Susanna Gregory

Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of medieval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medicine and investigator of murders in 14th-century Cambridge.

Though the books may have some aspects in common with the Ellis Peters Cadfael series (an amateur and reluctant sleuth sceptical of superstition and somewhat ahead of his time) the tone and subject matter of the Gregory novels is far darker and does not shirk from portraying the harsh realities of life in the Middle Ages. The first in the series, "A Plague on both your Houses" is set against the ravages of the Black Death and subsequent novels take much of their subject matter from the attempts of society to recover from this disaster.

These novels bear the marks of much detailed research into medieval conditions - one feels that many of the supporting characters have names taken from the documentation of the time - and well evoke the squalor of the Middle Ages; the struggle between traditional leechcraft and the dawning of evidence-based medicine is a common bone of contention between Matthew and the students he teaches at Michaelhouse College (now part of Trinity College, Cambridge), whilst the conflict between the students of Cambridge and the townsfolk is always ready to erupt into violence.

Another series of books titled "Chaloner", set just after the Restoration of Charles II and featuring Thomas Chaloner, detective and former spy, began with "A Conspiracy of Violence" published in January 2006, and continues with "Blood on the Strand," published in January 2007.

Matthew Bartholomew

# "A Plague on Both Your Houses"
# "An Unholy Alliance"
# "A Bone of Contention"
# "A Deadly Brew"
# "A Wicked Deed"
# "A Masterly Murder"
# "An Order for Death"
# "A Summer of Discontent"
# "A Killer in Winter"
# "The Hand of Justice"
# "The Mark of a Murderer"
# "The Tarnished Chalice"
# "To Kill or Cure"
# "The Devil's Disciples"
# "A Vein Of" (due June 2009)

Chaloner

# "A Conspiracy of Violence: Chaloner's First Exploit in Restoration London" (2006)
# "Blood On the Strand: Chaloner's Second Exploit in Restoration London" (2006)
# "The Butcher of Smithfield: Chaloner's Third Exploit in Restoration London" (2008)
# "The Westminster Poisoner: Chaloner's Fourth Exploit in Restoration London" (due December 2008)

References

* A Conspiracy of Violence: Chaloner's First Exploit in Restoration London. Review in "Publishers' Weekly". New York: May 1, 2006. Vol.253, Iss. 18; p.41.
* The Tainted Relic (co-authored by Gregory). Review in "Publishers' Weekly". New York: Oct 31, 2005. Vol. 252, Iss. 43; p.35
* 'A Plague on Both Your Houses. Review by Rex E Klett. "Library Journal". New York: Oct 1, 1998. Vol.123, Iss. 16; p.139.
* An Unholy Alliance. Review by Brainard, Dulcy. "Publishers' Weekly". New York: Nov 25, 1996. Vol.243, Iss. 48; p.?.
* A Bone of Contention. Review by Rex E Klett. "Library Journal". New York: Dec 1997. Vol.122, Iss. 20; p.158.
* A Bone of Contention. Review by Dulcy Brainard. "Publishers' Weekly". New York: Sep 29, 1997. Vol.244, Iss. 40; p.70.
* An Unholy Alliance. Review by Klett, Rex E. "Library Journal". New York: Dec 1996. Vol.121, Iss. 20; p.150.
* An Unholy Alliance. Review by Brainard, Dulcy. "Publishers' Weekly". New York: Nov 25, 1996. Vol.243, Iss. 48; p.?

External links

* [http://www.matthewbartholomew.co.uk/ Susanna Gregory's website]