Customer Reviews

Death at Epsom Downs (A Victorian Mystery)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the latest in a wonderful series, a series featuring two fine leading fictional characters (now married) and some very interesting non-fictional characters. In this one The Jersey Lily herself is joined by figures of the late nineteenth century British and American horseracing world, including an appearance (as in other books) of her paramour, the Prince of Wales. The problems are serious; murder is involved, yet a deft, light touch and very appealing characters make this book, and others of the series, terrific reading.

In 1899, Lord Charles Sheridan, Baron of Somersworth, and his wife Lady Kathryn attend Derby Day at Epsom Downs. Charles, a photography buff, plans to shoot the hoses as they cross the finish line. However, tragedy strikes during the race when one of the thoroughbreds Gladiator goes berserk killing his jockey and another horse.

The highly respected racing horse owner and fan, the Prince of Wales, believes someone drugged Gladiator. He asks Charles to investigate. While Charles is sleuthing, Kate visits Lillie Langtrey in an attempt to interview the famous actress for a magazine article that Kate wants to write under a pseudonym. Kate learns that Lillie owes a fortune to a bookie, who happens to have been shot at the same time he was supposed to meet the renowned performer. Charles sees the link between his inquiries and the bookie shooting. He files his report, but no one knows whether the guilty party will be punished or even if the doping will stop.

DEATH AT EPSOM DOWNS is as much a social commentary of a time in which the excesses of the aristocracy was slowly ending (but still prevailing) in England as it is a mystery. The cleverly arranged mystery absorbs the audience, but takes a back seat to the human drama at the tail end of the nineteenth century. Robin Paige provides a page-turning novel that will entice historical fiction buffs and Victorian mystery readers to seek her previous works in a strong series.

Harriet Klausner

I admit I do enjoy this series, but it is strictly a "fun" read. I agree with the other reviewers that the author(s) really make a royal hash of the British titles, alternately referring to the same character as Lord "surname" and then as Lord "first name" - yet the same person would NEVER go by both of those. Charles, as a peer, would never EVER be referred to a Lord Charles, and it would be terribly gauche to do so. A prince is never Your Majesty.

These are pretty simple things that even an American like me can figure out and understand, yet the author(s) screw this up every time in book after book.

However if I just grit my teeth and bear it the rest of the book is funny and informative, a "light" read, so I guess I cannot expect too much accuracy. But fun. Brain candy.

This is the seventh in a series of Victorian 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, Baron of Somersworth. This time they are off to the races at Epsom Downs for the Derby, as Lord Charles, an avid and renowned photographer, has been commissioned to take photos of the finish of the race. Unfortunately, a jockey is killed during the race, when the horse he is riding does the unthinkable.

Suspicions of doping and the potentially detrimental effects of such on racing and betting prompts those in high places to engage the services of Lord Charles to investigate just what really happened. Lady Kathryn, meanwhile, schedules Lillie Langtry, who happens to be at Epsom downs, for an interview in hope of writing an article about the famous actress. What she discovers serves only to aid her husband in his investigation. Together, they are, indeed, a formidable investigatory team.

It is of interest that these books always seem to include a historical personage or event that is intertwined into the mystery at hand. The historical notes at the end of the book are most enjoyable, as they allow the reader to understand the reasoning and research that went into such inclusion. In this case, they provide a lot of information about horse racing in England and some of its practices. The injection of Lilly Langtry into the storyline was also quite interesting, and, again, the historical notes are also illuminating as to why. For those who enjoy history, these notes are an added bonus to these books. Those who enjoy the historical cozy mystery genre will definitely love this series.

As this series has now reached it's sixth installment the personalities and backgrounds of the major characters have been set and explained in previous books. To jump in with this book will leave the reader somewhat lost as to what is going on and I would highly recommend that this series be started from the beginning. Some of these light mystery series' allow the reader the luxury of jumping on board at just any stop but that is not the case here. I think that you will find this book enjoyable even if you haven't read the previous books, but you will enjoy it much more if you start at the beginning.

One of the most noticeable traits of this series is the use of real historical characters in the stories. His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales heavily influences this story, like at least two before it. The story seems to revolve however, around the actress Lillie Langtry. A mediocre actress, Ms. Langtry would probably have never have been remembered by history if not for her dalliances with the above mentioned Prince. Although being the one true love of Judge Roy Bean, the "Only Law West of the Pecos" might have kept her name alive also. Judge Bean by the way, never met Langtry but he named his saloon after her.

Langtry is a rather despicable character whom Kate visits while Charles is called on to solve a problem for the Jockey Club, which counts the Prince as one of it's members. The club is desperate to solve it's little problem without any publicity, especially after one of the area's leading bookies is murdered. It all seems to relate to the practice of doping horses before races which completely alters the odds and is costing the bookies a fortune. As is normal, Charles begins to find clues almost immediately and with the help of his sleuthing wife they are able to name the killer in short order. It is refreshing that in this case Kate's personal maid Amelia turns out to be quite the detective herself. In the end, the Prince steps in and Kate, not quite yet understanding English ways is unhappy with the result, at least until she sees royal justice in action.

This is another fine entry in the "Victorian Mystery" series and the horse racing background is fascinating. Like I mentioned earlier, the characters may seem flat or confusing if this is the first book in the series that you have read but the story is so engaging and the writing so polished that I think that most people would enjoy this story anyway. So grab a parasol, pick a horse and let's enjoy the races at Epsom Downs.

The latest of the Kate and Charles Sheridan series lives up to the previous mysteries. All of my favorite characters are there, and the setting of the racecourse at Newmarket is different than most of the Victorian and Edwardian mysteries. The description of Lillie Langtry and her life seems pretty accurate from all that I have read, and so does the decription of the racing world at the time. I really enjoyed the mystery, although I was a bit disappointed if not surprised by the resolution. I enjoyed it very much on the whole. The authors have a knack for bringing historical figures to life and writing a good mystery along with it.

I started reading this book one evening before bed and had not gone more than two chapters when I found myself noticing that I had a couple of places on the wall I needed to touch up with paint. A couple of chapters later I found myself wondering if I needed to clean my gutters out.

Since neither paint nor gutters appear prominently in this book, the only conclusion I could draw was-- I was bored. I ended up finishing the book when stopped by a train and it was the only book I had in the car.

Here's the good: It's not badly written at all. One of the authors writes the China Bayliss mysteries which I have read and enjoyed, so the writing is smooth and professional.

The information on horse doping was new to me and appeared well researched.

Here's the bad: I felt as though the characters lacked depth. Charles (I think he started the series as Sir Charles but I must have missed something after that) is egalitarian (doesn't want to use his title), supportive of his wife having a career as a writer, and interested in science. The reader would not guess that he had ever held any other views or struggled to arrive at the views. The just appear full blown. Kate, his American wife, supports women's sufferage, writes succesful novels and has set up a school to teach women agriculture. She also never seems to question her ideas or wonder if what she is doing is best for the objects of her charity.

They have one friend who supports Cecil Rhodes' policy in Africa, but I'm sure he will see the error of his ways. All of the other members of the nobility and gentility are potrayed as corrupt and venal. This is just too easy for the modern reader. It affirms the current beliefs in these areas and never asks us to examine whether or not the beliefs of that era had any value.

Also there are numerous errors in the titles used in the story. Lord Charles (and Lady Charles for his wife) are honorific titles for the younger sons of Dukes and Marquesses and their wives. Charles's proper title would have been Lord Somerset and Kate would be Lady Somerset. It's stated he doesn't want to use the title (prefers Sheridan) but it still wouldn't be proper to address him as "Lord Charles Sheridan." If he properly renounced the title he would be simply Mr. Charles Sheridan.

I guess it might be possible to just say it's meant to be light entertainment and shrug off any criticism that way, but it has to have some quality that engages the interest of the reader before it can entertain.

Robin Paige has developed a Victorian mystery series revolving around Kate and Charles Sheridan that is well worth taking the time to explore. The author has clearly done her homework concerning the era and rarely makes a mistake, knows how to develop an intriguing plot, and gives us an enchanting hero and heroine. However, like M&M's or a hotdog at the baseball park, the books by Paige are quickly swallowed, thoroughly enjoyed, yet just as quickly forgotten after awhile. In other words, this series is excellent for entertainment, yet not a series I would spend my hard-earned cash for in order to own them in hardback.

Unlike Anne Perry's fascinating darker Victorian mysteries involving the characters of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, or the darkly deep written historical novels by Laurie King centering on Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, this series by Paige is a lovely light read.

This is the 7th book in the Victorian/Edwardian mystery series and involves horse racing. The historical elements include the introduction of photography for the "photo finish" pioneered by Muybridge, the start of doping in horse racing, and Lillie Langtry, the actress and racing fan/gambler known as "Mr Jersey". Charles and Kate are at Epsom Downs so that Charles can photograph the finish of the races. When a race goes horribly wrong, Charles is asked to investigate possible doping. Amelia, Kate's maid, takes a turn at sleuthing when Kate is invited to Lily's home to discuss turning one of her books into a play. The plot thickens when a well known bookie turns up dead. This was a decent mystery, and the historical background on racing was interesting. The main characters tended to fade into the background in this one and I missed them. Hopefull, the next in the series will be more intriguing and involving.

Death at Whitechapel (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 6)Death at Gallows Green (Victorian Mysteries, No. 2)
There are 13 in all, so far as I know. Reading them in order is a good idea because the author(s) have done excellent research for what I believe to be mostly Victorian and into the Edwardian times in the UK, mainly England. As new, to the period; products/inventions, fashions, popular beliefs, etc., come to the fore. They will be mentioned, at the least. Our husband and wife heroes' relationship progresses as well. For those who enjoy the "Brit" detective stories, there are ample plots and interesting characters; most are fictional, while some are real and had their place in history. Generally light, but very enjoyable, "Death at Whitechapel" relates a disturbing "bit of gossip", that may, indeed, be more real than many would like to believe.
The books are highly descriptive, painting many a day, or place, that will fill the senses to the brim with "real" experiences.
If there is a negative aspect to these delightful excursions to the moors, the seaside, village life, the gritty, or posh side of London; it is the fear that the husband and wife team who are "author" may grow weary of telling new ones. Bravo(a) to Susan and Bill, my neighboring Texans. Please continue!