Paul C. Doherty

Dr Paul C Doherty OBE BA (Hons) DPhil
Born	(1946-09-21) September 21, 1946 Middlesbrough
Occupation	Headmaster
Language	English
Nationality	United Kingdom
Alma mater	Liverpool University
Genres	Historical crime novels
Spouse(s)	Carla Lynn Corbitt
www.paulcdoherty.com

Paul C. Doherty OBE (born 21 September 1946)^[1] is an award-winning British author, educator, lecturer and historian. He is also the Headmaster of Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green, Essex, in the United Kingdom. He is a prolific writer, having producing dozens of historical novels as well as a number of nonfiction history books.

Biography

Paul C. Doherty was born in 1946 and spent his early years in Middlesbrough^[2] in the United Kingdom. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and at Exeter College, Oxford, where he received a doctorate for his thesis on Edward II. Dr. Doherty is a historian who lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries.

Dr Doherty was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his services to education in 2011. ^[3][4]

His other career is that of Headmaster at Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green, Essex for 30 years. In 1999, the school was given Beacon status. A February 2006 Ofsted report declared the school Grade 1, "outstanding". A February 2009 Ofsted report again rated the overall effectiveness of the school as Grade 1, "outstanding".^[5] Trinity Catholic High School^[6]

Literary career

Dr. Doherty has published a series of historical mysteries set in the Middle Ages, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. He writes both fiction and non-fiction under his own name, both as P.C. Doherty and Paul C. Doherty, as well as the pennames: Anna Apostolou, Michael Clynes, Ann Dukthas, C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, and Vanessa Alexander. Doherty is the author of several mystery series, including The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan, the Hugh Corbett medieval mysteries, the Canterbury Tales of mystery and murder which are listed below.

He has written 100 published books which have been printed in several languages and distributed in several different countries including the UK, United States, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.

Literary Reviews, recognition, and awards

In an interview with Michael Shankland, Shankland states of Doherty: "I admire how this writer can use the medium of a novel to demonstrate a deep knowledge of the complex working of early 14th-century diplomacy and espionage. Paul C. Doherty seems to be one of the few writers focusing on the Hundred Years’ War who understands the importance of the relationship between England and Gascony during this era".^[7]

A review of his book "The Horus Killings" at reviewingtheevidence.com states that Doherty maintains a balance between historical description and the action of the plot on perfect pitch. "The mix is near perfect. The descriptive passages enhance the story, allowing the reader to vividly visualize an unfamiliar setting without detracting from the page-turning pace desirable in a light mystery."^[8]

Harriet Klausner states in her review of this same book that "Ancient historical fiction/mystery readers, especially Egyptologists, will cherish this novel."^[9]

A 2009 review by Mike Ripley, himself an acclaimed author and regular contributor of SHOTS Crime and Mystery magazine, states of Doherty's book "The Spies of Sobeck": "A very wise literary agent (and there are some) once told me that the trick with historical mysteries was to hook the reader early on with the mystery and then give them the history lesson. They know the lesson is coming but they want to be lured, almost fooled, into listening to it. Paul Doherty goes out of his way to break this rule. His latest novel and the seventh in his 'Ancient Egyptian Mysteries' series, "The Spies of Sobeck" starts (and ends) with historical notes by the author; there's also a map and a list of characters and their position in the hierarchy of Egypt in 1477BC. So the reader is left in no doubt that they are in for a history lesson and they get one; and it is the positive master class we have come to expect from Paul Doherty. This is history red in tooth and claw and Doherty has proved, in more than fifty novels over a variety of historical settings, that when he gives a history lesson, readers sit up straight and pay attention."^[10]

In 1998 Paul Doherty was included in the Times "Murder They Write: 100 masters of crime" list published as a supplement to the Times on 18 April 1998. The list, compiled by book critics and authors, included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler^[11][12]

He was also awarded the Herodotus, for lifelong achievement for excellence in the writing of historical mysteries by the Historical Mystery Appreciation Society^[13]

Treason of the Ghosts was one of The Times' "Best of this year's crime novels", 2000^[14]

"Resurrectionist magic"—The Templar^[4]

^[15]

Documentaries

The UK Channel Five documentary, "The Secret Life of Elizabeth I" (2006), was based on his book of the same title.^[16] It explored Doherty's theory that Elizabeth I may have had a secret love child. The documentary received mixed reviews. The Daily Mail summarised the evidence, concluding "the truth about Elizabeth's romantic life and possible parenthood will continue to fascinate generations to come."^[17]

He has also recently appeared in a National Geographic Channel documentary entitled: "Secrets of the Virgin Queen". The documentary examines some controversial theories as to why Elizabeth never married.(2011).^[18]

Bibliography

Hugh Corbett series

Set during the 13th-century reign of Edward I of England

1. Satan in St Mary's (1986)
2. The Crown in Darkness (1988)
3. Spy in Chancery (1988)
4. The Angel of Death (1989)
5. The Prince Of Darkness (1992)
6. Murder Wears a Cowl (1992)
7. The Assassin in the Greenwood (1993)
8. The Song of a Dark Angel (1994)
9. Satan's Fire (1995)
10. The Devil's Hunt (1996)
11. The Demon Archer (1999)
12. The Treason of the Ghosts (2000)
13. Corpse Candle (2001)
14. The Magician's Death (2004)
15. The Waxman Murders (2006)
16. Nightshade (2008)
17. The Mysterium (2010)

Matthew Jankyn series

1. The Whyte Harte (1988)
2. The Serpent Amongst the Lilies (1990)

Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan

Set during the 14th-century reign of Richard II of England

1. The Nightingale Gallery (1991) (writing as Paul Harding)
2. The House Of The Red Slayer (1992) (writing as Paul Harding) aka The Red Slayer
3. Murder Most Holy (1992) (writing as Paul Harding)
4. The Anger Of God (1993) (writing as Paul Harding)
5. By Murder's Bright Light (1994) (writing as Paul Harding)
6. The House Of Crows (1995) (writing as Paul Harding)
7. The Assassin's Riddle (1996) (writing as Paul Harding)
8. The Devil's Domain (1998)
9. The Field Of Blood (1999)
10. The House of Shadows (2003)
11. Bloodstone (2011)
12. The Straw Men (2012)
13. Candle Flame (2014)

Sir Roger Shallot Tudor Mysteries (writing as Michael Clynes)

Set during the 16th-century reign of Henry VIII of England

1. The White Rose Murders (1991)
2. The Poisoned Chalice (1992)
3. The Grail Murders (1993)
4. A Brood of Vipers (1994)
5. The Gallows Murders (1995)
6. The Relic Murders (1996)

Kathryn Swinbrooke series (writing as C. L. Grace)

Set in 15th century England

1. A Shrine of Murders (1993)
2. The Eye of God (1994)
3. The Merchant of Death (1995)
4. The Book of Shadows (1996)
5. Saintly Murders (2001)
6. A Maze of Murders (2002)
7. A Feast of Poisons (2004)

Nicholas Segalla series (writing as Ann Dukthas)

1. A Time for the Death of a King (1994), set in Edinburgh 1567, involving Mary, Queen of Scots
2. A Prince Lost to Time (1995), set in France circa 1793, involving Marie Antoinette
3. The Time of Murder at Mayerling (1996), set in Vienna 1889, involving Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria
4. In the Time of the Poisoned Queen (1998), set in England 1558, involving Mary I of England

Canterbury Tales

1. An Ancient Evil (1994)
2. A Tapestry of Murders (1994)
3. A Tournament of Murders (1996)
4. Ghostly Murders (1997)
5. The Hangman's Hymn (2001)
6. A Haunt of Murder (2002)
7. The Midnight Man (2012)

Mystery of Alexander the Great (writing as Anna Apostolou)

Set in 4th-century ancient Greece

1. A Murder in Macedon (1997)
2. A Murder in Thebes (1998)

The Egyptian Mysteries

Amerokte is the chief judge of the temple of Ma'at, he becomes the investigator of conspiracies against the 15th-century BC reign of Queen Hatusu

1. The Mask of Ra (1998)
2. The Horus Killings (1999)
3. The Anubis Slayings (2000)
4. The Slayers of Seth (2001)
5. The Assassins of Isis (2004)
6. The Poisoner of Ptah (2007)
7. The Spies of Sobeck (2008)

Mahu (The Akhenaten-trilogy)

The ancient Egyptian noble Mahu recounts the events of the age of Akhenaten and his part in them and his relationships with other personages of the Amarna period.

1. An Evil Spirit Out of the West (2003)
2. The Season of the Hyaena (2005)
3. The Year of the Cobra (2005)

Mathilde of Westminster series

Set during the reign of Edward II of England

1. The Cup of Ghosts (2005)
2. The Poison Maiden (2007)
3. The Darkening Glass (2009)

Political Intrigue in Ancient Rome

Set during the time of Constantine the Great

1. Domina (2002)
2. Murder Imperial (2003)
3. The Song of the Gladiator (2004)
4. The Queen of the Night (2006)
5. Murder's Immortal Mask (2008)

Alexander the Great Mysteries

• The House of Death (2001)
• The Godless Man (2002)
• The Gates of Hell (2003)

Templar

• The Templar (2007)
• The Templar Magician (2009)

Novels

• The Death of a King: A Medieval Mystery (1985)
• Prince Drakulya (1986)
• The Fate of Princes (1990)
• Dove Amongst the Hawks (1990)
• The Masked Man (1991)
• The Rose Demon (1997)
• The Haunting (1997)
• The Soul Slayer (1997)
• The Love Knot (1999) (writing as Vanessa Alexander)
• Of Love and War (2000) (writing as Vanessa Alexander)
• The Loving Cup (2001) (writing as Vanessa Alexander)
• The Plague Lord (2002)
• The Last of Days (2013)

Non-fiction

• 2003 The Mysterious Death of Tutankhamun ISBN 978-1-84119-595-7
• 2003 Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II ISBN 978-1-84119-843-9
• 2004 Alexander the Great, the Death of a God : what – or who – really killed the young conqueror of the known world? ISBN 978-1-84529-156-3 url worldcat.org/oclc/61175606
• 2005 Great Crown Jewel Robbery of 1303 ISBN 978-1845291877
• 2006 The Secret Life of Elizabeth I ISBN 978-1-871551-85-3 org/oclc/62089411
• 2006 The Death of the Red King ISBN 978-1871551921

References

Sources

• www.paulcdoherty.com Official Website and bibliography
• Historical Novel Society Reviews
• EURO CRIME Reviews
• Reviewing The Evidence.com
• MysteryNet.com

Persondata
Name	Doherty, P. C.
Alternative names	Doherty, Paul C
Short description	British Educator and Author
Date of birth	21 September 1946
Place of birth	Middlesbrough
Date of death
Place of death