The Serpent's Tale: Ariana Franklin

Adelia is called to the castle of King Henry II's mistress to determine the cause of her death in order to prevent a war because the Queen Eleanor is thought to be the murderer. In this story Adelia has Bishop Rowley's baby "Ali" who she takes with her on the journey. Adelia discovers more to the poisoning of the Mistress in that the murderer is still actively murdering. The arrive to an Abbey in the middle of a storm and find a young boy murdered on the bridge as though the murders want him to be found quickly. The one of the late mistress's servants is killed along with 3 merchant men. The murderer had the boy because he was going to elope with his future bride. The servant was killed because she was about to uncover the murderer for hire, and the 3 men were loose ends who knew what was going on. King Henry's mistress was killed in order to blame the queen and start a war. Only Adelia and Rowley were able to uncover the plot in order to keep war from breaking out. The story wanted to bring the main characters from the first book back, but it was sort of a strained relationship. Rowley is now a bishop and trying to keep the love story between he and Adelia seems out of place and a little akward for the story-he is also believed to be dead for most of the story, but Adelia's lack of emotion makes the reader know he will show back up alive. I did still enjoy the story and the historical facts that were woven in.