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Matthew Corbett
Series · 13
books · 2002-2024

Books in series

Speaks the Nightbird book cover
#1

Speaks the Nightbird

2002

The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies, and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Issac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal. After hearing damning testimony, magistrate Woodward sentences the accused witch to death by burning. Desperate to exonerate the woman he has come to love, Matthew begins his own investigation among the townspeople. Piecing together the truth, he has no choice but to vanquish a force more malevolent than witchcraft in order to save his beloved Rachel and free Fount Royal from the menace claiming innocent lives.
Evil Unveiled book cover
#1

Evil Unveiled

2003

L'époustouflante révélation d'un mystère haletant! Les Carolines, 1699. Rachel Howarth est coupable de sorcellerie et condamnée à périr sur le bûcher. Ainsi en a décidé le juge Isaac Woodward après avoir entendu les témoignages accablants des habitants du petit village de Fount Royal. Mais Matthew, le jeune clerc du juge, décide de mener sa propre enquête. Rassemblant les pièces du puzzle de la vérité, il comprend bientôt qu'il n'a d'autre choix que de vaincre une force plus maléfique que la sorcellerie s'il veut avoir une chance d'innocenter une femme vertueuse... et de sauver les citoyens de Fount Royal d'une terrible menace.
The Queen of Bedlam book cover
#2

The Queen of Bedlam

2007

Investigating New York City's first serial killer in 1702, magistrate's clerk Matthew Corbert contemplates working with an elderly asylum resident who may hold the key to the killer's identity, in a case that is further challenged by the murderer's dark designs for the city. Simultaneous.
Night Ride book cover
#2.5

Night Ride

2019

“Night Ride” is a new Matthew Corbett Halloween story set just after the events of The Queen of Bedlam. It’s a standalone story, so you don’t need to have read the series to enjoy the story.
Mister Slaughter book cover
#3

Mister Slaughter

2010

The world of Colonial America comes vibrantly to life in this masterful new historical thriller by Robert McCammon. The latest entry in the popular Matthew Corbett series, which began with Speaks the Nightbird and continued in The Queen of Bedlam, Mister Slaughter opens in the emerging metropolis of New York City in 1702, and proceeds to take both Matthew and the reader on an unforgettable journey of horror, violence, and personal discovery. The journey begins when Matthew, now an apprentice "problem solver" for the London-based Herrald Agency, accepts an unusual and hazardous commission. Together with his colleague, Hudson Greathouse, he agrees to escort the notorious mass murderer Tyranthus Slaughter from an asylum outside Philadelphia to the docks of New York. Along the way, Slaughter makes his captors a surprising - and extremely tempting - offer. Mister Slaughter is at once a classic portrait of an archetypal serial killer and an exquisitely detailed account of a fledgling nation still in the process of inventing itself.
The Providence Rider book cover
#4

The Providence Rider

2012

The Providence Rider is the fourth installment in the extraordinary series of historical thrillers featuring Matthew Corbett, professional problem solver. The narrative begins in the winter of 1703, with Matthew still haunted by his lethal encounter with notorious mass murderer Tyranthus Slaughter. When an unexplained series of explosions rocks his Manhattan neighborhood, Matthew finds himself forced to confront a new and unexpected problem. Someone is trying—and trying very hard—to get his attention. That someone is a shadowy figure from out of Matthew's the elusive Dr. Fell. The doctor, it turns out, has a problem of his own, one that requires the exclusive services of Matthew Corbett.The ensuing narrative moves swiftly and gracefully from the emerging metropolis of New York City to Pendulum Island in the remote Bermudas. In the course of his journey, Matthew encounters a truly Dickensian assortment of memorable, often grotesque, antagonists. These include Sirki, the gian
The River of Souls book cover
#5

The River of Souls

2014

The year is 1703. The place: the Carolina settlement of Charles Town. . Matthew Corbett, professional “problem solver,” has accepted a lucrative, if unusual, commission: escorting a beautiful woman to a fancy dress ball. What should be a pleasant assignment takes a darker turn when Matthew becomes involved in a murder investigation. A sixteen-year-old girl has been stabbed to death on the grounds of a local plantation. The suspected killer is a slave who has escaped, with two family members, into the dubious protection of a nearby swamp. Troubled by certain discrepancies and determined to see some sort of justice done, Matthew joins the hunt for the runaway slaves. He embarks on a treacherous journey up the Solstice River, also known as the River of Souls. He discovers that something born of the swamp has joined the hunt… and is stalking the hunters with more than murder in mind. What follows is a shattering ordeal encompassing snakes, alligators, exiled savages, mythical beasts, and ordinary human treachery. The journey up the River of Souls will test the limits of Matthew’s endurance, and lead him through a nightmarish passage to a confrontation with his past, and a moment that will alter his life forever. Gripping, unsettling, and richly atmospheric, The River of Souls is a masterful historical adventure featuring the continuing exploits of a young hero the USA Character Approved Blog has called “the Early American James Bond.”
Freedom of the Mask book cover
#6

Freedom of the Mask

2016

The year is 1703, and Matthew Corbett, professional “problem solver,” is missing. Last seen by his friends in New York before he departed on a lucrative, seemingly straightforward mission for the Herrald Agency in Charles Town, he's been too long absent. His comrade-in-arms Hudson Greathouse has an increasing sense the young friend he thinks of as a son must have met with some unexpected peril. Following his hunch, Greathouse retraces Matthew's steps only to find him first presumed dead, then accused of murdering a young woman and apparently en route to London with a devious Prussian count last encountered on Professor Fell's Pendulum Island. Little does he know that Matthews' circumstances are growing worse by the second. For when Matthew arrives in the bustling squalor of Londontown, he's come shackled, charged for the murder of Count Anton Mannerheim Dahlgren. No matter the lack of body, presumed lost to the ocean. He soon finds himself locked up in the infamous Newgate prison, and has drawn the interest of a mysterious mask-wearing vigilante accused of several gruesome murders. Greathouse and the woman Matthew loves, Berry Grigsby, travel across the high seas to England to aid their friend, but it is impossible to know whether they will reach him in time to save his life. Freedom of the Mask is the sixth installment in bestselling author Robert McCammon's acclaimed series of standalone historical thrillers featuring the exploits of a young hero the USA Character Approved Blog has called “the Early American James Bond.” The most surprising and ambitious volume to date, this is a novel filled with unpredictable twists and a note-perfect depiction of early 1700s London. Fans will not want to miss Matthew Corbett's most dangerous adventure yet.
The Pale Pipesmoker book cover
#6.5

The Pale Pipesmoker

2019

“The Pale Pipesmoker” features Katherine Herrald and Minx Cutter in a tale that takes place during the timeframe of Freedom of the Mask.
Cardinal Black book cover
#7

Cardinal Black

2019

Cardinal Black is the latest installment in Robert McCammon's unique series of historical thrillers featuring Matthew Corbett, professional problem solver, who has been called "the Early American James Bond." December 1703 finds Berry Grigsby living as Mary Lynn Nash in a small English village where she has fallen victim to Professor Fell's involuntary drug experiments. Her mind is quickly deteriorating under the drug s influence, and the only way to save her is a potion book that was stolen in an attack on the village orchestrated by a mysterious madman going by the name Cardinal Black. Matthew Corbett has volunteered to travel with Julian Devane, a self-proclaimed "fool and bad man" in the employ of Professor Fell, to hunt down the potion book. They follow the trail to London, where the book will be sold at a secret auction. Matthew and Julian manage to secure a seat at the auction by masquerading as respected and feared underground operatives, but to prevail in their high-stakes mission, they will require help from a very unlikely source. Even if they are successful, their race to save Berry Grigsby will leave a trail of destruction in its wake. Cardinal Black is another extraordinary achievement from one of America's most skilled authors, and it features some of the most memorable, compelling, and chilling characters in the Matthew Corbett series to date, each with their own competing agendas. This masterful historical adventure is perfectly balanced for long-time fans of the series and new readers alike who are now joining the adventure.
The King of Shadows book cover
#8

The King of Shadows

2022

It’s January of 1704, and Matthew Corbett continues his mission to Italy, accompanied by Hudson Greathouse and former enemy Professor Fell. They seek Brazio Valeriani and information about the mirror created by his father, the sorcerer Ciro. Legend claims the mirror can be used to summon demons from beyond. But fate has other plans for Matthew as their ship is disabled by a pod of whales, and they seek refuge on a secluded island. The islanders welcome them with a massive feast, but all is not what it seems. As the island pulls them deeper into its influence, the castaways struggle to maintain their grip on reality, even their very identity. Matthew must keep his wits about him and solve the mystery enshrouding the other side of the island, where an active volcano looms and a secretive creature lurks. The King of Shadows is the eighth installment in bestselling author Robert McCammon’s acclaimed series of historical thrillers featuring Matthew Corbett, a brave “problem-solver” who now faces a challenging foe that threatens to take over his most valuable resource: his own mind.
Seven Shades of Evil book cover
#9

Seven Shades of Evil

2023

The New York Times–bestselling author continues his colonial-era thriller series with eight tales of mystery, adventure, and supernatural suspense. From his first appearance in Speaks the Nightbird to his latest adventure in The King of Shadows, Matthew Corbett has faced enemies of all kinds, from serial killers to sorcerers. Now author Robert McCammon presents eight gripping stories featuring the professional problem solver and his associates that take place between the popular novels.Seven Shades of Evil includes four original stories, including “Wandering Mary,” and four additional tales that previously appeared in limited form and are no longer available elsewhere. Ranging from twisting murder plots to ominous portents of the paranormal, these stories are an intriguing blend of everything that has drawn readers to the Matthew Corbett series for more than twenty years. This volume • “The Four Lamplighters” • “Night Ride” • “The House at the Edge of the World” • “The Scorpion’s Eye” • “Skeleton Crew” • “The Pale Pipe Smoker” • “Wandering Mary” • “Incident on the Lady Barbara”
Leviathan book cover
#10

Leviathan

2024

The thrilling conclusion to the Matthew Corbett colonial-era mystery series by the New York Times–bestselling author of The King of Shadows. Matthew Corbett barely escaped from the beguiling and sinister island of Golgotha, where he and his companions, Hudson Greathouse and Professor Fell, had searched in vain for a fabled sorcerer’s mirror said to possess demon-summoning powers. The island instead pulled them ever deeper into its influence—with the goal of erasing their very minds. But now, in the waning summer of 1704, still reeling from their harrowing journey, they must pay a price for their rescue from Golgotha by the Spanish. The trio are to resume their abandoned quest for Ciro’s mirror while under the watchful eyes of soldiers and a witch-hunter. And they must do it before the Family of the Scorpion finds the mirror and uses it for their own nefarious purposes... Praise for the Matthew Corbett Novels “Rich, atmospheric stories.” —Booklist on The King of Shadows “Excellent . . . full of tension and suspense.” —Stephen King on Speaks the Nightbird “Compulsively readable.” —Publishers Weekly on Speaks the Nightbird “This popular series takes us to a long-forgotten time with characters who never fail to entertain.” —The Florida Times-Union on The King of Shadows

Authors

Robert McCammon
Robert McCammon
Author · 12 books

Pseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction. His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024. McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.

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