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Stories told on Pilgrimage from London to Canterbury #7
The Midnight Man
As Chaucer's pilgrims shelter for the night, it's the physician's turn to enthral his fellow travellers with a terrifying tale. When Brother Anselm and his novice Stephen are summoned to the Church of St Michael's, Candlewick, to perform an exorcism, the demons that plague the church appear to have been summoned by an infamous sorcerer known as the Midnight Man. But what has he unwittingly unleashed - and why? Is there any link to the disappearance of young women in the area? Before Anselm can get to the truth, he must first uncover the identity of the mysterious Midnight Man.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
32 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Paul Doherty
236 books606 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.
Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.
Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.
He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.
Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.
Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.
His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body
He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.
Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.
Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.
He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.
Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.
Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.
His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 27, 2021
Read this book in 2012, and its the 7th volume, maybe the last?, of this wonderful "Canterbury Tales" series, featuring Geoffrey Chaucer and his group of pilgrims while travelling from London to Canterbury.
While sheltering for the night, it the Physician's turn to tell his tale of terror and anxiety.
Its about Bother Anselm and his novice Stephen, who are summoned to the Church of St Michael's in Candlewick, to perform an exorcism.
These demons seem to have been summoned by an infamous sorcerer, known as the Midnight Man.
Women have disappeared in the area and several demons that plagued the church, these actions need to be solved and quickly by Anselm.
But before Anselm can solve these riddles, he must in a thrilling and gripping fashion first uncover the identify of the Midnight Man, before he will get to the truth behind this whole mystery.
Highly recommended, for this is a superb addition of this great series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Magnificent Midnight Man Mystery"!
While sheltering for the night, it the Physician's turn to tell his tale of terror and anxiety.
Its about Bother Anselm and his novice Stephen, who are summoned to the Church of St Michael's in Candlewick, to perform an exorcism.
These demons seem to have been summoned by an infamous sorcerer, known as the Midnight Man.
Women have disappeared in the area and several demons that plagued the church, these actions need to be solved and quickly by Anselm.
But before Anselm can solve these riddles, he must in a thrilling and gripping fashion first uncover the identify of the Midnight Man, before he will get to the truth behind this whole mystery.
Highly recommended, for this is a superb addition of this great series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Magnificent Midnight Man Mystery"!
November 16, 2018
Will the series continue? I hope so!
I thought this book may wrap all the loose ends up but nope, here's to hoping for some closure eventually.
I thought this book may wrap all the loose ends up but nope, here's to hoping for some closure eventually.
January 31, 2022
Would of liked to know how it all ended foe the pilgrims!!!
I do like read these English mysteries. The series are really good. But I have one problem. It's the way Paul Doherty ends a series. He leaves you hanging. He doesn't round it out an that really sucks.
I do like read these English mysteries. The series are really good. But I have one problem. It's the way Paul Doherty ends a series. He leaves you hanging. He doesn't round it out an that really sucks.
December 10, 2014
This is another entry in Doherty's Canterbury Mystery series. The series features each of Chaucer's pilgrims telling a tale of horror and sorrow at different inns along the way on their pilgrimmage to Canterbury. In this one we are treated to a chilling story of horror and haunting told by the Physician in the group. The physician tells a truly frightening story about hauntings that occurred in around St. Michael's Church in Candlewick. Young women are disappearing, people are dying and the church is haunted by numerous malevolent spirits. Brother Anselm and his young acolyte Stephen have been summoned to the church to perform an exorcism, but what they find there is so terrifying and so dangerous that both their lives as well as lives of the people who are helping them are threatened. This is a very dark tale with many graphic ghostly scenes. In fact, there are so many nightmarish happenings during the course of the book, that it is hard to keep the real occurrences from all the hauntings. It is difficult for Anselm and Stephen to separate the two as well. As usual, as with all Doherty books, the settings and the characters are very clearly described. It puts the reader right in the middle of the action. If you like your medieval mysteries to be complex and realistic, as well as frightening, this series of Doherty's is for you.
April 3, 2018
Doherty has got the sense of medieval London nailed. The stenches, the chaos, the unregulated crime. But in Midnight Man, he slips out on a fascinating limb. The narrator is part of the band of pilgrims wending their way to Canterbury. As is Geoffrey Chaucer. Entertainment for the evenings are the tales told by the pilgrims, and Midnight Man is the tale told by the Physician. One of the delights of the whole book falls in the middle of the first paragraph: "Chaucer continued his musing, that Becket, whose blissful bones these pilgrims hoped to venerate..." matching the cadence of the early lines of Canterbury Tales. Cheeky. Wonderful.
The heart of the story is the blending of the demonic with actual human crime. The Brother in charge of the investigation, Anselm, pulls everyone back from terror over Satanic rituals in the graveyard of St Michael's, Candlewick, insisting that the incursion of spirits and demons has been caused by mortal sin. It's an interesting concept, about 800 years ahead of its time: where great sin is enacted, it becomes a portal for the almost-but-not-quite invisible presence of the demonic. Ten years ago, I would have smiled patronizingly at the idea. Now, I'm not so sure.
The heart of the story is the blending of the demonic with actual human crime. The Brother in charge of the investigation, Anselm, pulls everyone back from terror over Satanic rituals in the graveyard of St Michael's, Candlewick, insisting that the incursion of spirits and demons has been caused by mortal sin. It's an interesting concept, about 800 years ahead of its time: where great sin is enacted, it becomes a portal for the almost-but-not-quite invisible presence of the demonic. Ten years ago, I would have smiled patronizingly at the idea. Now, I'm not so sure.
May 4, 2013
The author's 'Hugh Corbett' series is one of my favourites and I have to admit that when I found this on my library shelf, at first, I thought that this was part of that series.
I wasnt particularly aware of the Canterbury Tales series but as I got reading, the authors style came through powerfully.
I was a little confused over the characters for the first couple of chapters and it took me a while to get into the real story, but once I did it certainly took hold.
An exciting read which anyone who has read Paul Doherty will be used to. I cant give it the 5th * because of my problems getting into the novel but after that , an excellent story with PD's own brand of authentic background.
I rather like the idea of the Royal Warrant and instant justice meted out at the end of the book. It could solve a lot of todays problems!
Something in the final section suggests that this series has more to offer and I look forward to exploring it.
I wasnt particularly aware of the Canterbury Tales series but as I got reading, the authors style came through powerfully.
I was a little confused over the characters for the first couple of chapters and it took me a while to get into the real story, but once I did it certainly took hold.
An exciting read which anyone who has read Paul Doherty will be used to. I cant give it the 5th * because of my problems getting into the novel but after that , an excellent story with PD's own brand of authentic background.
I rather like the idea of the Royal Warrant and instant justice meted out at the end of the book. It could solve a lot of todays problems!
Something in the final section suggests that this series has more to offer and I look forward to exploring it.
April 9, 2013
I have read all, but the author's most recent books. That's quite a lot of books, perhaps 120+, all of which I enjoyed a great deal.
This one, however, was a slog to get through. There was so much detail, repeated detail, and so many appearances by evil demons, described in so much detail, that it was a fearsome case of narrative overload. It felt like either the writer was writing to reach a prescribed total number of words, or he simply couldn't be bothered to do his best work, or he had no time for editing and trimming.
This is not the book to become acquainted with Dr. Doherty.
This one, however, was a slog to get through. There was so much detail, repeated detail, and so many appearances by evil demons, described in so much detail, that it was a fearsome case of narrative overload. It felt like either the writer was writing to reach a prescribed total number of words, or he simply couldn't be bothered to do his best work, or he had no time for editing and trimming.
This is not the book to become acquainted with Dr. Doherty.
August 23, 2015
Wonderful depth of historical knowledge. That's really the only positive thing I can say about this novel. Clothing, food, landmarks of medieval London, biblical references of a suitably dark and sinister sort - I was impressed by Doherty's evocation of time and place. Unfortunately, the writing undermined all of this.
In brief, this is a tale-within-a-tale. The physician, one of the pilgrims on Chaucer's famous literary pilgrimage, tells his companions a dark tale when they stop for the night. From this point on, Chaucer's pilgrims make only the occasional appearance throughout the novel, and the tone of the physician's tale of dark doings is not conveyed as a spoken narrative, but from a loose third-person point-of-view of Stephen, a novice monk. The physician tells of an exorcist's efforts to rid a London parish church of violent hauntings. Murder and mayhem ensues.
The Midnight Man is designed as a Gothic, if not a downright horror, story. I have no problem with that. However, Doherty constantly undermined any sense of horror by means of 'telling' of emotion ('deep dread filled Stephen') and adjectives that instruct the reader how they are to perceive the scene ('the stinking stench of corruption'). In fact, Doherty lays the Gothic on so thick, that I begin to doubt the historicity of the setting. I am aware that London, post-Plague, was a cleaner and much less crowded city than before, all things being relative. Yet here, Doherty shows us a:
"squalid, hellish maze of the needle-thin paths, their ill-dug sewers crammed with disgusting refuse."
I could say much more. For example, I could grumble that Stephen's visions, although interesting, are never shown to have any plot relevance. I could mutter that, for all the multitude of murders, none (except for the accidental killing of a girl right at the end) really made any emotional impact. Quantity of corpses does not directly equate to degree of horror.
I could go on, but I won't.
In brief, this is a tale-within-a-tale. The physician, one of the pilgrims on Chaucer's famous literary pilgrimage, tells his companions a dark tale when they stop for the night. From this point on, Chaucer's pilgrims make only the occasional appearance throughout the novel, and the tone of the physician's tale of dark doings is not conveyed as a spoken narrative, but from a loose third-person point-of-view of Stephen, a novice monk. The physician tells of an exorcist's efforts to rid a London parish church of violent hauntings. Murder and mayhem ensues.
The Midnight Man is designed as a Gothic, if not a downright horror, story. I have no problem with that. However, Doherty constantly undermined any sense of horror by means of 'telling' of emotion ('deep dread filled Stephen') and adjectives that instruct the reader how they are to perceive the scene ('the stinking stench of corruption'). In fact, Doherty lays the Gothic on so thick, that I begin to doubt the historicity of the setting. I am aware that London, post-Plague, was a cleaner and much less crowded city than before, all things being relative. Yet here, Doherty shows us a:
"squalid, hellish maze of the needle-thin paths, their ill-dug sewers crammed with disgusting refuse."
I could say much more. For example, I could grumble that Stephen's visions, although interesting, are never shown to have any plot relevance. I could mutter that, for all the multitude of murders, none (except for the accidental killing of a girl right at the end) really made any emotional impact. Quantity of corpses does not directly equate to degree of horror.
I could go on, but I won't.
October 15, 2012
This was an OK medieval mystery. Apparently, Chaucer (heard of him?) is on, guess what?!, a pilgrimage and each book constitutes a tale told by one of the pilgrims. In this one, the doctor tells the tale of Brother Anselm and his young, nervous assistant Stephen as they try to uncover the mystery behind a haunted church. Although (Spoiler) the book has a fairly straightforward ending, I was annoyed by the frequent times in which the monk and his assistant go into the church and are plagued by ghosts and demons. I think Doherty would have been better served to minimize the supernatural pyrotechnics and just stick with the story.
August 5, 2018
Doherty created a series in which the reader is part of the group of pilgrims traveling with Chaucer to Canterbury. Each of the pilgrims takes a turn in telling a story of horror and mystery. It is a fascinating concept and the two in the series that I have read have been quite good. It would probably be best to read the books in order since this book 'felt' as if I had missed some important details previously revealed. Each book, though, can be read as a stand alone.
February 5, 2017
The last in the series ?
Reading them for the sake of it now....
Thank God that's over, I'm afraid that this series exponentially follows the law of diminishing returns
I shredded this book, so that no-one else would have to endure it
Reading them for the sake of it now....
Thank God that's over, I'm afraid that this series exponentially follows the law of diminishing returns
I shredded this book, so that no-one else would have to endure it
October 7, 2012
No one does medieval mystery/horror like Doherty. This newest entry in the Canterbury Pilgrims series is very atmospheric and well-written.
January 28, 2013
A bloody good tale of Medieval evil.
June 21, 2016
I read this at the same time as another Paul Doherty book and this one won without question! It is a gripping story with a brilliant sense of place and time.
January 15, 2018
Great book, plenty of body count! Only trouble is the chapters are quite long so spent many a late night just having to read one more page 😃
August 6, 2020
An Incredible book......one of his best. It shouldn't have taken me so long to read but when more important thing get in the way.........I had put it down at page 101 and didn't pick it back up for a few days or more. When I did start reading it again, I couldn't put it down. Great book.
June 17, 2022
Well written in that the writing wasn't sloppy and full of typos and grammatical errors. The story was ok but not as engaging as previous installments in this series. The details and scenes seemed rather repetitive at times.
August 17, 2024
The true art of combining fact and fiction
This is another great example of how really good authors can weave fact and fiction. When it is done well, it makes for truly great reading. Paul Doherty is an absolute master at it and I hope he gets to write many more books.
This is another great example of how really good authors can weave fact and fiction. When it is done well, it makes for truly great reading. Paul Doherty is an absolute master at it and I hope he gets to write many more books.
November 4, 2019
The atmosphere is first rate, but the mystery is nothing special.
July 2, 2022
Goodness this was spooky. Another excellent read in this series.
February 11, 2017
Was really enjoying this book until the end. It wrapped up with pages and pages of characters monologuing (sp?).
October 5, 2013
The Midnight Man is the 7th book in Doherty's Canterbury Tales series. The premise is that Chaucer's pilgrims agree to tell a story in the evening around the inn fire as well as the one they tell on the road as chronicled by Chaucer, and that the night-time story must be a spooky one. So all the series are about ghosts, demons, witchcraft etc.
This particular novel is the Physician's tale. He tells the story of Carmelite friar and exorcist, Anselm, who is sent to a London parish to tackle the hauntings going on around the graveyard following its abuse by a coven led by the Midnight Man. Anselm and his young assistant encounter devils and demons of both the supernatural and the human variety as the become entangled in a plot that involves royal treasure, murder and black magic.
This particular novel is the Physician's tale. He tells the story of Carmelite friar and exorcist, Anselm, who is sent to a London parish to tackle the hauntings going on around the graveyard following its abuse by a coven led by the Midnight Man. Anselm and his young assistant encounter devils and demons of both the supernatural and the human variety as the become entangled in a plot that involves royal treasure, murder and black magic.
June 22, 2014
Interesting historical read, very different from my usual fare. The imagery, of course, was true to belief systems of the time but not to my liking. There is something didactic about this author's writing. I tried one of each from his two different series of books and preferred this Chaucer line. Thus, I may give him another chance to win me over.
August 5, 2015
I have read and enjoyed other books by this author, but unfortunately I found this one unreadable. I abandoned the effort about a third of the way in. It was laboured and disjointed and full of mumbo jumbo rather than mystery.
April 12, 2014
A mixture of ghosts and murder mystery. This series has a lot of supernatural going on.
July 2, 2014
Hard to read in the beginning, but once I got into it, it was really good. Never guessed who the Midnight Man was.
February 6, 2015
This mystery story was repetitive and very densely written – I struggle through to the end, but was lost after fifty pages. A good edit would have helped.
June 8, 2012
Not the best I have read from this author. It was not really a story that grabbed me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews