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Hugh Corbett #22
Mother Midnight
Paul Doherty's twenty-second medieval mystery featuring Sir Hugh Corbett is a gripping and gruesome tale of murder and mayhem sure to appeal to fans of C. J. Sansom and Bernard Cornwell.1312. Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, has returned from the West Country to find Westminster in chaos. Edward II has fled in an attempt to protect his favourite from the wrath of his noblemen; and a royal clerk has been found dead, poisoned in a locked chamber.Drawn into a maze of murder both at Westminster and at the Convent of Saint Sulpice, where young novices have started to disappear, Corbett quickly establishes a connection between the two mysteries. As other killings follow, Corbett's investigation leads him to a high-class brothel and its sinister owner, Mother Midnight. Challenged to a duel and hunted by a guild of ruthless assassins, Corbett and his loyal henchmen, Ranulf and Chanson, face a sea of troubles. And Corbett must call upon his wit and ingenuity to halt the tide of disaster that threatens to engulf him...What readers say about Paul 'Good plots, clever twists and mostly impossible to work out''Paul Doherty's depictions of medieval England are truly outstanding''Another brilliant story in the excellent Hugh Corbett series by a superb historical author'
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2021
104 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Paul Doherty
236 books606 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.
Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.
Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.
He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.
Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.
Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.
His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body
He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.
Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.
Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.
He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.
Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.
Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.
His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 19, 2022
This amazing historical mystery is the 22nd volume of the wonderful "Sir Hugh Corbett" series.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a Characters List, with names that are featuring in this great medieval mystery, while also at the beginning within the Historical Note, as well as at the back within the Author's Note the historical details concerning this marvellous mystery are very well documented by the author.
Story-telling is as ever of a top-notch quality, all characters, whether real historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly to life, while also the hostile atmosphere in London between various factions are superbly described and pictured within this marvellous medieval mystery.
This tale is set in the year AD 1312, during the reign of King Edward II, and Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, and his henchman, Ranulf-atte-Newgate and Chanson have just arrived from the West Country to find London in turmoil.
The main reason for this unrest are the occurrences that are happening at a convent named St Sulpice and an establishment called "The Queen of the Night", and these two institutions and its people will play a major part in the murders and horrors that will occur there.
It all starts with the murder of the Royal Clerk of the Secret Chancery, Ralph Manning, quickly followed by the mutilation and death of his henchman and Royal Clerk, Luke Faldon, and these two murders are somehow connected to the convent of St Sulpice and the exclusive brothel "The Queen of the Night", where Mother Midnight is ruling events in her own ruthless fashion.
What is to follow is an intriguing and thrilling historical mystery, in which Corbett, Ranulf and Chanson, are taken along in this web of deceit and death, but after sifting the evidence and unravelling this deadly web of all its horrible secrets, followed by a superbly executed plot, Corbett will be able to reveal the perpetrator(s) responsible for all the personal horrors and subsequent murders.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this tremendous series, and that's why I like to call this brilliant episode: "A Magnificent Mother Midnight"!
At the beginning of the book you'll find a Characters List, with names that are featuring in this great medieval mystery, while also at the beginning within the Historical Note, as well as at the back within the Author's Note the historical details concerning this marvellous mystery are very well documented by the author.
Story-telling is as ever of a top-notch quality, all characters, whether real historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly to life, while also the hostile atmosphere in London between various factions are superbly described and pictured within this marvellous medieval mystery.
This tale is set in the year AD 1312, during the reign of King Edward II, and Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, and his henchman, Ranulf-atte-Newgate and Chanson have just arrived from the West Country to find London in turmoil.
The main reason for this unrest are the occurrences that are happening at a convent named St Sulpice and an establishment called "The Queen of the Night", and these two institutions and its people will play a major part in the murders and horrors that will occur there.
It all starts with the murder of the Royal Clerk of the Secret Chancery, Ralph Manning, quickly followed by the mutilation and death of his henchman and Royal Clerk, Luke Faldon, and these two murders are somehow connected to the convent of St Sulpice and the exclusive brothel "The Queen of the Night", where Mother Midnight is ruling events in her own ruthless fashion.
What is to follow is an intriguing and thrilling historical mystery, in which Corbett, Ranulf and Chanson, are taken along in this web of deceit and death, but after sifting the evidence and unravelling this deadly web of all its horrible secrets, followed by a superbly executed plot, Corbett will be able to reveal the perpetrator(s) responsible for all the personal horrors and subsequent murders.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this tremendous series, and that's why I like to call this brilliant episode: "A Magnificent Mother Midnight"!
November 1, 2021
Early spring, Westminster and London, England, 1312. Reign of Edward II. “Nevertheless, these were murderous times…”. Edward II has fled to the north to protect his ‘royal favourite, Piers Gaveston, whom the king made Earl of Cornwall. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, the king’s cousin, demanded “Galveston’s removal and death”. As the king and his favourite went north, Lancaster and his men made themselves comfortable in Westminster and London, and Sir High Corbett, Royal Clerk and Keeper of the King’s Secret Seal, his ‘henchman’, Ranulf-atte-Newgate, Principal Clerk in the Chancery of the Green Wax, and Chanson, Corbett’s Clerk of the Stables, are returning from the West Country and discover Westminster in complete turmoil. In addition, a royal clerk, a friend of Sir Hugh’s has been murdered in a locked room. Sir Hugh must solve this murder and hopefully, bring law’s order to Westminster. The author exposes horrific events that are part of this era such as abductions, human trafficking, and vicious war at sea. Sir Hugh will only accept true justice in the name of the crown for all crimes he uncovers. This is the dark history of the 14 c! Truly excellent! 5 stars.
January 7, 2022
Is this the end???
What a mess are friend an company has to swim through. So many lives lost. So many families left in the dark. An where does Hugh Corbett go from here????
What a mess are friend an company has to swim through. So many lives lost. So many families left in the dark. An where does Hugh Corbett go from here????
August 2, 2022
A fairly satisfying slice of historical mystery solving. Some of the action felt a bit drawn out, and the ending is surprisingly abrupt, but for the most part it satiated my craving for historical fiction. I'd push it to 3.5 stars, as it manages to feel like a stand-alone novel, in spite of the fact that it is book #22 in a series.
December 20, 2021
Other will give you a synopsis; myself? Why repeat what others have said?
I have two streams of Paul Doherty books I follow avidly: Hugh Corbett; Brother Althelstan. The author, in recent times, has tended to neglect Corbett a bit, so I was especially pleased when this one came out. The theme is definitely Medieval, but it illustrates the contemporary problem of people smuggling and sex slavery; as King Solomon once said "There is nothing new under the sun."
Historically the book is set in the period when King Edward II of England has fled London to seek his lover, Piers Gaveston, leaving London unsure of where its loyalty lies: should they support the Crown or those nobles, lead by the Earl of Lancaster, who seek to bring the over powerful Gascon, Gaveston, to book and curb Edward's waywardness? In this situation, how easy would it be for Crown authorities to ensure the King's Peace and bring miscreants to justice?
Normally I would have devoured this in a day after locking myself away where I could not be interrupted, but this is Christmas tyde and the period where my family have a number of birthdays, so I spent four days finishing it, much to my annoyance.
Paul Doherty is one of the finest contemporary crime writers and one who has an extensive knowledge and interest in the Medieval world, a world so different from, and yet so similar to, our own.
Whilst this can be easily read as a stand-alone book, if you can, start from the first Hugh Corbett book "Satan in St Mary's" and work your way though your pleasure will be increased as you find Corbett increases in confidence and cunning as the series progresses.
I have two streams of Paul Doherty books I follow avidly: Hugh Corbett; Brother Althelstan. The author, in recent times, has tended to neglect Corbett a bit, so I was especially pleased when this one came out. The theme is definitely Medieval, but it illustrates the contemporary problem of people smuggling and sex slavery; as King Solomon once said "There is nothing new under the sun."
Historically the book is set in the period when King Edward II of England has fled London to seek his lover, Piers Gaveston, leaving London unsure of where its loyalty lies: should they support the Crown or those nobles, lead by the Earl of Lancaster, who seek to bring the over powerful Gascon, Gaveston, to book and curb Edward's waywardness? In this situation, how easy would it be for Crown authorities to ensure the King's Peace and bring miscreants to justice?
Normally I would have devoured this in a day after locking myself away where I could not be interrupted, but this is Christmas tyde and the period where my family have a number of birthdays, so I spent four days finishing it, much to my annoyance.
Paul Doherty is one of the finest contemporary crime writers and one who has an extensive knowledge and interest in the Medieval world, a world so different from, and yet so similar to, our own.
Whilst this can be easily read as a stand-alone book, if you can, start from the first Hugh Corbett book "Satan in St Mary's" and work your way though your pleasure will be increased as you find Corbett increases in confidence and cunning as the series progresses.
March 21, 2024
Sir Hugh Corbett, Ranulf, and Chanson are on the hunt for a devious killer of Sir Hugh’s great friend and fellow Clerk, Ralph Manning, a killer who strikes in locked rooms and leaves no trace. What was Manning working on that would result in this reprisal, and what has the Convent of St Sulpice got to do with it? As the body count grows, Sir Hugh moves closer to the horrid workings of the Queen of the Night brothel, and the machinations of those who seek revenge no matter the cost to others.
As usual, a strong plot, well-written and engaging. Sir Hugh sometimes does seem a bit too good to be true: incorruptible, brain the size of a planet, a legendary warrior, and all backed up by the King’s warrant (no matter that the king in this case is the ineffectual Edward II). I did work out some of the details of the multiple plots that are all woven together but this did not detract from a really good story.
As usual, a strong plot, well-written and engaging. Sir Hugh sometimes does seem a bit too good to be true: incorruptible, brain the size of a planet, a legendary warrior, and all backed up by the King’s warrant (no matter that the king in this case is the ineffectual Edward II). I did work out some of the details of the multiple plots that are all woven together but this did not detract from a really good story.
September 7, 2021
4.5 stars. There is no better author at writing setting than Doherty. His descriptions of medieval life in England are fascinating and show how ugly, brutal and grim life was. Don't expect a romanticized view of the time. In this latest mystery, Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the King's Secret Seal (basically Edward II's spymaster) investigates the murder of a fellow royal clerk and the disappearance of novices from a convent. Are the two cases related, and who is the sinister Mother Midnight? During the investigation, Hugh must dodge assassins and clerks of the king's opponents. If you like to read about medieval life and you don't mind some grisly accounts of life, then try Doherty. It is best to read the series in order.
November 24, 2021
I love this series
I get very wound up in the times of Hugh Corbett as I do with Brother Athelstan. When reading Paul Doherty's books, I often feel like another actor in them, watching and feeling the love, hate, pain that the characters are feeling. They drag me onto everything that's happening.
I get very wound up in the times of Hugh Corbett as I do with Brother Athelstan. When reading Paul Doherty's books, I often feel like another actor in them, watching and feeling the love, hate, pain that the characters are feeling. They drag me onto everything that's happening.
May 3, 2022
Exciting books
I have enjoyed all 22 books! I have felt immersed in history. I've found myself read raging Edward l and ll. These heels are fictional but so researched. I think you will thoroughly enjoy reading the entire series. Bravo!
I have enjoyed all 22 books! I have felt immersed in history. I've found myself read raging Edward l and ll. These heels are fictional but so researched. I think you will thoroughly enjoy reading the entire series. Bravo!
November 11, 2022
I loved the book. It seemed the edgiest book of this series. There is a lot of tension and mystery and it is well done. Same characters you are used to. The characters are getting older and having to be on guard for every little danger around them.
November 26, 2021
Excellent read!
May 21, 2022
I love historical crime and Paul Doherty is one of the best authors I have read. I have been following Hugh Corbett since when he first started on his adventures and still really enjoy them.
September 20, 2022
Well written, fast paced and engaging. Megotta was a great character. She would be a great addition to Hugh's group of regulars.
June 26, 2024
A very good addition to this historical, crime series. Really like the characters and enjoyed a further insight into a period of history that I know less about.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews