop of Winchester. It backs up to the priory next door & shares a gated wall with them. She doesn't usually take strangers for clients, but one evening a man came with a reference from a former client. He chose her bind whore Sabina as his companion for the evening, but at one point stepped out to have a quick meeting at the priory. He ended up murdered on the church porch & turned out to be a papal messenger. For their own safety, because they know they will be blamed if the murderer isn't found, the women decide to look for him.
Magdalene takes what she knows to the bishop, seeking his help and Winchester appoints one of his knights, Bellamy of Itchen, to look into it. Bell doesn't trust the whores entirely but doesn't believe they are guilty of murder. However the messenger's pouch has gone missing & he's fairly sure the women know something about it.
A very entertaining story.
Magdalene takes what she knows to the bishop, seeking his help and Winchester appoints one of his knights, Bellamy of Itchen, to look into it. Bell doesn't trust the whores entirely but doesn't believe they are guilty of murder. However the messenger's pouch has gone missing & he's fairly sure the women know something about it.
A very entertaining story.
stacey42's review against another edition
4.0
Magdalene runs a high class whorehouse in the Old Priory Guesthouse, owned by the bishop of Winchester. It backs up to the priory next door & shares a gated wall with them. She doesn't usually take strangers for clients, but one evening a man came with a reference from a former client. He chose her bind whore Sabina as his companion for the evening, but at one point stepped out to have a quick meeting at the priory. He ended up murdered on the church porch & turned out to be a papal messenger. For their own safety, because they know they will be blamed if the murderer isn't found, the women decide to look for him.
Magdalene takes what she knows to the bishop, seeking his help and Winchester appoints one of his knights, Bellamy of Itchen, to look into it. Bell doesn't trust the whores entirely but doesn't believe they are guilty of murder. However the messenger's pouch has gone missing & he's fairly sure the women know something about it.
A very entertaining story.
Magdalene takes what she knows to the bishop, seeking his help and Winchester appoints one of his knights, Bellamy of Itchen, to look into it. Bell doesn't trust the whores entirely but doesn't believe they are guilty of murder. However the messenger's pouch has gone missing & he's fairly sure the women know something about it.
A very entertaining story.
kristi_asleep_dreaming's review against another edition
4.0
Mystery historical about prostitutes. Not as charming as some of her other books, I think the Rosalynde books and the early Greek fantasy are my favourites. But quite a gritty-feeling depiction of medieval life and religion, for her. I didn't know whores were excommunicate.
Lots of good oldfashioned words for sex. Futtering. I like that. But I didn't quite buy the House of Handicapped Whores. Needs more backstory.
Lots of good oldfashioned words for sex. Futtering. I like that. But I didn't quite buy the House of Handicapped Whores. Needs more backstory.
lsneal's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. The medieval setting was convincingly portrayed, and the layers of political intrigue were a fascinating backdrop to the story. I also enjoyed the main character, Magdalene...I found her very compelling and interesting, and I thought the author provided a very plausible reason for her to interest herself in the mystery and its solution.