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 must race against the clock to uncover the truth before he and his companions get tangled up in the hunt for the traitor, with fatal consequences for them all.
Industry Reviews
Unsettling historical detail enhances a story of hate, revenge, and multiple murders * Kirkus Reviews *
Doherty doles out clues shrewdly and decorates the narrative with his characteristically sharp period details.This long-running series has yet to show signs of slowing down * Publishers Weekly *
Hair-raising descriptions of life in the Middle Ages enhance a challenging puzzle * Kirkus Reviews on The Hanging Tree *
As always, Doherty makes a past century come alive in the service of a carefully crafted plot. Impossible crime fans will be pleased * Publishers Weekly on The Hanging Tree *
With consummate skill and pacing, Doherty answers the plot's mysteries in a series of startling revelations, and the atmosphere of a London driven by ambition and greed is palpable. The prolific Doherty shows no signs of losing steam * Publishers Weekly on The Stone of Destiny *
A tortuous, fascinating historical mystery whose finely honed descriptions are not for the faint of heart * Kirkus Reviews on The Stone of Destiny *
Outstanding . . . Doherty keeps the action brisk, the crimes baffling and the deductions and solution fair * Publishers Weekly Starred Review of The Godless *
Doherty displays exceptional narrative flair as he brings the often-squalid sights, sounds and smells of medieval London to life in another artfully crafted and plotted historical mystery * Booklist on The Godless *
