Mistress of the Art of Death

How it reads

Mistress of the Art of Death is historical fiction (medieval historical mystery, specifically), and its dominant mood is dark. It goes to difficult places and doesn't look away. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in a small town setting, in the historical past, told in the third person, staying close to one character. Its central concerns are justice, identity and faith. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It opens a series. The ending resolves happily. At 384 pages it's an ordinary novel's length. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.