A Stolen Tongue

Summer is a perfect time to read a book like A Stolen Tongue by Sheri Holman. This Middle Ages mystery follows a group of pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land to visit the monastery of Saint Katherine of Alexandria. The main protagonist, Friar Felix Fabri of the Dominican Preaching Order in Ulm, is actually a historical figure. The friar, who lived in the 15th century, did go on several pilgrimages to the Holy Land and left behind two accounts of his (which I think must be fascinating to read).

Holman started with his writings to create an interesting murder mystery centered about some missing relics of Saint Katherine. All well and good. The characters are interesting, the story moves at a fast clip, the historical details are fascinating. And then you come to the denouement. Oy vey. Unfortunately, like many of her modern colleagues, Holman thinks that the final pages of the books are a kind of the kitchen sink where you can dump whatever you like (for instance, a very graphic death by dismemberment). Had she exercised more narrative discipline, this would have been a much better book, but she has more books in her and plenty of time to redeem herself.