Murder Wears a Cowl

This is the sixth book in the series of medieval mysteries featuring Sir Hugh Corbett. Obviously this is one of Paul Doherty's earlier offerings and he has since written many more books and is now an established author of medieval novels and has also added a number of novels on Egypt to his ever growing list of titles. Having said that it is one of his earlier offerings does not mean that it is inferior to his current books, quite the opposite. The Hugh Corbett mysteries were and are extremely popular and Paul Doherty is still adding to them. Doherty's books are an absolute delight. The pages just seem to race by and the sights and sounds of medieval England seem to leap of the pages.. This book concerns a violent serial killer. He or she lurks in the squalid streets of London, lying in wait for prostitutes and having found them, slits their throats. When a well bred lady, Lady Somerville, one of the sisters of St. Martha is found murdered in the same awful way, followed by the death of Father Benedict in suspicious circumstances Hugh Corbett is once again called upon to solve the mystery.

What more can you ask for? Well how about intrigue, danger and some good history? That's what you get in this Hugh Corbett book. Someone is going throughout London and cutting the throats and mutilating prostitutes. Not only that a harmless old woman and a priest were also killed. Corbett is sent by his King to find this killer. Corbett has to determine if there is only one killer or more than one. While he's investigating he uncovers a huge caper that could put the Royal Treasury at risk. Corbett and his sidekick Ranulf set out to uncover all, with no small danger to themselves. This is a really good medieval series.

Doherty's medival sleuth Hugh Corbett was faced with one of the most difficult problem yet, in the action packed 'Murder wears a Crowl'. A serial killer is on the run in London, murdering high class courtesans and mutilates their body in the most gruesom ways. Lady Somerville (a sister of the St Martha) was also killed in similar fashion, and this calls the suspicion of King Edward and he places Corbett to investigate. With a past criminal plotting mischieve at the same time, Corbett and his servant Ranulf are looking at not only a tough case but more than one of them. The two plots runs side by side and the clues you find are not always reliable. You will need all your brain work to be able to separate the red herring from the facts and then find the killer. Once I start I simply couldn't put this book down until it is finished. The story contains more than the usual mystery, murder and action. The medival England background gives it historical value and vivid setting that gives you a change from all the normal stuff you get in a modern day mystery. After all, it is refreshing to be able to deal with arrows, daggers and poison rather than guns and cars. However it's not one of those serious books that leaves you breathless, The characters are so alive and funny at times that I can't help but to laugh, although the situation isn't really that amusing. If you enjoys good mystery with various of twist, false leads and want to try reading something a little bit different. I suggest you give this a try. It has everything that you needed, from fictional suspense to actual facts, menacing murders to vivid dialogues. Really, it will be too much of a shame to miss it.