The atmosphere is poisonous in medieval Cambridge as Dr Matthew Bartholomew investigates his latest case.

Hundreds of new university students have arrived in the city sparking arguments and fights between residents, traders, clergy and academics.

Several members of the Guild of Saints have been killed and suspicion has fallen on local crime lord Potmore.

A new college has been set up in Cambridge, its rulers determined to outclass the existing colleges, and they’re using Guild cash that formerly went to the poor.

And there’s real poison – as Matthew discovers the reason why so many of the Guild members, including his own brother-in-law, were ill before he died.

Matthew courts unpopularity with his fellow townspeople by using his medical skills to save the much-reviled Potmore from death.

But this is only the start of his troubles, as blackmail, theft, religious divides and deceit threaten the end of Matthew’s beloved Michaelhouse College.

Death of a Scholar is as complicated as Gregory’s previous novels, with its bustling cast, intertwining plots and high body count.

It’s engrossing rather than gripping, a satisfying read for lovers of historical whodunnits, and it builds well towards an extended climax that wraps up the many threads.

David Knights