A Murderous Procession

A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin

This is book 4 of the series The Mistress of the Art of Death.

Adelia Aquilar is from Sicily but forced to remain in England by King Henry II. She is a 12th century anatomist who was requisitioned by Henry Plantagenet to solve a series of murders. Once the case was solved, Henry decided Adelia was much too useful to him to allow her to return to Italy so she has been forced to build a life in England.

Now, Henry is requiring that she accompany his daughter, Joanna, as she travels to Sicily to marry William II King of Sicily. Adelia is thrilled to be returning home but Henry is holding her daughter hostage to ensure her return. Adelia must also help Henry keep a mythical treasure from his scheming sons while a madman stalks her, determined to end her life as she ended the life of his lover over two years ago.

I really enjoy these books. Franklin seems to do a great deal of research regarding the politics of the day but also where medicine was at the time. I'm wondering how many more books are to come since she has come to a point in history when the Church really took over medicine and everything became much more conservative in both England (especially after the death of Henry II) and Italy.

Grave Secret

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

This is the latest book in the Harper Connelly series. These book have been all about the same but this one tied up some mysteries in the personal life of Harper and Tolliver. The ending was tied up really neat and really fast. I felt a little like a guest who had over-stayed their welcome and was being shoved out the door. The way it ended also made me wonder if Harris is going to continue this series or if she's done. If you've read the others, read this one.

Blink

Blink:The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

This book delves into what is behind the decisions we make. It looks at studies pitting snap decisions against the long, drawn out decisions we make. We learn when we can trust our immediate "gut reactions" and when it might not be the best choice.

Malcolm Gladwell does a good job combining the findings of numerous studies and putting them together with text that is easy and enjoyable to read and understand. This book will definitely make you think about how you think - and why you think it.