Susanna Gregory

Susanna Gregory ist das Pseudonym von Elizabeth Cruwys, einer Akademikerin aus Cambridge , die zuvor als Gerichtsmedizinerin tätig war. Sie schreibt Kriminalromane und ist bekannt für ihre Reihe mittelalterlicher Kriminalromane um Matthew Bartholomew, einen Medizinprofessor und Mordermittler im Cambridge des 14. Jahrhunderts.

Ihre Bücher weisen einige Gemeinsamkeiten mit Ellis Peters' Cadfael- Reihe auf, den mittelalterlichen Abenteuern zweier Männer: eines hochintelligenten Arztes und eines Benediktinermönchs, der als Oberproktor der Universität Cambridge tätig ist . Matthew Bartholomews Tätigkeit als Heiler, darunter die Untersuchung von Leichen, verwickelt ihn in eine Reihe mysteriöser Verbrechen, sowohl weltlicher als auch klösterlicher Natur, und widerwillig schlüpft er in die Rolle eines Amateurdetektivs. Skeptisch gegenüber Aberglauben, ist er seiner Zeit etwas voraus, und viele historische Details sind in die Abenteuer eingewoben. Doch damit enden alle Ähnlichkeiten mit der vergleichsweise warmherzigen Cadfael-Reihe: Ton und Thematik der Gregory-Romane sind düsterer und scheuen sich nicht, die Realität des Lebens im Mittelalter schonungslos darzustellen . Der erste Band der Reihe, „ A Plague on Both Your Houses “ (1996), spielt vor dem Hintergrund des Schwarzen Todes , und die nachfolgenden Romane thematisieren zumeist die Versuche der Gesellschaft, sich von dieser Katastrophe zu erholen.

These novels bear the marks of much detailed research into medieval conditions - many of the supporting characters have names taken from the documentation of the time, referenced at the end of each book - and bring vividly to life the squalor of living conditions in England during the Middle Ages. The deep-rooted and pervasive practice of traditional leechcraft as it contrasts with the dawning science of evidence-based medicine is a common bone of contention between Matthew and the students he teaches at Michaelhouse College (now part of Trinity College, Cambridge), whilst the conflict between the students of Cambridge and the townsfolk continually threatens to escalate into violence.

Another series of books, set after the Restoration of Charles II, features Thomas Chaloner, detective and former spy. This series began with A Conspiracy of Violence published in January 2006.

Gregory's short story "To Dispose of an Abbot" was published in the 1998 anthology Past Poisons: An Ellis Peters Memorial Anthology of Historical Crime.

1. A Plague on Both Your Houses (1996)
2. An Unholy Alliance (1996)
3. A Bone of Contention (1997)
4. A Deadly Brew (1998)
5. A Wicked Deed (1999)
6. A Masterly Murder (2000)
7. An Order for Death (2001)
8. A Summer of Discontent (2002)
9. A Killer in Winter (2003)
10. The Hand of Justice (2004)
11. The Mark of a Murderer (2006)
12. The Tarnished Chalice (2006)
13. To Kill or Cure (2007)
14. The Devil's Disciples (2008)
15. A Vein of Deceit (2009)
16. The Killer of Pilgrims (2010)
17. Mystery in the Minster (2011)
18. Murder by the Book (2012)
19. The Lost Abbot (2013)
20. Death of a Scholar (2014)
21. A Poisonous Plot (2015)
22. A Grave Concern (2016)
23. The Habit of Murder (2017)
24. The Sanctuary Murders (2019)
25. The Chancellor's Secret (2021)

1. A Conspiracy of Violence (2006)
2. Blood On the Strand (2008)
3. The Butcher of Smithfield (2010)
4. The Westminster Poisoner (2010)
5. A Murder on London Bridge (2011)
6. The Body in the Thames (2011)
7. The Piccadilly Plot (2012)
8. Death in St. James's Park (2013)
9. Murder on High Holborn (2014)
10. The Cheapside Corpse (2015)
11. The Chelsea Strangler (2016)
12. The Executioner of St Paul's (2017)
13. Intrigue in Covent Garden (2018)
14. The Clerkenwell Affair (2020)
15. The Pudding Lane Plot: The Fifteenth Thomas Chaloner Adventure (2022)

Gregory wrote this series of novels about 12th-century knight Geoffrey Mappestone with her husband, Beau Riffenburgh, under the combined pseudonym Simon Beaufort.^[1]

1. Murder in the Holy City (1998)
2. A Head for Poisoning (1999)
3. The Bishop’s Brood (2003)
4. The King’s Spies (2003)
5. The Coiners’ Quarrel (2004)
6. Deadly Inheritance (2009)
7. The Bloodstained Throne (2010)
8. A Dead Man’s Secret (2011)

Under the pseudonym Simon Beaufort.

1. The Murder House (2013)
2. The Killing Ship (2016)
3. Mind of A Killer (2017)
4. The Watchers of the Dead (2019)

• A Conspiracy of Violence: Chaloner's First Exploit in Restoration London. Review in Publishers Weekly. New York: May 1, 2006. Vol.253, Iss. 18; p. 41.
• The Tainted Relic (co-authored by Gregory). Review in Publishers Weekly. New York: Oct 31, 2005. Vol. 252, Iss. 43; p. 35
• 'A Plague on Both Your Houses. Review by Rex E Klett. Library Journal. New York: Oct 1, 1998. Vol.123, Iss. 16; p. 139.
• An Unholy Alliance. Review by Brainard, Dulcy. Publishers Weekly. New York: Nov 25, 1996. Vol.243, Iss. 48; p.?.
• A Bone of Contention. Review by Rex E Klett. Library Journal. New York: Dec 1997. Vol.122, Iss. 20; p. 158.
• A Bone of Contention. Review by Dulcy Brainard. Publishers Weekly. New York: Sep 29, 1997. Vol.244, Iss. 40; p. 70.
• An Unholy Alliance. Review by Klett, Rex E. Library Journal. New York: Dec 1996. Vol.121, Iss. 20; p. 150.
• An Unholy Alliance. Review by Brainard, Dulcy. Publishers Weekly. New York: Nov 25, 1996. Vol.243, Iss. 48; p.?

• Susanna Gregory's website
• The story behind Murder in the Holy City - Online Essay by Simon Beaufort