In the Presence of Evil

June 1, 2018
A court scribe seeks to clear the name of a friend while working within the confines dictated by her station and sex in 1393 Paris.Growing up friendly with the future King Charles, Christine de Pizan (in real life the author of The Book of the City of Ladies) never imagined being employed in service of the palace. But when her husband dies and leaves her with mouths to feed, she's grateful for her work as a scribe. Because the king hasn't seemed like himself lately, making capricious attacks on those around him, Christine's mother, Francesca, urges her daughter to keep her head down. That's not easy for Christine, who has a sharp tongue and a lot of opinions for a woman, qualities that draw her to the musical and similarly candid Alix de Clairy, the wife of one of the king's closest confidants, Hughues de Précy. Despite Francesca's admonitions, Christine doesn't confine her daily conversations to the elite; she speaks to the prostitutes of Paris about the gossip of the day. This habit turns out to be helpful when unusual events happen on the palace grounds: a murder, a missing magical book, and the apparent possession and hunting of those close to the king. Even worse, Alix is accused of the murder of her husband and is locked in the Châtelet as she awaits the inevitable guilty verdict. Through Marion, a sex worker in her neighborhood, Christine learns that Alix has been framed, but both Christine and Marion know that no one will take her word about what truly happened. Bent on justice, Christine does what investigating she can along with her monastic friend, Michel. The two both work their palace connections and contacts to follow the complex web of secrets, though it seems unlikely that the truth will be uncovered before Alix is burned for her alleged crimes.Peppered with quaintly dated quotations about the roles of women in the 14th century and related facts, Bayard's mystery debut is slow to get underway but ramps up to a satisfying ending.

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Starred review from June 18, 2018
Set in 1393 Paris, Bayard’s impressive first novel and series launch introduces Christine de Pizan, a widow who struggles to support her family as a freelance scribe. When Queen Isabeau retains her to copy a book as a wedding gift for a favored lady-in-waiting, Christine heads to the palace, only to have a frightening encounter with a man in a black cloak who’s not wearing shoes, despite the bitterly cold weather. She’s even more unnerved when she finds the same man stabbed through the heart in the palace itself, and learns that he was in the employ of the Duke of Orléans, King Charles’s brother. The motive for the murder seems clear, as a book the dead man was bringing to the duke has vanished. After a second murder claims the life of another person connected to the court, Christine turns detective to exonerate the woman suspected of that crime. Bayard (A Medieval Home Companion: Housekeeping in the Fourteenth Century) excels at describing people and places and puts her knowledge of the period to good use in crafting an engrossing whodunit. Agent: Josh Getzler, HSG Agency.

August 1, 2018
Bayard introduces an original medieval mystery series featuring the fictional exploits of a real-life historical figure. During the late fourteenth century, widow Christine de Pizan combined her extensive literary talents with her philosophical and political convictions, authoring a number of books (The Book of the City of Ladies) in order to support her children. Using Christine's unique life story as a springboard, Bayard fashions an intricately plotted whodunit, stretching from the court of King Charles VI to the seamy backstreets where prostitutes prowl. Befriending members of both the aristocracy and the unwashed masses, she has her fingers on the collective pulse of Paris in all its grime and glory. Called upon to perform as a royal scribe, she becomes involved in a criminal investigation when a book of magic is stolen, and bodies begin to accumulate. In a race to exonerate a friend and expose a fraud, Christine musters her considerable wits and wiles to great effect in her debut appearance. An intriguing premise and a dexterously executed story. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

June 1, 2018
A court scribe seeks to clear the name of a friend while working within the confines dictated by her station and sex in 1393 Paris.Growing up friendly with the future King Charles, Christine de Pizan (in real life the author of The Book of the City of Ladies) never imagined being employed in service of the palace. But when her husband dies and leaves her with mouths to feed, she's grateful for her work as a scribe. Because the king hasn't seemed like himself lately, making capricious attacks on those around him, Christine's mother, Francesca, urges her daughter to keep her head down. That's not easy for Christine, who has a sharp tongue and a lot of opinions for a woman, qualities that draw her to the musical and similarly candid Alix de Clairy, the wife of one of the king's closest confidants, Hughues de Pr�cy. Despite Francesca's admonitions, Christine doesn't confine her daily conversations to the elite; she speaks to the prostitutes of Paris about the gossip of the day. This habit turns out to be helpful when unusual events happen on the palace grounds: a murder, a missing magical book, and the apparent possession and hunting of those close to the king. Even worse, Alix is accused of the murder of her husband and is locked in the Ch�telet as she awaits the inevitable guilty verdict. Through Marion, a sex worker in her neighborhood, Christine learns that Alix has been framed, but both Christine and Marion know that no one will take her word about what truly happened. Bent on justice, Christine does what investigating she can along with her monastic friend, Michel. The two both work their palace connections and contacts to follow the complex web of secrets, though it seems unlikely that the truth will be uncovered before Alix is burned for her alleged crimes.Peppered with quaintly dated quotations about the roles of women in the 14th century and related facts, Bayard's mystery debut is slow to get underway but ramps up to a satisfying ending.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from July 1, 2018

In 1393 Paris, widowed Christine de Pizan supports her family by working as a scribe at a palace often in uproar owing to the king's madness. Although she doesn't believe in witchcraft, she's uneasy when Alix de Clairy, wife of one of the king's favorite courtiers, offers mandrake, a poisonous root, to the queen, saying it will cure the king's illness. When the king is found poisoned, Alix is arrested and accused of sorcery. It will be difficult for Christine to prove Alix's innocence when evidence relies on the testimony of a less-than-reputable witness, a prostitute named Marion. Joining forces with a monk, Christine searches for a mysterious book of magic that has left a trail of bodies. In a time of superstition, it's a challenge to dig up the truth. Drawing on her knowledge of medieval culture and horticulture, the author of A Medieval Home Companion successfully creates a strong sense of place and time in her debut novel. Her amateur sleuth, based on the real Christine de Pizan (1364-1430), is complicated and compelling. VERDICT This richly detailed and atmospheric historical mystery will draw readers into a fascinating medieval world that devotees of Ellis Peters and Ariana Franklin will savor.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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