December has brought unusually heavy snow and freezing weather to Cambridge, but celebrations for the 12 days of Christmas are overshadowed for Matthew by the latest cases of unexpected deaths and killings that seem to be linked somehow. I felt the conclusion to the story went on for too long, but you can't say this book missed twists and turns. ( )

Susanna Gregory returns with her ninth instalment of the Matthew Bartholomew chronicles.

It is Christmas 1354 and Cambridge is gripped in the coldest winter it has ever experienced – but there's more than the weather to worry about. Life is not easy in Michaelhouse as Matthew Bartholomew, Doctor of Medicine, and Michael, Senior Proctor and theologian, try to solve mysteries and prevent the university students from getting out of hand at this difficult time of year.

While Matthew’s colleagues in the Cambridge colleges are preparing for the festivities, Matthew in his role of physician is struggling to help the poorer citizens through one of the worst winters in living memory. Matthew however, is given a brief respite from his duties when Brother Michael calls on him to identify a man found dead, probably from the freezing cold in one of the churches. The victim is servant to the husband of Matthew's lost love, Philippa. Later, her husband himself is the victim of a tragic accident on treacherous ice. Or, perhaps the death is not the accident everyone supposes it to be.

This wasn’t as good a read as usual, as there were far too many distractions. There were too many unnecessary comings and goings with no real link to the plot. What was the purpose of bringing back Giles and Philippa? Wasn’t Giles a fellow of Michaelhouse, rather than a student colleague of Matthew’s? I thought Thomas Suttone died a few books back. What happened to turn Philippa from the intelligent, happy and attractive woman Bartholomew had been betrothed to; and how can she be suddenly ‘middle aged’ when only a few years have elapsed since she left Cambridge for London? Sheriff Morice, misrule, Grey and Deynman added nothing to the story. And what was the point of Harysone and his bizarre activities?

I really hope the next book is back to her usual standards. ( )

slow build but after a while becomes very interesting, the twists are very interesting but it possibly could have done with a bit of an edit.

Matthew Bartholomew's ex-fiancee returns with her husband who are on pilgrimage, people around her keep dying, including her husband. Who is behind it all? And why? ( )