What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan #1
The Nightingale Gallery
It is 1376, and the famed Black Prince has died of a terrible rotting sickness, closely followed by his father, King Edward III. The crown of England is now left in the hands of a mere boy—the future Richard II—and the great nobles have gathered like hungry wolves around the empty throne. A terrible power struggle threatens the country, and one of London's powerful merchant princes is foully murdered within a few days of Edward’s death. Coroner Sir John Cranston and Dominican monk Brother Athelstan are ordered to investigate, and the body count begins to rise, Cranston and Athelstan are drawn ever deeper into a dark web of intrigue.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
584 people are currently reading
2,184 people want to read
About the author
Paul Harding
25 books14 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
A pseudonym used by Paul Doherty.
Book 1-7 of The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan were originally written under pseudonym Paul Harding. Since 1998, starting with book 8, The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan were published under his own name Paul Doherty.
A pseudonym used by Paul Doherty.
Book 1-7 of The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan were originally written under pseudonym Paul Harding. Since 1998, starting with book 8, The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan were published under his own name Paul Doherty.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
October 27, 2021
Read this book in 2009, and its the 1st volume of the amazing "Brother Athelstan" series, from the author, Paul Doherty.
The historical details concerning this period of history are superbly interwoven within this tale of murder and mayhem.
This tale is set in the year AD 1377, after the deaths of the Black Prince and the late King Edward III, and now the reign is in the hands of a young boy, the future King Richard II.
Acting as Regent is his uncle John of Gaunt, who's working behind the scenes to improve his position and power at court, but also there are several other nobles, also all acting as hungry wolves for the throne, and a power struggle will threaten the country.
Within a few days after the death of the old King, one of London's powerful merchant princes, a man named Springall, is foully murdered, and Brother Athelstan and the Coroner Sir John Cranston are summoned to investigate his death.
By entering this web of intrigue Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston will encounter in a fast-paced story several dangerous and deadly moments, and after some twists and turns, followed by a superbly executed plot, they will be able to unravel this mystery of murder and mayhem, and reveal the culprit behind this murder.
Highly recommended, for this is a tremendous 1st volume of this amazing series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fantastic Brother Athelstan Opener"!
The historical details concerning this period of history are superbly interwoven within this tale of murder and mayhem.
This tale is set in the year AD 1377, after the deaths of the Black Prince and the late King Edward III, and now the reign is in the hands of a young boy, the future King Richard II.
Acting as Regent is his uncle John of Gaunt, who's working behind the scenes to improve his position and power at court, but also there are several other nobles, also all acting as hungry wolves for the throne, and a power struggle will threaten the country.
Within a few days after the death of the old King, one of London's powerful merchant princes, a man named Springall, is foully murdered, and Brother Athelstan and the Coroner Sir John Cranston are summoned to investigate his death.
By entering this web of intrigue Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston will encounter in a fast-paced story several dangerous and deadly moments, and after some twists and turns, followed by a superbly executed plot, they will be able to unravel this mystery of murder and mayhem, and reveal the culprit behind this murder.
Highly recommended, for this is a tremendous 1st volume of this amazing series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fantastic Brother Athelstan Opener"!
June 30, 2019
I have always very much enjoyed Paul Doherty's Hugh Corbett series of Mediaeval murder mysteries (of course not nearly as much as Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfaelor Susanna Gregory's Matthew Bartholomew series, but Hugh Corbett is indeed a delightful and personable sleuth, his diverse mysteries are historically intriguing, meticulously researched, logical in set-up and presentation, and the author's, Paul Doherty's writing style, while perhaps sometimes a trifle slow moving and thus also a bit frustratung, has still always managed to retain and keep my interest and attention). And therefore, when I realised that Paul Doherty is also the author of the Brother Athelstan series of Mediaeval mysteries, I was delighted, and of course decided to give the first book, to give The Nightingale Gallery a try.
However, I stopped reading The Nightingale Gallery after only about sixty odd pages (and in absolute frustration), and not because of the thematics presented, not because the historical, Mediaeval setting of 14th century England (and the power struggles in London after the Prince of Wales, after Edward the Black Prince dies of a wasting disease) are not of personal and historic, academic interest to and for me (actually, rather the opposite, in fact). No, I simply and utterly CANNOT ABIDE the prose, the textual writing style in which The Nightingale Gallery has been penned, has been presented; it feels artificial, tediously monotonous and actually quite strangely alien (as though Paul Doherty is writing as someone else entirely, but not doing at all a good job of this). And perhaps I should have given The Nightingale Gallery more of a chance, and perhaps I should also not be reviewing and rating a novel I could not even finish. But sorry, novels where the writing style, where the mode of literary presentation and expression consistently and personally grate and massively so (and right from the beginning, right from page one in fact), that is a very major and infuriating pet peeve and turn-off, and considering how much I was in fact looking forward to The Nightingale Gallery and the possiblilty of another new (for me) Mediaeval mystery series (as I am always on the lookout for these), I feel absolutely no qualms rating The Nightingale Gallery with but one star (and also having to strongly consider that perhaps Paul Doherty only works for me with regard to his Hugh Corbett series, that I should probably stay away from ALL other series as well as stand-alone offerings from his pen).
However, I stopped reading The Nightingale Gallery after only about sixty odd pages (and in absolute frustration), and not because of the thematics presented, not because the historical, Mediaeval setting of 14th century England (and the power struggles in London after the Prince of Wales, after Edward the Black Prince dies of a wasting disease) are not of personal and historic, academic interest to and for me (actually, rather the opposite, in fact). No, I simply and utterly CANNOT ABIDE the prose, the textual writing style in which The Nightingale Gallery has been penned, has been presented; it feels artificial, tediously monotonous and actually quite strangely alien (as though Paul Doherty is writing as someone else entirely, but not doing at all a good job of this). And perhaps I should have given The Nightingale Gallery more of a chance, and perhaps I should also not be reviewing and rating a novel I could not even finish. But sorry, novels where the writing style, where the mode of literary presentation and expression consistently and personally grate and massively so (and right from the beginning, right from page one in fact), that is a very major and infuriating pet peeve and turn-off, and considering how much I was in fact looking forward to The Nightingale Gallery and the possiblilty of another new (for me) Mediaeval mystery series (as I am always on the lookout for these), I feel absolutely no qualms rating The Nightingale Gallery with but one star (and also having to strongly consider that perhaps Paul Doherty only works for me with regard to his Hugh Corbett series, that I should probably stay away from ALL other series as well as stand-alone offerings from his pen).
October 3, 2022
The first of The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Dominican friar brother Athlestan, who must atone for his sins by serving as parish Priest at St Erconwald's Southwark.
It is the middle ages; a time when the King is a boy (Richard the second), his uncle John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster is the King's guardian and has his eyes on the throne for himself. Of plots and intrigues of the great and not so great of England.
Athelstan's further penance is to serve Sir John (Jack) Cranston the king's coroners as his secretary while further doing penance.
This book introduces the main characters, the parishioners of St Erconwalds and the daily life, death, plots and delights of London in this time - rather rough, fragrant and extreme.
This is a reread for me as I first started this series many years ago and have progressed through.
This series is well worth reading once, twice, three times as the characters, plots, people and intrigues grow over each story telling.
It is the middle ages; a time when the King is a boy (Richard the second), his uncle John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster is the King's guardian and has his eyes on the throne for himself. Of plots and intrigues of the great and not so great of England.
Athelstan's further penance is to serve Sir John (Jack) Cranston the king's coroners as his secretary while further doing penance.
This book introduces the main characters, the parishioners of St Erconwalds and the daily life, death, plots and delights of London in this time - rather rough, fragrant and extreme.
This is a reread for me as I first started this series many years ago and have progressed through.
This series is well worth reading once, twice, three times as the characters, plots, people and intrigues grow over each story telling.
August 19, 2012
The medieval clerical mystery seems to be a sub-genre all its own, with dozens of series centered around monks, friars, nuns, monasteries, abbeys and the like. Though The Cadfael Chronicles are still my favorite, I am enjoying this series that takes place in 14th century London. The author's descriptions erase any bit of romantic notions about medieval life, and I tire a bit reading about the stinking, putrid, nauseating, etc., etc., etc., sites and smells of London. But Brother Athelstan is a worthy (worthy of my time and attention) main character, and each new book in the series adds depth to him and his sleuthing partners. If you like mysteries with a historical backdrop, this is as good a series as any.
April 1, 2015
This is the probably the most mixed review i've had to give a book in quite a while. Anyone who follows my reviews knows that i'm not overly difficult to please - I simply like to be entertained when I read a story, however right up until the last page I was set to give this one only 2 stars, possibly my first 2-star review for the year.
So first, the bad:
I expected a lot from this book as I'd seen Doherty praised, a lot, in mystery lover circles, and historical crime novels - particularly those set in middle-age England - are among my favourite story indulgence. This was however his first novel, so perhaps I am being overly harsh, but for such a short book it really draaaags.
The central story of Nightingale Gallery is quite a clever little locked-room mystery, with a few Christie-like flourishes and an entertaining cast of characters. However, the key to a good, entertaining historical mystery is to have a complex, well research setting as a background to the story itself. Background being the key word. Whilst you expect the setting, differences in culture and law and the like to play major parts in the story, Doherty indulges himself in this novel, showing off his research in endlessly tedious and pointless scenes.
As an example, one long extended scene over quite a few pages simply has the main character walking from one place to another, and describes the route he takes (street by street) and everything that happens along the way. The story doesn't benefit from this scene at all - nothing that occurs has any relevance to the story itself, it is just an excuse for the author to play with his historical toys for a while, forcing us to watch as he does so.
Maybe i'm not the target audience for this novel, but I am familiar with history in broad strokes, and some parts in detail. I read works of historical non-fiction and find them quite entertaining, and I have read many works of historical crime fiction, because as I said before they are one of my favourite indulgences.
The point is, I already know that in the 14th century, London's streets were paved in shit. That it smelt bad, that people were poor and unhealthy, that the rats were numerous enough to form their own union for better wages and so-on. Had that entire lengthy multi-page love letter to his research notes been entirely omitted and replaced with "Athelstan spent the morning pushing through the crowds to X", the story wouldn't have suffered in the slightest.
In fact, if you remove all of the indulgent padding, what you're left with is closer to a short story than a full novel, and probably would have felt tighter and more satisfying if it had been one. If the setting material had instead been crafted in smaller chunks, with more subtlety, maybe it would have made a nice novella.
Unfortunately, the mystery section fell flat for me as well. Although it was, as I said previously, a clever little mystery - Doherty, at least in this book, doesn't "play fair" as fans of Dame Christie would know it. Instead, he uses the annoying little tricks and smirks at the reader to try and build up tension. Letters get read by the characters that "suddenly explain things", but their contents are not revealed to the reader. The protagonist, while meditating, "suddenly realises what he saw and what it means" but this realisation isn't presented to the reader until later chapters. One of the major telling pieces of evidence that gives away the murderer is a wood carving that is described in quite a lot of detail, however the single most important detail of the carving is withheld from the reader, for the protagonist to dramatically reveal in the final scenes. The details are withheld, of course, because if available to the reader the mystery would be no mystery at all - the answer is obvious. Which then leads to the obvious question; What took them so long to figure it out? There are no real twists in this story, the only surprises come from things that were noticed or told to the sleuths but never to the reader.
The reason I gave this book three stars instead of two, can be narrowed down to a single quote on one of the last pages:
"A moment later Athelstan header him roaring to Cecily the courtesan that he didn't care how pretty her arse was, she was to get out of his saddle!"
For all its faults, there is a certain amount of charm in the book, primarily in some of the colourful characters. They are not always believable - it may be that i'm just coming off "Lamentations" by Sansom, whose portrayal of the real terrors of life in the final years of King Henry VIII are a work of claustrophobic genius, but I find it very difficult to accept characters or relatively low station (or in the case of Athelstan, _very_ low station; a dominican parish priest isn't that much up the social ladder from a mendicant) feeling perfectly nonchalant in close quarters with the Regent of England, and his charge the young king. Doherty, who spends pages describing how ordure builds up in the alleys, doesn't even have his main characters bow to the most powerful men in the land. As Athelstan the dominican friar happily gives his Poirot-like rambling accusation story, he speaks to these lords as equals.
For this reason among others, Athelstan, the main protagonist, is probably one of the least sympathetic characters in the book. It was disappointing, I expected Susanna Gregory's Bartholemew, but I got a cardboard cut-out that doesn't quite fit instead.
And after all that, i've actually talked myself back down to two stars after all. I will try more novels in the series, to see if they improve over time, but I doubt i'll ever be back to re-read Athelstan's first steps.
TLDR; -- Not a terrible book, but when your alternative choices include Susanna Gregory's Bartholomew stories, Candace Robb's Owen Archer stories, Ellis Peters' Cadfael stories and C. J. Sansom's Shardlake series - i'm not sure why you'd bother.
So first, the bad:
I expected a lot from this book as I'd seen Doherty praised, a lot, in mystery lover circles, and historical crime novels - particularly those set in middle-age England - are among my favourite story indulgence. This was however his first novel, so perhaps I am being overly harsh, but for such a short book it really draaaags.
The central story of Nightingale Gallery is quite a clever little locked-room mystery, with a few Christie-like flourishes and an entertaining cast of characters. However, the key to a good, entertaining historical mystery is to have a complex, well research setting as a background to the story itself. Background being the key word. Whilst you expect the setting, differences in culture and law and the like to play major parts in the story, Doherty indulges himself in this novel, showing off his research in endlessly tedious and pointless scenes.
As an example, one long extended scene over quite a few pages simply has the main character walking from one place to another, and describes the route he takes (street by street) and everything that happens along the way. The story doesn't benefit from this scene at all - nothing that occurs has any relevance to the story itself, it is just an excuse for the author to play with his historical toys for a while, forcing us to watch as he does so.
Maybe i'm not the target audience for this novel, but I am familiar with history in broad strokes, and some parts in detail. I read works of historical non-fiction and find them quite entertaining, and I have read many works of historical crime fiction, because as I said before they are one of my favourite indulgences.
The point is, I already know that in the 14th century, London's streets were paved in shit. That it smelt bad, that people were poor and unhealthy, that the rats were numerous enough to form their own union for better wages and so-on. Had that entire lengthy multi-page love letter to his research notes been entirely omitted and replaced with "Athelstan spent the morning pushing through the crowds to X", the story wouldn't have suffered in the slightest.
In fact, if you remove all of the indulgent padding, what you're left with is closer to a short story than a full novel, and probably would have felt tighter and more satisfying if it had been one. If the setting material had instead been crafted in smaller chunks, with more subtlety, maybe it would have made a nice novella.
Unfortunately, the mystery section fell flat for me as well. Although it was, as I said previously, a clever little mystery - Doherty, at least in this book, doesn't "play fair" as fans of Dame Christie would know it. Instead, he uses the annoying little tricks and smirks at the reader to try and build up tension. Letters get read by the characters that "suddenly explain things", but their contents are not revealed to the reader. The protagonist, while meditating, "suddenly realises what he saw and what it means" but this realisation isn't presented to the reader until later chapters. One of the major telling pieces of evidence that gives away the murderer is a wood carving that is described in quite a lot of detail, however the single most important detail of the carving is withheld from the reader, for the protagonist to dramatically reveal in the final scenes. The details are withheld, of course, because if available to the reader the mystery would be no mystery at all - the answer is obvious. Which then leads to the obvious question; What took them so long to figure it out? There are no real twists in this story, the only surprises come from things that were noticed or told to the sleuths but never to the reader.
The reason I gave this book three stars instead of two, can be narrowed down to a single quote on one of the last pages:
"A moment later Athelstan header him roaring to Cecily the courtesan that he didn't care how pretty her arse was, she was to get out of his saddle!"
For all its faults, there is a certain amount of charm in the book, primarily in some of the colourful characters. They are not always believable - it may be that i'm just coming off "Lamentations" by Sansom, whose portrayal of the real terrors of life in the final years of King Henry VIII are a work of claustrophobic genius, but I find it very difficult to accept characters or relatively low station (or in the case of Athelstan, _very_ low station; a dominican parish priest isn't that much up the social ladder from a mendicant) feeling perfectly nonchalant in close quarters with the Regent of England, and his charge the young king. Doherty, who spends pages describing how ordure builds up in the alleys, doesn't even have his main characters bow to the most powerful men in the land. As Athelstan the dominican friar happily gives his Poirot-like rambling accusation story, he speaks to these lords as equals.
For this reason among others, Athelstan, the main protagonist, is probably one of the least sympathetic characters in the book. It was disappointing, I expected Susanna Gregory's Bartholemew, but I got a cardboard cut-out that doesn't quite fit instead.
And after all that, i've actually talked myself back down to two stars after all. I will try more novels in the series, to see if they improve over time, but I doubt i'll ever be back to re-read Athelstan's first steps.
TLDR; -- Not a terrible book, but when your alternative choices include Susanna Gregory's Bartholomew stories, Candace Robb's Owen Archer stories, Ellis Peters' Cadfael stories and C. J. Sansom's Shardlake series - i'm not sure why you'd bother.
August 9, 2010
I like the title of this series. Not being a Catholic, I had to look up "Sorrowful Mysteries" - they're one of the sets of Mysteries used when praying the Rosary.
The book has an interesting setting: London, just after the death of Edward III. John of Gaunt seems to be mixed up in the murder, although I didn't get far enough along to find out how. In addition to Brother Athelstan we are quickly introduced to a cat, a widow, a coroner, a criminal taking sanctuary in Athelstan's church, a corrupt Justice, and a great deal of filth and misery in the city.
It sounds good when I describe it, but I could tell by the second page that I wasn't going to like the prose, and by the end of the first chapter I couldn't take it any more. Melodrama, exposition, and clunky writing.
I can handle melodrama, although honestly, should you ever personify murder? "Murder was no stranger to London." "Murder brooded from its ghostly corner."
I dislike exposition. In the first chapter Athelstan writes a letter to his Prior, describing his circumstances and bemoaning his past transgressions, none of which should be news to the Prior. It was very awkwardly done, and should you really learn all that about your protagonist within the first 20 pages?
It's too bad that I didn't like the writing, because this author has written a ton of historical mysteries under several pen names (his real name is P.C. Doherty) and I was hoping I had a lot of books to look forward to.
The book has an interesting setting: London, just after the death of Edward III. John of Gaunt seems to be mixed up in the murder, although I didn't get far enough along to find out how. In addition to Brother Athelstan we are quickly introduced to a cat, a widow, a coroner, a criminal taking sanctuary in Athelstan's church, a corrupt Justice, and a great deal of filth and misery in the city.
It sounds good when I describe it, but I could tell by the second page that I wasn't going to like the prose, and by the end of the first chapter I couldn't take it any more. Melodrama, exposition, and clunky writing.
I can handle melodrama, although honestly, should you ever personify murder? "Murder was no stranger to London." "Murder brooded from its ghostly corner."
I dislike exposition. In the first chapter Athelstan writes a letter to his Prior, describing his circumstances and bemoaning his past transgressions, none of which should be news to the Prior. It was very awkwardly done, and should you really learn all that about your protagonist within the first 20 pages?
It's too bad that I didn't like the writing, because this author has written a ton of historical mysteries under several pen names (his real name is P.C. Doherty) and I was hoping I had a lot of books to look forward to.
October 15, 2017
Първата книга от цикъла, с която май трябваше да почна, между другото, е доста добра, по-добра от шестата, която четох наскоро. Тук авторът ни запознава със скромния абат и дебелия коронер и започва да работи взаимовръзките между двамата. Описанията на Лондон са по-малко и по-добри, като не се натрапват. А основната мистерия е много добре представена - неостаряващото убийство в заключена стая. На момент ичаст от диалозите ми звучаха анахронично, но не е болка за умиране.
След трагичните смърти на Черния принц и Крал Едуард трети, чумната епидемия помела половината население на острова и вихрещата се стогодишна война 1377 година е трудна за короната. Преди коронясването на малолетния английски крал Ричард втори, всички гилдии искат да го изчеткат, както и неофициалния му настойник. В една от тях, започва серия от смъртни случаи, които изглеждат случайни. Короната иска да се изяснят до церемонията на коронясването и верните ѝ двама наши познати - коронерът сър Джон и секретарят му, доминиканският монах брат Ателстан - се захващат. Става ясно, че нещата нито са случайни, нито са от вчера.
Мрън 1: Дохърти уж познава чудесно историческия период в който се развиват книгите му, но има едно описание на рицарски турнир, който се провежда по правила въведени 50 години по-късно в Франция и още по-късно в Англия. В началото си помислих, че е типична английска ебавка с франсетата, но май е обикновена писателска мърлящина, която напоследък става типична за автора.
Мрън 2: Сега, ясно ми е защо заглавието на поредицата е преведено като "Скръбните мистерии", но всеки трябва да е наясно, че става въпрос за "скръбните тайни", които са четвърт от молитвите на католическата броеница и се преплитат в книгите. И не смятам, че серията щеше да изгуби последователи, ако беше преведено така. Или и тук е като по-горе?
Като цяло ми хареса доста. Лека, приятна и с добра атмосфера.
След трагичните смърти на Черния принц и Крал Едуард трети, чумната епидемия помела половината население на острова и вихрещата се стогодишна война 1377 година е трудна за короната. Преди коронясването на малолетния английски крал Ричард втори, всички гилдии искат да го изчеткат, както и неофициалния му настойник. В една от тях, започва серия от смъртни случаи, които изглеждат случайни. Короната иска да се изяснят до церемонията на коронясването и верните ѝ двама наши познати - коронерът сър Джон и секретарят му, доминиканският монах брат Ателстан - се захващат. Става ясно, че нещата нито са случайни, нито са от вчера.
Мрън 1: Дохърти уж познава чудесно историческия период в който се развиват книгите му, но има едно описание на рицарски турнир, който се провежда по правила въведени 50 години по-късно в Франция и още по-късно в Англия. В началото си помислих, че е типична английска ебавка с франсетата, но май е обикновена писателска мърлящина, която напоследък става типична за автора.
Мрън 2: Сега, ясно ми е защо заглавието на поредицата е преведено като "Скръбните мистерии", но всеки трябва да е наясно, че става въпрос за "скръбните тайни", които са четвърт от молитвите на католическата броеница и се преплитат в книгите. И не смятам, че серията щеше да изгуби последователи, ако беше преведено така. Или и тук е като по-горе?
Като цяло ми хареса доста. Лека, приятна и с добра атмосфера.
July 16, 2021
Good London mystery
When someone suggested that I give this author a read I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Well I do. English History an mystery has become interesting to me. Every writer has a different take on add a mystery with history. I have read Jason Vail English mystery an Paul Doherty are in the same class.
No this is a story of friar Bother Athelstan an a over weight corner Sir John Cranston. Now I always like a good bartering between the main characters no matter what I read. These two characters do just that while they work out the the murder mystery that is given them. Not only that they have there own demons to dealing with in there own lives.
A damn fine read, great writing an fast pace mystery. Hats off for Paul Doherty.
When someone suggested that I give this author a read I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Well I do. English History an mystery has become interesting to me. Every writer has a different take on add a mystery with history. I have read Jason Vail English mystery an Paul Doherty are in the same class.
No this is a story of friar Bother Athelstan an a over weight corner Sir John Cranston. Now I always like a good bartering between the main characters no matter what I read. These two characters do just that while they work out the the murder mystery that is given them. Not only that they have there own demons to dealing with in there own lives.
A damn fine read, great writing an fast pace mystery. Hats off for Paul Doherty.
February 23, 2009
Love this series with Athelstan and the fat drunken Coroner Cranston. I also like the time period in which the series is set, when Richard II was a young boy and the Regency was controlled by John of Gaunt. Lots of political politiking going on then. My favorite mystery author, whose books are hard to find in this country. I remember vacationing in London just so I could buy his books.
January 4, 2025
I felt like revisiting this Brother Athelstan series and was happy to take advantage of sale on Amazon at very reasonable price. The partnership between the priest and coroner makes for entertaining reading. I believe I have read most if not all of the books in this series over the years.
now 99 cents
now 99 cents
April 30, 2021
An interesting beginning for the new series. It is my first book by Paul Doherty. I love historical mysteries, especially written by European authors, but I can hardly stand modern American assembly line of crime ... It is so formulaic, trite, predictable, and indifferent ... I would rather stick to my Ellis Peters and C.J Sansom.
Of course, mystery itself is a very formulaic genre with its tropes; thus, possibly I should not be whining too much about the quality of modern American popular fiction as this book also follows the tropes of its predecessor. One of them is a duo of sleuths, and as usual, the most unlikely duo - the coroner and the Dominican friar. It is also somewhat of a weakness in the novel as the relationship between the two is interesting and bitter sweet, but also not as developed as I would like to be. On the other hand, it is also an opportunity for future novels.
The thing that impressed me is research. The vocabulary is very rich and quite detailed. It contains the phrases and terms that we would consider obsolete due to historic development, and I often had to look up some of the words, but it does show the author's emotional and intellectual involvement in his work.
There are some drawbacks, of course. The first one is the lopsided foray into the inner world of the protagonists: we learn so much about Athelstan, and so little about the everyday life of Cranston, but I do hope that book 2 will redeem it.
Th other glaring drawback is the resolution of the mystery. There were some intellectual leaps from the known facts to the deductions Athelstan came, especially when he and Cranford spent some times in the chamber of the murdered character. Yes, there were patterns, and yes, there were clues, but they were insufficient to jump to the conclusion he came to.
Other than that, I liked its dry humor and quiet narrative voice. Of course, I do like the insight into the plight of common people. Somehow, it made even the grizzly murder chain more meditative, if one can even say so ....
To book 2, then.
Of course, mystery itself is a very formulaic genre with its tropes; thus, possibly I should not be whining too much about the quality of modern American popular fiction as this book also follows the tropes of its predecessor. One of them is a duo of sleuths, and as usual, the most unlikely duo - the coroner and the Dominican friar. It is also somewhat of a weakness in the novel as the relationship between the two is interesting and bitter sweet, but also not as developed as I would like to be. On the other hand, it is also an opportunity for future novels.
The thing that impressed me is research. The vocabulary is very rich and quite detailed. It contains the phrases and terms that we would consider obsolete due to historic development, and I often had to look up some of the words, but it does show the author's emotional and intellectual involvement in his work.
There are some drawbacks, of course. The first one is the lopsided foray into the inner world of the protagonists: we learn so much about Athelstan, and so little about the everyday life of Cranston, but I do hope that book 2 will redeem it.
Th other glaring drawback is the resolution of the mystery. There were some intellectual leaps from the known facts to the deductions Athelstan came, especially when he and Cranford spent some times in the chamber of the murdered character. Yes, there were patterns, and yes, there were clues, but they were insufficient to jump to the conclusion he came to.
Other than that, I liked its dry humor and quiet narrative voice. Of course, I do like the insight into the plight of common people. Somehow, it made even the grizzly murder chain more meditative, if one can even say so ....
To book 2, then.
December 28, 2013
Another piece of “candy” for my historical mystery addiction. I love historical mysteries, use them as a candy fix, and The Nightingale Gallery didn’t disappoint. This story takes place in the late 14th century and the author was able to give you a good picture of life during those times. I am not too familiar with this period in history when John of Gaunt is regent for the young crown prince (Richard II) and I would have liked a bit more of the politics going on behind the scenes. A Dominican priest, Brother Athelstan, is teamed with Coroner Sir John Cranston to investigate a murder of an important gold merchant in London. As usual, I can never figure out “who did it” in any “who-dunnit” but after the reveal I could see all the clues were there and made sense. If you are looking for something light to read and like historical mysteries give this a try.
December 28, 2014
I'm partial to historical mysteries, but the last few that I tried out were only so-so, possibly because their settings were too recent - Victorian England. This one is set in the 14th century, so the sense of exoticism underscored with a lived-in earthiness that makes such settings appealing to me is more or less a given. Brother Athelstan is monk with a troubled past and he's been given charge of a London slum full of harlots, ne-er do wells and humble tradesmen. He's also been made clerk to a ribald, drunken but surprisingly humane and astute coroner. Together they take on a convoluted mystery where corpses seem to pop up on a daily basis and no one is who they seem to be. Works well on every level - mystery, historical atmosphere, character study and ripping yarn. Clean, unobtrusive prose and a promising list of potentially recurring characters.
February 12, 2023
This book was first published in 1991 with this edition printed in 2021. The author has written over 100 books although he is new to me. This is the first in the 'brother Athelstan mysteries' and I fully intend to read more. Fans of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series will enjoy this I think although in the blurb it is placed alongside the more contemporary C.J Sansom and S.J Parris. For me though, Cadfael is a better comparison.
Brother Athelstan is a Dominican monk serving as priest to a very poor parish of London in 1377. He is occasionally also clerk to Sir John Cranston, the Kings' Coroner. Given the book is set well before the days of an organised policing service, it falls to the Coroner to investigate murders of which there are several in this slender volume. Cranston and Athelstan set out to investigate and make an intriguing team. Athelstan sharp and studious, Sir John always looking the the next drink and frequently the worse for wear, but not to be underestimated.
The story involves murder, money lending, the succession to the throne following the death of Edward III, nobles, merchants and the many poor people of London. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of London at the time - the sights, the smells, the crowds and wealth living alongside poverty.
This is a well written book and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Brother Athelstan is a Dominican monk serving as priest to a very poor parish of London in 1377. He is occasionally also clerk to Sir John Cranston, the Kings' Coroner. Given the book is set well before the days of an organised policing service, it falls to the Coroner to investigate murders of which there are several in this slender volume. Cranston and Athelstan set out to investigate and make an intriguing team. Athelstan sharp and studious, Sir John always looking the the next drink and frequently the worse for wear, but not to be underestimated.
The story involves murder, money lending, the succession to the throne following the death of Edward III, nobles, merchants and the many poor people of London. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of London at the time - the sights, the smells, the crowds and wealth living alongside poverty.
This is a well written book and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
June 4, 2021
London in 1377
The descriptions of the city streets, people, markets, etc are very detailed, right down to the smells and dirt on someone's skin. The mystery was tricky and although I had considered who the murderer was I didn't guess it at all. Athelstan and Coroner Cranston are an excellent pair, working well together and enjoying each other's company for the most part. An entertaining first book in a series.
The descriptions of the city streets, people, markets, etc are very detailed, right down to the smells and dirt on someone's skin. The mystery was tricky and although I had considered who the murderer was I didn't guess it at all. Athelstan and Coroner Cranston are an excellent pair, working well together and enjoying each other's company for the most part. An entertaining first book in a series.
October 6, 2015
It was fun to reread the first in one of my favorite historical mystery series; I first read this one so long ago I didn't remember anything about the plot, but I do recall that it took me awhile to get hooked on this series. I think it was partially the language, the beliefs of the time, and the fact that author Paul Doherty so accurately portrays a time and place when life was truly nasty, brutal and often short. You have to be in the right mood to stalk the filthy, teeming, raucous and dangerous streets of London in the 1370s alongside King's Coroner Sir Jack Cranston and Athelstan, his clerk and the pastor of St. Erconwald's Church.
I had forgotten how the two developed such a wonderful chemistry and working relationship; this first book in the series sets the stage for the adventures to follow with a devilishly clever murder method fueled by the usual quest for power and access to secrets, secrets that could bring down the most powerful man in the kingdom, the Regent himself. Doherty paints such a vivid (and nasty!) picture of the dark underbelly of London and its restless denizens creaking under the weight of taxation, corruption and blatant abuse of power by the unpopular Regent and his coterie of high-living nobles, it's easy to see how this series will soon climax over the next two books with the eruption of the long-awaited Peasant Revolt of 1381 - I can't wait! Recommended to fans of well-researched, realistic historical fiction and mysteries.
I had forgotten how the two developed such a wonderful chemistry and working relationship; this first book in the series sets the stage for the adventures to follow with a devilishly clever murder method fueled by the usual quest for power and access to secrets, secrets that could bring down the most powerful man in the kingdom, the Regent himself. Doherty paints such a vivid (and nasty!) picture of the dark underbelly of London and its restless denizens creaking under the weight of taxation, corruption and blatant abuse of power by the unpopular Regent and his coterie of high-living nobles, it's easy to see how this series will soon climax over the next two books with the eruption of the long-awaited Peasant Revolt of 1381 - I can't wait! Recommended to fans of well-researched, realistic historical fiction and mysteries.
November 1, 2017
This book was hard to finish.
1. The relationship between the protagonists (Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston) was not developed adequately.
2. On the one hand, there were enough anachronisms (did anyone say "no problem" in the 14th century?) and on the other hand, the author told us so often about the ordure in the streets, that I was almost constantly distracted.
Not my cup of tea.
p.s. The Kindle version has numerous typographic errors (omissions, duplications, etc.). The publisher needs to do a better job.
June 6, 2016
I read this book because I really enjoyed Paul Doherty's Hugh Corbett series which was set around 1300 in England. Unfortunately, I did not like this first instalment of the Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan. The main character is OK but he works with an extremely vulgar coroner who is constantly stuffing his face, burping and farting and being similarly vulgar. Don't know why Doherty had to create such a repulsive character. Maybe he had feedback that the Hugh Corbett character was overly serious but trying to correct this with vulgar humour just didn't work for me. I won't be reading any more of this series.
March 25, 2013
A drunken coroner and a penitent friar set out to uncover the murder of one of the most powerful men in England. Edward III has just died and his son, Lord Gaunt, is regent to the heir, 10 year old Richard. And that's about as good as it gets. Some scenes successfully pulled me into the period, such as the description of the heads of those condemned of treason slammed on to poles for the ravens to peck at. Overall, the mystery just isn't that intriguing. The characters are one-dimensional and the dialogue is over-reaching. I won't read any more in this series.
June 19, 2017
I quite enjoyed this pre-Medieval romp. It's the first in a series with this protagonist, Brother Athelstan, and I have a feeling once the author relaxes into his characters and setting they'll only get better. This one, set at the beginning of the reign of Edward II in the late 1300s, had an mix of historical accuracy and modern day crime solving. I was quite taken with the descriptions of the squalor of the life for the ordinary people, amongst whom Athelstan has chosen to spend his days. The crime was quite intriguing--if it had been explored in more depth. Biblical clues from Revelations, woodcarvings depicting despicable events, mysterious deaths and whispered confessions. All good stuff. But I never really felt engaged in the solving of the crime for some reason. It was a bit formulaic, despite all its promise. It was as if the author knew the ingredients for a good murder-mystery and threw them in, but then shied away from really delving into these evils minds, which all really great crime novels need to do.
For 5-star historical crime novels, give the Matthew Shardlake series by C J Sansom a go. I'll read the next Brother Athelstan, but I'll probably get it from the library.
For 5-star historical crime novels, give the Matthew Shardlake series by C J Sansom a go. I'll read the next Brother Athelstan, but I'll probably get it from the library.
February 4, 2025
Medieval murder mystery series, my only qualm was the two main characters rarely explained what they were finding out about the murders as they were actually finding it out. They waited until the big reveal at the end to explain basically everything, including a lot I wasn’t even aware of.
Other than that, I thought the characters were fun and flawed, and the author clearly knows a lot about the time period (or so it seems) as the setting is very fleshed out.
I have 3 other books in this series that I will be reading hopefully soon!
Other than that, I thought the characters were fun and flawed, and the author clearly knows a lot about the time period (or so it seems) as the setting is very fleshed out.
I have 3 other books in this series that I will be reading hopefully soon!
September 25, 2022
Not sure a historical who's done it should be so funny but the banter between the two main characters made it more than your usual who's done it.
October 26, 2022
Athelstan is serving a penance as the priest at a run down church in Southwark in south London. John of Gaunt has just been proclaimed Regent to the boy King Richard when there is a murder of a wealthy merchant and a number of suspicious deaths in the same household. Brother Athelstan, a Dominican Friar, also acts as clerk to Sir John Cranston the coroner. together they investigate the mystery.
Long suffering Athlestan pushes his genial but drunk friend the Coroner until they find the answers. Good characters some of the filth and smells of London at the time come across well. The story however is somewhat ordinary and a little samey to similar titles. Just about enough to move me on to the next in the series. 3 stars.
Long suffering Athlestan pushes his genial but drunk friend the Coroner until they find the answers. Good characters some of the filth and smells of London at the time come across well. The story however is somewhat ordinary and a little samey to similar titles. Just about enough to move me on to the next in the series. 3 stars.
July 6, 2023
I was taken back to the sights and smells of 14th century London and I didn't want to come back - hence I am now on Book 2 of the series. Fabulous!
December 28, 2023
Book Review
Title: The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Doherty (The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan Book 1)
Genre: Historical, Mystery, Crime
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The first couple of chapters of The Nightingale Gallery had a lot of exposition but it sets up the relationships between characters, the time period we are in and their standings within society. We are in 1376, England where we learn that Edward III is dead as well as his brother and the current king, Richard III. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster is made regent but not king but Richard’s nephew, Richard II of Bordeaux is the heir but he is too young to take the throne. This makes the country a place of turmoil right now but this is made worse when Sir Thomas Springall is murdered as he was a very influential person and often lent money to the crown. Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston are sent to investigate and the friendship between them is interesting.
Sir Cranston seems to be an alcoholic while Brother Athelstan is grieving the loss of his brother during the war with the French and his desertion shortly after. Being a friar, Brother Athelstan has taken vows including one of chastity but this doesn’t bode well for him since he seems to be in love with a widow named Benedicta. Brother Athelstan believes there is more to the death of Sir Springall and his servant who supposedly poisoned him because it seems far too neat and there is mention of a group of people doing dangerous things within the city.
At the ¼ mark I was really enjoying the book so far and I was excited to see where the mystery would go especially since this is a long series. It is also here that Sir Cranston and Brother Athelstan begin their investigation by interviewing witnesses and inspecting the bodies. While most of their stories add up something seems really off about the entire murder/suicide theory especially given what had happened earlier in the day. The introduction of the Nightingale gallery means that no one could have gotten in or out of that wing of the house without alerting someone since the floorboards are designed to sing or make a lot of noise. However, Brother Athelstan notices some of the odd relationships between people in the house and the circumstances just don’t add up correctly. At this point I wasn’t sure if each book was going to be a self-contained mystery or if there would be overarching storyline to tie the books together.
The pair are alerted to another death, this time Sir Vechey who has seemingly committed suicide but Brother Athelstan is sure something else is afoot. They also learn of Eudo’s death, from falling or being pushed from a window bringing the number on death from the estate to four. The remaining members of the household explain that Sir Thomas was speaking in riddles months before his death and Vechey was overheard referring to the number 31. Both Athelstan and Sir John are certain the deaths are connected but they don’t know how especially since Athelstan believes that none of the men committed suicide and instead were murdered. This leads to a minor disagreement between Athelstan and Sir John, resulting in the friar returning to his parish for a few days. However, both have them have come to the same realisation that all the deaths were murder not just Sir Thomas’. Athelstan explains that it was murder because the knots are identical, a calling card of a hangman and that several either still wore shoes or had no damage to their feet which is common in hangings.
The halfway mark has confirmed that we are now dealing with three confirmed murders and potentially a fourth in Eudo. There are still many questions that need answers which prompts the pair to take a visit to Newgate Prison in order to see an informant named Solper. Solper knows about The Sons of Dives and explains it was run by Sir Thomas and was connected with the Nightshade House run by Simon Foreman where poisons could be bought for the right price. This little insight into what The Sons of Dives actually is makes it seem like a cult but we will have to wait to see how the story resolves itself. It seems like Sir Thomas’ wife is the one who bought the poison casting suspicion on her and Sir Richard since they have been sleeping together for a while but they deny everything except the adultery. Sir John seems to pin them down but Athelstan interrupts him and throws off his line of questioning resulting in the pair having an argument due to the derailed interrogation. The result is both going their separate ways for a while but they come back together when another murder takes place.
This time it is Master Allingham that has been targeted and Athelstan and Sir John are being pressured for answers. The pair end up taking to Andrew Bulkeley, a craftsman working on Sir Thomas’ home and Athelstan spots some clues in the work. He assumes that Allingham also put this together as did Vechey which is why both of them were murdered. They are summoned by the Chief Justice but Athelstan is quick to remind him that he was the one that set them on this mission and he needs to give them time to solve the mystery which buys them a little more time but answers are being demanded. As they leave it is Sir John that notices that they are being followed and we are finally building to the climax of the novel. In the meeting, they also both received invitations to the royal joust where Sir Thomas’ family is also going to be attending. There Athelstan connected the banners on display to the paintings and carving in Sir Thomas’ home and has a theory. He and Sir John get permission to search the house while everyone is at the joust and that is just what they do.
In the end, by the time we get to the reveal of who the murderer is I was honestly a little bored. Despite only being 300 pages in length I felt we honestly could have lost 50-60 pages in order to move the pace along a little quicker. Overall, I liked the characters, setting and time periods but the mystery itself was a little lack-lustre. I will give the next couple of books a go to see if there is more of overarching mystery or whether each book will be a self-contained mystery. If that is the case I can’t see myself committing to a 10+ book series but if they link together then I definitely will.
Title: The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Doherty (The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan Book 1)
Genre: Historical, Mystery, Crime
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The first couple of chapters of The Nightingale Gallery had a lot of exposition but it sets up the relationships between characters, the time period we are in and their standings within society. We are in 1376, England where we learn that Edward III is dead as well as his brother and the current king, Richard III. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster is made regent but not king but Richard’s nephew, Richard II of Bordeaux is the heir but he is too young to take the throne. This makes the country a place of turmoil right now but this is made worse when Sir Thomas Springall is murdered as he was a very influential person and often lent money to the crown. Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston are sent to investigate and the friendship between them is interesting.
Sir Cranston seems to be an alcoholic while Brother Athelstan is grieving the loss of his brother during the war with the French and his desertion shortly after. Being a friar, Brother Athelstan has taken vows including one of chastity but this doesn’t bode well for him since he seems to be in love with a widow named Benedicta. Brother Athelstan believes there is more to the death of Sir Springall and his servant who supposedly poisoned him because it seems far too neat and there is mention of a group of people doing dangerous things within the city.
At the ¼ mark I was really enjoying the book so far and I was excited to see where the mystery would go especially since this is a long series. It is also here that Sir Cranston and Brother Athelstan begin their investigation by interviewing witnesses and inspecting the bodies. While most of their stories add up something seems really off about the entire murder/suicide theory especially given what had happened earlier in the day. The introduction of the Nightingale gallery means that no one could have gotten in or out of that wing of the house without alerting someone since the floorboards are designed to sing or make a lot of noise. However, Brother Athelstan notices some of the odd relationships between people in the house and the circumstances just don’t add up correctly. At this point I wasn’t sure if each book was going to be a self-contained mystery or if there would be overarching storyline to tie the books together.
The pair are alerted to another death, this time Sir Vechey who has seemingly committed suicide but Brother Athelstan is sure something else is afoot. They also learn of Eudo’s death, from falling or being pushed from a window bringing the number on death from the estate to four. The remaining members of the household explain that Sir Thomas was speaking in riddles months before his death and Vechey was overheard referring to the number 31. Both Athelstan and Sir John are certain the deaths are connected but they don’t know how especially since Athelstan believes that none of the men committed suicide and instead were murdered. This leads to a minor disagreement between Athelstan and Sir John, resulting in the friar returning to his parish for a few days. However, both have them have come to the same realisation that all the deaths were murder not just Sir Thomas’. Athelstan explains that it was murder because the knots are identical, a calling card of a hangman and that several either still wore shoes or had no damage to their feet which is common in hangings.
The halfway mark has confirmed that we are now dealing with three confirmed murders and potentially a fourth in Eudo. There are still many questions that need answers which prompts the pair to take a visit to Newgate Prison in order to see an informant named Solper. Solper knows about The Sons of Dives and explains it was run by Sir Thomas and was connected with the Nightshade House run by Simon Foreman where poisons could be bought for the right price. This little insight into what The Sons of Dives actually is makes it seem like a cult but we will have to wait to see how the story resolves itself. It seems like Sir Thomas’ wife is the one who bought the poison casting suspicion on her and Sir Richard since they have been sleeping together for a while but they deny everything except the adultery. Sir John seems to pin them down but Athelstan interrupts him and throws off his line of questioning resulting in the pair having an argument due to the derailed interrogation. The result is both going their separate ways for a while but they come back together when another murder takes place.
This time it is Master Allingham that has been targeted and Athelstan and Sir John are being pressured for answers. The pair end up taking to Andrew Bulkeley, a craftsman working on Sir Thomas’ home and Athelstan spots some clues in the work. He assumes that Allingham also put this together as did Vechey which is why both of them were murdered. They are summoned by the Chief Justice but Athelstan is quick to remind him that he was the one that set them on this mission and he needs to give them time to solve the mystery which buys them a little more time but answers are being demanded. As they leave it is Sir John that notices that they are being followed and we are finally building to the climax of the novel. In the meeting, they also both received invitations to the royal joust where Sir Thomas’ family is also going to be attending. There Athelstan connected the banners on display to the paintings and carving in Sir Thomas’ home and has a theory. He and Sir John get permission to search the house while everyone is at the joust and that is just what they do.
In the end, by the time we get to the reveal of who the murderer is I was honestly a little bored. Despite only being 300 pages in length I felt we honestly could have lost 50-60 pages in order to move the pace along a little quicker. Overall, I liked the characters, setting and time periods but the mystery itself was a little lack-lustre. I will give the next couple of books a go to see if there is more of overarching mystery or whether each book will be a self-contained mystery. If that is the case I can’t see myself committing to a 10+ book series but if they link together then I definitely will.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2013
Someone mentioned to me a while back that historical mysteries were proliferating like mad and I didn’t really grasp how true this is. This is yet another in a series, this time set in medieval London. It’s the first, and throughout I was making some allowances for it being a first novel, as it seemed a bit rough in places; then at the end I discover it’s the first of this series but that the author has written several other stories set in the period. Hmm. It’s not bad, really, and I certainly can’t complain about it not being properly in the period; in fact, it’s almost too much of a good thing in this book. He >really< emphasizes the setting, so that the filth and stenches of London in 1377 are never far away - you really feel in it. As this is what I thought I would want to do with a medieval setting, it seems pretty snarky to protest it here, but it did almost overwhelm the story as the author seemed never to miss an opportunity to point out one more disgusting detail - people pissing and spitting in beverages, a hen roosting on the edge of an open vat of beer, etc., etc., etc.
April 30, 2024
Had I not read other Paul Doherty historical crime, and had a copy of the second in the series waiting for me, I might not have persisted all the way to the end of the first Athelstan outing. I'll always cut the first in a series some slack as it has extra work to do which often deadens the writing, but I am not sure that was so much of a problem here. The writing in the early part of the book was never alive in the first place and even when I was warming to the characters and engaged with the mystery, there was a lot of repetition which an editor should have tackled (and scope for a few other things to be introduced before they were)
But there were bits and bobs of promise and entertainment which somehow lifted it out of two star territory.
But there were bits and bobs of promise and entertainment which somehow lifted it out of two star territory.
November 18, 2020
A Good Start.
I've read a number of historical mysteries over the last few weeks and, while Athelstan can't hold a candle to Shardlake, this was still a good read. I particularly enjoyed the playfulness between the drunk but sharp Coroner and the pious but thoughtful friar which gave the book it's wonderful human edge. I will say that any book based between 1100 and 1650 seems to be full of harlots, villains and shit in the streets but that's the way the world was I guess. Highly enjoyable and I may well be back for more.
I've read a number of historical mysteries over the last few weeks and, while Athelstan can't hold a candle to Shardlake, this was still a good read. I particularly enjoyed the playfulness between the drunk but sharp Coroner and the pious but thoughtful friar which gave the book it's wonderful human edge. I will say that any book based between 1100 and 1650 seems to be full of harlots, villains and shit in the streets but that's the way the world was I guess. Highly enjoyable and I may well be back for more.
August 5, 2011
Paul Harding fait ici une fois encore la preuve de son talent. A la fois d'historien et de conteur. Toutefois, cet opus n'a pas le sel de ses autres histoires et cela bien que les personnages sont toujours truculents et l'ambiance de la vieille cité de Londres de la guerre de Cent-Ans rendue avec beaucoup de précision, sans être en rien gênant au déroulement de l'intrigue.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews