Paul Doherty has written over a 100 mysteries and I have a couple dozen of them on my shelves. I thought it would be a Good Idea to read one. I chose The Death of a King (1985), Doherty’s first published novel.
Edmund Beche, a Chancery Clerk, finds himself summoned to the Royal Court where King Edward III orders Beche to investigate the death of his father, Edward II. Beche is puzzled why the King would want him to look into Edward II’s death…sixteen years ago.
As Beche begins his investigation, he quickly learns that there are a number of questionable circumstances related to the death of Edward II. Edward II was a despised king. He had male lovers and dubious politics. Edward II surrounded his Royal Court with the sinister, greedy Despensers: Hugh the Elder and Hugh the Younger.
And Queen Isabella, King Edward II’s wife, grew so disgusted with her husband that she led a revolt against the king, assisted by the equally greedy Roger Mortimer. Beche finds his investigation attracts danger. Beche is almost killed SIX TIMES! Yes, Beche is one lucky guy!
As Beche finds more and more information about Edward II, deadly forces follow him to France and Italy. Unravelling the sinister Past brings danger to the Chancery Clerk. If you’re a fan of Medieval mysteries and the treachery of King Edward III, The Death of a King makes compelling reading. GRADE: B+
Yes, Doherty has written what you could call a sh1tload of books, some as by Paul Harding (BrotherAthelstan series), C. L. Grace, Michael Clynes, Anna Apostolou, Ann Dukthas, and Vanessa Alexander. He’s even written series set in ancient Egypt and Rome.
Jeff, I’ve been picking up Paul Doherty books for years. Now I finally got around to reading one. Not bad. I’ll probably read a few more of Doherty’s books in 2026.
I’ve never read one but seen them often. I wasn’t aware of the ancient Egyptian or Roman once. Those sound most interesting to me
Maggie, I’ll try one of those ancient Egyptian or Roman mysteries next.