Satan's Fire

I really do enjoy this series and Hugh Corbett is my kind of hero. He's intelligent, silent and keeps his thoughts to himself while he solves the hardest cases for Edward I. In this one Edward sends Hugh to the Knights of the Templar stronghold to discover just what secrets are going on there. Hugh and his two companions find a very secretive and dangerous place where people keep dying in a mysterious type of fire that resists water. The best thing about the series is the history lesson that we get from each book. Not only do we hear about the Templar movement and some of its history, but we find out where and when gunpowder originated in this book alone. This book will keep you turning pages until Hugh finally unamsks the killer. Doherty sents a relentless pace in his books and this one even more so. Great series!

Another Sir Hugh Corbett mystery to savour. The Old man of the Mountain harks back to when he nearly killed Edward, the King of England many years ago and now decides to release an imprisoned knight to avenge old wounds. A few months later a man being consumed by fire is come upon by two nuns from York. Edward I of England hears of the grisly death as he arrives in York for secret negotiations the the leaders of the military Order of the Temple. His unease increases as an attempt is made on his life. When the assassin, earing the clothes of the templar Order is found dead, having also been engulfed by a mysterious fire, Edward immediately calls for help from Sir Hugh corbett the Keeper of the King's Seal.

Hugh Corbett, bloodhound to King Edward I is back in business. Strange lights are being seen in the forest, people are becoming human fire balls and counterfeit money is showing up in the realm. Hugh is sent by the king from York to Framlingham to the temple of the Templar Order in order to search out rumours of Knights Templar trying to assassinate the king. Hugh has to keep his wits about him as he has become the assassins target as well.P. C. Doherty writes about the 14th century as if he had been there. Hugh Corbett novels are wonderful, some of the best historical mysteries I have found.

I loved this book - Didn't want it to end! A definite must-read for fans of historical fiction and suspense.

In "Satan's Fire," author P.C. Doherty brings to life once more Hugh Corbett, accomplished clerk and spy of King Edward I of England. Doherty, who is an Oxford graduate and history scholar, is a popular author writing under other names as well and he is able to bring the 14th century literally to life in an intriguing series that weaves logic, realism, and romanticism with medieval European thoughts and actions. Indeed, Doherty really does lay bare some of the romantic concepts we're used to, in not only this book, but the others as well. Thus, it is Hugh Corbett's responsibility to save the King once more in this ninth accounting.The year is 1303 and Edward's nemesis, Philip IV of France, continues to threaten the very essence of Edward's kingship. This time, Edward arrives in York to begin a series of secret negotiations with the Knights Templar. Following an attempt on his life, the King sends for Corbett and his faithful servants Ranulf and Maltote (Ranulf has been promoted to "assistant" by now). From this point, the book picks up its always-suspenseful form and the reader is carried to a satisfying, intriguing end (what else?) in royal fashion.The title comes from the fact that the assassin in the book uses a mysterious fire to kill his victims. This fire seems "unexplainable," but Corbett (whose skills in logic seem to leap centuries!) is able to "break the code" and solve the mystery, as one would expect.Doherty's flair for evoking the realistic images of the period is no accident, as he is an accomplished historian who specializes in Edward I. Doherty also writes under the noms de plume of Michael Clynnes, Anna Apostalou, C.L. Grace, Edward Marston, among others. Each "name" features a series with exciting historical characters--none to be missed. An exciting read!