Customer Reviews

Death at Blenheim Palace (An Edwardian Mystery)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Something very foul is afoot at Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Churchill clan and Charles and Kate, sometimes known as Lord and Lady Sheridan arrive just in time to try and sort out the various mysteries that are floating about. The fun thing about this entry in the Robin Paige series is that there are so many threads that our amateur sleuths must follow and they do so quite nicely with the assistance of Winston Churchill and young Ned Lawrence who will later gain fame as Lawrence of Arabia.

The first part of the mystery involves a maid who disappeared even before the Sheridan's arrival at Blenheim Palace. This in itself did not stir much alarm but then two of the guests also disappear leaving the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough in a tizzy. The Duke is especially upset because one of the missing guests is his mistress Gladys Deacon. Obviously the Duke and Duchess are not getting along all that well and it is made quite clear that the penny pinching foul tempered Duke only married the Duchess in order to get his hands on her money. The Duke and Duchess, along with Miss Deacon are quite real historical figures and the Duchess' maiden name was Vanderbilt so there was indeed a great deal of money involved in the marriage.

As Charles and Kate begin to sniff around in an effort to find the missing guests they also turn their attention to the AWOL maid. In following her trail they stumble onto a very troubling scenario. It seems that this maid and one of the footmen have also been employed in two other homes that have been burgled during weekend festivities. These festivities involve several guests who wear all of their finery, including some very valuable jewelry. It just so happens that the king and queen will be visiting Blenheim Palace in the very near future and Charles suspects that another burglary is in the works. His investigation leads him to believe that there is a huge criminal syndicate at work, one headed by a man known only as Mr. N., short for "The Napoleon of Crime." This Mr. N. is also a very real character whose real name was Adam Worth and one gets the feeling that the next several entries in this series will involve this arch criminal.

After uncovering this plot, the Sheridan's have to look for answers to several questions. How many of the servants are involved? Who are the servants who are involved reporting to? Is Gladys Deacon involved in the plot and just where is she? And finally, what happened to the maid who left without her pay or her clothes? Some of these questions are fully answered but some issues are left hanging thanks in part to the rash actions of Winston Churchill.

The last few books of this series have been somewhat of a letdown with the authors working overtime to make political points or simply grasping at historical straws that were just too far-fetched to be believable. This book however is a return to the style of the older books produced by this husband and wife team and I enjoyed this book much more than the last two in particular. The atmosphere of the gloomy old palace is portrayed in a very vivid manner and the personalities involved make the whole story a delight. One will feel nothing but pity for the Duchess while at the same time loathing Miss Deacon and the Duke. I found myself to be quite overjoyed when Charles curtly informed the Duke that he didn't intend to take orders from the old miser, Duke or not. It made me want to jump up and shout, "You tell the old buzzard Charles!"

King Henry II built Blenheim Palace for his mistress Rosamund to keep her far away from the jealousies of his wife Queen Eleanor. The present owner, the ninth Duke of Marlborough, married Consuelo Vanderbilt for her money so he can return his palace to its former glory. The pair shares an unhappy marriage though Consuelo does her best to run the palace.

Sleuth Lord Charles Sheldon and his wife Kate visit the Duke and Duchess. However, before they arrive, a servant vanishes without taking her possessions or asking for a reference. Charles believes that she was part of a band of thieves that are stealing valuables from the homes of nobles. He plants a mole inside the servants' quarters to learn if anyone else belongs to the gang. The spy uncovers the identity of another conspirator planning to rob valuables from Blenheim Palace when King Edward and Queen Alexandra visit. Charles and Kate try to ferret out the criminals before His Highness arrives, but the mastermind realizes that and alters the plan.

Meticulous research has gone into this extraordinary historical mystery to the point that readers will recognize Blenheim Palace on sight without a guide. Even with that depth of vividness, the investigation is clever as Kate and Charles play major roles in trying to unravel a conspiracy. Consuelo also is a critical participant coping with an unfaithful spouse who is rude to her even in public while preparing her home for the regal visit. Robin Paige continues to provide some of the best historical mysteries on the market today with this novel proof positive of that assertion.

Harriet Klausner

I have been reading this series for some time, and I enjoy it very much, but this book is far and away the best of the bunch. The best thing about these books is the way that the writing duo of Susan and Bill Albert mix real historical figures and actual historical happenings into a plot for their books. I also enjoy Kate and Charles Sheridan very much. The books are written with enough detail and with enough of an interesting plot to keep readers involved. In this book Kate and Charles are unravelling a series of mysteries at Blenheim Palace. We also are treated to a really good characterization of Winston Churchill as a young man. Blenheim Palace is his historical home as he was also a Marlborough (although never the Duke of Marlborough). Wonderful book.

I enjoy murder mysteries and enjoy history, so when I ran across this title and its historic characters, I was hooked.

As with the other works, the husband-wife authors have worked magic with their thorough research of the period in which they have set their action. Susan Wittig Albert is a former professor of literature--I assume it is she who is primarily responsible for the writing--and this is abundantly apparent from the skillful use of the English language and the principles of composition; this is very readable literature, not just a "who-dunnit."

Also evident is the extent to which there is attention to the details of the period. The research has to have been pretty immersive, since little that creates an authentic ambiance has been neglected. I presume, although I could find out very little about him, that Bill Albert is responsible for the research, and I suspect a degree of at least some level in history. Whatever the case, it seems to be quite thorough, which makes the books the two write together very authentic.

In this case the murder is set in the family seat of the Marlboroughs and involves the historic individuals that owned it, including a 20 something Winston Churchill and a teenage Thomas Edward (or T.E.) Lawrance, later known as "Lawrance of Arabia." The characterizations are very engaging, and make the reader aware that the figures we know from history had a youthful beginning and were not always the icons they became.

Interesting too is the sense of political and cultural change going on at this time. Europe and Great Britain have yet to go through the turmoil that brought about the modern era, but some of the attitudes and behaviors presented in the book show why what followed occurred. Being privileged to the knowledge of WWI and WWII and the changes that these wars introduced and the part that each of the more central historic characters in the book played in both wars, the reader can almost sense how close to the precipice the characters are, and what characteristics they posessed that put them into the roles they later played in history.

Definately intriging,too, are the cultural/social structure of the period and the constraints that existed on the lives of upperclass individuals, particularly women. The cat and mouse game played by the later Dutchess of Marlborough with the encumbant of the title were particularly dramatic, as were the encumbant's observations regarding the life her rival would lead when she acheived her goal. Very astute reading of character by the authors.

I particularly enjoy what amounts to historical notes by the authors at the end of the book. Not being familiar with many of the historic characters I found it informative to learn what actually became of them. History is in the position of telling us the "beginning, middle, and end" of the story, so to speak, and it was nice to have had the information presented--along with a bibliography, no less--for the reader's convenience.

Excellant fiction

This is the 11th book in the Victorian/Edwardian mystery series. Kate and Charles are visiting Blenheim Palace. while there, Kate intends to do some historical research on Rosamund, mistress to the king, who was reportedly poisoned by his queen, Eleanor. The current Duchess, Consuelo Vanderbilt, is stuck in a loveless marriage and has to put up with her husband's mistress, an intelligent, but somewhat flighty young woman, Gladys Deacon. Several mysteries are intertwined when Gladys disappears. The two sleuths find that there is a missing maid and possibly a plot to steal family heirlooms and possibly rob guest of the King and Queen during their upcoming visit. Playing supporting roles are a young Winston Churchill and a very young T.E. Lawrence. I loved all the historical information and the descriptions of Blenheim, which has a soft spot in my heart as I used to visit the grounds there frequently as a child. The mystery was more interesting to me than the last few books. The only thing I found annoying was Kate's alter ego, Beryl Bardwell who was more personified in the book. I found it rather silly for Kate to be talking to herself in this fashion. Otherwise, it was a great book.

This is the eleventh in a series of period mysteries written by a husband and wife team under a pseudonym. Well written and well-researched, they are replete with detail evocative of a bygone era. The main characters are engaging and with each passing book, the reader becomes more interested with the details of their lives. As with all cozy mysteries, it is not so much the mystery that is of import but the characters that revolve around the mystery. While the mystery is intriguing, it is simply the framework around which the characters evolve.

The series revolves around Lady Kathryn and her husband, Charles Sheridan, Baron of Somersworth. This time they are off to Blenheim Palace, which is purported to be the location of the illicit relationship between King Henry II ands the Fair Rosamund, who was purportedly poisoned by the king's wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Having been invited by the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough to stay at Blenheim Palace for a spell, Kathryn is delighted, as she is writing a book about King Henry II and his love affair with the Fair Rosamund. A stay at Blenheim Palace will enable her to soak up some atmosphere for her novel.

During their visit, however, Kathryn's concentration is broken, when a maid mysteriously disappears and all is not what it seems at the Palace. Moreover, there is definitely trouble between the Duke and the Duchess, as it seems the Duke has taken on a mistress, who just happens to be one of the other house guests. Even the Duke's cousin, Winston Churchill, who also happens to be a house guest, realizes that something is very much amiss. The mysteries abound, when it comes to the attention of Charles that some heirloom jewels belonging to the Duke's family are being clandestinely offered for sale by an unknown woman.

Everything comes to head, and what Charles and Kathryn discover is certainly interesting, more so, because many of the plot details are based upon actual historical events and people. This is made clear in the authors' afterword, which allows the reader to understand the reasoning and research that went into such inclusion. In this case, the afterword provides a lot of historical information about Blenheim Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. Those who enjoy the historical cozy mystery genre will definitely love this series.

In what Paige states is the penultimate book in the series, the emphasis is on those wealthy American young women who were dazzled--or coerced by greedy parents--into marrying English peers, only to find themselves looked down upon by the servants and overwhelmed by running huge manor houses, and discovering that they were only married to shore up dwindling finances. Consuelo Vanderbilt Marlborough has found this out the hard way. Now she fears her husband will make a fool of himself with his mistress. In the meantime, visitors Sir Charles Sheridan and his American wife, the former Kate Ardleigh (writer of mysteries under the name "Beryl Bardwell,"), get wind of a plot to burgle Blenheim Palace during a visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra--and it will be an "inside job." Winston Churchill as a feckless young man, rather than the venerable statesman he became, also re-appears. Another "cozy" murder mystery revolving around a little-known piece of history, with a rather bitter taste at the end. For historical perspective on this novel, try the book TO MARRY AN ENGLISH LORD or a biography of Consuelo Vanderbilt.

This is a very engaging and satisfying mystery series with Winston Churchill, his cousing the Duke of Moroborough, and Consuelo Vanderbilt Moroborough, a very real and somewhat tragic figure in post Victorian England. The plot is very complex and satisfying, and the characters true to what has been published about them. I recommend this series to any historical mystery buffs.

I enjoyed all the prior installments in this series, but had a terrible time getting through this book. The plot has been well summarized by others, so I'll just comment on my thinking about this mystery.
When only one or two of the characters are based on "real life people," I am able to forget about it and read the novel as though the fictional character just happens to have the same name as someone from the past.
In this mystery, all of the characters except for the Sheridans, of course, and the servants/villians, were based on real people, and I could not dis-engage in that same way. Winston Churchill was alive within my memory, and it was too difficult to imagine him as this mystery portrayed him.
I really like Kate and Charles Sheridan, and long for a return to when the mysteries were about them, and we saw them as a couple. In this book, they were seldom together on the same page.
The end result of my struggle with this novel is that I will probably skip further installments of this series and just read S.W. Albert's China Bayles mysteries instead.