An Ancient Evil by Paul Doherty

Apparently, when Chaucer’s pilgrims were on their way to Canterbury, on top of the stories related by Chaucer, they also told tales of terror and murder in the evening to pass the time. Well, according to Paul Doherty, anyway, who takes advantage of the situation to tell tales of mystery and murder but with a supernatural element thrown in as well. I’ve already reviewed the last of the tales, A Haunt of Murder, but this is the first of the series, told by The Knight, a tale of vampiric goings-on in Oxford. By the way, points off for not mentioning Merton College. Sorry, personal thing.

Centuries earlier, a Strigoi (i.e. vampire) lord was captured and imprisoned beneath a monastery. As with every story that starts like that, this is about his (possible) escape. A knight, his clerk and a blind exorcist are the only people who can get to the bottom of the numerous murders and put the world to rights. Or can they?

Well, if you want to read my detailed thoughts, then pop over to At The Scene Of The Crime where Patrick, also celebrating 100 posts, and I have put together a joint review on the book. I think that my thoughts are a little coloured by the fact that I simply preferred A Haunt of Murder, which Patrick hasn’t read yet, but do have a look and see what we think.