In “By Murder's Bright Light,” Paul Harding (a nom de plume of Paul Doherty) presents
us with his fifth installment of the Brother Athelstan series. In this episode, we find a
seemingly unsolvable murder aboard one of his majesty's ships, "God's Bright Light." The
captain has been poisoned and three crew members have disappeared, believed to have
been murdered. As it turns out, the captain is part of a conspiracy to steal a large shipment
of silver that belongs to the king and the intrigue includes the involvement of spies,
members of the "underworld," the ship's crew, and the captain's widow. All combine to
give this erstwhile Dominican friar an intellectual puzzle, fit for a king. When the King's
Coroner Sir John Cranston comes to Athelstan for help, he cannot resist. This is a puzzle
he can't refuse. Harding involves the whole St. Erconwald parish, and readers will once
again welcome their involvement (they are like “family”!).
"
Bill Hobbs, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of By Murder's Bright Light
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- middle ages
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- nearly 100%
Special suspect?
- chronically deranged person
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
- british mystery (I say!)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is....
- criminal's rise in a crime organization
Crime Thriller
Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- religious figure
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- accused criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Unusual forms of death
- poisoning
- perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
