Strong as Death

by Sharan Newman

Book Overview

As a former novitiate in the Order of the Paraclete, Catherine LeVendeur has had more than her share of adventures. In fact, intrigue--and murder--seem to dog her path. When Catherine chose love over... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312861796
• ISBN13: 9780312861797
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Forge
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.9" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

12th Century France & Spain

Strong as Death by Sharan Newman We arbitrarily selected this book to review because all the books in the series about the ex-nun Catherine Levendeur wonderfully transport you back to the world of 12th century Europe. In this story, Catherine and her Saxon nobleman husband Edgar set off from their home in Paris to join the pilgrims headed for the much worshiped sites of St. James of Compostela in western Spain. As usual, Catherine finds herself embroiled in solving murders as she trudges along with the typical set of medieval characters, among them ex-crusaders, Jews looked upon with suspicion by the Christians, sinners with secret pasts, and both holy and spurious churchmen.

Another Entertaining Historical Novel

Another entertaining historical by Sharan Newman. Sharan sets her novels in historically accurate settings and her characters are lively, strong, and engaging. Excellent reading and you learn a little history in the process.

Strong as Death

When you think of road trip you think more Jack Kerouac in the Sixties than ex-novitiate of the Order of the Paraclete Catherine LeVendeur in Europe in 1142. But a road trip is what the plot of this novel is, a pilgrimage from Paris to Compostela in Spain, where Catherine and her husband Edgar are going to ask St. James to bless them with a child. They go in a party of three crusader knights, two jongleurs, a high-born widow with her maid and guards, a prostitute who may be retired, a monk who may be mad, four German villagers, and Catherine's cousin, uncle and father. Someone is murdered, as someone inevitably is whenever Catherine is around, and then there is a second murder, and a third, and well, it's a mess only Catherine can clean up. This is a you-are-there novel that makes you choke on the dust of the road, and that's after you meet historical figures like Heloise and Abelard. I especially like Catherine's reaction to being greeted at journey's end not by ivory towers but by souvenir sellers. Plus ca change, plus ca la meme chose.

For Love is Strong as Death; jealousy is cruel as the grave.

As fourth in the series of the Catherine LeVendeur mysteries, it is the least typical in setting and theme. The adventures along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compestela in Spain from Catherine and Edgar's home in France are fascinating historically aside from the 'mystery' of the dying crusaders. The complexity of interpersonal relationships is stronger here than in the first three books, showing both the authors development, and the development of the characters. To fully understand the character's motivations, I would highly recommend reading the first three books in this series first (Death Comes as an Epiphany, The Devil's Door, and The Wandering Arm).

One of the best medieval murder mysteries I've ever read!

I've read many medieval murder mysteries, and I found this one in particular and all the Catherine LeVendeur novels especially compelling. The detail is so rich that you begin almost to smell the smells and hear the sounds of the middle ages. The protagonists are not just modern-day people plunked into a medieval setting--they think like medievals. And they transport the reader as effectively as any characters can to a very different time and place. Not only is this a must read, it's a must read again and again. Sharan Newman should quit her day job and write full time. Her research is meticulous and pays off in an amazing array of rich and compelling detail. Read this book