From Publishers Weekly
In 12th-century France, religion suffuses society. Relics, attributed with great power, are (almost) universally venerated and trade in religious objects is a lucrative, often dangerous business. After losing their first child at birth, ex-novice Catherine Le Vendeur and her English husband, Edgar, last encountered in The Devil's Door, are drawn into this perilous world when Edgar agrees to pose as a masterless craftsman and infiltrate the group suspected of refashioning stolen religious goods. Also at stake is the future of Catherine's relatives, Jews living near the Abbey of St. Denis on sufferance of King Louis VII. Natan ben Judah, whose unsavory reputation may endanger his people, has been murdered; and the relic of the arm of Saint Aldhelm of England, which figures in the dynastic struggles between England's King Stephen and his cousin Matilda, widow of the Holy Roman Emperor, has disappeared. Newman displays a sure hand with the period and her affecting cast in this deftly crafted tale. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Newman (The Devil's Door, Forge, 1994) offers lively and credible historical fiction as she depicts 12th-century Paris and environs. She centers her tale around 19-year-old Catherine Le Vendeur, a Christian of Jewish blood, and her Saxon husband, Edgar. Edgar, posing as an out-of-luck metalworker, and Catherine, portraying his wife, attempt to discover who has been stealing English church objects, melting them down, and reworking them?a practice blamed in part on a murdered Jew. Intriguing plot, realistic depictions of contemporary culture, and a spunky young heroine. Highly recommended.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Donada Peters's reading of Newman's historical mystery misses the feel of twelfth-century Europe. This brilliant romantic adventure of a stolen religious relic involves the complex cultural crossroads of Saxons and Normans, Jews and Catholics. The story is richly exotic, full of well-researched but inconspicuous historical details. But Peters's otherwise proficient voice is not up to the task of the nuance and ambiance of the period, and is marred by frequent mispronunciations of Hebrew words. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Newman offers another exquisitely crafted historical whodunit. Medieval France is once again the vividly rendered backdrop against which Catherine Le Vendeur, onetime novice nun and sleuth extraordinaire, operates in her own inimitable fashion. After leaving the comfortable confines of the convent to marry her beloved Edgar, Catherine swiftly becomes embroiled in another perplexing mystery. When incriminating evidence appears to link certain friends and family members to the disappearance of a cherished reliquary purported to house the sacred remains of St. Aldhelm, Catherine and Edgar immediately launch a discreet investigation. A subsequent murder exposes the duo to the manifold perils of the Paris netherworld, underscoring their precarious position. An extremely intelligent narrative that expertly captures and conveys the authentic flavor of medieval life and thought. Margaret Flanagan


About the Author
Sharan Newman won Romantic Times magazine's Career Achievement Award for Historical Mystery in 1999. She lives in Oregon.

ANNOTATION

The third title, after Death Comes as Epiphany and The Devil's Door, in Sharan Newman's critically acclaimed Catherine LeVendeur series is a powerful novel of murder and religious persecution. Catherine must find a lost reliquary to save those she loves--and to do so, must finally confront and come to terms with her family's Jewish heritage. Ads/media.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The third title, after Death Comes as Epiphany and The Devil's Door, in Sharan Newman's critically acclaimed Catherine LeVendeur series is a powerful novel of murder and religious persecution. Catherine must find a lost reliquary to save those she loves--and to do so, must finally confront and come to terms with her family's Jewish heritage. Ads/media.

FROM THE CRITICS

KLIATT

The third in a series, this has Catherine LeVendeur continuing her detecting ways in medieval France. Newman explains in an Afterword about her fiction: "Because I am also a historian, this book is placed as accurately as possible within my vision of a particular time and place in history." She entertains while realistically presenting Paris and environs in winter, 1141. An aspirant for a bishopric takes a saint's relic from Salisbury to further his overwhelming ambition. St. Aldhelm's arm soon disappears, but suspicions about its whereabouts finally focus on Paris. Catherine is a Christian, while many of her family are Jews in a country that only tolerates them. Because of her husband's skillful hands, he is asked to infiltrate a group in the city reshaping church vessels, and he learns the intricacies of metalworking. When a villain dies of poisoning, there is a connection with Catherine's uncle, Eliazar, and various relatives and acquaintances join Catherine and her husband in the search for the killer and for the holy relic. The prologue and each of the book's 20 chapters are preceded by a brief description of site and a pertinent classical quotation in its original language and in English. A map of 12th-century Paris guides the reader willing to make this challenging journey. (a Catherine LeVendeur mystery) KLIATT Codes: A—Recommended for advanced students, and adults. 1995, Tor, Forge, 351p., $14.95. Ages 17 to adult. Reviewer: Maureen K. Griffin; Researcher, Everett, MA , November 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 6)

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