I picked this up because the idea of a mystery set in 12th century France was appealing. I had no idea how in-depth and captivating it would turn out to be! Newman manages to flawlessly interweave historical fact with some of the most interesting fictional characters I have seen in a while. Her work is obviously very carefully researched, and it's amazing how she manages to bring true human faces to a time period so long ago. As soon as i finished this one, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second in the series. I am now hunting down the fourth!