I found Mistress of the Art of Death to be fascinating. I learned a lot about medieval biology! With that being said, sometimes while reading I felt as though I were doing homework (not fun.) Historical fiction must not be my cup of tea is all, but I still enjoyed the plot and the mystery. When the killer was revealed I wasn't shocked, nor did I have any suspicion prior to that it was him. I honestly couldn't remember a lot about his character and every time the book talked about him before then I couldn't quite remember who he was or what was said about him. I was disappointed in the ending because I wanted Adelia to marry her crusader. It was a happy ending though so all is well that ends well I guess. :)