A Brother Athelstan Mystery
22 total works
In the summer of 1380 a French captain is murdered in Hawkmere Manor - a lonely, gloomy dwelling place, otherwise known as the 'Devil's Domain', which is used by Regent John of Gaunt to house French prisoners captured during the bloody battles waged between the French and the English on the Narrow Seas.
Sir John Cranston and Brother Athelstan are summoned to investigate the mysterious death but their path is riddled with obstacles. How could the murderer have entered the Frenchman's chamber when the room was locked from within?
Their aide, Sir Maurice Maltravers, is more of a hindrance than a help, as he faces the misery of heartbreak. Lady Angelica, the woman he intended to marry, has been whisked away to a convent by her tyrannical and disapproving father. It soon becomes apparent that only when the lovers are reunited will any progress be made in the murder investigation...
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 murdered priest, a missing body, stolen treasure: Brother Athelstan tackles his most challenging investigation to date.
October, 1381. Brother Athelstan is summoned to the church of St Benet's in Queenhithe to investigate the murder of a priest. Parson Reynaud has been found stabbed to death inside his own locked church. Other disturbing discoveries include an empty coffin and a ransacked money chest. Who would commit murder inside a holy church? Who would spirit away a corpse the night before the funeral - and who would be brave enough to steal treasure belonging to the most feared gangleader in London?
Meanwhile, the death of one of Athelstan's parishioners reveals a shocking secret. Could there be a connection to the murdered priest of St Benet's?
Athelstan's investigations will lure him into the dark and dangerous world of the gangmaster known as The Flesher, whose influence has a frighteningly long reach ...
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.
In 1376, the Black Prince dies of a terrible sickness, closely followed by his father, King Edward III. 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
Autumn, 1379. The power of the crown is invested in John of Gaunt, and the kingdom is seething with discontent. The French are attacking the southern ports and the peasants are planning a revolt organised by a mysterious leader who proclaims himself as 'IRA DEI', the anger of God.
When Gaunt's plans to win over the merchant princes of London are plunged into chaos by a series of bloody murders, he turns to Sir John Cranston to bring the assassin to book and to recover a king's ransom in gold which has disappeared.
Cranston naturally calls on his ally Brother Athelstan. London is a hotbed of intrigue and they find it difficult to distinguish between friend and foe. They must face deadly threats not just from the powerful elite, but from the seedy underworld of medieval London.
The fourth instalment in the gripping historical mystery series, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom, S. J. Parris and Susanna Gregory.
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.
December, 1377. As London prepares for Christmas, a great frost has the city in its icy grip; even the Thames is frozen from bank to bank.
The Constable of the Tower of London, Sir Ralph Whitton, is found murdered in a cold bleak chamber. The door is still locked from the inside and guarded by trusted retainers. So how did the assassin get in?
Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston are ordered to investigate. They soon discover that the murder is only the first in a series of macabre killings, which have their roots in a terrible act of betrayal...
A vivid, blood-curdling portrayal of medieval London, this is historical mystery writing at its best, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris.
Praise for Paul Doherty'A vivid, intricately crafted whodunnit' Publishers Weekly
'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history' New Statesman
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.
"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 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 medieval mystery featuring sleuthing friar Brother Athelstan
May, 1381. The Great Revolt draws ever nearer. The Upright Men openly roam the streets of London, waiting for the violence to begin. Their mysterious envoy, the Herald of Hell, appears at night all over the city, striking terror into the hearts of those who oppose them. But who is he?
When his chancery clerk is found hanged in a notorious Southwark brothel, the ruthless Thibault, John of Gaunt's Master of Secrets, summons Brother Athelstan to investigate. Did Amaury Whitfield really kill himself following a visit from the terrifying Herald of Hell? Athelstan is unconvinced.
In the dead man's possession was a manuscript containing a great secret which he had been striving to decipher. If he could only unlock the cipher and interpret the messages being carried to the so-called Herald of Hell, Athelstan would be one step closer to catching the killer. But can he crack the code before the Great Revolt begins?
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.
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.
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?
In the early summer of 1379 in London, Sir John Cranston, Coroner of the city, is trapped into a wager with Signior Gian Galeazzo, Lord of Cremona, who challenges him to resolve a certain murder mystery within two weeks. Men have been found dead in the scarlet chamber of one of Cremona's manors. They have no mark upon them; they have neither drunk nor eaten poison; there are no secret passageways or entrances to the room. And they all have awful expressions of terror upon their faces.
Realising that his reputation and future wealth now rest upon the solving of this mystery, Cranston seeks the help of his faithful secretarius Brother Athelstan.
November, 1381. London has been rocked by a series of bizarre and brutal murders. The corpses of a number of prostitutes have been discovered, their throats slit, their bodies stripped; in each case, a blood-red wig has been placed on their heads.
At the same time, a mysterious explosion rips through a royal war cog bound for Calais, killing all on board. Could there be a connection?
Summoned to assist in the investigations by Sir John Cranston, Brother Athelstan uncovers rumours that the mysterious Oriflamme is responsible. But who - or what - exactly is he . and why has he suddenly reappeared after almost twenty years?
A 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 Piebald Tavern, close to Brother Athelstan's parish church of St Erconwald - and Athelstan is faced with his most baffling investigation to date. Can he navigate this deadly maze of murder and intrigue and pull the various threads together?