The Stone of Destiny

April 1, 2019
In 1381, a serial killer stalks the prostitutes of London, slashing their throats, stripping them naked, and, most bizarrely, placing blood-red wigs upon their heads. As panic mounts, Sir John Cranston, lord high coroner of London, once again calls upon wily parish priest Brother Athelstan to investigate the heinous crimes. Oddly enough, the murders seem to be linked to a string of vicious attacks perpetrated on innocent Frenchwomen by a gang of Englishmen led by the Orriflame, a mysterious masked henchman wearing women's clothing and a bright red wig, nearly 20 years prior. The Orriflame seems to have resurfaced on the grimy streets of London, and it's up to Athelstan, before even more bodies pile up, to expose the killer and uncover his connection to the deadly explosion of a royal ship bound for France. As always, Doherty displays exceptional narrative flair as he brings the often-squalid sights, sounds, and smells of medieval London to life in another artfully crafted and plotted historical mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)