Death And the Cornish Fiddler: A John Rawlings Mystery [Hardcover]

Deryn Lake (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2006

The spring of 1765 brings a welcome sense of recovery to the recently widowed Apothecary John Rawlings, but his tentative peace of mind does not last for long: a young child disappears in strange circumstances at the Hellstone Floral Dance and a seemingly omnipresent blind musician is never far away. Whilst this mysterious figure intrigues Rawlings, the case of the missing child alarms him: he feels he must do all in his powers to attempt to rescue the young life. Packed full of colorful historical detail, Death and the Cornish Fiddler is the eleventh book in the highly acclaimed John Rawlings series . . . a new masterpiece from the queen of Georgian fiction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Meticulously researched, this is a series that brings the past to colourful life’ --The Guardian

About the Author

Deryn Lake is the pseudonym of a well-known historical novelist who joined the popular ranks of historical detective writers with her gripping John Rawlings Mysteries. Deryn Lake lives near Hastings, East Sussex.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Allison & Busby (April 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749082968
• ISBN-13: 978-0749082963
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,867,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Book Eleven in the John Rawlings Mysteries, January 10, 2008

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death And the Cornish Fiddler: A John Rawlings Mystery (Hardcover)

Deryn Lake is a pseudonym of a well know historical novelist. Among the books she has written are the popular John Rawlings Mysteries, Death in the Peerless Pool, Death at the Apothecaries' hall, Death at the Devil's Tavern and others. As all of the titles are preceded by the word death, (unusual to say the least), this is a pretty good indication regarding the contents of the books and very good historical murder mysteries they are. `Deryn Lake' live near Hastings, in East Sussex

The character of John Rawlings has grown into an old and trusted friend and the author's clear and concise writing style makes the pages fly by. The books are good, well researched historical murder mysteries. They are easy reading and a welcome change from the crash, bang wallop of many of the books being published today. Good escapism for the reader, away from the bumps and grinds of everyday life.

It is the Spring of the year 1765 and John Rawlings, apothecary and amateur solver of mysteries is slowly starting to recover from the loss of his wife. A trip to Hellstone to witness the local dancing, with his young daughter Rose and his lady friend Elizabeth de Lorenzi seems like a good idea. But while there they encounter and intriguing group of fellow visitors, among them are a blind musician, a young child who disappears and to add to the plot a beautiful woman, found dead and a coven.

On top of all of this subterfuge while John is in the process of attempting to solve the mystery, the threat widens to include his daughter Rose . . .

2.0 out of 5 stars THE APOTHECARY GOES SOFT, March 17, 2007

By 

Em (ST NEOTS, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death And the Cornish Fiddler: A John Rawlings Mystery (Hardcover)

Sadly this is probably the weakest of the Apothecary mysteries: there are, as always in this series, vivid and authentic descriptions of place and customs and some well-drawn, quirky characters. But unfortunately these play second fiddle to the romance between John Rawlings and the Countess. Too little of Joe Jago, Sir Gabriel and London, and too many Heyer-ish flirtatious exchanges take the edge of the story. Let's hope DL will be back on form next time!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done historical mystery, June 29, 2006

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death And the Cornish Fiddler: A John Rawlings Mystery (Hardcover)

Apothecary John Rawlings, his young daughter Rose and his lady friend Elizabeth de Lorenzi have traveled to Helstone to witness the Furry Dance which dates back to Pagen times. They encounter a wide mix of fellow visitors, an intriguing Gypsy Woman, a blind musician, an irritating child who disappears, a beautiful woman found dead and a coven practicing the dark arts. While John is investigating, the threat widens to include his own daughter.

This is a new author to me and I'm glad to find her. Her depiction of Georgian England is filled with rich details and interesting characters. The pace of the story is a bit slower than I normally care for but not so much that I didn't read the book straight through. Another small annoyance was the author, a woman, had her character, a man, frequently reference the attractiveness of other men. The story was involving and the suspense subtle. I did enjoy the book very much and have ordered the first two books in the series so I may start at the beginning. I believe fans of historical fiction would find this a treat.