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A Surfeit of Miracles

Ela of Salisbury Medieval Mysteries, Book 8

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A Surfeit of Miracles

By: J. G. Lewis
Narrated by: Madeleine Brolly
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About this listen

Salisbury, Wiltshire

Ela Longespée, High Sheriff of Wiltshire, sets out to find the killer of a man found dead inside the nearby circle of ancient stones. Except that the victim is later seen walking in Salisbury and claims to have risen from the dead. He ingratiates himself with the people of Salisbury, and even the bishop, but Ela suspects the man is a charlatan and a murderer. Can she learn the truth when even the jury thinks he's a living saint?

The Ela of Salisbury Medieval Mystery Series

This series features a real historical figure—the formidable Ela Longespée. The young Countess of Salisbury was chosen to marry King Henry II’s illegitimate son William. After her husband’s untimely death, Ela served as High Sheriff of Wiltshire, castellan of Salisbury Castle, and ultimately founder and abbess of Lacock Abbey.

Book 1: Cathedral of Bones
Book 2: Breach of Faith
Book 3: The Lost Child
Book 4: Forest of Souls
Book 5: The Bone Chess Set
Book 6: Cloister of Whispers
Book 7: Palace of Thorns

Coming Fall 2022: Book 8: A Surfeit of Miracles

©2022 J. G. Lewis (P)2023 J. G. Lewis Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Fiction
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Ela has met her most challenging criminal yet, one whom manages to get the backing of the entire town of salisbury behind him along with with the king!!

How does Ela get out of this one and pin the criminal?

This is another fascinating audiobook with yet again amazing narration, plenty of twists along the way against the most cunning of criminals in the series!

Its good that JG Lewis is finding new ways to keep the Ela series interesting, Book 7 taken a different direction in how the crime was dealt with and then we come to this book which is serious challenge to Ela.

Ela's most challenging adversary yet!

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The Ela of Salisbury stories are generally a fun and light listen. This one started out strong and Ela’s plan to catch the charlatan seemed full of the usual plot pitfalls. The idea of a phony faith healer is a classic. Then - the discovery of dinosaur bones was added. Ela’s sons proclaiming it could be giants like in Jack and the Beanstalk - a story unknown in the 13th Century- was ridiculous and pointless. The coroner’s vast paleontological knowledge was beyond the scope of the known at this time.
Ela continues to be portrayed as more modern than she likely was - with raising up the serfs and lower classes higher than a noblewoman of the 13the Century would do and doting on those she feels an affinity for. Realistically, she probably treated serfs as serfs and didn’t trouble herself with their plights beyond gathering their tribute.
Like others this late in the series, this story is contrived and unbelievable. Characters added late in order to tie loose ends together. Too many characters of little consequence. JG Lewis seems tired of her characters and the writing is uninspired and predictable. The earlier stories are better. Perhaps the pressures of publishing have gotten to Lewis.
The narrator does an admirable job with the voice characterisations and her steady delivery is very good. It’s a shame the material is so mundane.

Historical inaccuracies. Dinosaurs. Charlatan.

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