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The Hangman's Hymn (Canterbury Tales Mysteries, Book 5)
On sale
27th November 2012
Price: £8.99
Even death itself cannot keep three witches at bay…
Paul Doherty relates the Carpenter’s tale in The Hangman’s Hymn – a tale of mystery and murder as he goes on pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Perfect for fans of Ellis Peters and Susanna Gregory.
Stumbling upon an execution, Chaucer’s pilgrims witness a hanging that leaves the carpenter in a dead faint. That evening, he narrates the tale of a Gloucester hangman whose involvement in the secretive punishment of three witches unleashes a vicious spate of revenge killings.
When homeless and jobless, Simon Cotterill joins a hangman’s crew replacing a man who was himself sent to the gibbet, he feels rejected even by the desperate men he now works with. Until he learns the secret of how a hanged man can walk away from his own grave…
Meanwhile from the forest paths around Gloucester, young women are disappearing. When a disfigured corpse is found, the mayor suspects a coven of witches is preying on vulnerable souls, and arrests three hideous hags. Afraid the town’s prosperity could suffer from a reputation for witchcraft, he holds a midnight trial that condemns the women. They are taken to be hanged. But the unearthly sounds of the forest at night frighten even the hangmen, and a violent storm drives them to seek shelter, leaving the witches swinging from the gibbet tree. The next morning their bodies are gone. Then, one by one, every person who took part in the trial is found dead, and Simon is forced into hiding to save his own life…
What readers are saying about Canterbury Tales Mysteries:
‘Never fails to have me sitting up until way past my bed time wanting to know what happens next‘
‘You can almost feel yourself there‘
‘Spellbinding‘
Paul Doherty relates the Carpenter’s tale in The Hangman’s Hymn – a tale of mystery and murder as he goes on pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Perfect for fans of Ellis Peters and Susanna Gregory.
Stumbling upon an execution, Chaucer’s pilgrims witness a hanging that leaves the carpenter in a dead faint. That evening, he narrates the tale of a Gloucester hangman whose involvement in the secretive punishment of three witches unleashes a vicious spate of revenge killings.
When homeless and jobless, Simon Cotterill joins a hangman’s crew replacing a man who was himself sent to the gibbet, he feels rejected even by the desperate men he now works with. Until he learns the secret of how a hanged man can walk away from his own grave…
Meanwhile from the forest paths around Gloucester, young women are disappearing. When a disfigured corpse is found, the mayor suspects a coven of witches is preying on vulnerable souls, and arrests three hideous hags. Afraid the town’s prosperity could suffer from a reputation for witchcraft, he holds a midnight trial that condemns the women. They are taken to be hanged. But the unearthly sounds of the forest at night frighten even the hangmen, and a violent storm drives them to seek shelter, leaving the witches swinging from the gibbet tree. The next morning their bodies are gone. Then, one by one, every person who took part in the trial is found dead, and Simon is forced into hiding to save his own life…
What readers are saying about Canterbury Tales Mysteries:
‘Never fails to have me sitting up until way past my bed time wanting to know what happens next‘
‘You can almost feel yourself there‘
‘Spellbinding‘
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Reviews
Doherty's deep understanding of the period and the nitty-gritty of historical detail are to the fore without intruding on the rhythm of the plot. Superb entertainment
An engrossing and informative read
Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history... evocative and lyrical descriptions
As always the author invokes the medieval period in all its muck as well as glory, filling the pages with pungent smells and description. The author brings years of research to his writing; his mastery of the period as well as a disciplined writing schedule have led to a rapidly increasing body of work and a growing reputation
For those who are keen enthusiasts of medieval murder stories the name Paul Doherty will need no introduction... He writes with enthusiasm about an era he knows well
A masterpiece of murder and mystery
The best of its kind since the death of Ellis Peters
Praise for Paul Doherty: The maestro of medieval mystery... As with all Doherty's historical whodunnits, it is packed with salty dialogue, the smells and superstitions of the 14th century, not to mention the political intrigues
Paul Doherty has come up trumps again with this medieval mystery