Another Winner for the Author: Paul Doherty is the consummate storyteller and whatever subject he happens to pick to write about the books and the characters within them seem to come to life. Be it medieval England or Ancient Egypt his grasp of the subject is always first class. He has written many, many books over the years and how he manages to achieve this and also have the full time job of a school headmaster beggars belief. I do not think I have missed reading one of his books and there really are a lot of them. But with hand on heart I can say that there has not been one that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. This novel is the second in the Mathilde series: It is Easter in the year 1308, Edward II will not part company with his favourite Gaveston. Edward's Earls and Barons meet. They want a Parliament to be called, but in truth this is just a ruse, what they really want is Gaveston. Edward knows that across the channel the French King, Philip IV is eager to muddy troubled water and has activated a spy known as "The Poison Maiden." Of course Edward's wife, Isabella is unhappy at the part that Gaveston is playing in her husband's life, but she knew about the pair of them before she married Edward and she is wily enough to know that if Edward is brought down she will automatically follow him. So begins Paul Doherty's latest book, full of mystery, murder and intrigue. The author's books are always good reading, this one is up there with the best of them.
This is part two of Mathilde's story and takes her through the early spring of 1308. I've never thought about Edward II's favourite much; he was always just a place holder, the character that made the political situation more complicated than usual. If I thought about anyone I wondered about Queen Isabelle and how she handled things.It was not an enviable situation at all. Gaveston is always cited as Piers but Doherty calls him Peter, which some English might have. He was Gascon, so Piers would be more likely most familiar. The fact that he was ennobled was unfamiliar, but ennobled from what? We don't know where Edward met him, but given that monarch's penchant for associating with workmen it could have been anywhere. I think historians have tried to make Piers into a nothingness whereas he was very important to Edward and little though they liked it if you wanted access to Edward getting on Gaveston's good side would be an excellent way. Was Isabel as well educated as Doherty claims? The way Philip of France and Isabel's brothers are portrayed you wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near that French court. Of course, with Edward's unstable emotions and the various interpersonal tensions (how's that for politeness?) going on you wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near the English one, either. Really enjoyed this and looking forward to reading the third.
