Doherty, P.C. 1946- (Anna Apostolou, Michael Clynes, Paul Doherty, Paul C. Doherty, Ann Dukthas, C.L. Grace, Paul Harding)

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Doherty, P.C. 1946- (Anna Apostolou, Michael Clynes, Paul Doherty, Paul C. Doherty, Ann Dukthas, C.L. Grace, Paul Harding)

PERSONAL:

Born September 21, 1946, in Middlesborough, England; son of Michael and Catherine Doherty; married Carla Lynn Corbett, April 6, 1973; children: Hugh, Nigel, Vanessa, Alexandra, Michael, Mark, Paul. Education: Attended Liverpool University, 1968-71; Exeter College, Oxford, B.A. (first class honors), D.Phil., Ph.D., 1977; Studied at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Writing, local history.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Essex, England. Office—Trinity, 14 Mornington Rd., Woodford Green, Essex IG8 0TP, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, novelist, educator, and administrator. Worked as a secondary school teacher in English schools in Ascot, Nottingham, and Crawley West Sussex; school headmaster in England, 1981—; writer, 1985—.

MEMBER:

Royal College of Arts (fellow), National Association of Headteachers, Royal Overseas Club, London Library, Pall Mall (London).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Herodotus Award, Historical Mystery Appreciation Society, 1999, for lifetime achievement.

WRITINGS:

"HUGH CORBETT" SERIES; NOVELS

Satan in St. Mary's, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1987.

The Crown in Darkness, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1988.

Spy in Chancery, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1988.

The Angel of Death, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1990.

The Prince of Darkness, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1993.

The Assassin in the Greenwood, Headline (London, England), 1993, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1994.

Murder Wears a Cowl, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1994.

The Song of a Dark Angel, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1995.

Satan's Fire, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

The Devil's Hunt, Headline (London, England), 1996, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1998.

The Treason of the Ghosts, Headline (London, England), 2000.

The Demon Archer, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2001.

Corpse Candle, Headline (London, England), 2001, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2002.

The Magician's Death, Headline (London, England), 2004.

The Waxmen Murders, Headline (London, England), 2006.

"CANTERBURY TALES/NICHOLAS CHIRKE" SERIES; NOVELS

An Ancient Evil, Being the Knight's Tale, Headline (London, England), 1994, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1995.

A Tapestry of Murders, Being the Man of Law's Tale, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

A Tournament of Murders, Being the Franklin's Tale, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Ghostly Murders, Being the Priest's Tale, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1998.

A Haunt of Murder, Headline (London, England), 2003.

The Hangman's Hymn: The Carpenter's Tale of Mystery and Murder as He Goes on a Pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, St. Martin's Minotaur (New York, NY), 2004.

"BROTHER ATHELSTAN" SERIES; NOVELS

(Under pseudonym Paul Harding) The Nightingale Gallery, Headline (London, England), 1991, Morrow (New York, NY), 1992.

(Under pseudonym Paul Harding) The House of the Red Slayer, Headline (London, England), 1992, published as Red Slayer, Morrow (New York, NY), 1994.

(Under pseudonym Paul Harding) Murder Most Holy, Headline (London, England), 1993.

(Under pseudonym Paul Harding) Anger of God, Headline (London, England), 1993.

(Under pseudonym Paul Harding) By Murder's Bright Light, Headline (London, England), 1994.

(Under pseudonym Paul Harding) House of Crows, Headline (London, England), 1995.

(Under pseudonym Paul Harding) Assassin's Riddle, Headline (London, England), 1996.

The Devil's Domain, Headline (London, England), 1998.

The Field of Blood, Headline (London, England), 1999.

The House of Shadows, Headline (London, England), 2003.

"AMEROTKE EGYPTIAN MYSTERIES" SERIES; NOVELS

The Mask of Ra, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1999.

The Horus Killing, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2000.

The Anubis Slayings, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2001.

The Slayers of Seth, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2002.

The Assassins of Isis: A Story of Ambition, Politics, and Murder Set in Ancient Egypt, St. Martin's Minotaur (New York, NY), 2006.

EGYPTIAN MYSTERY NOVELS

An Evil Spirit out of the West, Headline (London, England), 2003.

The Season of the Hyaena, Headline (London, England), 2005.

The Year of the Cobra, Headline (London, England), 2006.

UNDER PSEUDONYM MICHAEL CLYNES; "SIR ROGER SHALLOT" SERIES; NOVELS

The White Rose Murders, Headline (London, England), 1991, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1993.

The Poisoned Chalice, Headline (London, England), 1992, Otto Penzler (New York, NY), 1994.

The Grail Murders, Otto Penzler (New York, NY), 1993.

A Brood of Vipers, Headline (London, England), 1994, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

The Gallows Murders, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

The Relic Murders, Headline (London, England), 1997.

UNDER PSEUDONYM ANN DUKTHAS; "NICHOLAS SEGALLA" SERIES; NOVELS

A Time for the Death of a King, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1994.

The Prince Lost to Time, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1995.

The Time of Murder at Mayerling, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

In the Time of the Poisoned Queen, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1998.

UNDER PSEUDONYM C.L. GRACE; "KATHRYN SWINBROOKE" SERIES; NOVELS

A Shrine of Murders, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1993.

The Eye of God, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1994.

The Merchant of Death, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1995.

The Book of Shadows, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

Saintly Murders, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2001.

A Maze of Murders, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2003.

"ALEXANDER OF MACEDON" SERIES; NOVELS

The House of Death, Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2001.

The Godless Man, Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2002.

The Gates of Hell, Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2003.

OTHER

The Death of a King, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1985.

King Arthur (juvenile biography), Chelsea House (New York, NY), 1987.

The Whyte Harte, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1988.

The Fate of Princes, Hale (London, England), 1990, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1991.

The Serpent among the Lilies, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1990.

The Masked Man, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1991.

The Rose Demon, Headline (London, England), 1997.

(Under pseudonym Anna Apostolou) Murder in Macedon, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1997.

(Under pseudonym Anna Apostolou) A Murder in Thebes, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1998.

The Haunting, Headline (London, England), 1998.

The Soul Slayer, Headline (London, England), 1998.

Isabella and Edward (nonfiction), Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2002.

The Mysterious Death of Tutankhamun (nonfiction), Carroll & Graf (New York, NY), 2002.

The Death of Alexander the Great: What—or Who—Really Killed the Young Conqueror of the Known World? (nonfiction), Carroll & Graf Publishers (New York, NY), 2004.

The Great Crown Jewels Robbery of 1303: The Extraordinary Story of the First Big Bank Raid in History (nonfiction), Constable (London, England), 2005.

The Song of the Gladiator (novel), Headline (London, England), 2005.

The Cup of Ghosts (novel), Headline (London, England), 2006.

The Queen of the Night (novel), Headline (London, England), 2006.

The Secret Life of Elizabeth I (nonfiction), Greenwich Exchange (London, England), 2006.

Author's works have been translated into twelve foreign languages.

ADAPTATIONS:

Many of Doherty's novels are available as sound recordings. The film rights to the "Canterbury Tales" series have been optioned.

SIDELIGHTS:

Prolific mystery writer P.C. Doherty began his authorial career as a historian, focusing on the early years of the English monarchy. His Ph.D. dissertation, which focused on the reign of Edward II and Queen Isabella, launched him into a series of dozens of historical novels, many set in England, but some set in Scotland, Austria, France, Egypt, and Greece. Doherty has used a variety of pseudonyms and has created a cast of recurring characters that account for several different series of mysteries, each distinguished by a strong sense of place and time.

Doherty's first novel, The Death of a King, explores political intrigue in the reigns of Edward II and III through the eyes of Edward III's clerk, Edmund Beche. Beche has been commissioned to investigate the murder of Edward II, under the guise of researching a history of the king, and the adultery and sinister plots he uncovers place him in mortal danger. Readers of The Death of a King considered Doherty's debut a ringing success. A Publishers Weekly reviewer called the book "nothing less than a tour de force," remarking on the thorough research and beautiful writing. In addition, as Connie Fletcher observed in Booklist, Doherty suggests a "convincing solution" to the real-life mystery of the death of Edward II.

Doherty has taken on other historical intrigues in later novels. The Whyte Harte follows narrator Matthew Jankyn through his deceit and betrayals in support of Richard II, who has been replaced by Henry the Fourth. The novel The Fate of Princes attempts to offer another interpretation of the mystery of the young children of King Edward IV, often supposed to be executed by command of Richard III. Doherty has also explored French history, first in the novel Serpent Amongst the Lilies, which has Jankyn investigating the phenomenon of Joan of Arc, and in the novel The Masked Man, about the identity of the Bastille's famous Man in the Iron Mask. In some instances, critics found the works a bit too historically driven—the Chicago Tribune Books reviewer Kevin Moore stated that the climax of Serpent Amongst the Lilies "is revealed with all the panache of a master's thesis in Middle French." Often, however, critics appreciated the atmosphere and accuracy of Doherty's historical mysteries. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly called The Whyte Harte "riveting" and "vivid," and Booklist contributor Margaret Flanagan remarked that The Masked Man is a "tautly woven thriller" and another "tour de force" for Doherty.

One of Doherty's most successful literary creations has been Hugh Corbett, a clerk to Edward I and Keeper of the Secret Seal. Corbett first appears in Satan in St. Mary's, charged with investigating an apparent suicide thought to be a murder; his investigation eventually encounters a Satanist cult and the threat of treason. In further volumes in the series, Corbett goes to Scotland to investigate the death of Scots King Alexander III (The Crown in Darkness), to France to discover an informant for Philip IV (Spy in Chancery), and all over England to solve murders in a nunnery (The Prince of Darkness), the bog lands of Norfolk (The Song of a Dark Angel), and in Oxford (The Devil's Hunt). Corbett's faithful sidekick, and the novels' comic relief, is the former felon Ranfulf-atte-Newgate; later novels also include Corbett's wife, Maeve. The plotting of the novels is complex, sometimes too complex, according to some reviewers. A Kirkus Reviews critic said of The Devil's Hunt that the "Hugh Corbett" series "grows denser and more convoluted with every episode." But a Publishers Weekly writer said of the same novel that although the plot develops slowly, readers' "attention to the complex plot will be amply rewarded." Reviewing the next Corbett novel, The Demon Archer, a Publishers Weekly writer began by calling the book "another masterful English medieval tale" from "the prolific Doherty."

Corpse Candle, the thirteenth of the "Hugh Corbett" mysteries, involves Hugh in a conflict between members of St. Martins-in-the-Field, a Benedictine monastery located in Lincolnshire. Prior Cuthbert and several other monks are in favor of building a large guest house on the grounds of the Bloody Meadow, near the monastery. Abbot Stephen and a group of supporters, however, are against the plan. They consider the meadow sacred, as it is said that the burial mound at the meadow's center holds the remains of the ancient king, Sigbert. When Abbot Stephen is found stabbed to death in his room, the king sends Corbett to investigate. As he investigates, other monks are murdered, and Corbett discovers that the case revolves around the monastery's complicated arrangements with wealthy contributors, the Harcourts, and Sir Reginald Harcourt's disappearance long ago. A Kirkus Reviews critic remarked that "medievalists will doubtless appreciate Doherty's return to his home ground." Library Journal reviewer Rex E. Klett noted that the story's "resolution is thoroughly satisfying."

Other detective series created by Doherty include the mysteries of Brother Athelstan, a Dominican friar and a secretary to the king's coroner; the journals of Sir Roger Shallot, investigator for Cardinal Wolsey and King Henry VII (written as Michael Clynes); the "Nicholas Segalla" series, about a time-traveler who appears throughout Europe in the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries (written as Ann Dukthas); and the tales of Kathryn Swinbrokke, a fifteenth-century Canterbury physician (written as C.L. Grace). In 1994, Doherty also launched a series of mysteries based on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, beginning with An Ancient Evil: Being the Knight's Tale. Chaucer's tales are told by day, but Doherty's tales are told by night, the ideal setting for the grim and often ghostly stories of murder, treason, and the supernatural. The knight volunteers to tell the group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury a story about a murder in Oxford involving devil-worshippers and a female exorcist. Unlike Doherty's other series, the framework of the Canterbury series allows the other pilgrims to comment on the story as it develops, a technique that School Library Journal contributor Judy Sokoll felt created "good balance, pace, and momentum." Later books in the series feature the Man of Laws (A Tapestry of Murders), the Franklin (A Tournament of Murders), the Priest (Ghostly Murders), and the clerk of Oxford (A Haunt of Murder).

The Hangman's Hymn: The Carpenter's Tale of Mystery and Murder as He Goes on a Pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, contains the eerie story of the Carpenter, as told to the spellbound pilgrims along the road to Canterbury. When Simon Cotteril, the carpenter, moves to Gloucester to pursue his love, Alice Draycott, he finds that the local guilds are inhospitable to individual tradesmen such as him. To improve his fortunes, he joins the hangman's guild, a macabre but prosperous group. As he practices his new grim trade, he is astonished to discover some allegedly hanged individuals still very much alive, beneficiaries of a scheme in which a date with the gallows can be made less than deadly, for a price. When a threesome of witches is convicted of some particularly gruesome murders, however, they are hanged outright. Still, they escape their nooses without the help of the hangman's guild, and soon persons involved in their trial and execution are being horribly murdered. With the witches' vengeance getting closer to him, Simon must uncover their secret before he, too, falls victim to their fury and revenge. "Braised throats, blood, guilt, and satanic rites—but ultimately Simon survives using his wits rather than copious amounts of holy water," commented a Kirkus Reviews critic. "As always, Doherty is a master at recreating the historical period," remarked Barbara Bibel, in a Booklist review. Similarly, a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted: "this entry again demonstrates Doherty's gift for evoking the past."

In the late 1990s, Doherty branched out beyond England and Western Europe. As Anna Apostolou, he wrote A Murder in Macedonia and A Murder in Thebes, focusing on the historical characters of Phillip II and his son Alexander the Great. He is also the author of nonfiction focusing on Alexander. The Death of Alexander the Great: What—or Who—Really Killed the Young Conqueror of the Known World?, As the king of Macedonia and the conqueror of Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and other locations in the Middle East, Alexander was a successful warrior and king. His sudden death at age thirty-three, at the height of his wealth and power, has long been a mystery. In his "scrupulously researched and immensely readable book," Doherty concentrates on Alexander's final days and unexpected death, remarked George Cohen in Booklist. Doherty makes it clear that "Alexander the Great wasn't a nice guy," com- mented a Kirkus Reviews contributor. He was, according to Doherty, constantly drunk, arrogant, offensive, lazy, and vile tempered. The author considers several possible scenarios and causes of Alexander's death, including theories involving disease carried by ancient mosquitoes, poison by a personal bodyguard, overindulgence in wine, and assassination by his enemies. Doherty's final conclusion "makes for a good theory" about Alexander's demise, remarked the Kirkus Reviews writer.

Another fiction series, written under Doherty's own name, focuses solely on the world of Alexander. In 1999, the author introduced a series of mystery novels set in ancient Egypt and starring Egyptian chief judge Amerotke. The first book in the series is The Mask of Ra. Margaret Flanagan, reviewing the novel for Booklist, noted the author's "meticulous" attention to historical details and called the book an "intelligently crafted thriller." The mystery of The Mask of Ra, the unexpected death of the Pharaoh Tuthmosis II, is solved by Amerotke, who reappears in The Horus Killing in the court of Tuthmosis II's widow, Hatshepsut. The queen is trying to become the pharaoh, but the priests who support her are slain in succession, and Amerotke is again charged with the task of solving the crime. As in The Mask of Ra, Doherty's strength in this historical mystery is in the marriage of "rich period detail and vivid storytelling," according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Hatshepsut and Amerotke are revived again in The Anubis Slayings, as a string of murders threaten the peace that Hatusu (the short form of Hatshepsut) has brought to Egypt. Reviewing the book for the Book-Browser Web site, Harriet Klausner wrote that Doherty makes "the glory of Ancient Egypt come alive again." The critic concluded: "P.C. Doherty is a wonderful storyteller whose historical mysteries include the awesome Anubis series and crafty Corbett medieval tales, among others, [that] are all worth reading."

With The Assassins of Isis: A Story of Ambition, Politics, and Murder Set in Ancient Egypt, Doherty "continues his excellent series of ancient Egyptian mysteries with another page-turner," commented Margaret Flanagan, writing in Booklist. The story is set during the reign of Queen Hatusu, one of Egypt's powerful female pharaohs. After the looting of several royal tombs and the disappearance of four temple handmaids, the queen launches an investigation to determine the source of the troubles. The death of well-known military hero General Suten, killed by poisonous snakes, arouses additional suspicions. It falls to chief judge Amerotke to step in and investigate the circumstances around the troubles plaguing Hatusu's Egypt and find answers before things spin out of control. Amerotke discovers complicated interconnections between the crimes and events, and struggles to locate those responsible before he also faces death by viper, or worse. "A great deal of historical information on ancient Egypt compounds the enjoyment of a clever mystery ably solved by the intriguing Amerotke," remarked a Kirkus Reviews contributor.

Doherty once told CA: "I enjoy both fictional crime and historical mysteries-yet-to-be-resolved."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Armchair Detective, winter, 1987, Rosemary Swan, review of The Death of a King, pp. 83-84; spring, 1996, Rick Mattos, review of Song of a Dark Angel, p. 234; summer, 1996, Peter Kenny, review of A Tapestry of Murders, Being the Man of Law's Tale, p. 371.

Booklist, December 15, 1985, Connie Fletcher, review of The Death of a King, p. 608; December 1, 1988, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Whyte Harte, p. 617; April 1, 1989, Ray Olson, review of Spy in Chancery, p. 1348; December 15, 1991, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Masked Man, p. 752; January 1, 1993, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Prince of Darkness, p. 793; April 1, 1996, Margaret Flanagan, review of A Tapestry of Murders, Being the Man of Law's Tale, p. 1345; November 15, 1996, Margaret Flanagan, review of Satan's Fire, p. 574; September 1, 1997, Margaret Flanagan, review of A Tournament of Murders, Being the Franklin's Tale, p. 63; March 15, 1998, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Devil's Hunt, p. 1204; April 15, 1999, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Mask of Ra, p. 1471; February 15, 2000, Barbara Bibel, review of The Horus Killing, p. 1087; July, 2002, Barbara Bibel, review of The Slayers of Seth, p. 1825; October 1, 2004, George Cohen, review of The Death of Alexander the Great: What—or Who—Really Killed the Young Conqueror of the Known World?, p. 296; December 15, 2004, Barbara Bibel, review of The Hangman's Hymn: The Carpenter's Tale of Mystery and Murder as HeGoes on a Pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, p. 710; November 15, 2006, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Assassins of Isis: A Story of Ambition, Politics, and Murder Set in Ancient Egypt, p. 35.

Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 1985, review of The Death of a King, pp. 1204-1205; February 15, 1987, review of Satan in St. Mary's, p. 258; April 15, 1988, review of The Crown in Darkness, p. 574; November 1, 1988, review of The Whyte Harte, p. 1566; April 1, 1989, review of Spy in Chancery, p. 503; February 15, 1990, review of The Angel of Death, p. 223; August 15, 1990, review of Serpent amongst the Lilies, p. 1131; February 15, 1991, review of The Fate of Princes, p. 214; October 1, 1991, review of The Masked Man, p. 1248; November 15, 1992, review of The Prince of Darkness, p. 1407; January 1, 1994, review of Murder Wears a Cowl, p. 20; July 15, 1995, review of The Song of a Dark Angel, pp. 985-86; February 1, 1996, review of A Tapestry of Murders, Being the Man of Law's Tale, p. 175; October 1, 1996, review of Satan's Fire, p. 1427; September 1, 1997, review of A Tournament of Murders, Being the Franklin's Tale, pp. 1340-41; January 15, 1998, review of The Devil's Hunt, p. 83; August 1, 1998, review of Ghostly Murders, p. 1070; April 1, 1999, review of The Mask of Ra, p. 488; January 15, 2000, review of The Horus Killing, p. 89; May 1, 2002, review of The Slayers of Seth, p. 616; October 15, 2002, review of Corpse Candle, p. 1506; September 1, 2004, review of The Death of Alexander the Great, p. 846; December 15, 2004, review of The Hangman's Hymn, p. 1166; October 1, 2006, review of The Assassins of Isis, p. 989.

Library Journal, April 1, 1987, Jo Ann Vicarel, review of Satan in St. Mary's, pp. 166, 168; January, 1989, Rex E. Klett, review of The Whyte Harte, p. 104; April 1, 1990, Rex E. Klett, review of The Angel of Death, p. 140; November 1, 1991, Rex E. Klett, review of The Masked Man, p. 135; August, 1997, Rex E. Klett, review of A Tournament of Murders, Being the Franklin's Tale, p. 140; February 1, 1998, Rex E. Klett, review of The Devil's Hunt, p. 115; May 1, 1999, Rex E. Klett, review of The Mask of Ra, p. 11; March 1, 2000, Rex E. Klett, review of The Horus Killing, p. 128; August, 2002, Rex E. Klett, review of The Slayers of Seth, p. 150; November 1, 2002, Rex E. Klett, review of Corpse Candle, p. 133.

New York Times Book Review, April 7, 1991, Marilyn Stasio, review of The Fate of Princes, p. 33.

Publishers Weekly, November 15, 1985, review of The Death of a King, p. 48; February 20, 1987, Sybil Steinberg, review of Satan in St. Mary's, p. 74; May 13, 1988, review of The Crown in Darkness, p. 267; October 28, 1988, review of The Whyte Harte, p. 64; March 17, 1989, review of Spy in Chancery, pp. 81-82; February 16, 1990, Sybil Steinberg, review of The Angel of Death, p. 70; January 25, 1991, review of The Fate of Princes, p. 48; October 4, 1991, review of The Masked Man, p. 82; November 16, 1992, review of The Prince of Darkness, p. 49; February 14, 1994, review of Murder Wears a Cowl, p. 82; August 8, 1994, review of The Assassin in the Greenwood, p. 392; March 6, 1995, review of An Ancient Evil, p. 63; January 29, 1996, review of A Tapestry of Murders, Being the Man of Law's Tale, pp. 87-88; July 21, 1997, review of A Tournament of Murders, Being the Franklin's Tale, p. 188; December 22, 1997, review of The Devil's Hunt, p. 41; April 12, 1999, review of The Mask of Ra, p. 58; February 28, 2000, review of The Horus Killing, p. 66; January 22, 2001, review of The Demon Archer, p. 305; November 4, 2002, review of Corpse Candle, p. 67; November 15, 2004, review of The Hangman's Hymn, p. 44; October 16, 2006, review of The Assassins of Isis, p. 37.

Quill and Quire, October, 1996, Michael McGowan, review of The Devil's Hunt, p. 30.

School Library Journal, September, 1994, Mary T. Gerrity, review of Murder Wears a Cowl, p. 255; September, 1995, Judy Sokoll, review of An Ancient Evil, p. 232.

Times Literary Supplement, June 22, 2001, review of The House of Death, p. 23.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), October 14, 1990, Kevin Moore, "A Cajun Beat and Brit Cool Set the Mood," p. 6.