Un policier médiéval un brin complexe mais réussi au final ( )

An unscrupulous manor lord has reneged on his promise to hand over a priceless ornate cross stolen from the Templars during the Crusades. Furthermore, he has massacred as heretics fourteen members of a religious order. The King sends Hugh Corbett, devoted emissary of King Edward I to Mistleham in his stead...

I can't believe this is the 16th in the Hugh Corbett Medieval Mysteries series, and I have them all!!! Not only that, I'm now up to date, with the next in the series due to be published in paperback on 1 November 2010.

I've enjoyed the character development throughout the series. Sir Hugh Corbett wants to spend quality time with his wife, and is anguished each time the King sends him away on a new piece of business. Meanwhile Ranulf is power hungry and keen to advance, eagerly accepting secret instructions from the King. Ranulf's investigative skills and powers of observation continue to grow and he is beginning to emerge as a force to be reckoned with.

In Nightshade, we're transported back to 1304 as Sir Hugh Corbett, Ranulf and Chanson are dispatched by the King to Mistelham. They are to retrieve items stolen from the Templars during the Crusades as well as get to the bottom of the hideous slaughter of 14 seemingly innocent members of a religious order, their corpses left to hang in a deserted area of the forest. Tales from the Crusades, hidden clues, tightly held secrets and a deadly bowman stand in the way of Sir Hugh restoring order and finding the culprit/s.

Doherty conjures the sights, sounds and smells of the period extremely well, which is the main reason I continue to follow and enjoy his series. His descriptions of the biting cold and the fog make me appreciate the luxuries of the present day all whilst snuggling down deeper into my doona. Doherty follows the familiar plot construction of the series, which makes for a predictable style but pleasurable read. ( )

I have come to expect nothing but the best historical information from Paul Doherty and his Hugh Corbett mystery series. Mr. Doherty is an English historian, and he knows his field. His Hugh Corbett series is an absolute winner. Lots of true historical facts and heart-stopping action and a first-class mystery to boot. This book (the 14 in the series) is no different. This time Hugh and his two retainers are sent to Essex to try to find what has happened to his King's treasure. They find a community that is in terror because of an unknown long bowman who is terrorizing the community, and they find a Lord who is truly evil, and who appears to be hiding some grievous secrets. There is lots of murder and mayhem, and the book is so cracking good that I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this wonderful historical series. The time of the series is the late 13th and early 16th centuries. This book is set actually set in January of 1304. If you love historical mysteries, this is not a series to miss. ( )