‘The Magician’s Death’ by Paul Doherty

At the start of the novel, we are given a glimpse of the political rivalry between King Edward of England and King Phillip IV of France. They are both looking to unravel Friar Bacon’s Book of Secrets, which has been written in a secret code and will reveal the mysteries of the world. Both the kings send their best men to Corfe Castle, for a convention being held to decode the cipher of the book. Things start getting troublesome when the French scholars start dying apparent natural deaths.

At the same time, other murders are being committed around the castle. Dead young women are being found, shot down by arrows for no conceivable reason. Then there are these outlaws that claim that they are innocent of these murders and speak of even worse “horror in the woods”. The prime suspect is Father Matthews , who lives almost an ascetic existence in his little church in the woods. All the murdered girls are students in his Sunday classes – is he more than what he seems?

If this isn’t enough, the King’s men report the presence of pirates in the nearby coastal town, unexpected and seemingly suspicious. Are all these activities related?

Clearly, there is a lot to unpack, and for so many crimes, one needs an exceptional detective. Ours is Sir Hugh Corbett, King Edward’s right man. Melancholy, with a flair for black humor, Corbett is an instantly likable character. Along with his advisor, the young Ranulf, Corbett tries to bring pieces of the puzzle together.

Verdict

What worked for me as I read The Magician’s Death were the storylines and the characters. Though they are a dozen or more important characters in the book, Doherty manages to shape them out in the short spaces they occupy. The fact I could empathize with the characters of a mystery novel says a lot about the writing.

The only place where the book falters is at the climax. It’s predictable and slightly dull. The build-up is pretty huge. Political drama, Jack the Ripper like murders, accidental deaths, the creepy winter, dead bodies in the wood, so the resolution is a bit of letdown.

However, I think this would make an excellent movie actually. I would also definitely read more of Paul Doherty.

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