Customer Reviews

Crown in Darkness (Linford Mystery)

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For this the third in the Hugh Corbett series, we see our intrepid hero Hugh going to Scotland to try to determine whether or not the king (Alexander III) was killed or whether it was an accident. Hugh finds that Scotland is a dark and dangerous place. Hugh finds himself the recipient of a number of attempts on his life while he puts his formidable mind to work in order to solve this case. What I really like about Mr. Doherty's Hugh Corbett series is that they are based on actual historical occurances, and Mr. Doherty writes a really good story around the actual historical happenings. This book explains the situation in Scotland in the year 1263 (before the war between England and the warlords of Scotland led by Robert Bruce). The movie Braveheart covers this actual war. So, a history lesson as well as a good mystery and political intrigue.

The book begins with Alexander III of Scotland riding out from Ediburgh Castle to be with his new bride who is waiting for him at Kinghorn Manor. It is a filthy stormy night and the following day the King is found below the cliff with his neck broken and his horse close by. It is assumed that the horse lost its footing and took them both over the cliff.

Hugh Corbett is sent to Scotland to find out whether it was truly an accident, or something far more sinister.

Corbett is drawn into the intrigues of the Scottish court and faces intrigue, suspicion and danger before a conclusion is reached.

Doherty is one of my favourite author's and he never lets the reader down.

I am reading the Hugh Corbett series and find them to be very good. The history is understandable. The subject is interesting. The daily lives and settings are revealing. Normally we receive a cleaned up view of the past when, in fact, life was anything but clean. And, the people who were less than well-to-do were often considered worth less than a good cow. Finally I can understand that slice of English history.