CORPSE CANDLE
Paul Doherty
Medieval Magic and Mystery
> the woodmen - magical creatures of the forest
> possession and exorcism
Medieval Outsiders
> the Watcher by the Gates a hermit who lives alone outside the monastery
> a "cunning man" a confidence trickster, living on his wits, and now growing older
> Scaribrick and his band of outlaws
Another murder in a monastery - this time within a sealed chamber in the Fenland Abbey of St Martin's-in-the-Marsh. The Abbot, a friend of the King's (he was once a warrior, and saved the King's life upon the field of battle), has been stabbed in his own chamber with his own dagger, yet there seems to be no way anyone could have gained access to him.
The monks are about to organise a cover-up, insisting that some outsider, presumably one of Scaribrick's outlaws, must have broken in and killed the Abbot, but the King (Edward I) is having none of it. He promptly sends Sir Hugh with his henchman Ranulf to make enquiries.
They soon discover that the aristocratic widow who owns all the adjoining lands was on very bad terms with Abbot Stephen, refusing to communicate with him directly and arguing fiercely - through the Prior - about a disputed boundary. But is there more to it than this? It turns out that the Abbot and the Lady knew each other well when they were young.
Meanwhile, inside the monastery, two more suspects lurk: Taverner, a "cunning man" who had claimed to be possessed and whom the Abbot had been planning to exorcise; and an arch-deacon from London, an "old friend" of the Abbot's, who had ostensibly come to witness the exorcism.
Then another monk is murdered.
I like Hugh Corbett. And I especially like Ranulf, his side-kick, the "Clerk of the Green Wax" - listen to his prayer as he rides into mortal danger: 'Oh Lord, look after Ranulf-atte-Newgate, as Ranulf-atte-Newgate would look after you, if he was God and you were Ranulf-atte-Newgate."
Only one gripe: some bad editing - very unusual in Headline books (and especially in Paul Docherty's books!). For example, an argument "holds time" instead of "holds true"; elsewhere, referring to some quotations, Corbett says there is "one from St Paul's about seeing through a glass darkly" (St Paul's what?). On p20, when Ranulf asks, 'Did you ever meet Abbot Stephen?' Corbett replies 'On a few occasions,' while on p129, we are informed that "he [Corbett] had never met Abbot Stephen".
But these are details. (I have to do this occasionally to prove that I read the books carefully.) What matters to me though, always, is that the story first grabs and then grips. And this does. It is not a book to read in bed before you sleep. As with all Tom Docherty's medieval novels, you won't. You won't even yawn. In fact, three hours later you'll be getting up, book in hand (falling over the cat) to make a cup of tea.
JM
