The Magician's Death: A Hugh Corbett Medieval Mystery [Hardcover]

P. C. Doherty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

Scholars conven at Corfe Castle, to crack the code of Roger Bacon’s Book of Secrets. When murder and mayhem ensue, Sir Hugh Corbett must thread through a maze of mystery while trying to unlock Bacon’s great secrets.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. British veteran Doherty makes conveying the daily life of 14th-century England look easy in this sterling entry in his long-running series that features Hugh Corbett, keeper of the secret seal for Edward I (Corpse Candle, etc.). In 1303, a delegation of French scholars arrives at Corfe Castle to help decipher the secret writings of Roger Bacon, whose coded book is rumored to contain blueprints for inventions whose development could shift the balance of power in Europe. Corbett's men have recently stolen a copy of Bacon's book from France, despite the efforts of an unknown person to thwart them. Meanwhile, a killer armed with a crossbow has dispatched a number of young women connected with the castle. Those crimes may be connected with the apparently accidental deaths of several members of the French delegation. Doherty keeps the reader guessing even after one of the book's major mysteries is resolved. (July)
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From Booklist

Sir Hugh Corbett, the keeper of the king’s secret seal, returns in a suspenseful, medieval-style Da Vinci Code (2003), appropriately steeped in murder, mystery, and intrigue. Friar Roger Bacon’s unpublished masterpiece, Secretus Secretorum, serves as a tantalizing pawn in an intelligence war spawned by the bitter rivalry between England’s Edward I and France’s Philip IV. Written entirely in cipher, the manuscript reputedly contains all the hidden knowledge of the ancients. Determined to crack Bacon’s code, English and French scholars gather at the fortresslike Corfe Castle, where there appears to be more at stake than academic erudition and recognition. When a series of local murders evolves into a scholarly bloodbath, Corbett has his work cut out for him as he attempts to unravel a labyrinthine plot to destroy Edward’s secret chancery of royal spies. The always reliable Doherty delivers another complexly constructed, authentically detailed historical whodunit. --Margaret Flanagan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312565623
• ISBN-13: 978-0312565626
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice combination of historical fiction, spy-thriller, and murder mystery, April 19, 2010

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magician's Death: A Hugh Corbett Medieval Mystery (Hardcover)

When King Edward I of England wants the French copy of a rare book written by Francis Bacon, his spies steal it. But, when the French king then arranges for French and English scholars to get together and compare notes on decrypting the strange book, they quickly decide that he is up to something. Three mysteries haunt this meeting - 1) exactly what key did Francis Bacon use for encrypting his last and greatest work, 2) what is the King of France up to, and 3) who is murdering young girls within the castle selected for the meeting? It's up to Hugh Corbett, the English King's Keeper of the Secret Seal, to unravel all three of the mysteries, and keep himself alive while doing it!

Overall, I found this to be a pretty interesting book. It is a nice combination of historical fiction, spy-thriller, and murder mystery. The intertwining of the three mysteries keeps you guessing as to what they have to do with each other, if anything. It's a good book, and I do recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent early fourteenth century whodunit, July 8, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magician's Death: A Hugh Corbett Medieval Mystery (Hardcover)

In 1303 French scholars arrives at Corfe Castle in Dorset to decipher the coded writings of Roger Bacon; his tome allegedly contains designs for weapons that would make France or whoever possesses the book the continent's superpower. The Keeper of the Secret Seal of King Edward I, Hugh Corbett has agents who successfully steal a copy of Bacon's book.

They struggle to bring their treasure to Corbett, but someone stalks them trying to kill all the thieves. At the same time, a crossbow killer has murdered women at the castle. Finally several of the scholars have met with lethal suspicions accidents. Corbett begins to see the interconnecting pattern, but ending the murder spree seems impossible as he is targeted for death too.

The latest Hugh Corbett Medieval Mystery (see CORPSE CANDLE and THE TREASON OF THE GHOSTS) is an excellent early fourteenth century whodunit as Corbett's investigations provide an engaging tale while also spotlighting life in the era. The cases are difficult to solve until the hero begins to see the merging of what he originally thought was separate serial killers at work; he remains resolute to solving both though he knows he is on the death list. As always Paul Doherty provides another winner in a strong saga.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars Corbett write excellent stuff, February 24, 2012

By 

egbero - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Magician's Death: A Hugh Corbett Medieval Mystery (Hardcover)

I have ordered almost every book Corbett has written over the years and have never been disappointed. He has a real gift for writing mysteries of the period.