Hugh Corbett Books

Hugh Corbett, a clerk in the court of King Edward I, investigates the death of a man found hanged in a London Church and stumbles onto a deadly conspiracy

1286 and on a storm-ridden night King Alexander III of Scotland is riding across the Firth of Forth to meet his beautiful French bride Yolande. He never reaches his final destination as his horse mysteriously slips, sending them both crashing to their death on cruel rocks. The Scottish throne is left vacant of any real heir and immediately the great European princes and the powerful nobles of Alexander''s kingdom start fighting for the glittering prize. The Chancellor of England, Burnell, ever mindful of the interest his king, Edward I, has in Scotland, sends his faithful clerk, Hugh Corbett, to report on the chaotic situation at the Scottish court. Concerned that a connection exists between the king''s death and those now desirous of taking the Scottish throne, Corbett is drawn into a maelstrom of intrigue, conspiracy and danger.

Edward I of England and Philip IV of France are at war. Philip, by devious means, has managed to seize control of the English duchy of Aquitaine in France, and is now determined to crush Edward. King Edward suspects that his enemy is being aided by a spy in the English court and commissions his chancery clerk, Hugh Corbett, to trace and, if possible, destroy the traitor. Corbett's mission brings him into danger on both land and at sea, and takes him to Paris, and its dangerous underworld, and then to hostile Wales. Unwillingly he is drawn into the murky undercurrents of international politics in the last decade of the thirteenth century.

In 1298, Edward I of England invaded Scotland and brutally sacked the town of Berwick, razing to the ground the Red House of the Flemings who had permission to trade there. He little knew his action would have far-reaching repercussions. A year later, Edward convokes a great assembly of the realm in St Paul's Cathedral. They are to hear Mass after which the main celebrant, Walter de Montfort, has been delegated to lecture the King on not taxing the Church. During the Mass, de Montfort dies a sudden and violent death. Hugh Corbett, the King's clerk, is given the task of solving the mystery and tracking down the murderer. Against the background of Edward's struggle to maintain himself, both at home and aborad, Corbett's investigations become tortuous and laced with danger...

Investigating the death of Lady Eleanor, who had been banished in the wake of her affair with the Prince of Wales, chief clerk Hugh Corbett struggles with the deceptive plot of a killer as the number of victims increases. Reprint.

In early 1302 a violent serial killer lurks in the city of London, slitting the throats of prostitutes.And when Lady Somerville, one of the Sisters of St Martha, is murdered in the same barbaric fashion, her death is closely followed by that of Father Benedict in suspicious circumstances. Edward of England turns to his trusted master clerk, Hugh Corbett, to reveal the identity of the bloodthirsty assassin. Joining Corbett on his mission are his devious manservant Ranulf and his faithful horseman Maltote. In the dark, fetid streets of the city and in the desolate abbey grounds, they encounter danger and deceit at every turn. Only Ragwort, the mad beggar, has seen the killer strike, and the one clue that Corbett has to help him is Lady Somerville's cryptic message: 'Calcullus non facit monachum ' - the cowl does not make the monk.

In the summer of 1302 the famous Robin of Locksley, popularly known as Robin Hood, has gone back to his outlaw ways in Sherwood Forest where he battles against royal authority, culminating in the barborous massacre of royal tax collectors and the mysterious murder of Sir Eustace Vechey, one of the sheriffs of Nottingham. Corbett and his two faithful servants Ranulf and Maltote are sent to Nottingham where they find fresh mysteries: why are three arrows shot into the air above Nottingham Castle on the 13th of every month? Who is the traitor in Nottingham Castle? And why have the French despatched an agent to assassinate Corbett?

November 1302, and Sir Hugh Corbett, Edward I''s Keeper of the Secret Seal, together with his manservant, Ranulf, and messenger, Maltote, are sent to Mortlake Manor on the Norfolk coast to confront an evil rarely seen before. A man''s headless corpse, its head impaled on a pole, has been found on a beach and the pretty young wife of a local baker is discovered hanging from a gallows. The scene is set for more gruesome deaths and Corbett soon realises that the icy wastes of Norfolk, where the eerie song of the Dark Angel wind chills those that live in the small villages along the coast, are just as treacherous as the silken intrigue at the royal court or the violence of London''s fetid alleyways...

Satan's Fire (A Medieval Mystery Featuring Hugh Corbett)

The golden summer of 1303 and Oxford is plunged into chaos. The severed heads of beggars have been tied by their hair to the trees in woods outside the city. John Copsale, the Regent of Sparrow Hall, has been found dead in his bed and it is being whispered that he was murdered by the mysterious 'Bell Man'. Then the college librarian and activist, Robert Ascham is discovered with a crossbow bolt in his chest. King Edward, hearing of the seething unrest in Oxford, arrives unannounced at Sir Hugh Corbett's country manor, and insists that Corbett go to the city to solve the murderous mysteries. And when the King commands, few can resist even if it means knowingly entering a dangerous and violent world...

The death of Lord Henry Fitzalan on the feast of St Matthew, 1303, is a matter widely reported but little mourned. Infamous for his lecherous tendencies, his midnight trysts with a coven of witches and his boundless self-interest, he was a man of few friends. So when Hugh Corbett is asked to bring his murderer to justice it is not a matter of finding a suspect but of choosing between them. Immediate suspicion falls on Lord Henry's chief verderer, Robert Verlian. His daughter had been the focus of the Lord's roving eye in the weeks before his death and Fitzalan was not a man to take no for an answer. But the culprit could just as easily be Sir William, the dead man's younger brother. It is no secret that Sir William covets the Fitzalan estate, but would he kill to inherit it? For Sir Hugh Corbett the possibilities are endless, but even he could never have imagined the real truth behind the murder!

In the village of Melford, a local lord is executed for a spate of vicious murders. It''s not until the killing begins again, and the dead lord''s son alleges that a miscarriage of justice has taken place, that a serious investigation begins. Hugh Corbett realises that for the last five years a serial killer has terrorised the villagers and that when, not if, the next victim is chosen, he must be ready to act.

The brothers of the abbey of St Martin's-in-the-Marsh pay little heed to the tales of robber baron Sir Geoffrey Mandeville's ghost galloping through the Lincolnshire fens with a retinue of ghastly horseman. They may hear the shrill blast of a hunting horn, or see the corpse candles glowing in the dark, but their comfortable life is protected by a high wall and their powerful abbot. Until Abbot Stephen, a friend of the King, is found dead and Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the King's Seal, arrives to investigate.

The monk and scholar Roger Bacon claimed to have seen many marvels of nature and science and concealed these in a book written in an unbreakable code. Sir Hugh Corbett has been instructed to organise agents in Paris to steal this Book of Secrets. They do so but pay a violent price and the French King Philip IV now wishes a meeting between the scholars of England and France to discuss breaking the code. Edward I has no choice but to allow the meeting to take place at Corfe Castle, which becomes a place of murder and mayhem. Young women from the castle are being slain whilst horrific things are witnessed in the nearby forest. The situation becomes more serious when two of the French scholars die in sinister circumstances. Corbett and Ranulf-atte-Newgate have to thread this maze of malevolent murder whilst trying to decipher the great secrets of one of England's most outstanding scholars.

In 1300, an English privateer named ''The Waxman'' was trapped and overrun by two powerful war cogs flying the streamers of the powerful Hanseatic League of North Germany. The ship was carrying a casket containing the ''Carta Mysteriosa'', a collection of valuable and detailed maps and sea charts. The rulers of Europe, not to mention their merchant princes, would wade through a sea of blood to obtain them. Three years later Wilhelm Von Paulents, a representative of the Hanseatic League, comes to England. Rumours have it that he owns the sea charts and Sir Hugh Corbett is sent to negotiate with Von Paulents. But the German visitors fall ill of some mysterious ailment and then, on the morning of the fourth Sunday in Advent, Corbett is summoned to a scene of bloody mayhem and murder: Von Paulents, his wife, son and clerk have been barbarously assassinated. The ''Carta Mysteriosa'' have not been stolen. So why were the murders committed and by whom? Corbett investigates and, once again, he enters the world of shadows to confront the Seed of Cain.

January 1304 and Hugh Corbett, devoted emissary of King Edward I, has been charged with yet another dangerous mission. Scrope, an unscrupulous manor lord, has reneged on his promise to hand over a priceless ornate cross he stole from the Templars during the Crusades. Furthermore, he has massacred as heretics fourteen members of a religious order, whose corpses now hang in the woods near Mistleham in Essex. The King, determined to restore order, sends Corbett to Mistleham in his stead. But as Corbett reaches the troubled village, it becomes obvious that the situation has worsened. A mysterious bowman has appeared, killing townspeople at random. Is one of the Brethren responsible, or have the Templars arrived to wreak revenge? Can Corbett restore Mistleham to peace, and return the treasure to the King, before further blood is shed?

In Paul Doherty's brilliant new novel, will Hugh Corbett find the deadly assassin stalking London's streets? February 1304, and London is in crisis. A succession of brutal murders shocks the city as it comes to terms with the fall from power of Walter Evesham, Chief Justice in the Court of the King's Bench. Accused of bribery and corruption, Evesham has sought sanctuary to atone for his sins. When Evesham is discovered dead in his cell at the Abbey of Sion though, it appears that the Mysterium, a cunning killer brought to justice by Evesham, has returned to wreak havoc. Sir Hugh Corbett is ordered to investigate the murder. Has the Mysterium returned or is another killer imitating his brutal methods? As Corbett traces the ancient sins that hold the key to discovering the murderer's identity he must face his most cunning foe yet.

With Ranulf's life at stake, can Sir Hugh hope to save him? An exclusive digital novella featuring Sir Hugh Corbett, the medieval sleuth of acclaimed historian Paul Doherty's most popular series. Includes an exclusive extract from the eighteenth Corbett novel Dark Serpent . Perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and Ellis Peters It is 1311 and England seethes with unrest. Sir Hugh Corbett, former keeper of the Secret Seal, has been absent from royal service for over six years. Content to live a life more relaxed with his wife and children in the country Corbett has enjoyed his time away from the machinations of court and the secrets men will kill to keep. But a visit from his new King, Edward II, brings about change. His former protégé, Ranulf Atte-Newgate, now Senior Clerk in the Chancery, has been implicated in the death of a young novice, and Edward has made it clear that Corbett must resume his post and solve the case if Ranulf is not to hang for the murder... Corbett knows that resuming his post will bring him to the fore of Edward's political machinations but with Ranulf's life at stake, does Corbett have any choice but to accept the Seal once more? What readers are saying about Paul Doherty: 'Doherty manages to build in plot twists and misdirection and the whole thing moves at a tremendous pace to the final conclusion' ' A magical author ' ' Master storytelling from one of the best authors '

Paul Doherty's most popular series character returns. It is the Summer of 1311 and Hugh Corbett is about to take up a life of danger again in the eighteenth novel in his series, DARK SERPENT, the follow up to THE MYSTERIUM. If you love historical mysteries from Robin Hobb, Susanna Gregory, Michael Jecks, Peter Tremayne and Bernard Knight you will love this. After his recent unveiling of a devious assassin, Sir Hugh Corbett has returned to service as the Keeper of the Secret Seal, begrudgingly admitting that his appetite for adventure has once again been whetted. Summoned to meet the King to be congratulated on their work together, Corbett and Ranulf learn of the death of Corbett's close friend, Ralph Grandison. Ralph, a leper, has been found dead in a rowing boat, a dagger thrust through his chest. But this murder is not the first of its kind. Other patients of the hospital in which Ralph was staying have similarly slaughtered and it seems as though the lepers, all former knights of the Royal household, are being targeted. The discovery that Ralph was killed by no ordinary weapon, but a poison dagger that once belonged with the Crown Jewels before being famously stolen, leads Corbett down a complex path, where the risk of disease plays out against the backdrop of finding an assassin who will use any means necessary to kill. As Corbett puts himself in the path of extreme danger, will he survive to see another day?

England, 1311. In the dark of the North the devil lies in wait... Paul Doherty's most popular series character returns in the gripping nineteenth mystery in the Hugh Corbett series. If you love the historical mysteries of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell you will love this. 1296 : King Edward I has led his army to Scotland, determined to take the country under his crown. But the fierce Scots have no intention of submitting to their oppressor and violent and bloody war breaks out. 1311 : Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, finds himself back in Scotland and is revisited by the horrors he witnessed there fifteen years ago. An anonymous letter was delivered to the new king. It promised information about a fatal incident that could allow England to finally bow out of the war with the Scots. Tasked with finding out the truth about the murder, Corbett is forced to take risks he would rather avoid and put his faith in the words of strangers. But with an unknown traitor lurking in the shadows and danger around every corner, will Corbett be able to unravel the complex web of plots in time? What readers are saying about DEVIL'S WOLF: 'Doherty evokes the Medieval world brilliantly ... tense and suspenseful , the mystery keeps you guessing until near the end... a n excellent and enjoyable read ' Amazon reader, 5 stars '[A] well written rendition of our historical past ... A joy to read ' Amazon reader, 5 stars 'Another well told story from a master storyteller... If you like historical adventures you will enjoy this vivid, well paced tale !' Amazon reader, 5 stars ' Vivid and lively . Another Hugh Corbett, please!' Amazon reader, 5 stars

1311. Murder and mayhem prowl the highways and coffin paths of Medieval England . . . Hugh Corbett returns in the twentieth gripping mystery in Paul Doherty's ever-popular series. If you love the historical mysteries of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell you will love this. It is four years since the death of King Edward I, but his reign of terror has cast long shadows over the kingdom. At Holyrood Abbey, sheltered in the depths of the Welsh march, the old king's former bodyguards protect his secret relics and watch over a mysterious prisoner who is kept in the abbey's dungeon. But their peaceful existence is shattered when Abbot Henry is poisoned. Summoned to Holyrood, Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, finds the fortress in chaos. Brothers Anselm and Richard have been brutally slain by nails driven deep into their skulls. No one knows who could be behind the gruesome killings and the news attracts the attention of two unwanted guests: the sinister Marcher Lord Mortimer and King Philip of France's devious envoy De Craon. As more mysterious deaths occur, and a violent snow storm sweeps through the valley, Corbett must act quickly to identify the malevolent demon who has risen from hell to turn the abbey into a house of murder . . . Praise for Paul Doherty's dark and suspenseful novels: 'His fascination for history comes off the page' Daily Express 'An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite' Northern Echo 'Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric' Historical Novels Review 'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions' New Statesmen

Hugh Corbett returns in the twenty-first gripping mystery in Paul Doherty's ever-popular series. If you love the historical mysteries of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell you will love this. Secrets simmer in the lonely wasteland of Dartmoor. Spring, 1312. At Malmaison Manor, Lord Simon is concealing a dark secret - one he arrogantly assumes will never catch up with him. But someone knows about the crime he committed and they've found a way to make him pay. And he's not alone. When he is found mysteriously slain, other deaths soon follow. Meanwhile, ships on the Devonshire cost are being deliberately wrecked, their crews slaughtered, their cargoes plundered. Sir Hugh Corbett and Lord Simon are bound by the Secret Chancery and their search for one precious ruby - the Lacrima Christi. So, when Corbett learns of Lord Simon's death, he is once more dragged into a tangled web of lies and intrigued and it's not long before secrets of his own start to surface. As the Hymn to Murder reaches its crescendo, can Corbett confront his past and live to see another day? Praise for Paul Doherty's dark and suspenseful novels: ' His fascination for history comes off the page ' Daily Express 'An opulent banquet to satisfy the most murderous appetite ' Northern Echo ' Deliciously suspenseful, gorgeously written and atmospheric ' Historical Novels Review 'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history . . . evocative and lyrical descriptions ' New Statesmen

Paul Doherty's twenty-second medieval mystery featuring Sir Hugh Corbett is a gripping and gruesome tale of murder and mayhem sure to appeal to fans of C. J. Sansom and Bernard Cornwell. 1312. Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, has returned from the West Country to find Westminster in chaos. Edward II has fled in an attempt to protect his favourite from the wrath of his noblemen; and a royal clerk has been found dead, poisoned in a locked chamber. Drawn into a maze of murder both at Westminster and at the Convent of Saint Sulpice, where young novices have started to disappear, Corbett quickly establishes a connection between the two mysteries. As other killings follow, Corbett's investigation leads him to a high-class brothel and its sinister owner, Mother Midnight. Challenged to a duel and hunted by a guild of ruthless assassins, Corbett and his loyal henchmen, Ranulf and Chanson, face a sea of troubles. And Corbett must call upon his wit and ingenuity to halt the tide of disaster that threatens to engulf him... What readers say about Paul Doherty: ' Good plots , clever twists and mostly impossible to work out ' 'Paul Doherty's depictions of medieval England are truly outstanding ' 'Another brilliant story in the excellent Hugh Corbett series by a superb historical author'

Paul Doherty's twenty-third medieval mystery featuring Sir Hugh Corbett is a gripping and gruesome tale of murder and mayhem sure to appeal to fans of C. J. Sansom and Bernard Cornwell. Spring, 1312. Edward II of England is absorbed with his favourite, Peter Gaveston, while his young wife, Isabella, is with child. Isabella's father, the ruthless Philip of France, dreams of a grandson wearing the Crown of the Confessor and starts to meddle - even if that means murder... Amaury de Craon, Philip's Master of Secrets, is despatched to carry out his deadly deeds and Edward II summons Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, to intercept. Both master spies lodge at the Benedictine abbey of St Michael's in the forest of Ashdown. Supposedly a house of prayer, the abbey holds sinister secrets and treasures which include the world's most exquisite diamond, The Glory of Heaven. However, shortly after their arrival, the diamond is stolen and its guardian murdered. Other macabre incidents follow, Satan is seen walking through God's Acre and a nearby tavern is burnt to the ground and no one escapes. Corbett, assisted by his henchmen, prepares to navigate this hazardous maze of murder... What readers say about Paul Doherty: ' Good plots , clever twists and mostly impossible to work out ' 'Paul Doherty's depictions of medieval England are truly outstanding ' 'Another brilliant story in the excellent Hugh Corbett series by a superb historical author'

Summer 1312. The brutal murder of King Edward II's favourite, Peter Gaveston, unleashes a horde of demons . . . Sir Hugh Corbett, Keeper of the Secret Seal, hastens to the Dominican Priory at Blackfriars where Gaveston's corpse awaits burial. But, on arrival, Corbett discovers that a series of macabre murders has turned the priory into a mansion of death, and a killer is roaming free. Meanwhile, rumours spread that the pirate ships of the Black Banner Fleet are intent on entering the River Thames and, if the Sea Beggars succeed in their mission, they will weaken the king's power throughout the city. Once again, Corbett must employ his wit and ingenuity to navigate the dangerous and deadly challenges ahead and bring the culprits to justice before matters turn grave indeed. What readers say about Paul Doherty: 'Paul Doherty's depictions of medieval England are truly outstanding ' 'Another brilliant story in the excellent Hugh Corbett series by a superb historical author ' ' Good plots, clever twists and mostly impossible to work out'

The twenty-fifth enthralling Hugh Corbett medieval mystery from Paul Doherty, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom, E. M. Powell and Bernard Cornwell. January 1313. As London is gripped by a freezing winter, Sir Hugh Corbett becomes embroiled in a ghoulish game of kings played out between the English and French courts. Years earlier, Corbett prevented a gang of rifflers from breaking into the Royal Treasury, but the leading chieftain, Sarasin, escaped. Now Sarasin is caught killing a squire of Queen Isabella's and Corbett swiftly has the riffler tried and hanged from the signpost of The Twilight tavern. The matter should have ended there but more mayhem ensues as, one by one, those who helped bring Sarasin to trial are gruesomely murdered. Behind all this is an individual calling himself the Immortal. He swears the most bloody vengeance against Corbett and all those who support the royal clerk, and, as danger dogs Corbett's every footstep, he must act quickly to prevent further bloodshed. What readers say about Paul Doherty: 'Paul Doherty's depictions of medieval England are truly outstanding ' 'Another brilliant story in the excellent Hugh Corbett series by a superb historical author ' ' Good plots, clever twists and mostly impossible to work out'