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Whoever would have thought that Cambridge could be such a murderous town, with its rioting members and continuous town and gown battles? I am not speaking of 21st century Cambridge, but the Cambridge of 1355 - the Cambridge of Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael. The two members of Michaelhouse College are investigating the deaths of two people in a local mill, both found with nails driven into their skulls. As well as this, they also have to contend with the return of two citizens who were convicted of murder, but have since been pardoned. When you add in a mysterious holy relic, it would seem to be a recipe for disaster for Cambridge and its inhabitants. THE HAND OF JUSTICE is the tenth in Susanna Gregory's Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles and it is an immensely pleasant read. It's well-written and witty, and the reader will soon realise that the Cambridge of today is not so different to its ancestor. Gregory includes academic debates, petty rivalries and of course, the continuous trouble between the university and the town, as two very different worlds collide. Whilst the story is a Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle, Brother Michael, as ever, plays a large role and the two friends make an excellent Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Gregory is capable of binding all the strands of the mystery together with ease. She uses an impressive array of characters from various social milieus and paints a vivid picture of life in Cambridge so many years ago. The introduction of the various ideas of philosophy, theology and medicine also work well, and her denouement, with several twists, is a great surprise. THE HAND OF JUSTICE is proof that a crime novel does not have to be set in the modern day to make it a good read. Anyone who has an interest in this period, be it academic or purely for fun, should definitely seek out one of the stories - and where better to start than with THE HAND OF JUSTICE? Even though it may be part of a series, it works equally well as a standalone novel, and does not require any knowledge of other books in the series.
Reviewed by Luke Croll, July 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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