Herald of Hell

London, May 1381, and the Great Uprising, the Peasants’ Revolt, is nigh. As the Upright Men move their foot-soldiers into position and John of Gaunt seeks to turn matters to his benefit, the Herald of Hell is stalking the streets. Pronouncing doom and destruction to those loyal to King Richard II, he strikes fear into the populace. And when he threatens Amaury Whitfield, clerk to Thibert, Gaunt’s Master of Secrets, he starts a chain of events that will have far-reaching consequences…

Did Whitfield, terrified by the Herald’s pronouncements, really hang himself in the upstairs chamber of the Golden Oliphant, a Southwark brothel? Brother Athelstan, conscripted to find the truth by Thibert, has his doubts. But how could a murderer pass through a locked door and kill the terrified Whitfield without leaving a mark on his body? What is the secret of the cipher that Whitfield was carrying? Why was Whitfield helping out with a treasure hunt when he was in fear for his life? And with the city about to erupt into violence, will anyone be safe from the Upright Men?

Ever since Paul Doherty returned to Brother Athelstan with Bloodstone in 2011, the Great Uprising, something that had been hinted at in the earlier books, has been becoming more and more of a plot point. The Upright Men, including some of Athelstan’s own parishioners, have been an important part of the tale and the picture of London, as vivid as it ever is from Paul’s pen has been subtly changing into a darker, more fearful place. And it was never that pretty a place to begin with.

Regular readers will know I like my historical mysteries, especially those set in the medieval period – the Hugh Corbett (who’s returning soon, by the way) and Athelstan books from Paul and the Templar Mysteries from Michael Jecks are some of my favourite mysteries and I’m always disappointed that they never seem to get the same attention as modern day crime books, despite their meticulously constructed plots. Never more so, in fact, than here, where the first half of the book simply raises question after question – Whitfield’s behaviour (and his interestingly named associate) seems to be full of contradictions. Athelstan explains most of it about halfway through, making the mysterious seem obvious (as the best mysteries always should) while still leaving the big picture shrouded in mystery. The locked room is played perfectly fairly – it’s a gambit that I’ve seen variations of before, but Paul hides it extremely well – and the murder plot (needless to say, there’s a few more deaths before the day is out) is woven seamlessly into the other strands of the story. It would have been very easy to turn the tale into an historical story about the Revolt, but Paul never forgets that the reader is looking for a clever mystery and that is exactly what he delivers. As usual.

Even Brother Athelstan isn’t safe from the dark goings-on, as he is comes face to face with some fairly brutal events – and a genuinely surprising development for one of his parishioners that regular readers will be surprised by. I certainly was. Sir John Cranston is struggling a little with events as well – his wife has been dispatched to the country but I’ll admit, I’m worried that his determination to stay in the city isn’t going to do him any favours in the next book. Because without spoiling the ending of this one, things are going to get a lot worse before (or if) they get better…

Needless to say, this is Highly Recommended, as is the rest of the series. It’s out at the end of the month from Severn House, so do pester your libraries for a copy. In the meantime, the first ten books are available as low-price ebooks that are well worth your time. What are you waiting for?

(thank you Netgalley for an early reader copy)

It's 14th century England and the natives are restless. 14 year old Richard II is king, and his ambitious uncle John of Gaunt would happily take his throne. Threatening objects and bits of scary doggerel are left on people's doorstep in warning that they are the next to die. Who the Herald of Hell? Who are the Upright Men who lead the army of Earthworms?

When the Master of Secret's clerk Amaury is found hanged, an apparent suicide, Frier Athelstan is summoned to figure things out. Amaury is skilled in codebreaking (which is why he works for the Master of Secrets) and there is no apparent reason he would commit suicide...or is there? How could it be murder if it happened in a closed and locked room on the top floor of the building with no secret way in?Then Amaury's scrivener appears at St. Erconwald seeking sanctuary, but from what? He brings nothing with him and trusts no one. He'll only take food from those Athelstan knows, and only then after they've tasted it. What has him so frightened?

During his investigation Athelstan finds a cipher that he is convinced will provide him with the answers he seeks. And then the bodies begin to pile up...the assistant to a local brothelkeeper. A young whore. The scrivener. Add to the mix the mysterious Cross of Lothar, exquisitely beautiful and stolen from the treasury of the Teutonic Knights by the lover of the brothelkeeper, and nowhere to be found. How does this relic fit into the deaths and the fear.

Paul Doherty sets his story during a real period in England, when the citizens were restless and London was in real danger of exploding. It was a frightening time and the citizens were being encouraged to revolt by a mysterious leader with a shadow army. Friar Athelstan is very appealing and easy to relate to. There is a large cast of characters, so large I wrote them down to keep them all straight. (It was helpful when they began dying off!). It's an interesting story, more so because of the historical details included, but a bit complicated. However, in the end it's worth the read!

14th century England was an interesting place, and the author makes sure to remind us of this--with his well-researched historical setting and interesting characters.

If you are a fan of historical mysteries, you can't go wrong with this series, or with this book. With some intelligent code cracking, a mystery worthy of trying to figure out and the usual wit and charm of the main character, this book was a lot of fun to read.

I was particularly impressed with the political moves going on in the background of this book. Well written, snarky at times and overall, a book that I can easily recommend to others interested in this period.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A rip-roaring murder mystery with the smells and sounds of medieval London beautifully described. Clever plot line keeps one guessing all the way through and I certainly look forward to the next part of the yarn!

Paul Doherty’s The Herald of Hell is a fun, quick read that brings to life an interesting moment in English history. In 1381, London, its population still reduced by the plague epidemic of forty years earlier, finds itself on the brink of an uprising of the Upright Men, the poor and disenfranchised, heavily burdened by taxe and, eager to wreak violence on those with more comfortable, secure lives.

At the heart of the mystery is an encrypted document that may (or may not) tell the day of the uprising and that many factions are eager to obtain. England is under the rule of a child-king, Richard II, who is manipulated by his uncle, John of Gaunt. As is often the case during such minorities, England is riddled with factions, each hoping to use the uprising for its own purposes. When the clerk of Gaunt’s “fixer” is found hanged in a brothel, Brother Athelstan finds himself on the case. Meanwhile, the Herald of Hell blows his trumpet outside the homes of the wealthy in the night, threatening them with death and damnation.

For anyone with an interest in English history, particularly those fascinated by the role religious tensions have played in the nation’s politics, The Herald of Hell is a delightful read offering both mystery and a well-grounded depiction of life in the late 14th Century.

All reviews appear on Amazon, Goodreads plus Gr Facebook, LibraryThing plus LT Twitter, eyes.2c review blog

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0184L1PXM?keywords=paul%20doherty&qid=1451331108&ref_=sr_1_1&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
(Dec 28, 2015)

LibaryThing plus LibraryThing Twitter http://www.librarything.com/work/16960104/book/124575740 (Dec 28, 2015)

Goodreads plus Gr FB https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1483376548
(Dec 28, 2015)

eyes.2c reviews blog http://eyes2creviews.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-scents-of-murder-foul-craving-mobs.html (Jan 5, 2016)

..the scents of murder foul, the craving mobs, and of fear, envelopes! Medieval Mystery at its best!

In the midst of the violence and unrest of May 1381 London, just prior to the Peasant's Revolt, Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston, the Lord High Coroner of London must once again step carefully and solve a murder that has ties to plots of highly placed persons and the scrutiny of the Upright Men. A man of subterfuge, Amaury Whitfield, chancery clerk to Tribuault, Master of Secrets for John of Gaunt has seemingly committed suicide in a locked room in a Southwark brothel. The Golden Oliphant is a place where cravings can be satisfied--for a price. His erstwhile scrivener and comrade in nefarious dealings, Oliver Lebarge has almost simultaneously thrust himself into Athelstan's life by taking sanctuary in St Erconwald's. Althestan's upcoming investigation and inquest will lead back to Lebarge and beyond as he and Cranston uncover the steps taken by Whitfield and Lebarge until now. Revolt and threatened regicide is the background tableau--part of the pieces Althestan must hold at bay as he and Cranston go forward with their hunt. Athelstan must try to find a cipher that will illuminate a manuscript found on the suicide victim. The story is enhanced by Althestan's wonderful application of focus and logic to the situation.
Always at the heart is Althestan's concern for his flock and their part in the coming revolt. He does everything he can to guard against the days portending, to protect them and others he meets on the way. Jumping to Tribault's demands is part of that, although a double edged sword it would seem for Althestan.
I loved the detail, the sense of turbulence, the seething masses, the heightened awareness that some places described evoke. Indeed descriptions of the bowels of the city are more akin to Dantes inferno.
The casualness of torture, hangings and beheadings fights against the condition of the poor, the injustice of soldiers having returned from battles finding no life to return to. Indeed the Upright Men have much to press forward for. The mystery of the Herald of Hell who is seen in all places is terrorizing London. All is moving forward to a unprecedented confrontation between the peasants and their overlords. Althestan is constantly surprised by who is in sympathy with the cause.
A brilliant and enthralling picture of this time in history, richly added to by the obvious rigorous research of Doherty. The secondary characters are wonderfully portrayed, with either their cunning, or greed, or fear being decisively manifest.
I was absorbed once more into the mysteries, the travails, and times of Althestan as seen through his eyes.

A NetGalley ARC