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Paul Doherty

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Margaret
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Paul Doherty

Post by Margaret » Wed October 15th, 2008, 5:38 am

Has anyone read this extraordinarily prolific historical mystery series writer? He also writes under the names P.C. Doherty, Paul Harding, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou. A lot of his series novels are set in fourteenth century England, but he also writes about other centuries, as well as about ancient Egypt. He seems to have written dozens and dozens of mysteries. Does anyone have an opinion on what his best series might be?
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Post by diamondlil » Wed October 15th, 2008, 7:52 am

I've looked at a number of his books, most recently the ones set in Egypt, but never managed to actually read one! Hopefully one day.
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Post by Carine » Wed October 15th, 2008, 10:55 am

I have a few of his books on my TBR pile but haven't read any by him yet.

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Post by Madeleine » Wed October 15th, 2008, 10:59 am

He is also the headmaster of a school not far from where I live, how does he find the time?!

I have a few of his Hugh Corbett books, and the new series about Matilde of Westminster, on my tbr piles but not read them yet.

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Post by diamondlil » Wed October 15th, 2008, 11:01 am

Wow. That is impressive. Where does he find the time indeed!
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P.C. Doherty

Post by chuck » Wed October 15th, 2008, 11:00 pm

[quote=""Madeleine""]He is also the headmaster of a school not far from where I live, how does he find the time?!

I have a few of his Hugh Corbett books, and the new series about Matilde of Westminster, on my tbr piles but not read them yet.[/quote]

I have read a number of his Hugh Corbett Mysteries....they are quick reads and quite entertaining.....He has come under some criticism regarding his research or the lack of it......His "Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward the II....I really enjoyed this book, but it stirred up a Critics hornet's nest on his theories on this very controversial subject matter......Anyway I enjoy his books and will keep reading them.....

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Post by boswellbaxter » Wed October 15th, 2008, 11:40 pm

I've read a couple of his standalone mysteries (The Prince of Darkness and The Death of a King) as well as The Cup of Ghosts and his nonfiction book about Edward II. He's also written under some pen names. He wrote The Love Knot, about the romance of Edward I's daughter Joan of Acre and Ralph de Monthermer, under the name of Vanessa Alexander. I rather liked this one better than the mysteries, but that may be because I'm not much for medieval mysteries in general.
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Post by annis » Wed October 15th, 2008, 11:53 pm

I enjoyed his series set in ancient Rome. They mostly feature the Empress Helena ( whose Christianity was no impediment to her ruthlessness), her somewhat graceless son the Emperor Constantine, and one of the Empress' spies, Claudia, who helps to solve various mysteries, usually amidst a tangle of political and religious intrigue and murderous violence.
Constantine is not a person who shows up much in historical fiction, so his appearance adds interest.

The first book in the series features Agrippina, wife of the Emperor Claudius, and mother of the ungrateful Nero, who later had her murdered.

1. Domina
2. Murder Imperial
3. The Song of the Gladiator
4. The Queen of the Night
5. Murder's Immortal Mask
Last edited by annis on Thu October 16th, 2008, 1:13 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Post by annis » Thu October 16th, 2008, 1:20 am

Boswellbaxter, I thought I'd caught up with most of Paul Dohertys pen-names, but I hadn't realised that he was also Vanessa Alexander!

I read her/his "Loving Cup", set in the Restoration period, some time ago and enjoyed it:
My comment about it on the old HFF "a romantic adventure/intrigue set around the "Popish Plot" which was cooked up to discredit Roman Catholics with the ultimate aim of deposing Charles II. Charles himself appears quite often in this story- a good picture of a man walking a political tightrope and keeping his real feelings masked to fool his enemies as to his real shrewd intelligence."
Last edited by annis on Thu October 16th, 2008, 1:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by boswellbaxter » Thu October 16th, 2008, 8:10 pm

[quote=""annis""]Boswellbaxter, I thought I'd caught up with most of Paul Dohertys pen-names, but I hadn't realised that he was also Vanessa Alexander!

I read her/his "Loving Cup", set in the Restoration period, some time ago and enjoyed it:
My comment about it on the old HFF "a romantic adventure/intrigue set around the "Popish Plot" which was cooked up to discredit Roman Catholics with the ultimate aim of deposing Charles II. Charles himself appears quite often in this story- a good picture of a man walking a political tightrope and keeping his real feelings masked to fool his enemies as to his real shrewd intelligence."[/quote]

Thanks, Annis! I may have to search out Loving Cup.
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