A Vein of Deceit
This is the 15th chronicle in the series featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a Fellow of Michaelhouse College. Living in 14th-century Cambridge, Bartholomew has an unenviable position as both Doctor of Medicine in sole charge of a large group of disparate medical students and physician to the city residents. A pregnant friend of his sister dies unexpectedly from a preparation that induces miscarriages, and some is noted to be missing from his own herbarium around the same time.
The finances within the college appear strangely awry and, coincidentally, Matthew’s good friend Wynewyck, responsible for the books, dies in strange circumstances as the extent of the deficit becomes apparent. Income to the college has been good, yet a significant amount of funds have been paid out without the purchases being received. As Bartholomew investigates, more deaths occur and he must travel to Suffolk to follow leads of enquiry.
This engaging story unfolds rapidly, twisting and turning as discoveries are made, leading the reader to guess at the level of involvement of each character encountered as the vein of deceit is revealed.
