Божият гняв

The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan #4

by Paul Harding (Pseudonym), Пол Дохърти, Paul Doherty

Четвъртата книга от поредицата “Скръбните мистерии на брат Ателстан” ни отвежда в средновековна Англия, която сякаш наистина е преследвана от Божия гняв

„Злочесто е кралството, в което кралят е дете.“

Под сянката на това мрачно предсказание управлява Англия в края на XIV век регентът Джон Гонт. Французите нападат пристанищата, бедност и болести будят недоволство и размирици, селяните готвят бунт под ръководството на непознат никому предводител, известен само с прозвището си Ira Dei, „Божият гняв“.

Гонт се опитва да спечели на своя страна мощните търговски гилдии, но поредица необясними убийства стават причина плановете му да бъдат погълнати от хаоса. Безчинствата на вездесъщия Ira Dei не спират, на всичкото отгоре някой краде главите на екзекутираните престъпници, изложени за назидание на Лондонския мост. В отчаянието си регентът се обръща към сър Джон Кранстън, закръгления коронер на града, с надеждата той да изправи убиеца пред правосъдието и да възстанови изчезналото злато на видните лондонски търговци.

Разбира се, сър Джон от своя страна се обръща към брат Ателстан, доминиканския монах, който служи като свещеник в бедняшка църква. Лондон ври и кипи от интриги и предчувствия за предстоящия бунт, двамата приятели започват да губят представа кой им е приятел и кой - враг. Заплахите за тях идват и от най-високо място, и от безлики сенки, изплували от престъпния свят на средновековен Лондон. Ателстан и сър Джон неведнъж излагат живота си на опасност, докато успеят да свалят маската на коварния убиец.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime, Medieval, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

A pseudonym used by Paul Doherty.

Book 1-7 of The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan were originally written under pseudonym Paul Harding. Since 1998, starting with book 8, The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan were published under his own name Paul Doherty.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2010, and its the 4th volume of the amazing "Brother Athelstan" series.

This tale is set in the Autumn of the year AD 1379, and power of the English crown is infested in John of Gaunt, uncle of the future King Richard II, and the kingdom seething with discontent.

Problems are rising all over the country, and especially a revolt is about to be organized with as their leader a man who's calling himself, "IRA DEI", the Anger of God.

Meanwhile London is rife with bloody murders, ruining John of Gaunt's plans for himself and the realm.

In desperation John of Gaunt turns to Sir John Cranston to restore order in London, to catch the killer and recover the vanished king's ransom in gold.

Together with his friend and ally, Brother Athelstan, they must face threats from all sides, from the upper classes as well as the seedy underworld.

In this dangerous environment of mayhem and murder they will get to the bottom of this case, and after some twists and turns, followed by a well executed plot, they will be able to identify the culprit and bring him to justice.

Highly recommended, for this is a captivating addition to this fantastic series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Glorious Brother Athelstan Winner"!

[Петър Р. Дойчев · Rating 5 out of 5]

Явно ми е липсвал точно такъв тип литература, защото си дадох сметка, че отдавна не съм се забавлявал така с някоя средновековна загадка. Всъщност, откакто преди около 30 години прочетох „Името на розата“. Е, Дохърти не е Умберто Еко, но пък се доближава много с умението си да увлече и омагьоса читателя, да го пренесе без остатък в един отминал свят, колкото противен, поради почти пълната липса на лична и обществена хигиена, толкова и пленителен със своите, комай изличени вече от времето, вещи, облекло, професии, старинна градска архитектура, обществени порядки и прочее. Някои дребни неща ми се сториха излишни, преекспонирани, но това са наистина подробности. Важното е, че романът интригува, чете се бързо и времето лети неусетно. В състояние да те върне към реалността е единствено болката от докрай изгризаните ти от вълнение нокти, но това, разбира се, е в кръга на шегата.
Побързах да потърся и останалите томчета от поредицата за монаха Ателстан. Тандемът Кранстън – Ателстан силно напомня фамозния дует Холмс – Уотсън, макар и поставен няколко века по-рано, но пък отново в Лондон, което безусловно означава, поне за мен, добре прекарано време с книгата. Персонажите на Дохърти са чудесно развити. Може би леко е прекалил единствено тук-там с поведението на фламбоаянтния коронер, но пък то и не тежи чак толкова, дори напротив, става ни по-симпатичен, защото вече знаем, че от сър Джон друго не може и да се очаква. Мъжагата, който винаги успява да излезе сух от водата и който може да бъде уплашен само от едно нещо на този свят – от собствената си дребничка, но властна съпруга, чиято роля в романа (макар и физически отсъстваща през повечето време) е да озаптява буйния нрав на нашия средновековен детектив. И като всяка благочестива съпруга, лейди Мод, познавайки слабите места на мъжа си, знае къде да удари тъй, че да го заболи най-много. Аз не знам каква е тази женска страст да броят изпитите чашки алкохол на съпрузите си. Прав е сър Джон Кранстън да си крие единия мях с вино на тайно място, далеч от очите на милейди (а трябва да се знае, че кралският коронер задминава в това отношение дори пиячите на Хемингуей, което само по себе си е забележителен феномен и достойно за уважение). Пригответе се за една много вълнуваща и поднесена с чувство за хумор средновековна мистерия! Горещо препоръчвам!

[Jazzysmum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable addition to Brother Athelstan's Sorrowful Mysteries.
Murders haunts the merchants of the London Guilds and old secrets come back to cause death and mayhem.

This book ramps up the feelings in England of the working classes in the 14th century ending in the Great Revolt.
Life has no equality during this time.

I am really enjoying revisiting this series which I first started over 20 years ago.

Highly recommended to lovers of murder and mystery solved through deduction and wits, plus a walk back into history.

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing!

Another great read from Paul Doherty. He takes you on a journey through London to solve a few murders. Sir John an Brother Athelstan have there work cut out for them.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Пол Дохърти се е развихрил в тази поредица, която определено смятам за дори по-добра от Средновековните загадки. Доминиканецът Ателстан и кралският коронер сър Джон Кранстън са великолепна двойка, а покрай техните случаи Дохърти е блестящ в любимото си упражнение - да ни потопи в атмосферата на средновековния град, да предаде през героите си важни моменти от историята на Англия и да ни запознае с детайли, които иначе не бихме запомнили. Действието се развива в края на 14-ти век, в навечерието на въстанието на Уот Тайлър, и картината на Лондон с неговите контрасти, която Дохърти представя, е пленителна. Мисля си, колко по-лесно и приятно би била изучавана средновековната история в училище с помощна литература като "Скръбните мистерии на брат Ателстан"... :)

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent mystery that is better written than its overall story. The mystery is pretty solid (although I had figured out the "locked room" mystery like 10 chapters before the detectives worked it out). It is a bit unfair in that the solution requires information not available to the reader, but the story is interesting enough as it unfolds because the main characters are interesting and likable enough to enjoy as they go through their paces.

There are several interweaving, but unrelated mysteries in this, the two main ones being the robbery of a chest with six locks and the disappearance of body parts from display as criminals on the bridge. What kind of spoiled the mystery to me was the insistence on the "big overarching storyline of a building revolt by peasants against the crown and primarily John of Gaunt. Since these mysteries take place when the revolt was building up, I suppose some reference or feel of it is inevitable, but it felt a bit contrived and the Big Bad Guy Ira Dei centrally planning what was essentially a spontaneous and passion-driven revolt just feels too cute and literary.

[Martina Sartor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alla fine torno sempre ai miei generi preferiti: il giallo storico, specie di ambientazione medievale, è fra questi. Guardando le date di acquisto dei primi volumi di questa serie (2005), noto appunto che non è cambiato niente. Rimango sempre affascinata dall'ambientazione, dalle descrizioni dell'Inghilterra medievale, dalle indagini sui generis di frati e monaci. Inoltre c'è sempre qualche sorta di camera chiusa, in Doherty/Harding: questa particolarmente azzeccata.
Gli tornarono alla mente le parole del suo vecchio maestro, fratello Paul. "La radice di ogni peccato è l'orgoglio. E l'opposto dell'amore non è l'odio, è il potere. Il potere corrompe e la brama di potere è la strada per l'inferno."
Quanto sono attuali, queste parole!

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brother Athelstan is once again drawn into mystery, murder and the devil when he and Sir John Cranston, the coroner, are ordered to attend at the Guildhall by the Regent, John of Gaunt. One murder is quickly followed by another. They scratch their heads and look into the suspicious death of Cranstons' old soldiering friend. Lots of mystery, and all the while the peasants are threatening revolt, and his own parish council is warring amongst themselves. You begin to feel sympathy for the Friar.

Usual good character list, love them or hate them. Fast action even in a London teeming with filth and misery. Not much changes! 4 stars.

[Rev. M. M. Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brother Athelstan is a Dominican friar who serves in a dual role as a pastor of a small poor London parish and as clerk to the Royal Coroner, Sir Jack Cranston. The year is 1379 during the regency of John of Gaunt. Forming a background and part of the plot is the agitation in the country among the common people due to the oppression of the royal court. The underground movement, "The Great Community of the Realm", is a shadowy presence threatening revolution which, of course, is somewhat concerning to the rulers Four murders happen in the course of this story. The story opens with Sir Jack at the bedside of a friend who has just died suddenly; Jack believes that he has been killed by his very young wife who seems to be awfully close to a kinsman on the basis of a letter he received from the man before he died. Jack and Athelstan are summoned to the Guild Hall by the Regent because the Sheriff of London has been murdered. The Regent was meeting with the leaders of the Merchants Guilds to conclude a pact. At a later banquet, another Guildmaster is poisoned and it is discovered that the gold deposited by the Guilds as a token of good faith has been stolen from a chest with six separate locks. Trying to track down the locksmith, Cranston and Athelstan discover that he has been murdered in a similar fashion to the Sheriff and his body dumped in the Thames. They discover that the locksmith had a secret vice: he was sexually attracted to boys and this was used to blackmail him into making duplicate keys for the gold chest. In addition to the murders, Athelstan must deal with the goings-on in his parish which includes the relationship between two young members of the parish whose parents do not get along, a possible case of demonic possession, and the normal activities of any parish. The murderer is unmasked, the wife's lover confesses, and the possession is revealed as a fake. All the loose ends are tied up and we can adjourn to the pub for a drink. "The Anger of God", the shadowy presence at the head of the Great Community remains hidden, no doubt to show up again in further adventures.

The best thing about the series of The Sorrowful Mysteries is the atmosphere. Reading the books is like returning to London in the 1300s. Both Athelstan and Jack Cranston are fully drawn; their quirks and interests make them very human. Jack is fond of a tipple; there are numerous references to his miraculous wineskin which is always with him. He loves his wife and children but is somewhat afraid of his wife; it is clear who is in charge of the household. Athelstan develops a love and respect for Cranston even though his original assignment to him was penance for running off to join the army with his brother during his novitiate. Athelstan has an interest in science, especially astronomy, often giving up sleep to probe the heavens from the church tower. The other characters who play minor roles in the series are also interesting and give us a glimpse into the ordinary life of the time. The real mystery here is not contained in the stories. It's how Paul Doherty can be so prolific a writer about so many different historical periods and still maintain a job as Headmaster in a comprehensive High School. Maybe he doesn't sleep at night...

[Anne Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Anger of God (The Brother Athelstan Mysteries #4)
by Paul Doherty

I love a book that includes historical fact, this is based in 1379 and John of Gaunt is the Lord Regent whilst Richard III comes of age. There are many factions spreading fear and rumour, some include violence and murder one such faction is led by a man called IRA DEI, the anger of God.

I have read a few of the historical murder mystery, Shardlake by C J Sansom, Cadfael by Ellis Peters, Owen Archer by Candace Robb, I have just come across Cesare Aldo by D.V. Bishop. I have read others as well and some I have enjoyed and others not so much.

This was a slow starter; I did not read books 1-3 first but I will be looking out for them as i finally got into the story. A very clever story with the killings looking impossible.

A dark time when the ones guilty of crimes against the crown or parliament could end up decorating a spear for a warning to the rest of the population. Sir John Cranston is the coroner, but this title seems to have nothing to do with the more modern meaning of the word. Cranston is called in by Gaunt to look into the death of one of the Merchant princes who he is trying to win over but with death after death of the ones Gaunt has brought together things start to fall apart.

After a slow start i must say I enjoyed the book.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing I dislike about this excellent series of books, is how quickly I devour them. I’m going through them like a packet of chocolate biscuits on a wet Sunday afternoon!
Each story though self-contained, is set within a number of themes that develop through the series: the difficulties at Court between the child King Richard and the Regent John of Gaunt; Gaunt’s difficult relationships with the Lords and the merchant Guilds – both have the money he needs to prosecute his war with France but are reluctant to hand it over; the rising tide of dissatisfaction felt by many poor people who are increasingly restive and threatening outright rebellion; and the regular spates of murders that fall to London’s Lord Coroner Sir John Cranston and his Secretarius Brother Athelstan to solve.
This book is set 1179 and a mysterious figure known as ‘Ira Dei’ or the Anger of God has emerged. Gaunt’s plans to win over the merchant princes of London is thrown into chaos by seemingly inexplicable murders. Sir John and Brother Athelstan are called in to help… Mix in the theft of body parts from executed prisoners, an exorcism of an apparently possessed young woman, the death of one of Sir John’s oldest friends and two very large dogs and you have the perfect recipe for an excellent novel. Highly recommended as are others in this series.

[Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling with this series and I have decided to set it aside for now. At first I enjoyed the two main characters, Brother Athelstan and coroner Jack Cranston. Cranston being the reincarnation of Friar Tuck, from 'Robin Hood', only less pious, but his lack of piety is more than made up by the humble and cerebral Brother Athelstan, aka the protector of the poor.

The problem is neither of these characters or the constant characterizations of the grimy streets and neighborhoods of medieval London and Lord Cranston gluttonous appetite, has moved on from the first book, and now this is the fourth in the series and after a while though the stories change the characters and the settings remain constant and things become too predictable.

Or, maybe I just need to take a rest for now.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good entry in the Brother Athelstan series, set in 1379 London as the unrest heats towards the Peasants’ Revolt. A couple of seemingly impossible murders of high-ranking Londoners leaves Coroner Cranston and Athelstan tasked by regent John of Gaunt to find the culprits. A few other murders of lesser Londoners are solved as the pair work out the traitor close to power. As always, the vividly evoked setting and time-period is paramount, and the narrative never slows while Cranston isn’t as annoying.
The author knows his era and his history although sometimes, as in The Great Revolt where Athelstan doesn't immediately mention 2 attempts to kill him, he can let plot development stand in the way of realistic reactions. This is a good read though.

[Rosie Lear · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is full of life and has several strings to the tale. The historical background is easy to understand but there are several strands of non historical narratives which gives the book a feeling of being many layered. The coroner is alarger than life character - sometimes only just believable - which makes the calmer character of Brother Athelstan a good foil for the coroner.
Doherty gives all his novels avivid picture of the rawness of medieval life, teeming with vibrant colour, movement, action and such a wealth of varied humanity. I love all his medieval series.
I recommend them to anyone who enjoys history being brought to life on the page in front of your eyes.

[Chris Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like historical murder mysteries then go no further than Paul Doherty's books. He has series set in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, and this series set in the late 1300s, usually in London. It follows Friar Athelstan and the city Coroner Jack Cranston as they help to solve multiple murders. Doherty weaves into his stories historically accurate descriptions, characters, and events that keep you interested, along with the solving of the murder of course. Each book is about 200 pages and can be finished in a few hours if you are an avid reader.

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book (so far) in the Brother Athelstan series. Looking forward to reading the rest of them. The books started out pretty surface level, and I wasn't sure if I was going to keep going, but the themes and mysteries have gotten more intricate and in depth, so I'm enjoying them more. The cast of characters are familiar and developing nicely. Worth a read if you like medieval history and a cozy mystery to relax with at the end of a long day.

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book (so far) in the Brother Athelstan series. Looking forward to reading the rest of them. The books started out pretty surface level, and I wasn't sure if I was going to keep going, but the themes and mysteries have gotten more intricate and in depth, so I'm enjoying them more. The cast of characters are familiar and developing nicely. Worth a read if you like medieval history and a cozy mystery to relax with at the end of a long day.

[Bruce Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Anger of God

New mysteries to solve. A man is murdered while sitting in a private garden with his guard dogs sitting next to him. Is a young girl possessed by the spirit of her dead mother? Who is Ira Dei? Athelstan and Cranston must solve all these questions and stay alive. Are these events leading to the peasant revolt? Great read.

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner, a mystery (or three!) set in 1379 in John of Gaunt's Regency. I really liked the character of Brother Athelstan, but not so much the Coroner, Sir John Cranston who was an alcoholic and a very rude sort, even though he managed (with Athelstan) to solve the murders. Very enjoyable.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has definitely improved with subsequent novels, and this is the best to date. All of the characters have deepened and fleshed out and this finally includes Cranston who I’ve previously found cardboard and cartoonish. I look freed to continuing the series.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story, with the main characters developing further. One change was rather grating - suddenly now, in book 4 of the series, one of the main characters constantly refers to himself as “old Jack” after never having done so before. I wonder what brought that on?

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better and better

May have discovered these a little late , but they get better with each one . Great mystery, had no idea who the killer was till the end . Love the 2 main characters on to number 5

[Maeghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cranston grows....

....not in girth, he already has that, but as a character. You see him react to the death of a dear friend in a very poignant way. His true soft spot for both man and beast shines through...a good read with more character to hold on to.

[ELzabeth Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Never fails to keep me fascinated by how all the regular characters play their parts with a very clever and satisfying conclusion.

[Ian D. Fetigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What made me mad.

Another great read by Paul Doherty. His words put you in the story, however his editor missed a few spelling errors. Hopefully cured for #5.

[Bilyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, pleasant, Sunday afternoon type of a book.

[John Newey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent as always

Atmospheric and realistic. Good characterisation and plot. I did work out the murderer. I used the methodology of Athelstan logic!

[Tara Gabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoying this series very much

[DeWayne Landwehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read if you love medieval mysteries. As always, Brother Athelstan gets mixed up in a huge pile of murders, and has to solve them - which he does in the end.

[Caperer · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10