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The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan #20
L'écorcheur de Londres
" Cette abbaye est un lieu étrange, frère Athelstan. Une salle de fantômes, un lieu d'ombres volantes. Les morts se pressent ici. Je peux les entendre chuchoter dans l'air. "
Pendant le rude hiver de 1381, la mort trace son sillon dans les rues glacées de Londres. Les prostituées de la ville sont la proie d'un assassin silencieux et mortel, qui écorche et collectionne les peaux de ses victimes. Dans le même temps, l'abbaye de Westminster, qui abrite la pierre sacrée de Scone, est en proie à une série d'empoisonnements. Y aurait-il un lien entre ces morts violentes et la pierre, que la couronne anglaise chérit comme symbole de sa domination sur l'Écosse ? Bientôt, les deux anciens Hommes droits, chefs de la Grande Révolte, sont retrouvés mystérieusement pendus dans la Taverne Piebald, près de l'église de frère Athelstan. Athelstan est alors confronté à une enquête des plus déroutantes : un labyrinthe mortel de meurtres et d'intrigues inextricablement liés.
Pendant le rude hiver de 1381, la mort trace son sillon dans les rues glacées de Londres. Les prostituées de la ville sont la proie d'un assassin silencieux et mortel, qui écorche et collectionne les peaux de ses victimes. Dans le même temps, l'abbaye de Westminster, qui abrite la pierre sacrée de Scone, est en proie à une série d'empoisonnements. Y aurait-il un lien entre ces morts violentes et la pierre, que la couronne anglaise chérit comme symbole de sa domination sur l'Écosse ? Bientôt, les deux anciens Hommes droits, chefs de la Grande Révolte, sont retrouvés mystérieusement pendus dans la Taverne Piebald, près de l'église de frère Athelstan. Athelstan est alors confronté à une enquête des plus déroutantes : un labyrinthe mortel de meurtres et d'intrigues inextricablement liés.
360 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2021
61 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Paul Doherty
236 books609 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 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 16, 2024
**Read 4.5 STARS!**
This small and very exciting historical mystery is the 20th volume of the wonderful "Brother Athelstan" series, a favourite of mine alongside the "Hugh Corbett" series.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a Historical Note, where the author explains about the Stone of Destiny, "Stone of Scone", and other Scottish regalia, taken by King Edward I of England in 1296.
At the end of the book you'll notice an Author's Note, where the historical details concerning this book are superbly documented.
Storytelling is excellent, all characters come vividly to life in this tale of intrigue, deception and murder, while the atmosphere of London in 1381 is also wonderfully pictured by the author.
The book starts off with certain events from April 1360, followed by another event in June 1381, before reaching November 1381 and the first poisoned murder within Westminster Abbey, House of the Benedictines.
While more poisonings are happening in Westminster Abbey, there's also a killer on the loose in London called "The Flayer", a gruesome person who first kills innocents and then peels their skins, and not to forget there's the murder of two traitors within the former Upright Men, namely Halpen and Mildew at the Piebald Tavern.
What is to follow is an intriguing and a fast-flowing suspenseful mystery, in which the majority of the cases will turn into a mystery with a great plot, while a minority are a bit predictable in my view, but nevertheless the author manages to make you feel very satisfied with the outcome of these cases, and thus reading and learning about the who, how and why, and the end result behind each of these cunning and lethal cases.
Very much recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this tremendous series, and that's why I like to call this latest episode: "An Brilliant Deceitful Stone"!
This small and very exciting historical mystery is the 20th volume of the wonderful "Brother Athelstan" series, a favourite of mine alongside the "Hugh Corbett" series.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a Historical Note, where the author explains about the Stone of Destiny, "Stone of Scone", and other Scottish regalia, taken by King Edward I of England in 1296.
At the end of the book you'll notice an Author's Note, where the historical details concerning this book are superbly documented.
Storytelling is excellent, all characters come vividly to life in this tale of intrigue, deception and murder, while the atmosphere of London in 1381 is also wonderfully pictured by the author.
The book starts off with certain events from April 1360, followed by another event in June 1381, before reaching November 1381 and the first poisoned murder within Westminster Abbey, House of the Benedictines.
While more poisonings are happening in Westminster Abbey, there's also a killer on the loose in London called "The Flayer", a gruesome person who first kills innocents and then peels their skins, and not to forget there's the murder of two traitors within the former Upright Men, namely Halpen and Mildew at the Piebald Tavern.
What is to follow is an intriguing and a fast-flowing suspenseful mystery, in which the majority of the cases will turn into a mystery with a great plot, while a minority are a bit predictable in my view, but nevertheless the author manages to make you feel very satisfied with the outcome of these cases, and thus reading and learning about the who, how and why, and the end result behind each of these cunning and lethal cases.
Very much recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this tremendous series, and that's why I like to call this latest episode: "An Brilliant Deceitful Stone"!
February 23, 2021
Brilliant, macabre and satisfying.
Only Doherty could bring together in 1381 the Stone of Scone of Scotland, happenings from the Great Pestlance, horrific deaths of women from the lowest stratas of society, and tie it all together forming a conundrum that slinks into our favourite Parish, St Erconwald’s of Southwark. And of course right into the lap of our well loved cleric and sleuth, Dominican friar Brother Athelstan, working of course with Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner of the city.
Not only this but death raises its head in Westminster Abbey. A sacristan dies in extreme agony. And that's just the beginning. There's also a visit from Austin Sinclair, Prior of Melrose Abbey in Scotland come amongst other things to study the Great Revolt. He wants to hear the stories from Athelstan's parishioners.
Naturally there are complications coming from every direction, many threads are intertwining to give us once more a medieval murder mystery that reaches politically into interesting places. Many things are as Gollum would say “wicked, tricksy and false!”
The killer is labeled the Flayer and that moniker brings a shudder to the soul. How the killings fit with St Erconwald’s parishioners is fascinating. And their recent past pushes into the present.
Another fabulous contribution to the Athelstan series!
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley
Only Doherty could bring together in 1381 the Stone of Scone of Scotland, happenings from the Great Pestlance, horrific deaths of women from the lowest stratas of society, and tie it all together forming a conundrum that slinks into our favourite Parish, St Erconwald’s of Southwark. And of course right into the lap of our well loved cleric and sleuth, Dominican friar Brother Athelstan, working of course with Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner of the city.
Not only this but death raises its head in Westminster Abbey. A sacristan dies in extreme agony. And that's just the beginning. There's also a visit from Austin Sinclair, Prior of Melrose Abbey in Scotland come amongst other things to study the Great Revolt. He wants to hear the stories from Athelstan's parishioners.
Naturally there are complications coming from every direction, many threads are intertwining to give us once more a medieval murder mystery that reaches politically into interesting places. Many things are as Gollum would say “wicked, tricksy and false!”
The killer is labeled the Flayer and that moniker brings a shudder to the soul. How the killings fit with St Erconwald’s parishioners is fascinating. And their recent past pushes into the present.
Another fabulous contribution to the Athelstan series!
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley
October 20, 2021
Damn fine read each an every one.
A great history lesson. All the pieces are put together to give you a better look see in to the past. The story fit right in to history. I thank you sir for 20 Damn fine exciting read. It's been one hell of a ride. I really liked all the English Mysteries from the 12th century to the 14th.
A great history lesson. All the pieces are put together to give you a better look see in to the past. The story fit right in to history. I thank you sir for 20 Damn fine exciting read. It's been one hell of a ride. I really liked all the English Mysteries from the 12th century to the 14th.
March 22, 2021
2.5-3 stars. I have read every book in this long series, and have found some better than others- only natural over 20 mysteries. In the weaker efforts, it often feels as if the author is just padding out the same plot from previous mysteries. That is what happens here; but in all fairness, as the author points out in his excellent, informative Afterword, it was a bloody, violent time in English (and French and Scottish) history, and the abominable crimes and mysteries he concocts for Brother Athelstan and Sir John, Lord High Coroner of London, to solve, reflects this.
A rather rambling, bizarre prologue introduces the grotesque Adele Puddlicot, a corpse dresser during a plague outbreak. Turns out she wasn’t doing her job of preparing bodies for burial - instead flaying them, eventually killing to flay her victims. She is convicted and buried alive after being turned in by the orphan boy she had taken in. Fast forward to the winter after the Great Revolt, and another Flayer is at work preying on London’s poorest streetwalkers. There are also poisonings among the Benedictines of Westminster Abbey, resting place of the Stone of Scone, a sacred relic of Scotland, and a locked room murder of two traitors from the Great Revolt.
A lot going on for Jack and Athelstan, and it should have been exciting, but except for a few scenes, it just plodded along with padding from the expected descriptions of the freaks and oddballs among the bustling, filthy streets surrounding St. Erconwald’s Church, Athelstan’s parish in Southwark. Life was certainly nasty, brutish and short for many, and Doherty is a master at recreating the bustling medieval city. In this case, all of the various strands come together pretty obviously- indeed, an editor could’ve cut it down to a novella, as it was pretty clear what had happened.
I have purchased many books from this series from British book sources so I could read them as soon as published, but was glad to get the ebook through my Scribd subscription. Recommended for fans of the series, but not the place to start.
A rather rambling, bizarre prologue introduces the grotesque Adele Puddlicot, a corpse dresser during a plague outbreak. Turns out she wasn’t doing her job of preparing bodies for burial - instead flaying them, eventually killing to flay her victims. She is convicted and buried alive after being turned in by the orphan boy she had taken in. Fast forward to the winter after the Great Revolt, and another Flayer is at work preying on London’s poorest streetwalkers. There are also poisonings among the Benedictines of Westminster Abbey, resting place of the Stone of Scone, a sacred relic of Scotland, and a locked room murder of two traitors from the Great Revolt.
A lot going on for Jack and Athelstan, and it should have been exciting, but except for a few scenes, it just plodded along with padding from the expected descriptions of the freaks and oddballs among the bustling, filthy streets surrounding St. Erconwald’s Church, Athelstan’s parish in Southwark. Life was certainly nasty, brutish and short for many, and Doherty is a master at recreating the bustling medieval city. In this case, all of the various strands come together pretty obviously- indeed, an editor could’ve cut it down to a novella, as it was pretty clear what had happened.
I have purchased many books from this series from British book sources so I could read them as soon as published, but was glad to get the ebook through my Scribd subscription. Recommended for fans of the series, but not the place to start.
November 19, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of The Stone of Destiny, the twentieth novel to feature Brother Athelstan, friar and priest of the parish of St Erconwald, Southwark, set in 1381.
There is a murderer on the streets of London, known as The Flayer, who preys on poor prostitutes but before Brother Athelstan and Coroner Sir John Cranston can investigate they are called to the Abbey of Westminster, which houses the Scottish relic, the Stone of Destiny, to investigate the poisoning of a friar, the first of several. If this wasn’t enough two former rebels, known as Upright Men, are hung from the rafters in a locked room of the local inn. Can all these deaths be linked?
I enjoyed The Stone of Destiny which is a gripping mystery with a high body count and some ingenious solutions. Of course, as a Scot, the Scottish angle of the Stone of Destiny, is an added bonus, but it’s only one of the many historical references in the novel. I like the way the author inserts these very informative details into the everyday lives of his characters without lecturing or becoming didactic. They are just background to the investigations Athelstan is undertaking.
The novel is slow to start with a long first chapter supplying both a fictional and historical background to what is to come so Brother Athelstan and his clever mind don’t make an appearance until chapter two. After that it’s full steam ahead with the bodies piling up and seemingly impossible murders to solve. I’m always overconfident of being able to solve these puzzles (less technology equalling simpler motives and solutions) and yet again I failed. They are ingenious and the author’s misdirection catches me every time. There is never a dull moment.
I also like the picture painted of the times where I feel I can smell the streets and touch the poverty and, at the same time, experience the bustle of lives being lived. Not to put too fine a point on it, it makes my modern day sensibilities shudder at the dirt and lack of hygiene, but it’s humanity alive and thriving.
Brother Athelstan is a fine creation. He’s smart and wise in the ways of people and thinks laterally. He’s maybe angrier in this novel than usual, due to the waste of life, but it doesn’t stop him using his talents to stop it.
The Stone of Destiny is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
There is a murderer on the streets of London, known as The Flayer, who preys on poor prostitutes but before Brother Athelstan and Coroner Sir John Cranston can investigate they are called to the Abbey of Westminster, which houses the Scottish relic, the Stone of Destiny, to investigate the poisoning of a friar, the first of several. If this wasn’t enough two former rebels, known as Upright Men, are hung from the rafters in a locked room of the local inn. Can all these deaths be linked?
I enjoyed The Stone of Destiny which is a gripping mystery with a high body count and some ingenious solutions. Of course, as a Scot, the Scottish angle of the Stone of Destiny, is an added bonus, but it’s only one of the many historical references in the novel. I like the way the author inserts these very informative details into the everyday lives of his characters without lecturing or becoming didactic. They are just background to the investigations Athelstan is undertaking.
The novel is slow to start with a long first chapter supplying both a fictional and historical background to what is to come so Brother Athelstan and his clever mind don’t make an appearance until chapter two. After that it’s full steam ahead with the bodies piling up and seemingly impossible murders to solve. I’m always overconfident of being able to solve these puzzles (less technology equalling simpler motives and solutions) and yet again I failed. They are ingenious and the author’s misdirection catches me every time. There is never a dull moment.
I also like the picture painted of the times where I feel I can smell the streets and touch the poverty and, at the same time, experience the bustle of lives being lived. Not to put too fine a point on it, it makes my modern day sensibilities shudder at the dirt and lack of hygiene, but it’s humanity alive and thriving.
Brother Athelstan is a fine creation. He’s smart and wise in the ways of people and thinks laterally. He’s maybe angrier in this novel than usual, due to the waste of life, but it doesn’t stop him using his talents to stop it.
The Stone of Destiny is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
December 26, 2021
The Brother Athelstan mystery series is well-established, with a cast of characters its regular readers have grown to love and which new readers can quickly find delightful company. One of the series' strengths—and a strength of this particular volume—is that it focuses not on the nobility, as so many historical mysteries do, but instead is grounded in day-to-day life. There are palace-level intrigues underlying the action, but what readers experience is the struggles of ordinary characters trying to balance hardship with merriment (or some chaotic version of it) and fighting for a future when they might have greater control over their own lives.
This volume in the series involves a series of overlapping plot lines: a Scottish attempt to retrieve the Stone of Destiny on which Scottish kings used to be crowned, a series of poisonings in Westminster Abbey, a pair of killings in a local inn, and serial killer attacking the lowest prostitutes in the poorest neighborhoods of London. These threads, which at first seem separate, gradually draw together, making for gripping reading.
Whether you're familiar with Brother Athelastan and his cohorts or meeting them for the first time, you'll find The Stone of Destiny rewarding reading. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
This volume in the series involves a series of overlapping plot lines: a Scottish attempt to retrieve the Stone of Destiny on which Scottish kings used to be crowned, a series of poisonings in Westminster Abbey, a pair of killings in a local inn, and serial killer attacking the lowest prostitutes in the poorest neighborhoods of London. These threads, which at first seem separate, gradually draw together, making for gripping reading.
Whether you're familiar with Brother Athelastan and his cohorts or meeting them for the first time, you'll find The Stone of Destiny rewarding reading. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
February 15, 2021
Brother Athelstan Juggles A Series of Multiple Murders
The novel opens with the Black Death ebbing. Adele Puddlicot, who seemed to be immune to this plague, collects corpses left outside home to be taken and buried. She would collect them, steal anything of value and leave them somewhere to rot. She soon starts to covet human skin. She entices prostitutes into some dark place, kills and skins them. She is turned in by a young boy and hangs for her crimes. The story line jumps 21 years to the ending a revolt in London, and a young man hiding a treasure chest in a family grave in the cemetery adjacent to Athelstan’s church. What he didn’t know was that he is being observed.
Then the novel switches to its present time five months later. Brother Athelstan joins Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner, to investigate the murder of a sacristan at Westminster Abby. It was clear that he was poisoned, but this is Advent with the great fast being observed. It was clear that the sacristan has eaten and drank from the same sources as unaffected others. The murders continue. Unrelated, two disreputable men are found in a locked room at the The Piebald, an unofficial meeting place for the Brother Athelstan’s church council. Athelstan and Cranston start to investigate. Lastly, a series of terrible murders start to happen where the victims are flayed after death. They all occur in the neighborhood in and around Athelstan’s church. The roller-coaster of a story goes careening forward from here.
All three separate investigations appear to be Gordian knots that seem not to have any loose ends to unravel and discover the truth. The author has weaved a grapping tale that seized my attention and kept it until the end. I read several times late into the night and starting reading when I woke in the morning.
The B-storyline is particularly rich in this novel. Much of it centers on the history of Athelstan’s church to before he came to the church. I also learned much more about the church council than I knew previously. This aspect enriched my enjoyment in reading the novel.
For aspects that some readers object, there are not any intimate scenes. Besides Cranston’s favorite expletive, mild by today’s standards, other vulgar language is practically nonexistent. As for violence, much of it is after the fact but still may be disturbing for some. Executions are definitely not up to modern sensibilities. These aspects were not an issue for me. This novel should be safe for most readers.
What I really enjoyed was how the author through the use of language makes you feel that you are back in the 14th century. He uses many words of the era for objects and adds words not in common use today an ancient feeling for me. This aspect did slow my reading down as I used the built-in dictionary on my e-reader or searched the Internet for the meaning. Also, there were no loose ends at the end. All Gordian knots were solved. I didn’t find any downsides for me in this novel. This novel is the 20th novel in this series, but I have read only the last four. This novel can be the first of the series that you read as I found nothing that depended upon previous novels.
Overall, this novel met all of my requirements for five star rating. If you haven’t tried medieval mysteries, this is an excellent novel to start this genre.
I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Severn House with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Severn House for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
The novel opens with the Black Death ebbing. Adele Puddlicot, who seemed to be immune to this plague, collects corpses left outside home to be taken and buried. She would collect them, steal anything of value and leave them somewhere to rot. She soon starts to covet human skin. She entices prostitutes into some dark place, kills and skins them. She is turned in by a young boy and hangs for her crimes. The story line jumps 21 years to the ending a revolt in London, and a young man hiding a treasure chest in a family grave in the cemetery adjacent to Athelstan’s church. What he didn’t know was that he is being observed.
Then the novel switches to its present time five months later. Brother Athelstan joins Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner, to investigate the murder of a sacristan at Westminster Abby. It was clear that he was poisoned, but this is Advent with the great fast being observed. It was clear that the sacristan has eaten and drank from the same sources as unaffected others. The murders continue. Unrelated, two disreputable men are found in a locked room at the The Piebald, an unofficial meeting place for the Brother Athelstan’s church council. Athelstan and Cranston start to investigate. Lastly, a series of terrible murders start to happen where the victims are flayed after death. They all occur in the neighborhood in and around Athelstan’s church. The roller-coaster of a story goes careening forward from here.
All three separate investigations appear to be Gordian knots that seem not to have any loose ends to unravel and discover the truth. The author has weaved a grapping tale that seized my attention and kept it until the end. I read several times late into the night and starting reading when I woke in the morning.
The B-storyline is particularly rich in this novel. Much of it centers on the history of Athelstan’s church to before he came to the church. I also learned much more about the church council than I knew previously. This aspect enriched my enjoyment in reading the novel.
For aspects that some readers object, there are not any intimate scenes. Besides Cranston’s favorite expletive, mild by today’s standards, other vulgar language is practically nonexistent. As for violence, much of it is after the fact but still may be disturbing for some. Executions are definitely not up to modern sensibilities. These aspects were not an issue for me. This novel should be safe for most readers.
What I really enjoyed was how the author through the use of language makes you feel that you are back in the 14th century. He uses many words of the era for objects and adds words not in common use today an ancient feeling for me. This aspect did slow my reading down as I used the built-in dictionary on my e-reader or searched the Internet for the meaning. Also, there were no loose ends at the end. All Gordian knots were solved. I didn’t find any downsides for me in this novel. This novel is the 20th novel in this series, but I have read only the last four. This novel can be the first of the series that you read as I found nothing that depended upon previous novels.
Overall, this novel met all of my requirements for five star rating. If you haven’t tried medieval mysteries, this is an excellent novel to start this genre.
I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Severn House with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Severn House for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
December 18, 2020
You find yourself in a mystery of many layers investigated by Brother Athelstan with a mind like a steel trap. He is beloved by his parishioners characters with many sides. Athelstan has help in his endeavours by Lord Coroner Cranston a man with great power in 1381 London. The city is a maze of dwellings where people live harsh lives which will come to shape them. Westminster Abbey is home to the Stone of Scone a symbol of Scottish Kings taken from them by the English Crown. The Blackrobes who guard the stone start to fall victim to murder by poison, but how when they are fasting. Brother Athelstan and Cranston will have more on their hands with brutal murders and skinning of poor prostitutes by The Flayer. They will even have the classic murder in a locked room. This story keeps a pace and delves you into the community spirit of Athelstan and his parish of St Erconwald the unusual council characters you will wish to revisit.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2021
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Severn House for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review The Stone of Destiny. All opinions are my own.
A murderess is found out and condemned as The Stone of Destiny begins, the 20th in the Brother Athelstan series. The “boy” that betrayed the serial killer is left behind to remember what he’s done. No doubt we’ll see him again.
Flash forward a few years to 1381, and dead men in Westminster Abbey (locked rooms, naturally – Doherty’s specialty) will bring our hard-working, mystery-solving medieval priest and the larger-than-life Lord High Coroner Sir John Cranston together again in the long-running series by Paul Doherty. The dead are men who are “Guardians of the Stone” – the Stone of Scone – the Stone of Destiny, a sacred symbol of royal Scotland which just happens to be sitting in Westminster Cathedral.
Besides this little problem, there’s a new murderer in town – The Flayer, who’s doing ghastly things to his victims, unwary prostitutes that he’s tracking down and killing. Wonder where he got that idea?
We have a visitor from Scotland to get in the way, who’s busy recording information about The Great Revolt. He wants to interview Brother Athelstan’s parishioners. There’s more to this of course, which becomes very clear as the book progresses. Doherty is a master at weaving plotlines together. And what part does the Scottish royal regalia play in it all? A note at the end of the book will (probably) explain it. Note: it will.
Athelstan and Cranston figure everything out, of course. A vast conspiracy – what else is new? And now they must tread oh so carefully, for they have put themselves in harm’s way.
Hopefully readers won’t be starting with this book. It will help to already know the parishioners of St. Erconwald and their interesting lives; Sir John and his family, John of Gaunt, that menacing figure, the bailiffs, the poor and the proprietors of the ale houses, all the people that populate these books. Doherty will set out their stories a bit, but since this series has been going on for a while, he can’t explain everything. I do hope you have already been on Brother Athelstan’s journey – you will have enjoyed every step along the way.
A murderess is found out and condemned as The Stone of Destiny begins, the 20th in the Brother Athelstan series. The “boy” that betrayed the serial killer is left behind to remember what he’s done. No doubt we’ll see him again.
Flash forward a few years to 1381, and dead men in Westminster Abbey (locked rooms, naturally – Doherty’s specialty) will bring our hard-working, mystery-solving medieval priest and the larger-than-life Lord High Coroner Sir John Cranston together again in the long-running series by Paul Doherty. The dead are men who are “Guardians of the Stone” – the Stone of Scone – the Stone of Destiny, a sacred symbol of royal Scotland which just happens to be sitting in Westminster Cathedral.
Besides this little problem, there’s a new murderer in town – The Flayer, who’s doing ghastly things to his victims, unwary prostitutes that he’s tracking down and killing. Wonder where he got that idea?
We have a visitor from Scotland to get in the way, who’s busy recording information about The Great Revolt. He wants to interview Brother Athelstan’s parishioners. There’s more to this of course, which becomes very clear as the book progresses. Doherty is a master at weaving plotlines together. And what part does the Scottish royal regalia play in it all? A note at the end of the book will (probably) explain it. Note: it will.
Athelstan and Cranston figure everything out, of course. A vast conspiracy – what else is new? And now they must tread oh so carefully, for they have put themselves in harm’s way.
Hopefully readers won’t be starting with this book. It will help to already know the parishioners of St. Erconwald and their interesting lives; Sir John and his family, John of Gaunt, that menacing figure, the bailiffs, the poor and the proprietors of the ale houses, all the people that populate these books. Doherty will set out their stories a bit, but since this series has been going on for a while, he can’t explain everything. I do hope you have already been on Brother Athelstan’s journey – you will have enjoyed every step along the way.
March 1, 2021
Very few authors have ever matched the excellence of the Cadfael novels by Ellis Peters. Paul Doherty is one of those authors. The Sorrowful Mysteries Of Brother Athelstan are dark, intriguing and completely compelling.
London has been ravaged first by the Black Death and then Wat Tyler's Rebellion. King Edward, the Hammer of the Scots, is dead; King Richard a mere minor, his regent John of Gaunt, the handsome Plantagenet is unpopular.
The author presents a complex plot: a locked-room murder mystery, a killer who skins his victims and the ever-present mystery of the Stone of Scone. Historical murder and mayhem at its very best.
London has been ravaged first by the Black Death and then Wat Tyler's Rebellion. King Edward, the Hammer of the Scots, is dead; King Richard a mere minor, his regent John of Gaunt, the handsome Plantagenet is unpopular.
The author presents a complex plot: a locked-room murder mystery, a killer who skins his victims and the ever-present mystery of the Stone of Scone. Historical murder and mayhem at its very best.
January 30, 2024
This the 18/19th in the series and I have read them all. Some I enjoyed some not so much, but I failed to complete this one. They have been getting more and more gratuitously gory and repetitive. Although a violent time in our history I think the ideas have dried up and violence has been increased to compensate.
March 15, 2021
Excellent as ever. A much loved series that never fails to be thrilling, even after all these years. Such a great blend of historical fact and loveable Central characters.
March 8, 2022
I never tire of Paul Doherty's Brother Athelstan mysteries. "The Stone of Destiny" is a rather tangled web that both directly, and indirectly, involves The Stone of Scone - The Stone of Destiny, the sacred coronation stone of Scotland. The Stone was part of the Scottish coronation spoils taken to England by Edward I, The Hammer of the Scots, whilst he was ravishing that country in 1296. The Stone was, until 1996, ensconced under the seat of the English throne in Westminster Abbey.
Others have given outlines of the book's plot, how it weaves the story of The Stone, the aftermaths of the Peasant's Revolt, and the wickedness of mercenaries returned from the wars in France. There are three strands to the tale and not all are connected, there are also some clever red herrings too, so you are kept guessing until near the end, and even then, there is a twist.
I do enjoy tales of Fat Jack Cranston and that clever friar, Brother Athelstan, together with the collection of weird and wonderful parishioners of St Erconwald. However, this time I was also saddened as Doherty killed off two of my favourite parishioners - no, I am not saying who: buy the book yourself to find out!
Others have given outlines of the book's plot, how it weaves the story of The Stone, the aftermaths of the Peasant's Revolt, and the wickedness of mercenaries returned from the wars in France. There are three strands to the tale and not all are connected, there are also some clever red herrings too, so you are kept guessing until near the end, and even then, there is a twist.
I do enjoy tales of Fat Jack Cranston and that clever friar, Brother Athelstan, together with the collection of weird and wonderful parishioners of St Erconwald. However, this time I was also saddened as Doherty killed off two of my favourite parishioners - no, I am not saying who: buy the book yourself to find out!
March 21, 2021
This is the twentieth Brother Athelstan book, and I've read all of them. Just like Doherty's killers, I've gotten arrogant about figuring out "who done it." Two men found hung in a locked room? I know how that was done and by whom. (Well, no, I didn't.) A crazy man going around London flaying his victims? I know who did that. (Again, I was very wrong.) Someone poisoning monks at Westminister? Yeah, I had no idea. Until the reveal and I could see all the clues I'd missed. All the usual characters of St. Erconwald's parish are present. Sir John Cranston and his miraculous wineskin present and correct. My Lord of Gaunt and his henchman Master Thibault skulking around the edges of the story. Mysteries layered on mysteries. Another satisfying novel.
September 24, 2021
It's appropriate that I completed this year's reading challenge with one of my favorite series. Doherty, as always, shows readers a vivid, medieval world that is ugly, grim and violent. Do not expect Camelot. "The Stone of Destiny," which refers to the Stone of Scone, is particularly grisly and is not for the squeamish. As in other Brother Athelstan books, our good friar and John Cranston, the Lord High Coroner, are investigating several mysteries at once. Monks at Westminster Abbey are being poisoned; two men who were part of the Great Revolt has been mysteriously hanged; and a serial killer, named The Flayer, is stalking Athelstan's parish of St. Erconwald (that is the grisly plot). This series must be read in order.
July 7, 2025
The Stone of Destiny
During the recent Coronation of King Charles III, the Stone of Scone was moved from Scotland to London for this event. This story revolves around this sacred stone. Scottish members of the Benedictine order are being murdered. At the same time prostitutes are brutally murdered and their bodies are desecrated. Why are the monks being killed and who is the flayer? Brother Athelstan must find the killers and discover why the great stone is involved. Even the Fisher of Men makes an appearance. Great story.
During the recent Coronation of King Charles III, the Stone of Scone was moved from Scotland to London for this event. This story revolves around this sacred stone. Scottish members of the Benedictine order are being murdered. At the same time prostitutes are brutally murdered and their bodies are desecrated. Why are the monks being killed and who is the flayer? Brother Athelstan must find the killers and discover why the great stone is involved. Even the Fisher of Men makes an appearance. Great story.
February 27, 2021
Pretty good really.
Interesting idea, very obvious plot, good fun though. Paul has seen fit to introduce some pseudo factoids here and there to pad the book out, for instance the thieves cant thing, well there’s always been one so why not mention it (or not !). There is mention here that there are no secret entrances to St Erconwalds church, well I vaguely remember mention of a tunnel used by the previous rather naughty priest ?
Not the best, but ok.
Interesting idea, very obvious plot, good fun though. Paul has seen fit to introduce some pseudo factoids here and there to pad the book out, for instance the thieves cant thing, well there’s always been one so why not mention it (or not !). There is mention here that there are no secret entrances to St Erconwalds church, well I vaguely remember mention of a tunnel used by the previous rather naughty priest ?
Not the best, but ok.
January 15, 2022
If you've never read any of "The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan" this not the one to begin with. There is a great deal of exposition in the early chapters, i.e., introducing the characters that appear in the books that came before. He does do that a lot better than most, but still it is a lot of bringing readers up to date. Better to start with an earlier episode in the life of Brother Athelstan.
December 11, 2023
Granted I was very distracted while reading this installment but there seemed to be a lot of inconsistencies in the storytelling. Doherty was never an exceptional author but his writing is really beginning to decline.
January 2, 2024
Intrigue right up to the end.
Wonderful reading. You are transported to the time of the intrigue. The powerful lust for power. Right up to the last word on the last page, awaiting what can come next.
Wonderful reading. You are transported to the time of the intrigue. The powerful lust for power. Right up to the last word on the last page, awaiting what can come next.
May 7, 2024
As Usual, but Better, even
Traditionally, this series has three mysteries to solve in each. In this, each is solved quite separately (with a nice twist/tying up loose ends) so you can really enjoy the unraveling.
Traditionally, this series has three mysteries to solve in each. In this, each is solved quite separately (with a nice twist/tying up loose ends) so you can really enjoy the unraveling.
September 28, 2024
Comme la cruche que je suis j'ai acheté ce livre sans savoir qu'il venait d'une série, je suis cependant agréablement surprise qu'on ne soit pas obligé d'avoir lu tous les autres pour comprendre.
Je lirais les suivants avec plaisir et j'ai hâte de retrouver le frère Althelstan !
Je lirais les suivants avec plaisir et j'ai hâte de retrouver le frère Althelstan !
November 5, 2024
I enjoy the Athelstan mysteries, with his interesting congregation, as he assists the Coroner to solve murders and other crimes. This was dark but I liked the history and insight into the relationship of England and Scotland at the time.
July 31, 2021
Great read
As usual the Brother Althelstan novels including this one are well written and believable. History comes alive within the pages.
As usual the Brother Althelstan novels including this one are well written and believable. History comes alive within the pages.
March 12, 2022
Excellent read. Doherty successfully weaves an intricate plot once again with solid historical facts and astute, grounded possibilities.
February 4, 2025
Tried to read and abandoned in a couple of pages. It felt too dark and creepy even for me
June 25, 2021
Pretty good.
January 24, 2021
Strange things are happening in London, and bodies are piling up in Westminster Abbey in this new book by Paul Doherty. Tales of treasure buried in a graveyard, and the disappearance of Scotland's Stone of Scone and other regalia rounds out the fast paced tale of murder and mayhem. Can Brother Athelstan figure out what's going on and bring justice to the perpetrators?
Prostitutes are disappearing, and their skinless bodies are showing up in dark and dismal places. Nicknamed "The Flayer" for his/her habit in skinning the bodies and (sometimes) leaving the skin in strange places, Brother Athelstan and the Coroner are tasked with finding the murderer. At the same time, someone is poisoning monks in Westminster Abbey (and the occasional non-monk as well) but who and how is unknown. Is it just a coincidence that the dead monks have a connection to Scotland?
At first a rather disconcerting jumble of characters with strange names, the book smooths out into a compelling who dunnit as Athelstan seeks to find who is behind these gruesome murders. At the same time he is searching for the missing Stone of Destiny and royal regalia that was stolen from Scotland and brought to England in years past. The blend of fiction and historical questions makes The Stone of Destiny an interesting and entertaining read (even if the amount of real history is minimal, that's why they call it historical fiction!). Definitely worth reading!
Prostitutes are disappearing, and their skinless bodies are showing up in dark and dismal places. Nicknamed "The Flayer" for his/her habit in skinning the bodies and (sometimes) leaving the skin in strange places, Brother Athelstan and the Coroner are tasked with finding the murderer. At the same time, someone is poisoning monks in Westminster Abbey (and the occasional non-monk as well) but who and how is unknown. Is it just a coincidence that the dead monks have a connection to Scotland?
At first a rather disconcerting jumble of characters with strange names, the book smooths out into a compelling who dunnit as Athelstan seeks to find who is behind these gruesome murders. At the same time he is searching for the missing Stone of Destiny and royal regalia that was stolen from Scotland and brought to England in years past. The blend of fiction and historical questions makes The Stone of Destiny an interesting and entertaining read (even if the amount of real history is minimal, that's why they call it historical fiction!). Definitely worth reading!
March 5, 2021
In this story Sir John Cranston, the Coroner of London, and Brother Athelstan are called in to help with two murders. In one, someone is taking poor, fallen women and killing them, then flaying off their skins. At the same time, a number of priests are being poisoned at the abbey, for no apparent reason other than that they have Scottish roots.
Scotland is at the centre of all these mysteries, and the ambitions of John of Gaunt and the fate of the Stone of Scone, which was supposed to have been returned to Scotland by Edward I.
As usual the story is placed very firmly in history. However, having read and enjoyed all the earlier books in this series, something has changed. Previously Sir John was a loud, bombastic, humorous, entertaining character with his short temper, his endlessly full wineskin and his beloved wife and the poppets. Now he appears as a very pale shadow of his former self, with very little really to say in this book. Brother Athelstan was a compassionate and kind priest to his poor flock of characters, but again he appears very one dimensional. It would seem that the author has got too involved in telling a story that is historically accurate and showing off his knowledge of the period, and has forgotten how to bring his characters to life.
Overall I found it quite disappointing. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Scotland is at the centre of all these mysteries, and the ambitions of John of Gaunt and the fate of the Stone of Scone, which was supposed to have been returned to Scotland by Edward I.
As usual the story is placed very firmly in history. However, having read and enjoyed all the earlier books in this series, something has changed. Previously Sir John was a loud, bombastic, humorous, entertaining character with his short temper, his endlessly full wineskin and his beloved wife and the poppets. Now he appears as a very pale shadow of his former self, with very little really to say in this book. Brother Athelstan was a compassionate and kind priest to his poor flock of characters, but again he appears very one dimensional. It would seem that the author has got too involved in telling a story that is historically accurate and showing off his knowledge of the period, and has forgotten how to bring his characters to life.
Overall I found it quite disappointing. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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