The House of Shadows

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One of Doherty's best series - Rated
There are a number of authors creating sleuths who solve crimes in Mediaeval England and Paul Doherty is one of the best. Brother Athelston is a Dominican Friar and priest of St Erconwald's church in Southwark. He is also secretary to The London Coroner, Sir John Cranston. The book starts with a prologue in which a young courtesan is murdered then skips to twenty years later when the woman's twin daughter's are similarly dispatched. There are several other deaths and a complicated mystery for Athelson and Cranston to unravel. The action is set in the reign of Richard II, when his uncle and regent, John of Gaunt is the most powerful man in the country.

Oh for a Quiet Christmas - Rated
This is the tenth book in the Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan series. This novel combined with the early books in the Hugh Corbett series is one of Paul Doherty's earlier offerings and he has since written many more books and is now an established author of medieval novels and has also added a number of novels on Egypt to his ever growing list of titles. Having said that it is one of his earlier offerings does not mean that it is inferior to his current books, quite the opposite. The Hugh Corbett mysteries were and are extremely popular and Paul Doherty has found another winner with the Brother Athelstan series.

Christmas is coming and Brother Athelstan has his hands full with the parishioners of his little parish who are practically coming to blows over who gets what part in the annual Christmas mystery play. Athelstan is wracking his brains as to how he can hand out the parts without hurting the feelings of others. His dilemma is brought to a temporary halt by a series of brutal murders that have taken place at a Southwark tavern.

He resolves to solve not only these brutal and grisly deaths, but also what he believes is the cause, a robbery that occurred over 20 years ago in Southwark, the great Robbery of the Lombard treasure. Brother Athelstan is convinced that the two are related and is determined to solve the mystery once and for all.

Welcome back, Brother Athelstan! - Rated
Finally, ANOTHER Brother Athelstan mystery from one of my favorite historical mystery writers!

Paul Doherty has picked up the series once again and once again
this lovable friar finds himself at the crossroads of saving his
beloved parish members of St. Erconwald!

It's Christmas and he and his members are preparing their mystery play. Alas, the play's the thing, whereby he captures the conscience of the murderer! It's a series of nasty murders but who better to sort them out!

Doherty fans will warmly welcome this return. It's a nice Christmas present!

Brother Athelstan's back in the pulpit! - Rated
It’s quite good news to find yet another episode of the “sorrowful mysteries of Brother Athelstan”--he’s been gone far too long for my taste! Now, Paul Doherty, prolific as he is, has returned to this series, my favorite of all of them.

In “The House of Shadows,” we find the good brother all involved with his parish and their annual mystery play for Christmas.

In past episodes we’ve shared not only his sorrows but his triumphs and joys, and most importantly his sleuthing skills. He loves a murder--to solve. And, once again,
he has not only one murder, but a series of them. What’s a simple friar to do? Well, for starters, to solve them. And with his usual finesse and brilliance, he does.

Refreshing, too, is Doherty’s depiction of Athelstan’s Southwark, where, in addition to being the parish priest, he is secretarius, friend, and super sleuth to the Crown’s
coroner Sir John Cranston. We are treated, too, to his beloved St. Erconwald’s parish, with his cat Bonaventure, his horse Philomel, and the wide assortment of parishioners, all more than human! But this is also what endears his legions of fans
to him. England simply wouldn’t be the same without the Good Brother!

Doherty has provided us another good read; let’s hope he now has picked up this series for more episodes!