I'm a huge fan of Brother Athelstan mysteries and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
It was great to catch up with the characters, they are well developed as usual, and loved the well researched and vivid historical background.
The mystery is complex, full of twists and turns, and kept me guessing.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Brother Athelstan mystery series is well-established, with a cast of characters its regular readers have grown to love and which new readers can quickly find delightful company. One of the series' strengths—and a strength of this particular volume—is that it focuses not on the nobility, as so many historical mysteries do, but instead is grounded in day-to-day life. There are palace-level intrigues underlying the action, but what readers experience is the struggles of ordinary characters trying to balance hardship with merriment (or some chaotic version of it) and fighting for a future when they might have greater control over their own lives.

This volume in the series involves a series of overlapping plot lines: a Scottish attempt to retrieve the Stone of Destiny on which Scottish kings used to be crowned, a series of poisonings in Westminster Abbey, a pair of killings in a local inn, and serial killer attacking the lowest prostitutes in the poorest neighborhoods of London. These threads, which at first seem separate, gradually draw together, making for gripping reading.

Whether you're familiar with Brother Athelastan and his cohorts or meeting them for the first time, you'll find The Stone of Destiny rewarding reading. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

In this story Sir John Cranston, the Coroner of London, and Brother Athelstan are called in to help with two murders. In one, someone is taking poor, fallen women and killing them, then flaying off their skins. At the same time, a number of priests are being poisoned at the abbey, for no apparent reason other than that they have Scottish roots.

Scotland is at the centre of all these mysteries, and the ambitions of John of Gaunt and the fate of the Stone of Scone, which was supposed to have been returned to Scotland by Edward I.

As usual the story is placed very firmly in history. However, having read and enjoyed all the earlier books in this series, something has changed. Previously Sir John was a loud, bombastic, humorous, entertaining character with his short temper, his endlessly full wineskin and his beloved wife and the poppets. Now he appears as a very pale shadow of his former self, with very little really to say in this book. Brother Athelstan was a compassionate and kind priest to his poor flock of characters, but again he appears very one dimensional. It would seem that the author has got too involved in telling a story that is historically accurate and showing off his knowledge of the period, and has forgotten how to bring his characters to life.

Overall I found it quite disappointing. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very few authors have ever matched the excellence of the Cadfael novels by Ellis Peters. Paul Doherty is one of those authors. The Sorrowful Mysteries Of Brother Athelstan are dark, intriguing and completely compelling.
London has been ravaged first by the Black Death and then Wat Tyler's Rebellion. King Edward, the Hammer of the Scots is dead, King Richard a mere minor, his regent John of Gaunt, the handsome Plantagenet is unpopular.
The author presents a complex plot: a locked-room murder mystery, a killer who skins his victims and the ever-present mystery of the Stone of Scone. Historical murder and mayhem at its very best.

Brilliant, macabre and satisfying.

Only Doherty could bring together in 1381 the Stone of Scone of Scotland, happenings from the Great Pestlance, horrific deaths of women from the lowest stratas of society, and tie it all together forming a conundrum that slinks into our favourite Parish, St Erconwald’s of Southwark. And of course right into the lap of our well loved cleric and sleuth, Dominican friar Brother Athelstan, working of course with Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner of the city.
Not only this but death raises its head in Westminster Abbey. A sacristan dies in extreme agony. And that's just the beginning. There's also a visit from Austin Sinclair, Prior of Melrose Abbey in Scotland come amongst other things to study the Great Revolt. He wants to hear the stories from Athelstan's parishioners.
Naturally there are complications coming from every direction, many threads are intertwining to give us once more a medieval murder mystery that reaches politically into interesting places. Many things are as Gollum would say “wicked, tricksy and false!”
The killer is labeled the Flayer and that moniker brings a shudder to the soul. How the killings fit with St Erconwald’s parishioners is fascinating. And their recent past pushes into the present.
Another fabulous contribution to the Athelstan series!

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Severn House for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “The Stone of Destiny.” All opinions are my own.

A murderess is found out and condemned as “The Stone of Destiny” begins, the 20th in the Brother Athelstan series. The “boy” that betrayed the serial killer is left behind to remember what he’s done. No doubt we’ll see him again.

Flash forward a few years to 1381, and dead men in Westminster Abbey (locked rooms, naturally – Doherty’s specialty) will bring our hard-working, mystery-solving medieval priest and the larger-than-life Lord High Coroner Sir John Cranston together again in the long-running series by Paul Doherty. The dead are men who are “Guardians of the Stone” – the Stone of Scone – the Stone of Destiny, a sacred symbol of royal Scotland which just happens to be sitting in Westminster Cathedral.

Besides this little problem, there’s a new murderer in town – The Flayer, who’s doing ghastly things to his victims, unwary prostitutes that he’s tracking down and killing. Wonder where he got that idea?

We have a visitor from Scotland to get in the way, who’s busy recording information about The Great Revolt. He wants to interview Brother Athelstan’s parishioners. There’s more to this of course, which becomes very clear as the book progresses. Doherty is a master at weaving plotlines together. And what part does the Scottish royal regalia play in it all? A note at the end of the book will (probably) explain it. Note: it will.

Athelstan and Cranston figure everything out, of course. A vast conspiracy – what else is new? And now they must tread oh so carefully, for they have put themselves in harm’s way.

Hopefully readers won’t be starting with this book. It will help to already know the parishioners of St. Erconwald and their interesting lives; Sir John and his family, John of Gaunt, that menacing figure, the bailiffs, the poor and the proprietors of the ale houses, all the people that populate these books. Doherty will set out their stories a bit, but since this series has been going on for a while, he can’t explain everything. I do hope you have already been on Brother Athelstan’s journey – you will have enjoyed every step along the way.

Paul Doherty intrigues with another Brother Athelstan medieval London mystery at the time of King Edward II. The Stone of Destiny is the royal throne stone of Scotland but Edward I had stolen it and made it part of the English royal regalia. There is much plotting and murder at Westminster Abbey and in Brother Athelstan's parish.
The lord High Coroner of London Sir John Cranston and Brother Athelstan have an intertwining of murderous plots to unravel as people keep dying. Intriguing and well plotted.

Brother Athelstan Juggles A Series of Multiple Murders

The novel opens with the Black Death ebbing. Adele Puddlicot, who seemed to be immune to this plague, collects corpses left outside home to be taken and buried. She would collect them, steal anything of value and leave them somewhere to rot. She soon starts to covet human skin. She entices prostitutes into some dark place, kills and skins them. She is turned in by a young boy and hangs for her crimes. The story line jumps 21 years to the ending a revolt in London, and a young man hiding a treasure chest in a family grave in the cemetery adjacent to Athelstan’s church. What he didn’t know was that he is being observed.

Then the novel switches to its present time five months later. Brother Athelstan joins Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner, to investigate the murder of a sacristan at Westminster Abby. It was clear that he was poisoned, but this is Advent with the great fast being observed. It was clear that the sacristan has eaten and drank from the same sources as unaffected others. The murders continue. Unrelated, two disreputable men are found in a locked room at the The Piebald, an unofficial meeting place for the Brother Athelstan’s church council. Athelstan and Cranston start to investigate. Lastly, a series of terrible murders start to happen where the victims are flayed after death. They all occur in the neighborhood in and around Athelstan’s church. The roller-coaster of a story goes careening forward from here.

All three separate investigations appear to be Gordian knots that seem not to have any loose ends to unravel and discover the truth. The author has weaved a grapping tale that seized my attention and kept it until the end. I read several times late into the night and starting reading when I woke in the morning.

The B-storyline is particularly rich in this novel. Much of it centers on the history of Athelstan’s church to before he came to the church. I also learned much more about the church council than I knew previously. This aspect enriched my enjoyment in reading the novel.

For aspects that some readers object, there are not any intimate scenes. Besides Cranston’s favorite expletive, mild by today’s standards, other vulgar language is practically nonexistent. As for violence, much of it is after the fact but still may be disturbing for some. Executions are definitely not up to modern sensibilities. These aspects were not an issue for me. This novel should be safe for most readers.

What I really enjoyed was how the author through the use of language makes you feel that you are back in the 14th century. He uses many words of the era for objects and adds words not in common use today an ancient feeling for me. This aspect did slow my reading down as I used the built-in dictionary on my e-reader or searched the Internet for the meaning. Also, there were no loose ends at the end. All Gordian knots were solved. I didn’t find any downsides for me in this novel. This novel is the 20th novel in this series, but I have read only the last four. This novel can be the first of the series that you read as I found nothing that depended upon previous novels.

Overall, this novel met all of my requirements for five star rating. If you haven’t tried medieval mysteries, this is an excellent novel to start this genre.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Severn House with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Severn House for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

1381 A murderer named as The Flayer is plaguing the city, killing streetwalkers, ten so far is known. Meanwhile at Westminster Abbey a Monk have died during fast day, poisoned. But he will only be the first.
Prior Austin of Melrose Abbey has come to chronicle The Great Revolt and St. Erconwald's's role in the event, while staying at the Piebald Inn but death follows the proceeding.
Brother Athelston and coroner Sir John Cranston are busy investigating the deaths.
Another entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its main likeable characters. A good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone story
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Paul Doherty’s 20th Brother Athelstan novel resembles a locked-door mystery for its many inexplicable deaths. Clearly an accomplished researcher, the author pulls his readers into the authenticity and grittiness of his 14th-century London ― the pickled heads on spikes; the noxious smells; the filthy Thames trawled for bodies by the Fisher of Men and his assistant, Icthus, the human fish. Athelstan’s parishioners are an engaging crew and despite their lack of education he is quick to forgive and gives them fair due for their intuitiveness and guile.
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Sanctioned by the King, Athelstan is called upon by his friend, Coroner Cranston, to slog his way through the labyrinthine streets to investigate a chilling conundrum of disappearances of prostitutes, gruesome flayings, multiple poisoning of fasting monks, a dead pet monkey, a mysterious grave and a treasure chest, all mixed up somehow with the Stone of Destiny. Set against the backdrop of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, and the sack of the Savoy Palace, readers are drawn into a web of deceit involving political wrangling, and smooth maneuvering for personal gain. Cranston and Athelstan compliment each other well, trust their instincts, and are willing to leave no stone unturned! Another top-notch thriller from an accomplished writer, peppered with fascinating characters and highly recommended.

Once again Paul Doherty has gifted us with another Brother Athelsan medieval mystery and it's quite a delightful romp. Set in London after the 1381 Great Revolt, friar Athelsan, coroner John Cranston and a very colorful cast of characters straight out of Chaucer's Tales, must deal with a fiendish serial killer, poisoned brothers at Westminster Abbey and Anglo-Scottish political shenanigans....A fantastic whodunit that Athelsan will masterfully untangle with panache. I was (once again) so totally overwhelmed by Doherty's powerful use of the English language and his descriptions of late 14th century London, that I ended up as usual, rereading full passages aloud! Bravo Master Doherty!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Severn House for the opportunity to get this wonderful ebook.

Strange things are happening in London, and bodies are piling up in Westminster Abbey in this new book by Paul Doherty. Tales of treasure buried in a graveyard, and the disappearance of Scotland's Stone of Scone and other regalia rounds out the fast paced tale of murder and mayhem. Can Brother Athelstan figure out what's going on and bring justice to the perpetrators?

Prostitutes are disappearing, and their skinless bodies are showing up in dark and dismal places. Nicknamed "The Flayer" for his/her habit in skinning the bodies and (sometimes) leaving the skin in strange places, Brother Athelstan and the Coroner are tasked with finding the murderer. At the same time, someone is poisoning monks in Westminster Abbey (and the occasional non-monk as well) but who and how is unknown. Is it just a coincidence that the dead monks have a connection to Scotland?

At first a rather disconcerting jumble of characters with strange names, the book smooths out into a compelling who dunnit as Athelstan seeks to find who is behind these gruesome murders. At the same time he is searching for the missing Stone of Destiny and royal regalia that was stolen from Scotland and brought to England in years past. The blend of fiction and historical questions makes The Stone of Destiny an interesting and entertaining read (even if the amount of real history is minimal, that's why they call it historical fiction!). Definitely worth reading!

I got this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley because i was attracted by the cover and because of the link to Scotland's' famous stone, the Stone of Destiny AKA the Stone of Scone.
I hadn't realised that this was a series, actually it turned out to be the 20th episode in the Brother Athelstan series.

It is a multi layered mystery and the plots are intricately woven together, the hunt for a gruesome murder called the Flayer who, I guess you won't be surprised, flays his victims. There is a second plot concerning the deaths of multiple monks in the abbey of Westminster.
Years ago we travelled a lot to the UK and Scotland and it was certainly nice too read about those historical places we visited before and be transported in history to the times of their heyday. That said I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would and I had some difficulty getting through. This could be caused by the fact that is was the first book I read in a series that already goes on for 20 books, but part of the explanation is also that I found the writing rather slow and sometimes dull. It would benefit of a bit more suspense.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review, but honestly 3 stars is the maximum I can give for this book, and that's giving it the benefit of the doubt.

The Author has returned us to the world of Brother Athelstan and Coroner Sir John Cranston in London in 1381 after the Great Revolt .
In Westminster Abbey a symbol of Scottish Kings , The Stone of Scone is guarded by the Blackrobes (Benedictine Monks) ....... when the guards start to die of poisoning all are puzzled for they have been fasting for Advent . With other brutal murders are also taking place - the hanging of two pardoned Upright Men in a locked room , and the horrific skinning ... flaying ...of poor prostitutes - Athelstan and Cranston have their handsfull in trying to solve the crimes before more deaths occur .
The story keeps a fast pace , full of twists and turns it revisits Brother Athstans parish of St Erconwald and its variety of unusual characters with its diverse community spirit ......... giving us an insight into the everyday lives and stuggles of the time

This is yet again another great historical murder mystery by this Author - I would read anything he writes with pleasure as I can be sure of an entertaining glimpse into the past with all its foibles .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

London, April 1360 and Adele Puddlicot, daughter of Richard Puddlicot, the thief who stole the crown jewels, is buried alive in St Erconwald’s cemetery by a jury of her peers. Her crime? Multiple murders involving skinning her victims, the same fate dealt to her father when he was executed for his crime.

Fast forward to November 1381 and London is still in the shadow of the Great Revolt, and death is all around. Two pardoned members of the Upright Men are found hanged, locked inside their chambers at the local hostelry. Benedictine monks at Westminster Abbey are dying one by one, poisoned despite the brothers currently fasting as Advent approaches. The alleys of London are once again being stalked by someone with a predilection for skin – the so-called Flayer. Brother Athelstan and Coroner Sir John Cranston are about to make a very powerful enemy, and not everybody is going to make it out alive…

I was going to re-review my recent re-read of By Murder’s Bright Light, the fourth Brother Athelstan mystery, recently re-released by Canelo Books, but as luck would have it, a review e-copy of the latest (and twentieth) Brother Athelstan came my way, and there are certain things that I just can’t ignore – a new Paul Doherty novel is one of them.

It opens in a suitable dark prologue, with the tale of Alice Puddlicot, and the betrayal that leads to her downfall, and there’s a pretty dark tone throughout this book. The Flayer is a more sinister villain than Athelstan usually encounters, someone who kills just for fun, and Athelstan’s reaction to dealing with this, in particular his anger when finally confronting the fiend is very effective and makes for an enthralling climax. Well, one of the climaxes. The idea of multiple plots in Paul’s work is a common one, but it’s rare that the three stories are all so… well, they all could work as the primary plot. There’s no subplot concerning missing pussycats here, it’s three straight-up murder mysteries. There’s an interesting way of linking them as well, with an overlapping group of suspects for the crimes. So it’s a case of who did what and is linked to what.

This is a very effective tale, working well as a standalone, but there are several moments where long-term readers will be genuinely surprised. I counted at least two genuine shocks (and a very cheap fake-out that admittedly only lasts for a sentence) and as for the ending… well, I’ve been wondering where the series was going to go following the Great Revolt in the appropriately named The Great Revolt, as it had felt a little like it was treading water once the Peasant’s Revolt happened. Well, that’s no longer the case – I have a feeling that things are about to get very interesting for our dear friar in the future.

Yes, it’s no surprise that I liked this book – I love this series as regular readers of the blog know – and this is an outstanding entry in the series.

The Stone of Destiny is out on December 31st in the UK in hardback and ebook from Severn House. In the meantime, the first fourteen books, up to The Book Of Fires have now been re-released by Canelo on ebook, so you can pass the time with those until this one comes out.

You find yourself in a mystery of many layers investigated by Brother Athelstan with a mind like a steel trap. He is beloved by his parishioners characters with many sides. Athelstan has help in his endeavours by Lord Coroner Cranston a man with great power in 1381 London. The city is a maze of dwellings where people live harsh lives which will come to shape them. Westminster Abbey is home to the Stone of Scone a symbol of Scottish Kings taken from them by the English Crown. The Blackrobes who guard the stone start to fall victim to murder by poison, but how when they are fasting. Brother Athelstan and Cranston will have more on their hands with brutal murders and skinning of poor prostitutes by The Flayer. They will even have the classic murder in a locked room. This story keeps a pace and delves you into the community spirit of Athelstan and his parish of St Erconwald the unusual council characters you will wish to revisit.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The sites and smells come alive as you journey through the dark, sometimes smelly, twisting alleyways and streets of medieval London with Sir John Cranston and Brother Athelstan. A cleverly woven plotline that concludes with a satisfying end, it's a worthy addition to this popular series.

Heavy With Atmosphere....
Brother Athelstan finds himself amidst violent death in the latest addition to this historical series of mysteries. Set in a well described London of 1381, heavy with atmosphere and with a bright, credible and articulate protagonist not to mention a clever, intricately plotted storyline. A fully engaging and satisfying read and a worthy addition to the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of The Stone of Destiny, the twentieth novel to feature Brother Athelstan, friar and priest of the parish of St Erconwald, Southwark, set in 1381.

There is a murderer on the streets of London, known as The Flayer, who preys on poor prostitutes but before Brother Athelstan and Coroner Sir John Cranston can investigate they are called to the Abbey of Westminster, which houses the Scottish relic, the Stone of Destiny, to investigate the poisoning of a friar, the first of several. If this wasn’t enough two former rebels, known as Upright Men, are hung from the rafters in a locked room of the local inn. Can all these deaths be linked?

I enjoyed The Stone of Destiny which is a gripping mystery with a high body count and some ingenious solutions. Of course, as a Scot, the Scottish angle of the Stone of Destiny, is an added bonus, but it’s only one of the many historical references in the novel. I like the way the author inserts these very informative details into the everyday lives of his characters without lecturing or becoming didactic. They are just background to the investigations Athelstan is undertaking.

The novel is slow to start with a long first chapter supplying both a fictional and historical background to what is to come so Brother Athelstan and his clever mind don’t make an appearance until chapter two. After that it’s full steam ahead with the bodies piling up and seemingly impossible murders to solve. I’m always overconfident of being able to solve these puzzles (less technology equalling simpler motives and solutions) and yet again I failed. They are ingenious and the author’s misdirection catches me every time. There is never a dull moment.

I also like the picture painted of the times where I feel I can smell the streets and touch the poverty and, at the same time, experience the bustle of lives being lived. Not to put too fine a point on it, it makes my modern day sensibilities shudder at the dirt and lack of hygiene, but it’s humanity alive and thriving.

Brother Athelstan is a fine creation. He’s smart and wise in the ways of people and thinks laterally. He’s maybe angrier in this novel than usual, due to the waste of life, but it doesn’t stop him using his talents to stop it.

The Stone of Destiny is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.