Deadlier than the Pen: A Diana Spaulding Mystery (Diana Spaulding Mystery series) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Kathy Lynn Emerson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Diana Spaulding Mystery series

In 1888, the murder of two female journalists in the New York City prompts newly widowed journalist Diana Spaulding to investigate the handsome horror author Damon Bathory in this large-print historical mystery. Although her growing affection for Bathory makes her increasingly reluctant to pursue him, Spaulding is spurred on by her cigar-chomping boss Horatio Foxe in an adventure that pits her against a deranged artist, a matriarch with a bloodthirsty sense of humor, and a traveling acting troupe of egotistical men and jealous women. Written against the background of New York City during the height of yellow journalism, the novel brings to life not only the fast-paced murder mystery that Spaulding investigates, but also the day-to-day realities and hardships of the gilded age.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kathy Lynn Emerson is the author of more than 40 books, including the Face Down Mystery series, How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries, Making Headlines, and That Special Smile. She lives in Wilton, Maine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pemberley Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977191389
• ISBN-13: 978-0977191383
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,833,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly riveting mystery, March 10, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadlier than the Pen: A Diana Spaulding Mystery (Diana Spaulding Mystery series) (Hardcover)

Deadlier Than The Pen is a truly riveting mystery is set in the crime ridden world of 1888 New York City where more than a dozen newspapers are locked in a sometimes violent competition for their share of the reading public and someone has murdered two journalists. Diana Spaulding is a newspaper reporter assigned by her editor to find out just who or what is behind these killings. Could it be handsome Damon Bathory who has made his name as an author of horror fantasy fiction? Kathy Lynn Emerson is an accomplished author and Deadlier Than The Pen is her most imaginative mystery yet!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More dashing romance than mystery, January 14, 2007

By 

Sprout (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadlier than the Pen: A Diana Spaulding Mystery (Diana Spaulding Mystery series) (Paperback)

I'm always excited when I see a new mystery series set in the eighteenth or nineteenth century and featuring a female protagonist. Certainly, this novel meets those criteria. It did feature murder and mayhem, but they seemed not to be the focus of the plot. Rather, they functioned as a series of obstructions which delayed the novel's romantic resolution. The romatic coupling definitely seemed to be the point of the outcome, rather than the solving of the crime.
That is not to say that the novel does not feature adventure, plot twists, etc. It also features stock characters, gothic allusions, etc., all of which reminded me of the sensational novels of the nineteenth century (see George Thompson, Lippard, etc.). But whereas the suspense in those novels builds--because they really will kill off characters, good or bad--here, the happy ending seems inevitable. I hope the series--and the characters--will develop as the character evolves.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mystery and Romace in 1888, August 24, 2004

By 

A. Christie "bibliofiend508" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadlier than the Pen: A Diana Spaulding Mystery (Diana Spaulding Mystery series) (Hardcover)

In a new series by Kathy Lynn Emerson we enter the world of New York's Newspaper Row. Protagonist Diana Spaulding is a widow who must support herself. There are not many opportunities open to women in 1888. Diana is given a job to write for the Independent Intelligence by a brother of a friend. Her hopes are to be a serious journalist, but editor Horatio Foxe has the idea that scandal and gossip is the ticket to higher newspaper sales. Her new assignment is to dig up dirt on horror author Damon Bathory. Two female journalists have murdered and Bathory seems like a plausible suspect. As Diana launches her investigation into Bathory's life, she is inexplicably drawn to the man which is a problem if he is a possible murderer.

Kathy Lynn Emerson has created two extremely likable characters with a lot of chemistry together. The set up of the characters and story were very compelling. The early part of the story was a real page-turner. The book started to drag a bit in the middle especially with the introduction of the theater troupe characters. There was a bit too much going on that extraneous to the story. This was a very promising debut of a new series that looks to be as good as the DOWN UNDER series.