Death and the Maiden (Mistress of the Art of Death Book 5)

The final installment in Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death historical mystery series, completed by the author's daughter after her death. England, 1191. Following the death of King Henry II, Adelia Aguilar, England's Mistress of the Art of Death, has retired and is training her daughter Allie in anatomy, forensics, and investigative techniques. Allie is a skilled healer with a gift for treating animals. Now nearly twenty, her father Rowley, Bishop of Saint Albans, and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine seek to arrange her marriage to a suitable husband who will value her unusual abilities. When a friend in Cambridgeshire falls ill, Allie travels to Ely, where she meets Lord Peverill, a young aristocrat who could be an appropriate match. Upon arrival, she discovers the village in turmoil: a girl has disappeared, and several others from surrounding villages have vanished in recent months. When one missing girl's body is found, Allie's examination of the remains suggests a dangerous predator is at large. Her training and determination to uncover the truth may lead her to the killer—or put her in grave danger.