The Straw Men

Athelstan’s mass has been interrupted by the arrival of the coroner of London, John Cranston.  Cranston, after the mass is completed takes Athelstan into London where his presence has been requested to serve as a negotiator.  Ten Upright Men are surrounded inside a tavern, and threaten to kill their hostages.

Moments after Athelstan enters the tavern, soldiers attack, killing The Upright Men.  Athelstan is very angry at the leader of the soldiers, Thibault for doing this.  He immediately departs for his parish, St. Erconwald.

The following day, Cranston informs Athelstan that the Regent, John Gaunt, has requested their attendance at a performance of his mummers, the Straw Men, at the White Tower.  Shortly after the play has finished, two men in the crowd are assassinated by a cross bow.  In addition, two decapitated heads are suddenly discovered on the stage.  Panic ensues.  Later, it appears that one of the Straw Men was the assassin, but he is now dead.  Gaunt wants Athelstan and Cranston to investigate the incident.

Athelstan quickly determines that the dead Straw Man was not the assassin.  However, he is going to need further evidence.  The following morning an attempt is made on the life of Athelstan.  A short time later the body of another Straw Man is found locked in his room.

It doesn’t take long for Athelstan to realise that this is the work of the Upright Men.  Just as he is sure that Gaunt has spies in their camp, he is also sure that their spies are in Gaunt’s camp.  But, who are the spies?

Author Paul Doherty has produced another very good murder mystery, which has plenty of deaths for Athelstan to investigate, but also treachery within his own parish that he has to deal with.  Another enjoyable read.

Bloodstone

Coroner John Cranston has once again gathered up his secretary, Athelstan, saying something about two murders and a bloodstone.  Other than that he has been vague on details.

The first man they examine has been poisoned, Athelstan is sure.  But how?  He was locked in his own room.  Also, the mysterious bloodstone is missing from its locked casket.

The second dead man that they go to investigate was decapitated while visiting the grave of a friend at an abbey.  However, upon arrival at the abbey they discover that another man has been killed by a sword thrust to the belly.  He had been a comrade of the previous victim.  The dead men had brought the bloodstone back from the war with France.  What is the connection between their deaths and the bloodstone?  And what about the four remaining comrades who had participated in bringing the bloodstone to England?

The Regent, John of Gaunt, orders Cranston back to the city, while Athelstan is told to stay at the abbey.  Sometime later, an attempt is made on his life.  Is he getting too close to the answers?  Meanwhile, Cranston is doing his own investigation amongst the stews and prisons of London.

Do more men have to die before Athelstan finds the killer?  Only author Paul Doherty has the answers.  Read on fair reader, read on.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The House of Shadows

Athelstan is having a council meeting in his church when the doors bang open and a man runs in claiming sanctuary.  He is quickly followed by The Judas Man, who claims to arrest him.  However, Athelstan stands his ground and orders The Judas Man out.  The Judas Man states that sanctuary only lasts for forty days, and he will arrest the man then.

The man being chased is known as the Misericord.  Athelstan quickly learns the truth about this fugitive.  As he is speaking with him, Coroner John Cranston comes barging into the church.  He accuses Misericord of killing a man the previous evening.  He also tells Athelstan that two young women were also killed at the same place the previous evening.

Back at the tavern where the three deaths had occurred, a knight is found dead in his bath.  Athelstan is sure that he has been poisoned.  The question is, how did the poisoner administer the poison?

Are there going to be more deaths?  Author Paul Doherty’s thriller dies have more deaths for Athelstan and Cranston to solve. They also solve a twenty year old robbery, and come up with some real surprises.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Now You See Them

Diablo is dead and many of his old friends have gathered for his funeral.  Edgar Stephens is now a superintendent of police in Brighton.  While at the wake, a call comes through to inform him of a missing sixteen year old girl.  The father is an important MP, and is kicking up a fuss.  The girl had attended Roedean School, which was a very prominent boarding school in the area.

The father has been informed by the school  that the girl had been mooning over a movie star, and had gone to London to see him.  However, he is sure that she has been lured away.  Apparently this has happened in the past.

Meanwhile, Sam Collins, a local reporter has come to visit Emma Stephens, former DS and now wife to Edgar.  Sam suggests that the missing girl is similar to two others who have gone missing.  Knowing Roedean School, Emma suggests to Edgar that the girl could have left through a not so secret tunnel down to the sea.  At the bottom of the tunnel WPC Connolly discovers the girl’s hat.

A short time later a body of a young woman is found near the cliffs.  It turns out to be one of the missing girls.  However, there is a link to the missing Roedean girl.  Will the other two girls turn up dead too?

Author Elly Griffiths’ novel becomes very tense as she draws the reader in.  For Edgar and Emma, the story will become very real and personal.  A very good read and hard to put down.

The Case of the Black Pearl

A young, beautiful woman has come to Patrick de Courvoisier whose sister was a star in a film entitled “The Black Pearl”.  Now she and the pearl have disappeared.  If she has stolen it, then the Russian backer is likely to kill her.

Shortly after his investigation started, Patrick met with a young woman on board his yacht.  Later that night when he returned to the vessel, he found a dead rabbit on his table.  This was definitely a gesture of bad luck directed at him.  The following morning, the woman who had engaged Patrick to search for her sister discharged him.  She said that she had heard from her.  However, Patrick is reluctant to give up the search.

Patrick is surprised to find the local top cop, Lieutenant Martin Moreaux, in attendance aboard the yacht of the Russian entrepreneur at a party for local dignitaries.
Later, returning to his yacht, he finds the body of a young woman floating in his overflowing bathtub.  Moments later the police arrive.  He quickly slips over the side.

Later he does find the missing woman and strikes a deal with her.  He also promises to revenge the death of the young woman.

And author Lin Anderson has him exact that revenge, but at what cost?  The remaining pages of this action thriller are full of tension.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.  I look forward to reading the sequels.

Monk’s Hood

Things at the convent in Shrewsbury are in a state of flux because Abbot Heribert has been called to a council in Westminster.  He is unsure if he will still be abbot when the council is done or if someone else will be appointed in his place.

Before the abbot left, a man had given up his lands to the convent in return for a house near the convent for himself, his wife and two servants.  The convent was also to provide meals to the household.  One day, after eating a meal prepared especially for the man in hopes it would help him recover his health, he suffered from something that restricted his throat.  Cadfael hurries there with what he hopes will be the antidote.

Upon arrival, he discovers that the lady of the house is the woman he had been in love with when he was seventeen.  She is as beautiful as ever.  Unfortunately, he had gone off on a crusade, and she had married another man.  Although he recognised her, she didn’t recognise him.  The man dies, and Cadfael tells everyone that he had been poisoned.

Prior Robert is concerned about the land agreement that might now be in abeyance.  He wonders how Cadfael knows it was poison, and Cadfael states that he knows his own medicines. 

The sergeant sent to investigate the murder quickly latches on to the fact that there had been another person at the meal; the son of the woman.  Richildis has been married before and had a son and daughter, which she brought into the new marriage.  The lad had argued with the victim and then abruptly departed.

Richildis asks Cadfael to help her son.  He learns a bit about each member of the household from her.  He also promises to help her son.  How can he prove the lad’s innocence and find the guilty person?  Is it possible that the poison was actually meant for Prior Robert?

Fortunately, it is the deputy sheriff, Hugh Beringer, a friend of Cadfael’s, that He has to deal with.  Although Cadfael is restricted to the confines of the abbey by Prior Robert, he has Brother Mark to help him gather evidence.  But, will the evidence point to the real killer?

Author Paul Doherty has Cadfael travel to Wales, where he will use his evidence to confront the real killer.  Doherty has a surprising conclusion to this story.  A good quick read.

One Corpse Too Many

A boy has been foisted upon Cadfael at the abbey in Shrewsbury.  However, it doesn’t take long for Cadfael to determine that the boy is actually a girl.  He plans to ensure that she is safe, especially with the civil war raging in the area.

Once Cadfael let’s the girl, now known as Goodrich, know he knows, he provides her a safe place to be.  She then identifies herself as Godith, and the situation she is in.  Meanwhile King Stephen is battering his way into the local castle.  One of his objectives is to find the girl.  Her betrothed has also sought sanctuary at the abbey.  Could he have possibly recognised her? 

Having captured the castle, Stephen orders the garrison executed by hanging on the castle walls.  The following day the abbot asks that Cadfael be given permission to bury the dead.  Having been told that there are ninety-four dead, he finds one extra body.  He is sure that the extra one was victim of a murder.

Godith is able to identify the murder victim, but not why he would have been there.  Cadfael promises justice for the victim.  Not  long after this, Godith discovers a wounded man hiding by the river.  She takes Cadfael to him.  They learn that he is the compatriot of the murder victim.  The following day, by accident, the man discovers the truth about Godith.  He hopes to take her to safety.  How will that be possible?

Cadfael is being watched surreptitiously by a man he does not trust, so he goes out of his way to ensure that the man is kept well away from Godith and the wounded man.  Can he keep the pair safe?

Author Ellis Peters’ second mystery in the Cadfael series has a few twists to the plot and plenty of intrigue on the part of Cadfael and his opponent.  Which one will end up victorious?  A surprise awaits the reader!  A good, quick read.

One Fatal Flaw

Daniel Pitt has been asked by a young woman to defend her boyfriend, who has been accused of arson and murder.  Before he accepts the case, he speaks to Inspector Quarles, who is in charge of the case.  Quarles tells him that the dead man and the accused belong to different gangs.

Daniel then turns to his friend Miriam fford Croft to ask for help with regards to the fire.  She suggests bringing in the best, Sir Barnabas Saltram.  With his forensic knowledge, and Kitteridge’s skill in the courtroom, they are able to win the case.

However, a month later, Daniel meets Quarles in a public house, and learns from him that the police have arrested the young woman who had come to him for help.  They have charged her with the murder of her boyfriend, Daniel’s recent client!  He died in a fire!  Was she involved in the previous fire?

It doesn’t take long for the young lady to request Daniel and Kitteridge to defend her.  A question arises; if she was unable to pay for the firm’s services earlier, how is she able to suddenly now afford to pay?

Having lost his case, yet at the same time achieving a victory, Daniel is presented with another case.  Similar in nature, but it involves an appeal.  Naturally, he takes it on despite being warned about the hornets’ nest he could be stirring up.

Author Anne Perry definitely has stirred up a real hornets’ nest in this thriller.  Lives and livelihoods are at stake.  Can Daniel tame the hornets?  This was an excellent read, hard to put down and a real page turner.  I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

The Field of Blood

Athelstan has just finished confessions when the local bailiff bursts into the church announcing something about murder.  When Athelstan exits the church he finds that the bailiff has brought three corpses.  A young man, a man who appears to be a sailor and a young man.  He finds out that the young woman was a whore, so the older man must have been his customer, while the young man, he can only determine that he has been robbed.

Just as Athelstan has begun his examination of the scene of the crime, he is interrupted by Sir John Cranston, coroner of London.  Cranston has need of Athelstan’s services in the city.  He is sure that he has seen on of the victims before, but he has more important things on his mind.

A woman accused of murder, which she claims as self defence, in order to escape the noose has accused her former employer of killing two people and burying them in a meadow behind her tavern.  She even hints that there may be more bodies in the meadow.  The head of the court assigns Cranston to investigate.

Cranston’s men find more than two bodies in the meadow.  Cranston also remembers that the young man killed near Athelstan’s community was a royal messenger.  If the town can’t find the killer, they will pay an exacting price!

Cranston has two days to solve his mystery, while Athelstan’s community has forty days to find the killer of the messenger or pay a fine of two hundred pounds!

Will time run out on this pair?  Will an innocent woman hang and a community be forced into penury?  Author Paul Doherty’s historical murder mystery is a good read, and the Field of Blood will reveal the truth.  Quite an enjoyable read.