Publisher's Weekly
When Hugh Corbett, legal adviser and clerk to the Chancellor of England, is sent to Scotland in the wretchedly cold spring of 1286 to investigate the death of King Alexander III, he is met with hostility, suspicion and murderous rage. Did King Alexander dash off on a furiously stormy night to visit his young French bride and accidentally plunge from a cliff to his death below? Or perhaps his fall was the result of scheming and plotting by ambitious nobles, including the power-hungry Robert Bruce. When the careful and secretive Corbett begins asking pointed questions he is arrested on a trumped-up charge of treason and murder; after his release he is the target of assassination attempts. He begins to make progress in his quest only when he joins forces with Bishop Wishart of Glasgow. Doherty (The Death of a King) brings the harsh medieval landscape of Scotland to vivid life, particularly its gritty and malodorous cities, its wildly beautiful countryside and its population of devout, enigmatic or sinister characters. Yet, a superfluity of historical explanations and far too much laborious speculation on Corbett's part slow the book's pace to a quiet crawl.
When Hugh Corbett, legal adviser and clerk to the Chancellor of England, is sent to Scotland in the wretchedly cold spring of 1286 to investigate the death of King Alexander III, he is met with hostility, suspicion and murderous rage. Did King Alexander dash off on a furiously stormy night to visit his young French bride and accidentally plunge from a cliff to his death below? Or perhaps his fall was the result of scheming and plotting by ambitious nobles, including the power-hungry Robert Bruce. When the careful and secretive Corbett begins asking pointed questions he is arrested on a trumped-up charge of treason and murder; after his release he is the target of assassination attempts. He begins to make progress in his quest only when he joins forces with Bishop Wishart of Glasgow. Doherty (The Death of a King) brings the harsh medieval landscape of Scotland to vivid life, particularly its gritty and malodorous cities, its wildly beautiful countryside and its population of devout, enigmatic or sinister characters. Yet, a superfluity of historical explanations and far too much laborious speculation on Corbett's part slow the book's pace to a quiet crawl.
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Used availability for Paul Doherty's The Crown in Darkness
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Hardback Editions
September 2008 : Hardback
| Title: Crown in Darkness Author(s): Paul Doherty ISBN: 0-7553-5031-6 / 978-0-7553-5031-5 (UK edition) Publisher: Headline Book Publishing Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
May 1988 : Hardback
| Title: The Crown in Darkness Author(s): P. C. Doherty ISBN: 0-312-01754-5 / 978-0-312-01754-5 (USA edition) Publisher: St Martins Pr Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
February 1988 : Hardback
| Title: Crown in Darkness Author(s): P.C. Doherty ISBN: 0-7090-3205-6 / 978-0-7090-3205-2 (UK edition) Publisher: Robert Hale Ltd Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
Paperback Editions
November 1999 : Paperback
| Title: Crown in Darkness (Linford Mystery) Author(s): P.C. Doherty ISBN: 0-7089-5601-7 / 978-0-7089-5601-4 (UK edition) Publisher: Linford (Large Print) Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
February 1991 : Paperback
| Title: Crown in Darkness (A Medieval Mystery Featuring Hugh Corbett) Author(s): Dr Paul Doherty ISBN: 0-7472-3505-8 / 978-0-7472-3505-7 (UK edition) Publisher: Headline Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
Audio Editions
Audio Cassette
| Title: Crown in Darkness Author(s): P.C. Doherty ISBN: 1-84197-186-3 / 9781841971865 (UK edition) Publisher: Clipper Audio Books Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
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