The Herald of Hell

November 2, 2015
In 1381, new taxes levied on peasants have brought resentment to a fever pitch, and England’s leaders fear a revolt that will “topple both Church and Crown,” in Doherty’s solid 15th Brother Athelstan mystery (after 2014’s The Book of Fires). The Herald of Hell, an envoy of the Upright Men, the leaders of the insurrection, has been traveling around London, issuing warnings to those considered enemies of the rebels. Given the turmoil, Athelstan is naturally suspicious when chancery clerk Amaury Whitfield turns up dead. Whitfield was in the employ of Thibault, master of secrets for John of Gaunt, the kingdom’s regent, and when he’s found hanged in a locked room, Athelstan is convinced that the clerk was murdered. As always, Doherty excels in grafting a fair-play whodunit onto actual historical events, making the intrigue and fear of the period palpable while giving the astute reader a chance to solve the crime. Agent: David Headley, David Headley Literary Agency (U.K.).