As with the two previous books in this mystery series, I'm fascinated by the lead characters (an educated "whoremistress", the women who work for her, and the men in her life), I love the writing, and I love being immersed in 12th-century England for a while. But much of the time, I can't follow the political machinations involving church and crown that are usually involved in the murder at hand. As a result, I never do quite grasp how Magdalene figures out the solution to the mystery. Perhaps if I had any background knowledge of the history of that time I wouldn't feel so much at sea. Yet I keep listening to the series and enjoying the ride, even though I'm a little lost sometimes. The narrator of the audiobooks is wonderful, but I may read the next one instead of listening to it, to see if I have an easier time following the plot on paper.