 |
Theatre | Music | Movies Humour | Literature | Museums
British Video Index | British Book Index | British Audio Index
Roberta Gellis has master's degrees in both biochemistry and in medieval literature. Married for fifty years, she lives with her family in Long Island. Roberta spent ten years as a research chemist and several more as a free-lance editor of scientific manuscripts. She has been writing now for some thirty years and has become one of the most successful writers of historical and romantic fiction in the US, winning many awards since 1964, for twenty-five meticulously researched novels. Other genre include romantic suspense (sometimes under the pseudonym of Priscilla Hamilton), science fiction (under the pseudonym of Max Daniels) and Greek and Celtic Fantasy. Roberta has recently turned to historical mysteries set in her favourite time and place: twelfth-century London.
|
|
|
 A Mortal Bane
Magdalene la Bātarde is the whoremistress of the Old Priory Guesthouse in
Southwark - where pleasures of the flesh forbidden in London are legal. But though she and
her women indulge in a number of sinful delights, they have never been accused of bloody
murder ... until Baldassare, the papal messenger, dies. Then Magdalene must discover who
committed the crime - or hang herself.
Messer Baldassare is not a regular client in the Old Priory Guesthouse, but he was restoring
himself there after a hard trip from Rome to England. When he is found in a pool of blood on
the north porch of the church of St. Mary Overy Priory, the monks insist that it must be the
corrupt whoremistress or one of her women who committed the crime.
Sir Bellamy of Itchen is ordered by the Bishop of Winchester to investigate Baldassare's
death and to watch carefully the actions of the beautiful and mysterious Magdalene. Sir
Bellamy finds that order all too easy to follow. He would be delighted to follow it right into
Magdalene's bed - however, duty forbids. Bell does not wish to see Magdalene hanged for
murder, but it is soon apparent that she is hiding something and is involved in the messenger's
death right up to her exquisite eyebrows.
...Check price & availability
|
November 1999, has seen Roberta put the finishing touches to the second novel in her new historical mystery series. 1139 sees the return of Sir Bellamy of Itchen, acting on behalf of the Bishop of Winchester, and Magdalene la Batarde of the Old Priory Guesthouse as they turn detective once more in the less than salubrious streets of Southwark. "A Personal Devil" should be published in late 2000.
|
| |
|
