A Killer in Winter: The Ninthe Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle (Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles)

Book Description

Christmas approaches in 1354 and the town is gripped by the worst blizzards in living memory. The weather has trapped many travellers in the town, including Matthew's erstwhile love, Philippa, and her wealthy husband. In some ways he is relieved to accept Brother Michael's orders to identify a man found dead in a nearby church. However, it soon comes to light that the man was Philippa's husband's servant, and soon her husband himself is found dead. Was it an accident, or a more sinister death?

Customer Reviews:

An Exciting Wintery tale.......2006-08-11

Susanna Gregory is not as prolific a writer as many of the authors who write this style of book and the anticipation of waiting for a new title can be quite frustrating for the reader. However the wait is always worthwhile.

Her choice of Cambridge as the main backdrop to her books is inspired. It seems to lull the reader into a world of spires and colleges inhabited by the students and academics who teach there. There is also always the underground rumblings of the inhabitants of the city who are constantly at loggerheads with the colleges and hate the students intensely, thinking of them as nothing more than thugs and bully boys.

Christmas is coming and while Matthew Bartholomew's colleagues in the Cambridge colleges are preparing for the festivities, Matthew in his role of physician is struggling to help the poorer citizens through one of the worst winters in living memory.

Matthew however, is given a brief respite from his duties when Brother Michael calls on him to identify a man found dead, probably from the freezing cold in one of the churches. The victim is servant to the husband of Matthew's lost love Philippa. Later, the husband himself is the victim of a tragic accident on treacherous ice. Or, perhaps the death is not the accident everyone supposes it to be . . .

Susanna Gregory has a well proven formula and she sticks to it. Her books are well written, well researched and most of all they are enjoyable to read. I love them.

"Archly" - NEVER use that word again!.......2004-08-17

I was really disappointed by "A Killer in Winter". It was confusing and dull, and that's really not what I expect from Susanna Gregory.
In December 1354 it's unseasonably cold in Cambridge, it's Christmas time, and there's more than the weather to worry about. Between slimy men looking to sell their treatises on fish, dead bodies in the church, dead bodies in the street, Rob Deynman being elected King of Misrule and a very dodgy band of entertainers, what are Matthew and Michael to do? Life is not easy in Michaelhouse as Matthew Bartholomew, Doctor of Medicine, and Michael, Senior Proctor and theologian, try to solve mysteries and prevent the university students from getting out of hand at this difficult time of year.
I think it's past time Gregory's editor came down very hard on her. If she had stripped out some of the elements of the story and concentrated instead on prose and character, this could have been a much better book. As it is, it's overloaded with characters and elements, many of whom/which appear to no good purpose. What was the point of Sheriff Morice, misrule, Grey and Deynman, Harysone's book and strange dancing, etc etc ad nauseam, if they are not to play any integral part in the plot? Philippa and Giles are the supreme example of this. For the part they played in the story and the effect their reappearance had on Matthew, they could have been anyone. Other elements just did not fit. Why had no-one heard of Dympna before? The continual hostages dramas of the ending were frankly ridiculous. And please deal with Matthew's love life. Is he with Matilde or isn't he? When is that finally going to be sorted out?
All the characters have the same "voice", and there is too much telling and not enough showing where they're concerned. They change to fit the needs of the plot, too. Why are Stanmore and Langelee such wimps all of a sudden? How is Philippa (who can be no older than twenty-five) now middle-aged, without independent means of her own, and totally different in character? How is Giles now a former student colleague of Matthew's, rather than a former Fellow of Michaelhouse? Gregory's prose needs more life and variety in it, a bit more scene-setting. "A Killer in Winter" is like having a single light in a dark room - whatever you can't see right now doesn't exist.
I really hope the next book is more fun and better quality than this one - the way they used to be.

What a Wonderful Winter Mystery!.......2004-06-14

It's been too long since I read a Susanna Gregory Matthew Bartholomew book. She is my favourite medieval author out there, and as I read this book I remembered why. Her books are long, and there is a lot of detail, but it doesn't seem that they get too bogged down because everything she writes is in aid of her plots. This book has the best description of a medieval Christmas celebration, and a medieval winter that I've ever read, and believe me I've read a lot of medievals. In this book Matthew and Brother Michael are faced with a number of deaths, and only one of the three appears to be an actual murder, but they seem to strangely be connected in some way. Though how could one of Cambridge's students, and two seemingly unrelated strangers have anything in common is beyond them for some time. So now they have to try to find the murderer and they are doing it at the worst possible time. Cambridge is gripped in the coldest winter they've ever experienced and it is Christmas time as well. They set out to unmask a murderer and as they do that, we the readers meet a wonderful cast of characters. Come along for the ride and be a part of a Cambridge Christmas in 1354. Ms. Gregory's books are so real that you WILL feel like you're there.

A marvellous winter's mayhem.......2003-11-03

The excellent pseudonymal Susanna Gregory returns with her ninth installment of the Matthew Bartholomew chronicles and doesn't disappoint. From the prologue where the messenger Josse's accidental death turns out to be a boon for someone and the death of Norbert, laconic brother of the now retired Sheriff of Cambridge's, Richard Tulet, Gregory settles into her latest mystery with effortless ease, instantly creating a a tuly piscine tale with both plot and scene with that easy familiarity that is her hallmark.
We plunge into a humorous opening with Michael's ridiculous attempts to spy on a Cambridge newcomer, Harysone, based on personal dislike and demanding Matthew declare the man's insanity without actually meeting him before swiftly finding another corpse in Michaelhouse's church. The anticipation of the coming Christmas means that Michael is forced to choose which murder to investigate first and Bartholomew's life is complicated by the return of his once-betrothed - Phillipa Abigny.
Phillipa is drastically changed from the woman who left him to marry the fishmonger and Mayor of London-desiree, Turke and both she and her brother, Giles Abigny arrive to stay at Edith and Stanmore's house.
Murder and mayhem swiftly follow as Christmas sets in, Michaelhouse electing Deynham its twelve day Lord of Misrule. Unlike in Gregory's previous offering up at Ely, the murdered body count is low this time (though the eventual tally is high after it turns out everyone was culpable to some degree and ends up dying to tie up all the loose ends). There is Norbert, the dead `beggar' in St Michael's is discovered to be Gosslinge, Turke's servant and Turke himself dies suspiciously after literally skating on thin ice. Gregory kills off the old rivermen from preceding novels, Aethelbad and Dunstan as the harsh winter takes its toll (there's more snow that Cambridge has ever seen since!) and we unravel more of the shadowy political dealings that weave through Cambridge.
Amongst it all runs the mysterious Dympna, a charitable organisation that ends up having a sideline, the Chepe Waits (comprising Frith, Makejoy, Jestyn and Dyna) a travelling band of thieving jugglers, the newly arrived and dislikeable Quenhyth, Sheriff Morice's corruption and a game of camp ball (ancient football). Ovying hostel gets a thorough runout with its head, Ailred. All of which has both Matthew and Michael scratching their heads at all the clues but unable to make sense of the sequence of events. The key to it all, in a delightful piece of murder mystery irony, is the Fraternity of fishmen and the protagonists relationships to each other.
So, by the time Matthew ends up in a barn having a particularly nasty hayfork jabbed at him during his attempt to free both Michael and Kenyngham we have had a double denouement, the lengthy first answering most of the questions but not all, the second culminating in the fight and the final two culprits racing off with the charitable gold and falling into the icy river. At the end the body count is high (though most of them are a grim justice), Matthew's relationship with Phillipa is resolved (we get the hint somewhat to Mathilde's relief) and the twelve day debacle provides levity throughout.
Right now, there is no better historical murder writer out there. Gregory's style, prose, plot and descriptive writing makes fourteenth century Cambridge immensely plausible, her characters are well crafted and empathic and, above all, the reader is left craving more. A truly fishy tale has been created here and Gregory has done nothing to make her audience even want her to lay down her pen. An author at the height of her literary powers.

Tobacco Use by Native North Americans: Sacred Smoke and Silent Killer (Civilization of the American Indian Series)

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Tobacco Use by Native North Americans: Sacred Smoke and Silent Killer (Civilization of the American Indian Series)

Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Smoking | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0806132620

Book Description

Recently identified as a killer, tobacco has been the focus of health warnings, lawsuits, and political controversy. Yet many Native Americans continue to view tobacco--when used properly--as a life-affirming and sacramental substance that plays a significant role in Native creation myths and religious ceremonies.

This definitive work presents the origins, history, and contemporary use (and misuse) of tobacco by Native Americans. It describes wild and domesticated tobacco species and how their cultivation and use may have led to the domestication of corn, potatoes, beans, and other food plants. It also analyzes many North American Indian practices and beliefs, including the concept that tobacco is so powerful and sacred that the spirits themselves are addicted to it. The book presents medical data revealing the increasing rates of commercial tobacco use by Native youth and the rising rates of death among Native American elders from lung cancer, heart disease, and other tobacco-related illnesses. Finally, this volume argues for the preservation of traditional tobacco use in a limited, sacramental manner while criticizing the use of commercial tobacco.

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ADVENTURE - Volume 116, number 2 - December (Dec) 1946: Balloons for Bowlegs; Crooked Mile; Uncle Ned's Teeth; Killers Love Guns; Spite Corner; Charley Hoe Handle and the Great Big Bass; Devil to Pay; The Cape Town Blighter; North of Forty; Winter Drift
Kenneth S. (editor) (William du Bois; John H. Knox; James Norman Hall; Michael Oblinger; Georges Surdez; Jim Kjelgaard; Franklin Gregory; Geoffrey Major; Fred Lane; Harold O. Weight; Steve Hall; K. M. Walker; John Richard Young) White
Manufacturer: Popular Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVW89Y

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A KILLER IN WINTER: THE NINTH CHRONICLE OF MATTHEW BARTHOLOMEW
SUSANNA GREGORY
Manufacturer: TIME WARNER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S9HOL6

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The Online Business Setup, Killer Headlines, Accounting for Heavy Winter Jackets Businesses
J Bowman J Orr
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000WZ4JP0

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The Online Business Setup, Killer Headlines, Accounting for Winter Coats Businesses
J Bowman J Orr
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000WYNI4Y

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The Online Business Setup, Killer Headlines, Amazon Sales for Heavy Winter Jackets Businesses
J Bowman J Orr
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000W6ML90

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The Online Business Setup, Killer Headlines, Amazon Sales for Winter Booties Businesses
J Bowman J Orr
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000W7NON6

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The Online Business Setup, Killer Headlines, Amazon Sales for Winter Coats Businesses
J Bowman J Orr
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000W630G8

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The Online Business Setup, Killer Headlines, Amazon Sales for Winter Products Businesses
J Bowman J Orr
Manufacturer: LTBR, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000W7I6MU

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Portrait of a Woman Used by God: Lessons from the Life of Mary of Nazareth

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Portrait of a Woman Used by God: Lessons from the Life of Mary of Nazareth
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Manufacturer: Life Action Ministries
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0940110202

Book Description

Do you have a desire to be used by God in a greater way? Have you ever felt that your life could never really make a difference for God? Mary, the mother of Jesus, was an ordinary, young woman whose world was turned upside down one day by a message sent from heaven. Her response illustrates many essential qualities of the kind of woman God chooses and uses to fulfill His redemptive purposes in our world.

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Donation of Time - The Supreme Charity
PANDIT SHRIRAM SHARMA ACHARYA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U61WE2

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An instant classic - and a sleeper
Elvis, Cupid, and Stercutus! O MY!

Gods New and Used
Mark Finn
Manufacturer: Clockwork Storybook
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0970484119

Book Description

The stranger at the side of the road doesn't know much about himself, but he knows he is definitely not Elvis. That aside, the baby driving the car has his own set of problems. Now they're off to experience the southwest in the only vehicle that makes sense for both of them: a carnation-pink 1963 Cadillac El Dorado...

MagicCon is an ordinary fantasy/science fiction convention. Three days of comic books, anime, and X-Files jokes, which is exactly what Larry and his friends are looking for. Unfortunately for Larry, a long-forgotten Roman god named Stercutus is primed to make a comeback, and this particular god's sphere of influence really stinks...

Set in and around the fictional city of San Cibola, Gods New and Used is a stand-alone companion piece to Clockwork Storybook, an online shared world anthology of urban fantasy. Mark Finn's contributions are often larger than life; they can be both sublime and ridiculous, both wise and painfully dumb. Like the gods he portrays, Finn's writing style ranges from heroic to slap-happy, weaving together broad comedy and genuine emotion into something that is nothing less than true to life.

The stories in this collection showcase what Finn does best: corralling the supernatural and the archetypal, and bringing them down to earth, to sit next to you in the passenger seat as you cruise along a highway somewhere in the California desert. Here you will meet the embodiments of love, of thunder, and of rock and roll, and discover about them what is frequently overlooked: that the gods are often more human than we are.

Customer Reviews:

An instant classic - and a sleeper.......2007-01-08

This book is excellent. I borrowed it from a friend and instantly fell in love. I've read each story more times than I can count and I know I'll probably read it many more times in the future. I don't even like short stories! I was totally shocked by how much these stories hooked me. Maybe it was because he was a totally unknown (to me) writer and I wasn't expecting much, but most likely I've continued to like the stories because they're well written, funny and engaging. After I finished it I got online and found his other book, The Year of the Hare (which I can't seem to find on Amazon and I lent to someone ages ago and can't remember who now). Anyway, it rocked too and even better for me it was a normal length book. I only wish he'd write more along this vein.
-Waiting for more Sam Bowen, Cupid and Elvis in Austin

Elvis, Cupid, and Stercutus! O MY!.......2001-05-31

Mr. Finn's book, Gods New and Used, is the perfect thing for people who don't like fantasy, but know what they like. Each story give little tidbits that add up, like nested boxes, until finally in the last story, everything comes together. My favorite novelette is The Secret Life of Lawrence Croft. It's funny, mean, scary, and very true to life. If you are a member of fandom, this book is over the top!...

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