A Tapestry of Murders

by Paul Doherty

Book Overview

Chaucer's pilgrims, quarreling among themselves, are in the open countryside enjoying the fresh spring weather as they progress slowly toward Canterbury. A motley collection of travelers, they each... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0747245886
• ISBN13: 9780747245889
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Headline
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Lawyer's Tale

Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough and is the consummate professional when it comes to writing historical mystery novels. I for one do not know how he can be so prolific with his offering of books and yet make sure that each of them is well researched. Whether they be 13th, 14th, or fifteenth century they are always true to the period. He also writes about Ancient Egypt and Alexander the Great. A group of pilgrims have joined together, both for company and also for protection as the roads and forests are littered with thieves and rogues, only too willing to relieve a traveller of their purse and most probably their lives as well. What adds even more spice to the journey is that several of the pilgrims know their fellow travellers but are not letting the fact become public knowledge. The pilgrims have agreed that at the end of each day's journey when they stop at an inn or other resting place one of them will entertain the others with a tale. Whether the story is true or not only the storyteller will know. In August 1358, the Dowager Queen Isabella, mother of King Edward III, lies dying. When death comes, she is buried next to her lover Roger Mortimer in Greyfriars, but violence continues and Nicholas Chirke, an honest young lawyer, is called in to investigate the strange events following her death. This one rings true but is it? And are any of the pilgrims involved in the tale.?

A bleak and stark tale.

Don't read P.C Doherty if you want to read romantic medieval chronicles. That is not what you get with him in his pilgrim series at least. I'm not sure about his other series because I haven't read them yet. But I do intend to. Doherty is historically accurate, but he's also realistic. The Middle Ages are shown for what they were - dirty, superstitious, and a lot of evil under the surface. I have read a lot of medieval mysteries, but there are none out there quite like this one. This one is tale of mystery and murder told by another one of Chaucer's pilgrims - the Lawyer. It's apparent right off the bat that he's talking about his own life and personal experiences, but it doesn't make the tale any less sinister and mysterious. This book is really about espionage, and the lengths that people will go to to protect themselves and their lifestyles. We see a story about the perfidy of kings and queens and the abuses that people of power committed in order to protect their own lifestyles as well as their king's. Yes, this sort of thing happens nowadays too, but we like to think that the common person has some protection from those in power. Our laws, the press, whatever. But do we really? That is a question you will ask as you read this story. I won't say anything about the plot of the book, since that would give too much away, so you will have to read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Good stuff here for historical buffs and for those who want to read a good mystery alike.

Loaded With Action

This book is loaded with action and it is fun to read. Doherty has a doctorate in history from Oxford and obviously loves his subject.

MEDIEVAL ESPIONAGE

This is another installment in the Chaucer pilgrim tales. This is the tale told by the Lawyer. The Lawyer tells a tale of Nicholas Chirke who is hired by the Sheriff to find out who killed a man named Berisford and save the man named Fromlich who is being framed for the killing. This tale was at first confusing with the amount of names being thrown about, but that subsided and it became a wonderful story full of greed, espionage, mystery, wanton women and of course murder. Not only is it a good tale, but you get to go back in time and dwell for a while in 14th century England. Enjoy your stay.

well designed plot

i like medievil mysteries and i read this in one day so obviously i liked it.The story is told by a pilgrim-which is awkward- but the plot is intricate and believable.You will be puzzled until the last chapter when it all makes sense.Good detail on the lives of medievil lawyers and how they had to grub for clients.Not one of the best historical novels i have read but i very much enjoyed it.