Search results for ""author paul doherty""

Scandal, murder and treason… Athelstan and Cranston are back with a bang.Winter, 1379. French privateers are attacking the southern coast and threaten London itself, the very heart of the nation.The situation becomes dire when an English flotilla of warships, with the colossal God’s Bright Light among them, drops anchor in the Thames; during the first night, the entire watch of the ship disappears without a trace.The series of murderous and strange incidents leads to Sir John and Brother Athelstan being summoned to resolve the mysteries on board the ill-omened warship. Their investigations uncover some shocking truths – and they find themselves in the thick of a bloody battle on the Thames.A gripping and suspenseful historical mystery with plenty of action, perfect for fans of Michael Jecks, S. G. MacLean and Susanna Gregory.

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Thirteenth-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...

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In 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 novel was previously published under the pseudonym Michael Clynes.

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January 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?

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Spies, secrets and suspicious circumstances: Friar-sleuth Brother Athelstan races against time to solve impossible crimes and uncover a traitor in this gripping historical mystery set in medieval London.London. March, 1382. Deep in the shadows, a clandestine organization known as the Secret Chancery operates under the sinister leadership of John of Gaunt''s Master of Secrets. When two clerks from this covert group meet their demise in suspicious circumstances, friar-sleuth Brother Athelstan is urgently summoned to unravel the truth behind their deaths.A puzzling question lies at the heart of the investigation: how did the killer manage to navigate a labyrinth of locked doors, leaving no trace behind? As Brother Athelstan delves deeper into the mystery, a terrifying threat also emerges: the possibility of treason. King Richard''s spies in France are also dying, almost as if someone''s discovered exactly who they are . . .Brother Athelstan

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Hugh Corbett returns in the twenty-first gripping mystery in Paul Doherty''s ever-popular series. If you love the historical mysteries of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell you will love this.Secrets simmer in the lonely wasteland of Dartmoor.Spring, 1312. At Malmaison Manor, Lord Simon is concealing a dark secret - one he arrogantly assumes will never catch up with him. But someone knows about the crime he committed and they''ve found a way to make him pay. And he''s not alone. When he is found mysteriously slain, other deaths soon follow. Meanwhile, ships on the Devonshire coast are being deliberately wrecked, their crews slaughtered, their cargoes plundered.Sir Hugh Corbett and Lord Simon are bound by the Secret Chancery and their search for one precious ruby - the Lacrima Christi. So, when Corbett learns of Lord Simon''s death, he is once more dragged into a tangled web of lies and intrigue and it''s not long before secrets of h

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Rome: August 314 AD, and as the sun's insidious heat beats down, murderous forces lurk in the underbelly of the city. The normally cosseted world of Rome's rich and powerful is rocked by a series of violent abductions, as children of the elite are kidnapped and held for ransom. Meanwhile, veteran soldiers, men who served Constantine along the Great Wall in northern Britain are being barbarously murdered; the indignities inflicted on their corpses reminiscent of the gruesome practices of the Picts whom they fought so many years ago. The Empress Helena summons her secret agent, Claudia, in a bid to resolve these macabre occurrences. But Claudia has problems of her own. The perfectly preserved corpse of a young Christian woman has been disinterred in her uncle's garden and it falls to her to investigate this mystery too. Now she must track her way through a murky tangle of politics, religion and murderous violence, ever aware that the slightest mistake could cost her life.

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After the death of her husband Pharoh Tuthmosis II, Hatusu has confounded her critics by winning a great battle against the Mitanni. Aided by her lover, Senenmut, she is determined that all sections of Egyptian society should accept her as the first Pharaoh-Queen of Egypt - an acceptance that needs the favour and support of the priests. When a spate of killings takes place in the Divine Temple of Horus, the naturally superstitious priests interpret this as a sign of the Gods' disapproval of Hatusu's rule of Egypt. The royal city turns once again to respected judge Amerotke to find the truth.

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In 1298, Edward I of England invaded Scotland and brutally sacked the town of Berwick, razing to the ground the Red House of the Flemings who had permission to trade there. He little knew his action would have far-reaching repercussions.A year later, Edward convokes a great assembly of the realm in St Paul's Cathedral. They are to hear Mass after which the main celebrant, Walter de Montfort, has been delegated to lecture the King on not taxing the Church. During the Mass, de Montfort dies a sudden and violent death.Hugh Corbett, the King's clerk, is given the task of solving the mystery and tracking down the murderer. Against the background of Edward's struggle to maintain himself, both at home and aborad, Corbett's investigations become tortuous and laced with danger...

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1311. Murder and mayhem prowl the highways and coffin paths of Medieval England . . . Hugh Corbett returns in the twentieth gripping mystery in Paul Doherty's ever-popular series. If you love the historical mysteries of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell you will love this.It is four years since the death of King Edward I, but his reign of terror has cast long shadows over the kingdom. At Holyrood Abbey, sheltered in the depths of the Welsh march, the old king's former bodyguards protect his secret relics and watch over a mysterious prisoner who is kept in the abbey's dungeon. But their peaceful existence is shattered when Abbot Henry is poisoned. Summoned to Holyrood, Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, finds the fortress in chaos. Brothers Anselm and Richard have been brutally slain by nails driven deep into their skulls. No one knows who could be behind the gruesome killings and the news attracts the attention of two unwanted guests: the sinister Marcher Lord Mortimer and King Philip of France's devious envoy De Craon. As more mysterious deaths occur, and a violent snow storm sweeps through the valley, Corbett must act quickly to identify the malevolent demon who has risen from hell to turn the abbey into a house of murder . . .Praise for Paul Doherty's dark and suspenseful novels:'His fascination for history comes off the page' Daily Express'An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite' Northern Echo'Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric' Historical Novels Review'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions' New Statesmen

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England, 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.

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313 AD. Under the rule of Emperor Constantine, Rome finally appears to be emerging from its turbulent past. In order to consolidate his control and under the guidance of his mother Helena, Constantine plans to harness the power of the increasingly influential Christian Church. But his loyalties are brought into question when three courtesans from the Guild of Aphrodite - a guild Constantine himself frequents - are found dead. All three bodies have crosses etched on their foreheads and each cheek. Aiming to protect her son's future, Helena calls upon the service of an 'agente in rebus politicis' - or spy. Claudia is the niece of a tavern-owner and is placed as a wine-server in Constantine's household. But Claudia has secret motives of her own...

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Somewhere deep in the desert, the location of Rahimere's tomb has long been kept a closely guarded secret. But now, the Sebaus - a sect taking its name from demons - has plundered and pillaged the sepulchre for its most powerful treasure.The fiery Pharaoh Queen Hatusu must fight to protect the tombs of her kin and tighten her grip on the collar of Egypt. But when Egypt's great military hero, General Suten, is bitten to death by a swarm of venomous vipers, it appears events have spiralled out of her control.Meanwhile, a dark shadow lies across the peaceful Temple of Isis; four of the temple handmaids have vanished without trace. Will Lord Amerotke, Pharaoh's Chief Judge, find that the perpetrators are in league with forces beyond his jurisdiction?

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In the village of Melford, a local lord is executed for a spate of vicious murders. It's not until the killing begins again, and the dead lord's son alleges that a miscarriage of justice has taken place, that a serious investigation begins. Hugh Corbett realises that for the last five years a serial killer has terrorised the villagers and that when, not if, the next victim is chosen, he must be ready to act.

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It's 1308 and England hovers on the brink of civil war. Edward II, his wife Isabella and the royal favourite Peter Gaveston Earl of Cornwall, have been forced to retreat to the King's folly. Just an arrowshot away lie the Great Lords and Philip IV of France, who are demanding that the Earl of Cornwall be charged with high treason.Edward is trapped, and worse, he has learnt that Philip has the 'Poison Maiden' on his side, a formidable spy who did untold damage during his father's reign. As Edward tries in vain to unmask the identity of the spy, Mathilde, handmaiden to the Queen, also attempts to identify the source of this threat. Soon the crisis spills over into violence. The Lords attempt to take Gaveston by force and the King and his Court, including Mathilde, are forced to flee. As the enemy closes in, Mathilde finds herself embroiled in a life and death struggle for the English crown.

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Matthias 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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A set of horrific killings hints at the answer behind a legendary crime...Autumn, 1380. Brother Athelstan is very busy. He and his parish council are preparing for the annual Christmas mystery play when a series of brutal murders occur at a Southwark tavern.Two young whores are found slain but their deaths are only the beginning of a series of gruesome killings which occur around the parish of St Erconwald’s.He resolves to solve not only these grisly deaths, but also their source - the Great Robbery of the Lombard treasure, which occurred in Southwark some 20 years earlier.Plots and deceptions abound in this thrilling mystery novel by Paul Doherty, ideal for fans of Susanna Gregory, C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris.Praise for Paul Doherty'His fascination for history comes off the page' Daily Express'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

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A murder close to home leaves Athelstan with his most dangerous case yet...After the discovery of three savagely murdered bodies in his parish, Brother Athelstan finds himself involved in the hunt for a dangerous killer.It is clear that two of the victims, a prostitute and a preacher, surprised an assassin who was then forced to kill them.But who the third victim is, and why someone has gone to so much trouble to kill him, remains a mystery.And can it really have any connection with Sir John Cranston’s attempt to save a women unjustly accused of stabbing a clerk?Brother Athelstan returns in the ninth exciting mystery thriller in Paul Doherty’s brilliant series, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, E. M. Powell and Rory Clements.

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Hugh Corbett returns in the twenty-first gripping mystery in Paul Doherty's ever-popular series. If you love the historical mysteries of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell you will love this. Secrets simmer in the lonely wasteland of Dartmoor. Spring, 1312. At Malmaison Manor, Lord Simon is concealing a dark secret - one he arrogantly assumes will never catch up with him. But someone knows about the crime he committed and they've found a way to make him pay. And he's not alone. When he is found mysteriously slain, other deaths soon follow. Meanwhile, ships on the Devonshire coast are being deliberately wrecked, their crews slaughtered, their cargoes plundered. Sir Hugh Corbett and Lord Simon are bound by the Secret Chancery and their search for one precious ruby - the Lacrima Christi. So, when Corbett learns of Lord Simon's death, he is once more dragged into a tangled web of lies and intrigue and it's not long before secrets of his own start to surface. As the Hymn to Murder reaches its crescendo, can Corbett confront his past and live to see another day? Praise for Paul Doherty's dark and suspenseful novels: 'His fascination for history comes off the page' Daily Express 'An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite' Northern Echo 'Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric' Historical Novels Review 'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions' New Statesmen

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In 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, once again, he enters the world of shadows to confront the Seed of Cain.

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Known as the Veiled One, the ugly and deformed Akenhaten is a shadowy figure. As a child he is overlooked and despised by his own father. As an adult he is thrust into the political limelight when his elder brother dies. Mahu, ambitious and ruthless, watches the young prince carve his own path to power. He becomes Akenhaten's alter ego, his protector and confidant, standing by as Akenhaten proclaims that there is only one God, the Aten, and that he, Akenhaten, is that God's only son. Revolution and chaos follow in this dramatic reign filled with fraud, abduction, assassination, betrayal and treachery. But when Mahu becomes suspicious of Akenhaten's majestic and glorious wife Nefertiti, and the political skill of her brother, Ay, it seems that a hidden and malign influence may also be at work. And then Akenhaten disappears...

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1284 and Edward I is battling a traitorous movement founded by the late Simon de Montfort, the rebel who lost his life at the Battle of Evesham in 1258. The Pentangle, the movement's underground society whose members are known to practice the black arts, is thought to be behind the apparent suicide of Lawrence Duket, one of the King's loyal subjects, in revenge for Duket's murder of one of their supporters. The King, deeply suspicious of the affair, orders his wily Chancellor, Burnell, to look into the matter. Burnell chooses a sharp and clever clerk from the Court of King's Bench, Hugh Corbett, to conduct the investigation. Corbett - together with his manservant, Ranulf, late of Newgate - is swiftly drawn into the tangled politics and dark and dangerous underworld of medieval London.

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Paul Doherty's twenty-third 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.Spring, 1312. Edward II of England is absorbed with his favourite, Peter Gaveston, while his young wife, Isabella, is with child. Isabella's father, the ruthless Philip of France, dreams of a grandson wearing the Crown of the Confessor and starts to meddle - even if that means murder...Amaury de Craon, Philip's Master of Secrets, is despatched to carry out his deadly deeds and Edward II summons Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, to intercept. Both master spies lodge at the Benedictine abbey of St Michael's in the forest of Ashdown. Supposedly a house of prayer, the abbey holds sinister secrets and treasures which include the world's most exquisite diamond, The Glory of Heaven. However, shortly after their arrival, the diamond is stolen and its guardian murdered. Other macabre incidents follow, Satan is seen walking through God's Acre and a nearby tavern is burnt to the ground and no one escapes. Corbett, assisted by his henchmen, prepares to navigate this hazardous maze of murder...What readers say about Paul Doherty:'Good plots, clever twists and mostly impossible to work out''Paul Doherty's depictions of medieval England are truly outstanding''Another brilliant story in the excellent Hugh Corbett series by a superb historical author'

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A terrible power struggle threatens the very core of Britain…In 1376, the Black Prince dies of a terrible sickness, closely followed by his father, King Edward III in 1377. The crown of England is left in the hands of a mere boy, and the great nobles gather like hungry wolves round the empty throne.Soon the prelates of the church and the powerful Merchant Princes of London are drawn in. One of these, Sir Thomas Springall, is foully murdered within a few days of the old king’s death.Sir John Cranston, the coroner of London, is ordered to investigate. He is assisted by Brother Athelstan, a penitent Dominican monk. From the sinister slums of Whitefriars to the barbaric splendour of the English Court, Cranston and Athelstan are drawn into a dark and terrifying web of intrigue…The first in a scintillating historical mystery series, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom, Susanna Gregory and S. J. Parris.Praise for The Nightingale Gallery 'The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters' Time Out'If you like Inspector Morse, you'll love Brother Athelstan' Prima'Evocative and lyrical descriptions' New Statesman

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A brutal murderer, a house of assassins, a devil incarnate...It’s the Spring of 1380 and the Regent John of Gaunt needs money and supplies for his war against the French.Unfortunately, the members of parliament at Westminster are proving especially stubborn – and the Regent’s cause is not aided when some representatives from the shire of Shrewsbury are foully murdered.John of Gaunt orders Sir John Cranston, along with his trusty ally Brother Athelstan, to find the assassin before he loses every chance of obtaining the taxes he requires, before more innocent people are found dead.An absolutely scintillating historical mystery, perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory, C. J. Sansom and S. G. MacLean.

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