Books by Paul Doherty

Book SynopsisWith an imposter prince claiming he is Henry Tudor, Margaret Beaufort must play the game of kings very carefully in this richly-imagined medieval mystery.Uneasy lies the head which wears the crown1472. Edward IV reigns triumphant over England and his rivals, the Lancastrians. But he is uneasy, for one true claimant remains: the young Henry Tudor, son of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond. Henry''s continued existence worries Edward, so he hatches a plan to bring a cuckoo into the nest - an imposter prince is presented to Margaret Beaufort as her son.Margaret is no fool and knows she must play this game of kings carefully . . . When she is invited to George Neville''s beautiful home ''The Moor'' to help investigate some mysterious and gruesome murders she knows dark forces are at play. Whispers of a shadowy figure called Achitophel hang over the house''s occupants, like the impenetrable mist that descended on the battle of Barn

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Book SynopsisWith an imposter prince claiming he is Henry Tudor, Margaret Beaufort must play the game of kings very carefully in this richly-imagined medieval mystery.Uneasy lies the head which wears the crown1472. Edward IV reigns triumphant over England and his rivals, the Lancastrians. But he is uneasy, for one true claimant remains: the young Henry Tudor, son of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond. Henry''s continued existence worries Edward, so he hatches a plan to bring a cuckoo into the nest - an imposter prince is presented to Margaret Beaufort as her son.Margaret is no fool and knows she must play this game of kings carefully . . . When she is invited to George Neville''s beautiful home ''The Moor'' to help investigate some mysterious and gruesome murders she knows dark forces are at play. Whispers of a shadowy figure called Achitophel hang over the house''s occupants, like the impenetrable mist that descended on the battle of Barn

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Book SynopsisPaul Doherty''s twenty-second medieval mystery featuring Sir Hugh Corbett is a gripping and gruesome tale of murder and mayhem sure to appeal to fans of C. J. Sansom and Bernard Cornwell.1312. Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, has returned from the West Country to find Westminster in chaos. Edward II has fled in an attempt to protect his favourite from the wrath of his noblemen; and a royal clerk has been found dead, poisoned in a locked chamber.Drawn into a maze of murder both at Westminster and at the Convent of Saint Sulpice, where young novices have started to disappear, Corbett quickly establishes a connection between the two mysteries. As other killings follow, Corbett''s investigation leads him to a high-class brothel and its sinister owner, Mother Midnight. Challenged to a duel and hunted by a guild of ruthless assassins, Corbett and his loyal henchmen, Ranulf and Chanson, face a sea of troubles. And Corbett must call upon his wit and ingTrade ReviewHis fascination for history comes off the page * Daily Express *Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric * Historical Novels Review *Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions * New Statesmen *An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite * Northern Echo *Supremely evocative, scrupulously researched * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThe arrival of a band of Spanish mercenaries brings new danger for Margaret Beaufort and the House of Lancaster in this richly-imagined medieval mystery.November, 1471. With Edward of York on the English throne and her son, Henry Tudor, in exile in Brittany, the newly-widowed Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, is alone, without protectors. All she can do is wait and watch, planning for a time when she?s in a position to make her move.But new dangers are emerging. En route to England is a band of Spanish mercenaries known as the Garduna. With no allegiance to prince, prelate or people, they are a lethal fighting force, utterly ruthless and implacable killers. But who has hired them . . . and why? The discovery of the body of an unexpected visitor, found murdered in a locked room in her London townhouse, heralds the start of a series of increasingly menacing incidents which threaten Margaret and her household. Is there an enemy within? It?s up to Margaret?s wily clerk Christopher Urswicke to uncover the truth and ensure Margaret survives to fulfil her destiny.

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Book SynopsisThe death of Lord Henry Fitzalan on the feast of St Matthew, 1303, is a matter widely reported but little mourned. Infamous for his lecherous tendencies, his midnight trysts with a coven of witches and his boundless self-interest, he was a man of few friends. So when Hugh Corbett is asked to bring his murderer to justice it is not a matter of finding a suspect but of choosing between them. Immediate suspicion falls on Lord Henry''s chief verderer, Robert Verlian. His daughter had been the focus of the Lord''s roving eye in the weeks before his death and Fitzalan was not a man to take no for an answer. But the culprit could just as easily be Sir William, the dead man''s younger brother. It is no secret that Sir William covets the Fitzalan estate, but would he kill to inherit it? For Sir Hugh Corbett the possibilities are endless, but even he could never have imagined the real truth behind the murder...Trade Review'The maestro of medieval mystery... As with all Doherty's historical whodunnits, it is packed with salty dialogue, the smells and superstitions of the 14th century, not to mention the political intrigues' Books magazine'The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters' Time Out'Medieval London comes vividly to life' Publishers Weekly 'Wholly excellent' Prima'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history ...evocative and lyrical descriptions' New Statesman'Vitality in the cityscape ...angst in the mystery; it's Peters minus the herbs but plus a few crates of sack' Oxford Times'As always the author invokes the medieval period in all its muck as well as glory, filling the pages with pungent smells and description. The author brings years of research to his writing; his mastery of the period as well as a disciplined writing schedule have led to a rapidly increasing body of work and a growing reputation' Mystery News'this book is written well with a great deal of self-assurance. I liked the period detail and the characterisation of the large cast of suspects' Deryn Lake, SHOTSDemon Archer: 'For those who are keen enthusiasts of medieval murder stories the name Paul Doherty will need no introduction...He writes with enthusiasm about an era he knows well' SHOTS

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Book SynopsisIt is 1301 and a fragile peace exists between Edward of England and Philip IV of France. In the fetid alleys and slums of London and Paris it is a different matter. Here the secret agents of both countries still fight their own, silent, deadly battles. The Prince of Wales wallows in luxury under the sinister influence of his favourite, Gaveston, who has secret political ambitions to dominate the young prince and the English crown. These scandals are threatened with exposure when Lady Belmont, the prince''s former mistress, is found dead, her neck broken, at the foot of a nunnery''s steps. Was it suicide? An accident? Or malicious murder? Edward turns to his master spy, Hugh Corbett, to solve the mystery. In doing so, Corbett must face the deadly rivalry of his French counterpart, the murderous rage of Gaveston and the silent threats of assassins. He must also contend with the lies and silken deceits of his own master.

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Book SynopsisAgrippina, wife of Claudius, mother of Nero, was a beautiful and talented woman who saw her father murdered, was banished by her brother, and was killed on the orders of her son. Her freed man, a one-eyed former gladiator named Parmenon, tells of Agrippina''s battle to survive in and control the depraved and violent Imperial Roman court, and the crumbling relationship between mother and son.Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty's other novels: 'I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *A romping good read * Time Out *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *

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Book SynopsisIn 1300, an English privateer named ''The Waxman'' was trapped and overrun by two powerful war cogs flying the streamers of the powerful Hanseatic League of North Germany. The ship was carrying a casket containing the ''Carta Mysteriosa'', a collection of valuable and detailed maps and sea charts. The rulers of Europe, not to mention their merchant princes, would wade through a sea of blood to obtain them.Three years later Wilhelm Von Paulents, a representative of the Hanseatic League, comes to England. Rumours have it that he owns the sea charts and Sir Hugh Corbett is sent to negotiate with Von Paulents. But the German visitors fall ill of some mysterious ailment and then, on the morning of the fourth Sunday in Advent, Corbett is summoned to a scene of bloody mayhem and murder: Von Paulents, his wife, son and clerk have been barbarously assassinated. The ''Carta Mysteriosa'' have not been stolen. So why were the murders committed and by whom? Corbett investigates and, onceTrade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty's other novels: 'I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *A romping good read * Time Out *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *

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Book SynopsisThe arrival of a band of Spanish mercenaries brings new danger for Margaret Beaufort and the House of Lancaster in this richly-imagined medieval mystery.November, 1471. With Edward of York on the English throne and her son, Henry Tudor, in exile in Brittany, the newly-widowed Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, is alone, without protectors. All she can do is wait and watch, planning for a time when she''s in a position to make her move.But new dangers are emerging. En route to England is a band of Spanish mercenaries known as the Garduna. With no allegiance to prince, prelate or people, they are a lethal fighting force, utterly ruthless and implacable killers. But who has hired them . . . and why?The discovery of the body of an unexpected visitor, found murdered in a locked room in her London townhouse, heralds the start of a series of increasingly menacing incidents which threaten Margaret and her household. Is there an enemy within

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Book SynopsisMahu, former Chief of Police and Keeper of the Secrets of the Heart is sitting down to record his memories. He sees uneasy quiet reigning in the Royal Circle at Thebes, after the disappearance of the Pharaoh Akenhaten and the abandonment of his new, sun-worshipping religion. Members of different factions are barely held together by loyalty to the six-year-old Emperor, Tutankhamun. Then extraordinary news reaches the Council: Akenhaten has returned to Egypt.The words are greeted with dismay by all who hear them, for surely Akenhaten is dead? Mahu can certainly vouch that the woman claiming to be the Emperor''s wife, Nefertiti, is a fraud. Whoever the man is who has appeared in the Delta, he must be investigated.Trade ReviewPraise for AN EVIL SPIRIT OUT OF THE WEST, the first title in Paul Doherty's Egyptian Pharaoh trilogy: 'Doherty has typically woven a delightfully dark tale around what must have been the most remarkable period of Egyptian history...So stoke up the fire, draw the curtains and put your feet up in order to enjoy this delightfully spooky and robust tale of demons, death and disease in old Egypt. Great stuff! * Historical Novels Review *

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Book SynopsisThe golden summer of 1303 and Oxford is plunged into chaos. The severed heads of beggars have been tied by their hair to the trees in woods outside the city. John Copsale, the Regent of Sparrow Hall, has been found dead in his bed and it is being whispered that he was murdered by the mysterious ''Bell Man''. Then the college librarian and activist, Robert Ascham is discovered with a crossbow bolt in his chest. King Edward, hearing of the seething unrest in Oxford, arrives unannounced at Sir Hugh Corbett''s country manor, and insists that Corbett go to the city to solve the murderous mysteries. And when the King commands, few can resist even if it means knowingly entering a dangerous and violent world...

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Book SynopsisJanuary 1304 and Hugh Corbett, devoted emissary of King Edward I, has been charged with yet another dangerous mission. Scrope, an unscrupulous manor lord, has reneged on his promise to hand over a priceless ornate cross he stole from the Templars during the Crusades. Furthermore, he has massacred as heretics fourteen members of a religious order, whose corpses now hang in the woods near Mistleham in Essex. The King, determined to restore order, sends Corbett to Mistleham in his stead. But as Corbett reaches the troubled village, it becomes obvious that the situation has worsened. A mysterious bowman has appeared, killing townspeople at random. Is one of the Brethren responsible, or have the Templars arrived to wreak revenge? Can Corbett restore Mistleham to peace, and return the treasure to the King, before further blood is shed?Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty and his other novels: 'Resurrectionist magic * New York Times *The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters * Time Out *I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *The maestro of medieval mystery * Books Magazine *Doherty dazzles with his story-telling * Nottingham Evening Post *

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Book SynopsisSeptember 314 AD and once more death strikes the sprawling streets of Imperial Rome. When two prostitutes are found murdered - their bodies ripped open and their right eyes gouged out - it''s feared a notorious killer, the Nefandus, has returned. Rumoured to be an imperial officer, he once waged bloody murder amongst Rome''s prostitutes but vanished before his identity could be discovered. Has he reappeared, or is someone working in his guise? Desperate to retain order, the Empress Helena turns to her most trusted agent, Claudia. Helena commands her to discover the truth behind the Nefandus, before Rome descends further into chaos and confusion.Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty and his other novels: 'Resurrectionist magic * New York Times *The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters * Time Out *I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *The maestro of medieval mystery * Books Magazine *Doherty dazzles with his story-telling * Nottingham Evening Post *

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Book SynopsisThe young Pharoah Tutankhamun is unwell, but there is no heir apparent. Egypt''s enemies, the Hittites, are advancing through Canaan, and Ay - First Minister of Akenhaten, father of Nefertiti, brother of Queen Tiye - still plots, like the spider he is. The web is woven, the traps set...Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty's other novels: 'I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *A romping good read * Time Out *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *

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Book Synopsis313 AD, and tempers are rising in Rome. The Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena are trying to make sense of the new Christian religion which is spreading through the Empire - but the Christians can''t agree among themselves. Scholars are locked in a bitter struggle over whether Christ really was the son of God, and Constantine invites delegates from both sides to debate before him at his villa.Now strange things start to happen. Envoys from both sides are found murdered in a most macabre way. The villa is secretly attacked, and the Holy Sword is stolen. Helena calls on the help of her secret agent Claudia - that shrewd, unobtrusive detective - to untangle the dangerous web of intrigue. As she sets to work, the spy is also facing a crisis in her own life...Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty's other novels: 'I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *A romping good read * Time Out *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *

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Book SynopsisMatthias Fitzosbert is the illegitimate son of the parish priest of the village of Sutton Courteny. Despite the recent spate of murders, each day he braves the dark woods to visit his friend, a mysterious hermit who shows him many strange and beautiful things. Though enthralled, the boy is always puzzled by his lessons with the hermit - never more so than the night the villagers hunt the hermit down, and burn him, believing him to be responsible for the many deaths. THE ROSE DEMON explores Matthias''s unique relationship with a spirit he strives to placate but ultimately flees from. His story is played out against the vivid panorama of medieval life: the fall and sack of Constantinople; the turbulent Wars of the Roses; the terror of witchcraft; the battlefields of Spain and finally the lush jungles of the Caribbean where the Rose Demon and Matthias have one final, dramatic confrontation.

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Book Synopsis"Medieval mystery fans have cause for rejoicing with the return of Brother Athelstan" Booklist on BloodstoneJanuary, 1381. Guests of the Regent, John of Gaunt, Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston have been attending a mystery play performed by the Straw Men, Gaunt''s personal acting troupe, when the evening''s entertainment is rudely interrupted by the sudden, violent deaths of two of Gaunt''s VIP guests, their severed heads left on stage. The Regent orders Athelstan to find out who committed such a heinous act, leading Athelstan to tackle his most baffling case yet.

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Book SynopsisAn intriguing medieval mystery featuring Brother AthelstanFebruary, 1381. London lies frozen in the grip of one of the bitterest winters on record. The ever-rising taxes demanded by the Regent, John of Gaunt, are causing increasing resentment among the city''s poor. When the seething unrest boils over into a bloody massacre at a splendid Southwark tavern, The Candle Flame, in which nine people, including Gaunt''s tax collectors, their military escort and the prostitutes entertaining them, are brutally murdered, the furious Regent orders Brother Athelstan to get to the bottom of the matter. For not only has Gaunt''s treasure trove been stolen, he has reason to believe a French spy is active along the Thames, carefully recording for his masters in the Louvre the state of English war cogs. And a professional assassin, Beowulf, who has sworn vengeance against Gaunt and his minions, also stalks the shadows. Once again, Athelstan must enter the murky world of murder, where the darkness constantly shifts and no one is who or what they seem.

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Book SynopsisPaul Doherty''s twenty-second medieval mystery featuring Sir Hugh Corbett is a gripping and gruesome tale of murder and mayhem sure to appeal to fans of C. J. Sansom and Bernard Cornwell.1312. Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, has returned from the West Country to find Westminster in chaos. Edward II has fled in an attempt to protect his favourite from the wrath of his noblemen; and a royal clerk has been found dead, poisoned in a locked chamber.Drawn into a maze of murder both at Westminster and at the Convent of Saint Sulpice, where young novices have started to disappear, Corbett quickly establishes a connection between the two mysteries. As other killings follow, Corbett''s investigation leads him to a high-class brothel and its sinister owner, Mother Midnight. Challenged to a duel and hunted by a guild of ruthless assassins, Corbett and his loyal henchmen, Ranulf and Chanson, face a sea of troubles. And Corbett must call upon his wit and ingTrade ReviewHis fascination for history comes off the page * Daily Express *Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric * Historical Novels Review *Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions * New Statesmen *An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite * Northern Echo *Supremely evocative, scrupulously researched * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisIn 1521, England is at peace under the magnificent Cardinal Wolsey, who rules the country while Henry VIII spends his time in masques, banquets and hunting, whether it be the fleet-footed deer or the even more delicious quarry of the silken-garbed ladies of the court.But Richard Falconer, chief secretary of the English embassy in Paris, has been found mysteriously murdered. Wolsey believes that Falconer''s death is connected with the disturbing news that there is a spy in the English court, or in its embassy in Paris, passing information to King Francis I of France. He summons his nephew, Benjamin Daunbey, and the wayward Roger Shallot to investigate. The only clue is the spy''s code name, ''Raphael''.King Henry has secret instructions of his own before the pair journey to Paris: to retrieve a precious ring, the subject of a wager, and a certain book that the King does not want to fall into enemy hands. They are not to return to England without them.This nove

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Book SynopsisChaucer''s pilgrims are sheltering in a friary as they slowly wind their way towards Canterbury. As they settle for the night, away from the darkness outside and the shadowy figures that haunt the lanes and byways of medieval England, the Franklin narrates a mysterious, bloody tale - a true story, he suggests, which not only affects his own life, but the lives of some of his fellow pilgrims...In 1356 the Black Prince has won his resounding victory at Poitiers. However, in that bloody fight, the impoverished knight Gilbert Savage received his death wound. As Gilbert lies dying in a ditch he tells his squire, Richard Greenele, that the story of his parents perishing during the plague is untrue. Richard, if he wishes to uncover what really happened, must travel to Colchester and seek out the lawyer Hugo Coticol who holds a sealed letter telling the truth of Richard''s parentage and the dreadful secrets surrounding his father''s disgraceful death.This document contains aTrade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty's other novels: 'I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *A romping good read * Time Out *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *

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Book SynopsisIn the autumn of 1523, Roger Shallot, self-proclaimed physician, rogue, charlatan and secret emissary of King Henry VIII, has nothing to do. His master, Benjamin Daunbey, has been sent to Italy on a diplomatic mission, leaving him in charge of their manor outside Ipswich. Shallot, forbidden both to practise the art of medicine and to approach the beautiful Miranda, takes to reading. Discovering the potential wealth which can be accrued by the finding and selling of true relics, he goes in search of his own. Almost immediately he is in trouble - and in prison. Rescued by the return of his master and the influence of Cardinal Wolsey, Shallot finds himself at court, where he is ordered by the King and Cardinal to break the law - to steal back for the crown the Orb of Charlemagne, now under close guard at the priory at Clerkenwell. Benjamin and Roger have no choice but to agree to the task... Before long they are drawn, not only into the shadowy underworld of Tudor London and the illegal t

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Book SynopsisThirteenth-century China, and the legendary Kublai Khan rules over Cathay and the Middle Kingdom. Of his many ministers and advisors, his favourite is a foreigner - the Venetian Marco Polo, whose understanding of the language and etiquette of the court is exemplary, and whose advice is widely sought. So when a flood of portents, strange visions and ghastly murders occur throughout the kingdom and even across the oceans, Marco''s wisdom is called upon. The leaders of a demonic sect have disappeared from the desert to which they were banished, and Kublai Khan believes that they will attempt to release the Plague Lord himself, and open the gates of Hell...Trade Review'Extensive and penetrating research coupled with a strong plot and bold characterisation. Loads of adventure and a dazzling evocation of the past' Herald Sun, Melbourne * Herald Sun, Melbourne *'An enthralling historical detective novel which immerses the reader in an unknown and distant society far removed from medieval western civilisation, and brings to life some of the period's greatest characters. The mysterious East has never seemed either so deadly or so alien' Brentwood Gazette Series 9/1/03 * Brentwood Gazette Series *'Another gory, intriguing ancient murder mystery' Oxford Times 28/2/03 * Oxford Times *'Doherty's tale is rich in the cadences of treachery... An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite' Northern Echo 14/1/03 * Northern Echo *'The Plague Lord...entertains with its brilliant depiction of the radiant imperial court - and the creativity with which Doherty imagines the origins of medieval Europe's greatest tragedy' Historical Novels Review Nov 2003 * Historical Novels Review *

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Book SynopsisThe brothers of the abbey of St Martin''s-in-the-Marsh pay little heed to the tales of robber baron Sir Geoffrey Mandeville''s ghost galloping through the Lincolnshire fens with a retinue of ghastly horseman. They may hear the shrill blast of a hunting horn, or see the corpse candles glowing in the dark, but their comfortable life is protected by a high wall and their powerful abbot. Until Abbot Stephen, a friend of the King, is found dead and Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the King''s Seal, arrives to investigate.Trade ReviewPraise for the series: 'Death and mystery pack the pages - but there's humour too * Colchester Evening News *Vitality in the landscape...angst in the mystery, it's Peters minus the herbs but plus a few crates of sack * Oxford Times *Absolutely superb * CADS *

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Book SynopsisThe monk and scholar Roger Bacon claimed to have seen many marvels of nature and science and concealed these in a book written in an unbreakable code. Sir Hugh Corbett has been instructed to organise agents in Paris to steal this Book of Secrets. They do so but pay a violent price and the French King Philip IV now wishes a meeting between the scholars of England and France to discuss breaking the code. Edward I has no choice but to allow the meeting to take place at Corfe Castle, which becomes a place of murder and mayhem. Young women from the castle are being slain whilst horrific things are witnessed in the nearby forest. The situation becomes more serious when two of the French scholars die in sinister circumstances. Corbett and Ranulf-atte-Newgate have to thread this maze of malevolent murder whilst trying to decipher the great secrets of one of England''s most outstanding scholars.Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty's other novels: 'I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *A romping good read * Time Out *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *

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Book Synopsis1095 and crusading fervour has swept Europe. Christ''s fief of Jerusalem has been seized by the Infidels. The Frankish Knights of the West are to march east to liberate the Holy City. Hugh de Payens and Godefroi of St Omer, the soon-to-be founders of the Templar Order, and Hugh''s younger sister, Eleanor, leave the security of their homes in Burgundy, France, with a plan to join Count Raymond of Toulouse''s army, and march across the known world to Jerusalem. Follow the crusaders as they march through Europe into the glories of Byzantium and onto Syria and witness the hardships, bloodshed and trickery they encounter on their treacherous travels to the Holy Land.Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty and his other novels: 'Resurrectionist magic * New York Times *The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters * Time Out *I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *The maestro of medieval mystery * Books Magazine *Doherty dazzles with his story-telling * Nottingham Evening Post *

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Book SynopsisEngland, 1455: a kingdom on the brink of civil war.The Red Rose: King Henry of Lancaster''s days are numbered. Deemed unfit for rule, even by his own mother, he surely cannot last on the throne for long. Simon Roseblood - London lord, taverner and alderman - is one of few loyal servants left to fight his cause. The White Rose: Ruthless Richard of York has his eye firmly set on the crown - and plenty of powerful allies who will do anything to help him win it. Henchman Amadeus Sevigny makes no bones about enforcing his own authority and asserting law and order at York''s command.When Roseblood is summoned by Sevigny to stand trial for a crime he knows he didn''t commit, their paths cross in ways that alter them both for ever. And as the Wars of the Roses looms, an even greater foe is poised to rock the foundations of England, and wreak horror in a hotbed of political unrest.Trade ReviewTeems with colour, energy and spills * Time Out *Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric * Historical Novels Review *Supremely evocative, scrupulously researched * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisIn the final days of Henry VIII, one man is there to witness the demise of a legend... King Henry VIII, a fearsome figure of power and stature, lies upon his deathbed diminished by sickness and haunted by ghosts from his past. Only Will Somers, long-serving jester and confidant, sees all. While Henry is confined to his chamber, Will begins a journal that will document his King''s last turbulent days.The country is fraught with tension. And with the King''s son and heir just nine years old, there are many power-hungry councillors who will stop at nothing to better themselves. Now as the King''s health fails, rebellion threatens amidst widespread rumours of plots against him. With few allies remaining, will Henry himself become the final victim of his reckless, bloody reign?Master historian Paul Doherty weaves his magic in an epic tale of murderous schemes and a blood-smattered political order.Trade ReviewPraise for Paul Doherty and his other novels: 'Resurrectionist magic * New York Times *The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters * Time Out *I really like these medieval whodunnits * Bookseller *Historically informative, excellently plotted and, as ever, superbly entertaining * CADS 20 *This rich tale ... seeps authenticity and is written with wonderfully efficient style. A gem of an historical thriller * Huddersfield Daily Examiner *The maestro of medieval mystery * Books Magazine *Doherty dazzles with his story-telling * Nottingham Evening Post *

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Book SynopsisA series of grisly deaths are linked to the sacred Stone of Scone in this compelling medieval mystery featuring friar-sleuth Brother Athelstan. This abbey is a strange place, Brother Athelstan. A hall of ghosts, a place of flitting shadows. The dead throng here. I can hear them whispering as they ride the air. During the harsh winter of 1381 murder stalks the streets of London in all its grisly forms. The city''s prostitutes are falling prey to a silent, deadly assassin known as The Flayer who carefully peels his victims'' skins for his collection. At the same time, Westminster Abbey, which houses the sacred Stone of Scone, is plagued by a series of hideous poisonings. Could there be a connection between these brutally violent deaths and the stone, which the English crown cherishes as a symbol of its rule over Scotland? Then there are the two former Upright Men, leaders of the Great Revolt, who are found mysteriously hanged in the

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Book SynopsisBrother Athelstan must solve a theft from the royal treasure chamber and the murders of six executioners in this gripping medieval mystery. London. January, 1382. The Crown''s treasury has been robbed. Tens of thousands of silver and gold coin mysteriously lifted from the most secure chamber in the kingdom; the five Clerks of the Dark who guarded the king''s treasure brutally garrotted. Sir John Cranston and Brother Athelstan are appointed to investigate - but Athelstan has problems of his own. Clement the Key Master, who helped fashion the complex locks to the royal treasure chamber, has been found strangled in the nave of Athelstan''s parish, St Erconwald''s church. At the same time, six of the city''s hangmen have been savagely murdered, their bodies stripped. Pinned to each corpse is a scrawled note: Vengeance! The Upright Men never forget! The Guild of Hangmen who frequent the majestic tavern, The Hanging Tree, on the River Thames, ha

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Book SynopsisSleuthing monk Brother Athelstan discovers that past crimes can cause new murder in the latest intriguing medieval mysteryJune, 1381. The rebel armies are massed outside London, determined to overturn both Crown and Church. The Regent, John of Gaunt, has headed north, leaving his nephew, the boy-king Richard II, unprotected.Brother Athelstan meanwhile has been summoned to the monastery at Blackfriars, tasked with solving the murder of his fellow priest, Brother Alberic, found stabbed to death in his locked chamber. Athelstan would rather be protecting his parishioners at St Erconwald''s. Instead, he finds himself investigating a royal murder that took place fifty-four years earlier whilst the rebel leaders plot the present king''s destruction.What does the fate of the king''s great-grandfather, Edward II, have to do with the murder of Brother Alberic more than fifty years later? When he finds his own life under threat, Athelstan discovers that exposing past secrets can lead to present danger.

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Book SynopsisThe only way to win this murderer’s deadly game… is to play along.Summer, 1380. Brutal and sudden death is not uncommon in the foul alleys and streets of London. The corpse of a clerk has been pulled from the Thames. They drowned, but not before receiving a vicious blow to the back of the head.Then Bartholomew Drayton, a usurer and money-lender, is found dead in his strongroom, a crossbow bolt firmly embedded in his chest: a real mystery because the windowless strongroom was locked and barred from the inside. So who killed him? And how? And are the deaths connected?Sir John Cranston comes to survey the scene. When other clerks are murdered, each with a riddle pinned to his corpse, Cranston enlists the help of Brother Athelstan – and together they must pit their wits against a deadly adversary bent on murder and mayhem.Another thrilling historical mystery from a true master of the genre, perfect for fans of S. G. MacLean, S. J. Parris and C. J. Sansom.

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Book Synopsis

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