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Catherine LeVendeur #9
The Outcast Dove
"The Outcast Dove" is the ninth title in Sharan Newman's Catherine LeVendeur mystery series. In these well-researched novels filled with fascinating details of medieval life, Newman conveys the sounds, smells, and human concerns of twelfth-century France and creates characters who seem to have just stepped off the streets of medieval Paris.
The threat to peace and safety this time is not focused on Catherine LeVendeur, the heroine whose curiosity and passion for justice have sometimes led her to solve some grisly murders and brave horrors...but on those she loves. Her family's fortune is in commerce, and while her husband, Edgar, is a capable trader, they must rely on her dearest cousin, Solomon, to negotiate the treacherous path to riches. And therein lies the danger, for the fact that Solomon is her cousin is secret. Catherine's father was abducted as a child and raised as a devout Catholic---but most of his family escaped and remained Jews.
If their family connections are discovered, it could mean ruin to Catherine's family. Or death.
As Edgar and Solomon travel to Spain to make their fortunes, Solomon is drawn into a scheme to try to rescue a Jewish girl take by Christians during the conquest of the Spanish city of Almeira. To complicate matters, and sorely vex his heart, Solomon encounters his long-lost father Jacob, a man who rejected his Jewish faith and is now Brother James, preparing his own trip to Spain to ransom Crusader knights taken by the Moslems. When a fellow monk is killed by an attacker in the street late at night, it's put down to a random mugging. But James, who is carrying the ransom money, believes that he will be the next target. Circumstances force him to turn for help to the son he abandoned.
Solomon wants nothing to do with his father. But he's confronted by his past, his ancestry, the need for secrecy, and his love for those of his family who have chosen a different path.
In confronting all these things, Solomon will come to a decision about who he is...and where he really belongs.
The threat to peace and safety this time is not focused on Catherine LeVendeur, the heroine whose curiosity and passion for justice have sometimes led her to solve some grisly murders and brave horrors...but on those she loves. Her family's fortune is in commerce, and while her husband, Edgar, is a capable trader, they must rely on her dearest cousin, Solomon, to negotiate the treacherous path to riches. And therein lies the danger, for the fact that Solomon is her cousin is secret. Catherine's father was abducted as a child and raised as a devout Catholic---but most of his family escaped and remained Jews.
If their family connections are discovered, it could mean ruin to Catherine's family. Or death.
As Edgar and Solomon travel to Spain to make their fortunes, Solomon is drawn into a scheme to try to rescue a Jewish girl take by Christians during the conquest of the Spanish city of Almeira. To complicate matters, and sorely vex his heart, Solomon encounters his long-lost father Jacob, a man who rejected his Jewish faith and is now Brother James, preparing his own trip to Spain to ransom Crusader knights taken by the Moslems. When a fellow monk is killed by an attacker in the street late at night, it's put down to a random mugging. But James, who is carrying the ransom money, believes that he will be the next target. Circumstances force him to turn for help to the son he abandoned.
Solomon wants nothing to do with his father. But he's confronted by his past, his ancestry, the need for secrecy, and his love for those of his family who have chosen a different path.
In confronting all these things, Solomon will come to a decision about who he is...and where he really belongs.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
5 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Sharan Newman
52 books194 followersSharan Newman is a medieval historian and author. She took her Master’s degree in Medieval Literature at Michigan State University and then did her doctoral work at the University of California at Santa Barbara in Medieval Studies, specializing in twelfth-century France. She is a member of the Medieval Academy and the Medieval Association of the Pacific.
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
Rather than teach, Newman chose to use her education to write novels set in the Middle Ages, including three Arthurian fantasies and ten mysteries set in twelfth-century France, featuring Catherine LeVendeur a one-time student of Heloise at the Paraclete, her husband, Edgar, an Anglo-Scot and Solomon, a Jewish merchant of Paris. The books focus on the life of the bourgeoisie and minor nobility and also the uneasy relations between Christians and Jews at that time. They also incorporate events of the twelfth-century such as the Second Crusade and the rise of the Cathars.
For these books, Newman has done research at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique France Méridionale et Espagne at the University of Toulouse and the Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, as well as many departmental archives.
The Catherine Levendeur mysteries have been nominated for many awards. Sharan won the Macavity Award for best first mystery for Death Comes As Epiphany and the Herodotus Award for best historical mystery of 1998 for Cursed in the Blood. The most recent book in the series The Witch in the Well won the Bruce Alexander award for best Historical mystery of 2004.
Just for a change, her next mystery, The Shanghai Tunnel is set in Portland in 1868.
The Shanghai Tunnel allowed Sharan Newman to explore the history of the city she grew up in. She found that the history she had been taught in school had been seriously whitewashed. Doing research in the city archives as well as the collections at Reed College and the Oregon Historical society was exciting and eye-opening. Many of the “founding fathers” of Portland turn out to have been unscrupulous financiers. Chinese workers were subject to discrimination and there was an active red light district.
On the other hand, Portland in the post-Civil War period also saw some amazingly liberal movements. Women’s rights were an important issue as was religious toleration. Even at that early date, preserving the natural environment was hotly debated.
This is the world in which Emily Stratton, the widow of a Portland merchant and the daughter of missionaries to China, finds herself.
Newman has written a non-fiction book, The Real History Behind the Da Vince Code Berkley 2005. It is in encyclopedia format and gives information on various topics mentioned in Dan Brown’s novel. Following on that she has just completed the Real History Behind the Templars published by Berkley in September of 2007.
She lives on a mountainside in Oregon.
(Text taken from: http://www.sharannewman.com/bio.html )
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 6, 2010
#9 Catherine LeVendeur mystery set in medieval France. Actually in this book, Catherine doesn't figure much at all except for the fact that she is related to some of the players--Solomon, her cousin, is the main character in this one. He is traveling around as usual as a merchant, but it's more precarious than usual. Solomon is a Jew, and things are getting more tough and more restrictive for the Jews.
Catherine, a Christian, keeps secret the fact that Solomon is her cousin--officially he is her husband Edgar's business partner and nothing more. She isn't ashamed of him but keeps their association minimal for the sake of their family, as there is real danger in even being associated with Jews. Catherine's father used to run the business but decided to renounce the Christianity he had been raised in and go back to his Jewish roots, and is now studying as a scholar.
On this trip, Solomon not only encounters his uncle Hubert (Catherine's father) but also his real father, James--a Christian convert who is rabidly attempting to convert other Jews, or to condemn them, and Jehan, a knight who was formerly acquainted with the LeVendeurs in Paris and now hires out as a mercenary/guard. When a young monk is brutally beaten and a teenage Jewish girl disappears, the authorities suspect and question several members of the Jewish community, and Catherine's family's lives are in mortal danger. She knows little of this, as she is back in Paris, heavy with child, with Edgar at her side instead of accompanying Solomon on this trip.
It's funny, in the forward the author mentions Catherine's absence and says she knows those who love the series will miss her--I actually didn't! I like Solomon much better. I love this series in general, but Catherine wears on my nerves after awhile, so it was actually refreshing not to have her in the book. There's only one more in this series, and I plan to finish it off before the end of the year.
Catherine, a Christian, keeps secret the fact that Solomon is her cousin--officially he is her husband Edgar's business partner and nothing more. She isn't ashamed of him but keeps their association minimal for the sake of their family, as there is real danger in even being associated with Jews. Catherine's father used to run the business but decided to renounce the Christianity he had been raised in and go back to his Jewish roots, and is now studying as a scholar.
On this trip, Solomon not only encounters his uncle Hubert (Catherine's father) but also his real father, James--a Christian convert who is rabidly attempting to convert other Jews, or to condemn them, and Jehan, a knight who was formerly acquainted with the LeVendeurs in Paris and now hires out as a mercenary/guard. When a young monk is brutally beaten and a teenage Jewish girl disappears, the authorities suspect and question several members of the Jewish community, and Catherine's family's lives are in mortal danger. She knows little of this, as she is back in Paris, heavy with child, with Edgar at her side instead of accompanying Solomon on this trip.
It's funny, in the forward the author mentions Catherine's absence and says she knows those who love the series will miss her--I actually didn't! I like Solomon much better. I love this series in general, but Catherine wears on my nerves after awhile, so it was actually refreshing not to have her in the book. There's only one more in this series, and I plan to finish it off before the end of the year.
January 10, 2010
Another great medieval mystery. This series is excellent as far as the story content and the historical details of 12th century France and Spain. The Muslims and Christians are fighting over control of many areas, including Spain. Christian monks and Jewish traders are thrown together heading towards southern Spain. The religious conflicts and misunderstandings are enormous at this time. A Jewish girl is captured by Muslims and sold to a Christian religious order for a brothel to service Muslim slaves building for them. The Jewish/Christian family of the hero is full of secrets and twists of fate, one of which is that he must face the father who left him as a child to become a Christian Monk. An uncle was raised Christian and turned Jewish.Lots of treacherous, dangerous people and situations. Human beings haven't changed all that much in thousands of years. Really a good read (and educational too!)
December 18, 2015
This book didn't feature Catherine at all, switching its attention to Solomon instead.
With this series, I find that the books with the most soul searching are the least interesting and this book fell into that category. While I like the character of Solomon I don't think I needed an entire book about him.
Still, I like the book and I find the Jewish history fascinating.
With this series, I find that the books with the most soul searching are the least interesting and this book fell into that category. While I like the character of Solomon I don't think I needed an entire book about him.
Still, I like the book and I find the Jewish history fascinating.
December 29, 2016
Some twists and turns and not enough Catherine but a fine tale.
September 2, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, though calling it a Catherine LeVendeur novel is a bit of a stretch, since she doesn't actually appear. (The author explains in an afterword that she's on maternity leave.)
But it certainly belongs in the family saga. It's mostly about her beloved cousin Solomon, but also features her father, her uncle (the other one), and a brief cameo of her husband.
As in many of these books, we see a lot about the relations between Christians and Jews in the 12th century (including "apostates" both ways and the difficulties of burying a Jewish body in a Christian land), but also the relations of both groups with Muslims, especially as the Christian reconquest of Spain (which then included Portugal) continues. (The Jews call the Christians Edomites and the Muslims Ishmaelites - the Muslims would agree with the last part.) We also see how observant and non-observant Jews interact.
We see more of the burdens and dangers of travel, even on a pilgrim road, and the real and the romantic view of knights. "What's wrong with them - they only care about wealth and power?" a young wannabe knight asks. "What else is there?" replies a knight in genuine puzzlement. And we see people reacting to the latest pop music - the love laments of the jongleurs. Or, as Solomon asks himself, why would people pay to be made sad?
There's even an interesting look at medieval views of people with Down's Syndrome. Some thought they brought luck to others - a mother calls her innocent daughter "pure love".
We get a look at Jewish rules of the time about Jewish women kidnapped and raped by Gentiles. The rules were cruel to these innocent victims. I believe they were ameliorated later. A few devout men rise above the letter of the law to show true compassion.
I was even more dismayed by something Cistercian monks were running. Sadly, there is solid evidence that at least one monastery of that order (not the one in the novel) actually did this.
We see Solomon maturing in this book. I'll be interested to see what if he decides to marry in the last book (I'm so sad to come to the end of this wonderful series!) and if so, whom.
I guessed the murderer, which always pleases me. Though I did it more by literary patterns than proper deduction as if I were there.
It's pretty clean - there is fornication but nothing explicit and it's not romanticized. The worst thing is the bestiality jokes in one brief stretch - almost all the characters are young men, so it's not too surprising.
But it certainly belongs in the family saga. It's mostly about her beloved cousin Solomon, but also features her father, her uncle (the other one), and a brief cameo of her husband.
As in many of these books, we see a lot about the relations between Christians and Jews in the 12th century (including "apostates" both ways and the difficulties of burying a Jewish body in a Christian land), but also the relations of both groups with Muslims, especially as the Christian reconquest of Spain (which then included Portugal) continues. (The Jews call the Christians Edomites and the Muslims Ishmaelites - the Muslims would agree with the last part.) We also see how observant and non-observant Jews interact.
We see more of the burdens and dangers of travel, even on a pilgrim road, and the real and the romantic view of knights. "What's wrong with them - they only care about wealth and power?" a young wannabe knight asks. "What else is there?" replies a knight in genuine puzzlement. And we see people reacting to the latest pop music - the love laments of the jongleurs. Or, as Solomon asks himself, why would people pay to be made sad?
There's even an interesting look at medieval views of people with Down's Syndrome. Some thought they brought luck to others - a mother calls her innocent daughter "pure love".
We get a look at Jewish rules of the time about Jewish women kidnapped and raped by Gentiles. The rules were cruel to these innocent victims. I believe they were ameliorated later. A few devout men rise above the letter of the law to show true compassion.
I was even more dismayed by something Cistercian monks were running. Sadly, there is solid evidence that at least one monastery of that order (not the one in the novel) actually did this.
We see Solomon maturing in this book. I'll be interested to see what if he decides to marry in the last book (I'm so sad to come to the end of this wonderful series!) and if so, whom.
I guessed the murderer, which always pleases me. Though I did it more by literary patterns than proper deduction as if I were there.
It's pretty clean - there is fornication but nothing explicit and it's not romanticized. The worst thing is the bestiality jokes in one brief stretch - almost all the characters are young men, so it's not too surprising.
June 13, 2019
This was a good book at the end of a great series. It`s not a Catherine book, and that`s OK, but I`m less interested in the lives of young men in the middle ages who can act with autonomy and be taken seriously and are oppressed by religion than I am in the lives of a young female scholar and mother using her brains to see through things. I liked the book fine, it just wasn't what I was looking for exactly.
A bit slow going through the middle section but the ending had all the best of Newman`s writing. I`m not sorry to have read it, but if it had come first I doubt that I would have read the rest of the series.
A bit slow going through the middle section but the ending had all the best of Newman`s writing. I`m not sorry to have read it, but if it had come first I doubt that I would have read the rest of the series.
July 15, 2021
Another super-fast read set in Sharan Newman's version of the 12th Century. This episode does not feature our usual heroine, Catherine LeVendeur, but rather her cousin Solomon, following his escapades during roughly the same time period as Catherine's adventures in the previous novel.
I am forever impressed with Newman's ability to write thoroughly complex characters, whose personal journeys bring about evolutions of character that are at once unexpected and thoroughly satisfying.
I am forever impressed with Newman's ability to write thoroughly complex characters, whose personal journeys bring about evolutions of character that are at once unexpected and thoroughly satisfying.
February 19, 2021
This was an incredible read. I sort of figured out who it was a little less than 3/4 of the book left....I wasn't sure though, but then it wound up being that person. I hope Sharan Newman writes more books with Solomon as the main character. I really , really enjoyed this book, he's such an enjoyable character.
BTW..... Catherine is not in this at all, but she is mentioned
BTW..... Catherine is not in this at all, but she is mentioned
September 16, 2018
While the usual main characters do not figure in this book, this was still an excellent historical mystery. Set mainly in Southern France with a journey to Spain, I enjoyed all the historical details of the Jewish community in Toulouse and thought the plot was entertaining.
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July 17, 20191148 AD
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May 11, 202312/7/2003 Reread 3/12/2023
November 15, 2016
First, I read this book to the end primarily because it presented a story of the Middle Ages from the perspective of Jews rather than Christians, which was very interesting to me. I learned a bit about the laws and viewpoints of Jewish tradition, with some amusing insights into the way the three major monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) thought of each other, even though they are essentially the same religion.
Before I get to analysis, a little venting. Having read the jacket blurb, I was expecting a: an actual mystery, and b: a main character named Catherine LeVendeur. I got neither—unless a few murders automatically count as a “mystery novel”, regardless of how common this was during that era. As to Catherine, she was mentioned a few time, but never actually appeared, and had nothing to do with revealing the murderer. It seems as though this is an ongoing series, and the blurb writer (or author) wanted readers to buy the book based on previous stories, and would probably have felt cheated that she was not actually a character in this novel! So these frustrations led me to think a lot less of the book than I might have if it stood on the merits of what is actually was.
Rather than a cohesive story, the characters seemed a bit higgledy-piggledy, thrown together to illustrate different aspects of the era and the atrocities they committed toward each other rather than a cohesive novel where there is a vital purpose to each character and each scene. For example, while the story of Babylonia is interesting, and certainly showed the prejudices of the Jews as well as the Christians, it was completely irrelevant in the context of the overall plot. Even the title was mystifying: I finally decided the “outcast dove” must be Babylonia, but she was a minor character who, as stated, was not essential to the plot. Also, most of the characters were certainly complex, but a lot of their issues were never resolved, more like a psychological case study than a novel where we see the intellectual resolution of their various forms of angst; this is especially true of Brother James.
Yes, the writing is fine. The portrayal of the culture and historical detail seemed authentic. But, at the end, I came away with the feeling of: Okay, there were some interesting bits of information and psychology explored, but so what? It was not a satisfying story.
Before I get to analysis, a little venting. Having read the jacket blurb, I was expecting a: an actual mystery, and b: a main character named Catherine LeVendeur. I got neither—unless a few murders automatically count as a “mystery novel”, regardless of how common this was during that era. As to Catherine, she was mentioned a few time, but never actually appeared, and had nothing to do with revealing the murderer. It seems as though this is an ongoing series, and the blurb writer (or author) wanted readers to buy the book based on previous stories, and would probably have felt cheated that she was not actually a character in this novel! So these frustrations led me to think a lot less of the book than I might have if it stood on the merits of what is actually was.
Rather than a cohesive story, the characters seemed a bit higgledy-piggledy, thrown together to illustrate different aspects of the era and the atrocities they committed toward each other rather than a cohesive novel where there is a vital purpose to each character and each scene. For example, while the story of Babylonia is interesting, and certainly showed the prejudices of the Jews as well as the Christians, it was completely irrelevant in the context of the overall plot. Even the title was mystifying: I finally decided the “outcast dove” must be Babylonia, but she was a minor character who, as stated, was not essential to the plot. Also, most of the characters were certainly complex, but a lot of their issues were never resolved, more like a psychological case study than a novel where we see the intellectual resolution of their various forms of angst; this is especially true of Brother James.
Yes, the writing is fine. The portrayal of the culture and historical detail seemed authentic. But, at the end, I came away with the feeling of: Okay, there were some interesting bits of information and psychology explored, but so what? It was not a satisfying story.
January 18, 2015
Solomon is off on an adventure that takes him first to Toulouse, where he visits with his uncle Hubert (Rav Chaim) and then to Al-Andalus to rescue knights and maidens from Christians who have conquered Saracen lands. On this adventure, he travels with Brother James, who is Solomon's father. You can imagine the stress. Jehan, the knight, is guarding the monks and the Jewish merchants on this journey. The trip is a little rocky as you can imagine, with a few murders, mistaken identities, and a little happiness. The descriptions of Pesach in France are fascinating as are the discussion of Jewish and Christian custom. On to book 10.
June 27, 2013
As historical fiction, this novel is quite interesting. It deals with relations between Christians and Jews in southern France and northern Spain in the twelfth century--not something you see every day. As a mystery, however, I found it disappointing. I don't feel the author gave the reader sufficient clues to have a chance at solving the crime. No one was really investigating it, either; the truth just happened to come out eventually.
November 13, 2020
Continuing Series Nice to find out more about our Solomon
Harrowing as usual but full of mores of the time and plenty of historical detail. I enjoyed the story of Jehan, yes really! And the newly introduced and regular characters we all know and love. Cannot wait to read the next book to find out what is next...
Harrowing as usual but full of mores of the time and plenty of historical detail. I enjoyed the story of Jehan, yes really! And the newly introduced and regular characters we all know and love. Cannot wait to read the next book to find out what is next...
October 14, 2009
Sharan Newman's medieval mystery was quite good. Unfortunately, I haven't read her first ones which would give continuity to the characters not only in this book, but referred to from past books. She is very enjoyable, but Ellis Peters still remains my favorite medieval mystery writer.
December 20, 2015
I enjoyed this book, as I love the series as a whole, but I missed Catherine and Edgar, as this gook focused on her cousin Solomon. He is an interesting character, and the mystery is good- again I did not foresee the conclusion, but I did miss Catherine.
August 22, 2007
A nice addition to Newman's series involving Catherine Levandeur as this book doesn't have that protagonist at all, but is only made up of a few side characters from previous books in the series.
October 21, 2010
This series moves all around France and Europe, but the same cast of characters pops up each time. It drives me nuts.
October 17, 2009
This was interesting in that it was Solomon's story, and Catherine didn't appear. Also the stories of Jehan, Hubert and Solomon's father were resolved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2009
A great beach read, which is where I read it, that takes place in France and Spain in the 1100s. A good historical fiction.
Want to read
July 31, 2011macavity award winning author
October 3, 2012
Another good mystery taking place during the middle ages. If you like mysteries and history, you might like this one.
July 25, 2013
Excellent. I really enjoyed Solomon's tale. He could probably have his own book series. Didn't really miss the chaos of Catherine's family. Also good to see Hubert again.
July 23, 2014
I loved the Solomon POV. Catherine is great, but the series NEEDS MOAR SOLOMON.
November 9, 2013
Loved the story line about Solomon.
February 21, 2016
A good medieval mystery that kept the pages turning.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews