Paul Doherty's twenty-fourth medieval mystery featuring Sir Hugh Corbett is a gripping and gruesome tale of blood-thirsty murder and mayhem sure to appeal to fans of C. J. Sansom and Bernard Cornwell. Summer 1312. The earls of England, led by Edward II's cousin, Thomas Earl of Lancaster, are intent on the death of the king's favourite Gascon Peter Gaveson. Having hunted him down and bundled him out to Blacklow Hill in Warwickshire, they conduct a trial that leads to a Welsh archer running Gaveson through with a dagger before cutting off his head. Grief stricken, Edward despatches Sir Hugh Corbett to investigate exactly who is responsible for his favourite's judicial murder. The king is also deeply disturbed by a number of gruesome murders perpetrated at the Dominican house in Oxfordshire where his beloved Gaveson's corpse now lies. Once again, Corbett must employ his wit and ingenuity to navigate the dangerous meadows of murder and bring the culprits to justice before more deaths occur . . . What readers say about Paul Doherty: 'Paul Doherty's depictions of medieval England are truly outstanding' 'Another brilliant story in the excellent Hugh Corbett series by a superb historical author' 'Good plots, clever twists and mostly impossible to work out'

"Medieval mystery fans have cause for rejoicing with the return of Brother Athelstan" Booklist on Bloodstone The twelfth intricately plotted Brother Athelstan medieval mystery January, 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.

An intriguing new Brother Athelstan historical mystery December, 1380. When the corpse of Sir Robert Kilverby is discovered in a locked room, Brother Athelstan accompanies the King's coroner to investigate. For Sir Robert had in his possession a priceless relic, a sacred bloodstone, which has now disappeared. Did Sir Robert die of natural causes or was he murdered? Athelstan is sceptical of rumours of a curse hanging over Sir Robert, but when it is discovered that a second old soldier has been gruesomely slain on the same night, the rumours no longer seem so far-fetched . . .

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

An intriguing medieval mystery featuring Brother Athelstan February, 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.

An intriguing medieval mystery featuring Brother Athelstan February, 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.

Christopher Urswicke must unmask the traitor lurking amongst Margaret Beaufort's supposedly loyal followers in this gripping medieval mystery. October, 1471. Edward IV sits on the English throne; the House of York reigns supreme. With her young son, Henry Tudor, in exile in France, Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, shelters deep in the shadows, secretly plotting for the day when Henry can be crowned the rightful king. But as her supporters are picked off one by one, it becomes clear that a traitor lurks within Margaret's household. When one of her most loyal henchmen, Jacob Cromart, is murdered in St Michael's Church, where he had claimed sanctuary, Margaret orders her sharp-witted clerk, Christopher Urswicke, to find out who has betrayed her. How could a man be killed inside a church where the doors are all locked, with no sign of an intruder or weapon? If he is to protect Margaret's remaining supporters from suffering a similar fate, Urswicke must solve a baffling mystery where nothing is as it first appears.

Paul 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 ingenuity to halt the tide of disaster that threatens to engulf him... 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'

The 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.

A richly imagined 14th century mystery featuring sleuthing friar Brother Athelstan Summer, 1381. The Great Revolt has been crushed; the king's peace ruthlessly enforced. Brother Athelstan meanwhile is preparing for a pilgrimage to St Thomas a Becket's shrine in Canterbury to give thanks for the wellbeing of his congregation after the violent rebellion. But preparations are disrupted when Athelstan is summoned to a modest house in Cheapside, scene of a brutal triple murder. One of the victims was the chief clerk of the Secret Chancery of John of Gaunt. Could this be an act of revenge by the Upright Men, those rebels who survived the Great Revolt? At the same time Athelstan is receiving menacing messages from an assassin who calls himself Azrael, the Angel of Death? Who is he - and why is he targeting a harmless friar? Could Athelstan's pilgrimage be leading him into a deadly trap?

With 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 crown" 1472. 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 Barnet the previous year and secured the crown for Edward. And as the body count increases, Margaret suspects there is a link to that fateful battle and the murderer who seems relentless in his thirst for blood . . . Can Margaret protect her life as well as her true son's claim to the throne?

An intriguing medieval mystery featuring sleuthing monk Brother Athelstan. February, 1381. A ruthless killer known as the Ignifer - Fire Bringer - is rampaging through London, bringing agonising death and destruction in his wake. He appears to be targeting all those involved in the recent trial and conviction of the beautiful Lady Isolda Beaumont, burned at the stake for the murder of her husband. As the late Sir Walter Beaumont was a close friend of the Regent, John of Gaunt orders Sir John Cranston and Brother Athelstan to investigate. In the dead man's possession was a copy of the mysterious 'Book of Fires', containing the secret formula of a devastating weapon, the so-called Greek Fire. The manuscript has since disappeared, and Gaunt is desperate for it not to fall into the hands of the Upright Men, who are busy plotting the Great Revolt. Was Isolda really guilty of murder? Who is the terrifying Fire Bringer - and what does he want? Brother Athelstan is about to tackle his most challenging, and potentially dangerous, case yet.

An intriguing new Brother Athelstan historical mystery December, 1380. When the corpse of Sir Robert Kilverby is discovered in a locked room, Brother Athelstan accompanies the King's coroner to investigate. For Sir Robert had in his possession a priceless relic, a sacred bloodstone, which has now disappeared. Did Sir Robert die of natural causes or was he murdered? Athelstan is sceptical of rumours of a curse hanging over Sir Robert, but when it is discovered that a second old soldier has been gruesomely slain on the same night, the rumours no longer seem so far-fetched . . .

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.

A 'Canterbury Tales' medieval mystery As Chaucer's pilgrims shelter for the night in a well-stocked tavern, it's the physician's turn to enthral his fellow travellers with a terrifying tale of mystery and intrigue. When Brother Anselm and his novice Stephen are summoned to the Church of St Michael's, Candlewick, to perform an exorcism, little are they prepared for the horror that awaits. The demons and apparitions that plague the church would appear to have been summoned by an infamous sorcerer known as the Midnight Man. But what has he unwittingly unleashed - and why? Is someone using the haunting as the perfect cover for their murderous intent? And is there any link with the sudden disappearances of a number of young women in the area? The answers lie in the past and an unresolved wickedness from many decades before. But before Anselm can get to the truth, he must uncover the identity of the mysterious Midnight Man.

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.

A detective story with a difference - tracking down the real Elizabeth I - capturing the atmosphere of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Written as a 'faction' it interprets original sources through one of Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting whose 'recollections' form this book. A lady-in-waiting describes the passionate relationship between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley. She reveals the stunning revelation that they had a son, Arthur Dudley, seized by the Spanish in 1587.

A medieval mystery featuring Brother Athelstan June, 1381. Summoned to the monastery at Blackfriars to investigate the murder of a fellow priest, found stabbed to death in his locked chamber, Brother Athelstan learns there may be a connection with the fate of the king's great-grandfather, Edward II, murdered 54 years earlier. Meanwhile, the rebel armies plot the present king's destruction.

An impossible mystery must be solved, and he is running out of time.Men have been found dead in the scarlet chamber of an Italian manor. They have no marks upon them, they have not ingested poison, there are no secret passageways in to the room. And they all have awful expressions of terror upon their faces. London, 1379. Sir John Cranston is invited to a banquet at the Regent's palace on the Thames. There he is trapped into a wager with Signor Gian Galeazzo, Lord of Cremona and owner of the manor, who challenges him to resolve the mystery within two weeks. Realising that his reputation and future wealth now depend upon him solving this mystery, Cranston seeks the help of his faithful secretarius Brother Athelstan. However, Athelstan has problems of his own... A thrilling mystery with a twist you won't see coming, perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and S. G. MacLean. Praise for Paul Doherty'If you like Inspector Morse, you'll love Brother Athelstan' Prima 'The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters' Time Out

Sleuthing monk Brother Athelstan discovers that past crimes can cause new murder in the latest intriguing medieval mystery June, 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.

"An intriguing medieval mystery featuring sleuthing monk Brother Athelstan"
February, 1381. A ruthless killer known as the Ignifer Fire Bringer is rampaging through London, bringing agonising death and destruction in his wake. He appears to be targeting all those involved in the recent trial and conviction of the beautiful Lady Isolda Beaumont, burned at the stake for the murder of her husband. As the late Sir Walter Beaumont was a close friend of the Regent, John of Gaunt orders Sir John Cranston and Brother Athelstan to investigate.
In the dead man s possession was a copy of the mysterious Book of Fires, containing the secret formula of a devastating weapon, the so-called Greek Fire. The manuscript has since disappeared, and Gaunt is desperate for it not to fall into the hands of the Upright Men, who are busy plotting the Great Revolt.
Was Isolda really guilty of murder? Who is the terrifying Fire Bringer and what does he want? Brother Athelstan is about to tackle his most challenging, and potentially dangerous, case yet."

October, 1471. Edward IV sits on the English throne; the House of York reigns supreme. With her young son, Henry Tudor, in exile in France, Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, shelters deep in the shadows, secretly plotting for the day when Henry can be crowned the rightful king. But as her supporters are picked off one by one, it becomes clear that a traitor lurks within Margaret's household. When one of her most loyal henchmen, Jacob Cromart, is murdered in St Michael's Church, where he had claimed sanctuary, Margaret orders her sharp-witted clerk, Christopher Urswicke, to find out who has betrayed her. How could a man be killed inside a church where the doors are all locked, with no sign of an intruder or weapon? If he is to protect Margaret's remaining supporters from suffering a similar fate, Urswicke must solve a baffling mystery where nothing is as it first appears.

A 'Canterbury Tales' medieval mystery As Chaucer's pilgrims shelter for the night in a well-stocked tavern, it's the physician's turn to enthral his fellow travellers with a terrifying tale of mystery and intrigue. When Brother Anselm and his novice Stephen are summoned to the Church of St Michael's, Candlewick, to perform an exorcism, little are they prepared for the horror that awaits. The demons and apparitions that plague the church would appear to have been summoned by an infamous sorcerer known as the Midnight Man. But what has he unwittingly unleashed - and why? Is someone using the haunting as the perfect cover for their murderous intent? And is there any link with the sudden disappearances of a number of young women in the area? The answers lie in the past and an unresolved wickedness from many decades before. But before Anselm can get to the truth, he must uncover the identity of the mysterious Midnight Man.