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A Mortal Bane

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A Mortal Bane

By: Roberta Gellis
Narrated by: Nadia May
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About this listen

 Magdalene la Batarde is the madam of the Old Priory Guesthouse in Southwark. She and her women are expected to engage in a number of sinful activities, but bloody murder isn't one of them until Baldassare, the messenger, dies. Though Baldassare isn't a regular client of the Old Priory Guesthouse, Magdalene and her women refuse to allow his death to go unavenged. Of course, their efforts aren't completely altruistic. Chances are if they don't find the killer, they will be assumed guilty, because they are whores, and will be gutted and hanged.

Into this sea of intrigue steps the handsome Sir Bellamy of Itchen. The bishop of Winchester, who was served for many years by Baldassare, has put Bellamy, his most trusted knight, in charge of the murder investigation and ordered him to prove Magdalene is the killer. Bellamy is instantly captivated by his chief suspect but also convinced that she is hiding something. Sure that she is involved in the messenger's death right up to her beautiful eyebrows but unable to believe she's a killer, Bellamy must find out how and why Baldassare died, or watch the mysterious Magdalene meet her fate on the gallows.

©1999 Roberta Gellis (P)2002 Blackstone Audiobooks Detective Historical Mystery Traditional Detectives Fiction Hotel

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Critic reviews

"In this top-notch production Nadia May uses different cadences to effectively denote different characters. Her mellifluous voice and accents are perfect for the story. The authentic historical detail, mystery, romance, and well-defined characters work together to create a memorable story." ( AudioFile)
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A new author for me and delighted to have discovered her. Looking forward to hearing more stories. Excellent characters and settings. Reader conveyed the different perspectives brilliantly. Loved it.

Excellent medieval mystery

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A really enjoyable account of how medieval women's lives were restricted and despised, yet greedy, scheming men cannot manage without them.

A lively story of medieval loyalties and intrigues

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… but I did - I really did. I usually read books from the historical mystery genre, but I tend to avoid all such with female main protagonists. I am a woman myself so no claims of misogyny please - it's just that their behaviour tends to annoy me as a fellow female, so I just steer clear. I took a chance on this, and I loved it. There was a teensy bit of what I don't like (stupid simpering behaviour when a man they are keen on is around), but not too much.

The performance of the narrator was outstanding and she brought the tale to life. The book had many male characters and she dealt with these extremely well, giving a different voice to each, and never making any of them sound like a woman trying to sound like a man. An all-round good story, and the mild sexual tension between the two main characters didn't intrude into the mystery too much. Again, I hate that sort of thing in my historical mystery fiction. I'm looking for Agatha Christie, not Barbara Cartland!

Didn't expect to enjoy it...

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I got a bit confused with the politics.. but that did not detract me from enjoying the story. So refreshing to read a book with a strong, independent woman as the main character. Great characters and plot.

loved this book

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Whilst I enjoy medieval mysteries and this one was ok some of the terminology did not sit right with me. The term chick was unlikely to be used in that time period and I don’t think women would call each other luv either. But that is a small annoyance for an enjoyable listen.

A Mortal Bane

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With a similar anatomy (though certainly not an identical one) to the Brother Cadfael stories, any fan of Ellis Peters is likely to like this one. It might be a little longer than was necessary but the good cast of characters are worth hanging out with a little longer.

One for Ellis Peters fans

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Thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading others in this series. The narration is very good and clear which brings the story to life.

A Mortal Bane

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I stumbled across Roberta Gellis by accident and have become hooked. This is an easy listen with strong characters and a good storyline. Really well read by Nadia May. I have all of the available Gellis novels and hope one day that the final one in the series will be available on Audible. It is one of the books that I listen to often - it never fails to please.

A Really Good Listen

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On the whole I enjoyed this book. The main character, being a prostitute, meant it was different from the rest. Being set firmly within the historical period of the feud between Stephen and Matilda, I was generally aware of the major historical characters of the time, however I did find it difficult to distinguish between the less well-known and the author's own fictional inventions, and occasionally had to try to Google some of their names which wasn't easy as I wasn't sure of the spellings. Also, I don't know if it was just me, but I couldn't help keep thinking that 'Bell/Belle' was the name of one of the prostitutes! This had become fixed in my mind early on in the book due to my lack of concentration, and this often interrupted the flow of the story whilst I reminded myself of who he was. I wish he had been referred to by his given name. However, despite all these personal 'niggles', I would recommend this book and I intend to listen to the next book in the series ... but must remember the Belle/Bell is a man!

Different from the usual historical fiction

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A good performance pleasant mystery enjoyed the characters and the old English vocabulary and etiquette

Historical

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