In 1301, the Prince of Wales is under the sinister influence of his homosexual favourite, Gaveston, who has secret political ambitions to dominate the young prince and English crown. These scandals are threatened with exposure on the mysterious death of Lady Eleanor Belmont, a former mistress of the prince, who is found with her neck broken. Was it murder? King Edward turns for help to his master spy, Hugh Corbett, who faces the deadly rivalry of his French counterpart, the rage of Gaveston, and the threats of assassins, as well as the deceits of his own master...
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About the Author:
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough. He studied History at Liverpool and Oxford Universities and obtained a doctorate for his thesis on Edward II and Queen Isabella. He is now headmaster of a school in north-east London and lives with his family in Essex.
From Publishers Weekly:
In the summer of 1300, the body of Eleanor Belmont is found lifeless in the Oxfordshire nunnery to which she was confined after her lover, the Prince of Wales, was officially betrothed to the French king's daughter. Fearful that the peace between England and France may be compromised by rumors that Eleanor's death was the work of the prince and/or his ruthless, ambitious male lover, King Edward I of England sends his clerk Hugh Corbett to investigate. Corbett, a spoiler of court intrigues in Angel of Death and three previous medieval mysteries, here must solve a second murder in a plot so murky that at several points he carefully itemizes developments for the undoubtedly grateful reader. Nonetheless this is a fascinating and successful historical novel: Doherty seldom belabors the setting, choosing instead to let time and place gently wash over his audience as he offers subtle observations. The presence of a few too many villains leads to a cluttered conclusion, but Doherty brings a sense of humanity to all his characters, particularly the appealing Corbett: a loyal servant, a devoted husband (in the face of a surprisingly alluring lady in a habit) and an astute detective.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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- PublisherUlverscroft
- Publication date1996
- ISBN 10 070893482X
- ISBN 13 9780708934821
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages400
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Rating