Susanna Gregory Books In Order

Publication Order of Alec Lonsdale Books

Publication Order of Matthew Bartholomew Books

Publication Order of Medieval Murderers Books

Publication Order of Sir Geoffrey Mappestone Books

Publication Order of Thomas Chaloner Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

An academic British author, Elizabeth Cruwys also goes by the pen-name of Susanna Gregory, as she writes her popular line of detective and medieval mystery novels to huge acclaim. Featuring ongoing protagonists such as Matthew Bartholomew, she has a keen eye for historical accuracy thanks to her background as a Cambridge academic. Not just the detail though, she’s also well known for her ability to keep the stories entertaining and her characters grounded in reality, thus enabling her readers to relate to them on a more personal level.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1958 Elizabeth Cruwys was brought up in England, an upbringing which has been the main inspiration for all her work to date. Growing up with a love of history and academia she has been able to take her passion and turn it into high quality literature which has become beloved by readers worldwide. Informing her for much of her life, this interest has been honed and refined over the years, as it’s substantiated her craft, molding and shaping it into what it currently is today.

Working within Cambridge she has an extremely academic background, as she immerses herself in both the lore and the world of her characters. Whilst her many stories maybe fiction upon the surface, she has the ability to provide a window into a world the reader may not have otherwise been able to visit. This is reflected through many of her characters such as Matthew Bartholomew, a monk who operates in the University of Cambridge himself.

Previously working as a coroner’s officer she gained a fair amount of insight into the detective genre, despite the historical context of her crime fiction. Making her name in detective fiction, she has drawn upon her experience working here well, gaining an understanding she otherwise not have had. She then went onto work as an academic at Cambridge University, as she then began to fully immerse herself into the lifestyle and her stories took form.

After being raised in Bristol, she now lives in the south-west region of Wales with her husband Beau Riffenburgh who is also a writer. Working together under the pseudonym of Simon Beaufort they have also managed to create a number of medieval mysteries together. This working relationship, along with their own respective writing careers is something that will continue on long into the foreseeable future.

Writing Career

Starting with the Matthew Bartholomew series, she produced her first fictional novel set in the medieval detective genre, as she published ‘A Plague on Both Your Houses’ in 1996. Since then she has come a long way having produced over twenty-one books in the series and counting, with more planned on the way. This along with her Thomas Chaloner series, which has eleven titles so far, as well as her Sir Geoffrey Mappestone series written with her husband, which has a total of eight books.

Charting the rise of these enduring characters she has created, there’s a lot of history available for both old and new readers to delve into. This is also something she has gained a lot of praise and recognition for over the years, from both critics and readers alike, gaining both awards and popularity as well. With plenty more novels planned on the horizon it appears that she’s showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, as her writing career grows from strength-to-strength.

A Bone of Contention

Initially published on the first of May, 1998, this was to be the third book on the ongoing Matthew Bartholomew series of medieval detective novels. Continuing with the style and the tone, it now has its world set-up for the reader, with the character of Matthew firmly established in the minds of the readers. Whilst it builds upon this, it also manages to bring an entirely new mystery to solve, as it gets straight into the action of the story.

Featuring the cases of the eponymous healer Matthew Bartholomew, these stories tell of his exploits as he seeks to get to the bottom of every mystery. As a man ahead of his time, he is skeptical of the superstition that he sees around him, preferring to use the powers of his deductive skills and hardened pragmatism to solve the case. This puts him at odds with his time period, it being the medieval era when superstition and mysticism reigned supreme, taking the place of reason. In regards to this particular installment it’s 1392 and he’s called upon to inspect a crime whereby a number of people are turning up dead in the King’s Ditch, along with a set of disappearances in the nearby town. Are they all connected and who could be behind it all? Why would they be doing such a thing and can Matthew Bartholomew find them before they strike again? What will become of them all as they uncover a bone of contention?

The Butcher of Smithfield

First published in 2008 on the 28th of April, this was the third book in the long-running Thomas Chaloner franchise. Building upon the tone and the style of what came before, this manages to recreate and further develop the series as a whole overall. Setting up a new case to solve too, this also works in a similar manner to her other franchises, carrying on with the familiar whilst simultaneously offering something new for the reader as well.

Once again featuring a period detective setting, this particular series features former spy turned detective Thomas Chaloner, it takes place during the Restoration of Charles II. Using his powers of deduction once more, it features a similar style to her previous franchises, with her now trademark attention to detail and historical accuracy. With the character clearly being a product of his time, it uses the era well so as to offset his skill, as he works to get the bottom of each case through skill and pragmatism. This time after returning home from a secret trip to Spain and Portugal on behalf of the queen, Thomas Chaloner finds that things have changed and, not only that, but people are dying apparently after eating cucumber. Is it really the cucumber though and can Chaloner find evidence that proves otherwise? Why are these deaths happening and what could possibly be gained from them? Can Thomas Chaloner find the criminal in time as he tracks down the butcher of Smithfield?