The Difficult Saint

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What to expect

This novel in Newman's series of medieval mysteries featuring Catherine LeVendeur takes place in the twelfth century amidst Europe's religious and political turbulence and intolerance. Catherine, wife of one-handed Edgar, daughter of a Jewish merchant, and mother of two small children, is a Christian convert. Agnes, her estranged sister, has returned to Paris with the news that she is to marry a German lord. She wants no part of her Jewish family, except the sizable dowry her father can provide.

After Agnes departs for Germany, her family receives terrible news: Agnes' husband has been murdered by poison and Agnes herself is the prime suspect. Catherine, putting their differences aside, goes undercover in the dangerous anti-Semitic climate of Germany to save her sister's life and possibly lose her own in the effort.

Critics Review

  • “Rich in detail and description, The Difficult Saint is a sumptuous read for all those who love historical novels.”

    RT Book Reviews, 4½ stars

  • “Readers looking for quality historical fiction ought to add Newman’s name to their lists of must-read authors. In addition to providing readers with a vivid look at life in France in the twelfth century, Newman also offers absorbing stories with well-drawn sympathetic characters.”

    Mystery Scene

  • “Newman is a novelist with considerable insight…Catherine and Edgar are, after all, not the movers and shakers, but the moved and shaken. It is how they live their lives through what we call ‘history’ that makes us realize how we, ourselves, are living through what will one day be the ‘history’ of others.”

    Historical Novel Review

  • “An absorbing and entertaining narrative.”

    Publishers Weekly

  • “Newman deftly conveys clues in the constant flow of the everyday life of Catherine’s medieval society.”

    School Library Journal

  • “Students and others interested in the period will find much to enjoy.”

    Kirkus Reviews

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