Satan in St. Mary's / Paul Doherty

Satan in St Mary's by Paul Doherty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I guess when you are a headmaster as well as an author, you have a tendency towards the didactic. You know, teach 'em history while they think they're reading a novel. That was definitely the case with the first Doherty novel that I read (The Mask of Ra). It certainly also explains the attention to setting and the details of Hugh's daily life, rather than on his thoughts or feelings.

Any one who has been reading my reviews for a while will know that when it comes to historical mysteries, I hold Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael books up as my gold standard. They are one of the only cozy mystery series that I can honestly claim to really, really enjoy. And that is because of Peters' characterization of Cadfael. He is easy to know and to sympathize with. Hugh Corbett has potential to get there, but we aren't permitted very far into his interior life. At this point, he remains remote, despite the fact that we witness his struggle and pain over his relationship with Alice.

I currently have book two of this series sitting on my bookshelf waiting, so I'm happy that I liked book one as much as I did. Having a collection of unread books has been a sanity saver during this time of pandemic and physical distancing. This week, our public library will be sharing their plans for reopening, but maybe I will take time to investigate another crime with Hugh before I rejoin society.


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