Death In Hyde Park [Hardcover]

Robin Paige (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

Kate and Charles Sheridan are attending the new king's coronation ceremony when an anarchist accidentally blows himself up-with a bomb meant for the royals. Now, it's up to Kate and Charles to discover who is threatening the crown-and whether or not American author Jack London is involved...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the 10th entry in this historical husband-and-wife amateur sleuth series (after 2003's Death at Glamis Castle), the pseudonymous Paige makes a less than successful attempt to comment on post–9/11 America. Once again, the powers-that-be ask liberal aristocrat Lord Charles Sheridan to investigate a crime, here the detonation of a bomb in Hyde Park that kills a suspected anarchist seemingly en route to Buckingham Palace shortly after the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. The explosion raises fear of further outrages, and the king's equerry delivers a royal request that Sheridan determine the extent of the terrorist threat. The lord's independent wife, Kate, slips into her usual role as unofficial helper, conducting a parallel inquiry. Atypically, there's no actual mystery to unravel, while the legitimate parallels between Edwardian England's fears of terror attacks and today's U.S. get lost amid heavy-handed touches such as naming the lead Scotland Yarder charged with protecting the British homeland "Ashcraft." Sheridan's speculation about the future invention of something very much like a cellphone is jarringly improbable. Finally, Jack London fans may be dismayed to see London commit a brutal crime that's totally out of character for the real-life adventure writer and socialist.
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About the Author

Robin Paige is the pseudonym of husband-and-wife writing team Susan Wittig Albert and Bill Albert. Susan Wittig Albert is also the author of the China Bayles mysteries. Bill Albert is the co-author, with his wife, of more than sixty novels for young adults. They live in the Texas hill country.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover; 1 edition (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425194191
• ISBN-13: 978-0425194195
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,908,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Turn of the century (20th) terrorist plots., May 6, 2005

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death In Hyde Park (Hardcover)

This tenth book in the Kate and Charles Sheridan series deals with the problem of terrorists (or anarchists as they were called then) in England. Apparently in 1902, during the reign of Edward VII, there was fear of this type of violent action. England has just retreated from the Boer War, and they find that their "Jolly Old" is full of foreigners, and surely some of those foreigners must be dangerous! This book is not a mystery story at all. The only death is an accident when a bomb actually blows up the person who was carrying it. It appeared that the bomb was meant for the King and Queen on his Coronation Day. Charles is asked by his King to find out if there is a real anarchist threat, or whether or not this was an isolated incident. The characters are pretty good, and Kate and Charles are delightful as always. Also the writing team of Bill and Susan Albert (pseudonymously knows as Robin Paige) have done their homework. They do a good job of providing enough historical detail, and actual historical people (in this case the American author Jack London), to make the story interesting. This wasn't a bad effort in my mind.

5.0 out of 5 stars Death in Hyde Park, September 23, 2011

By 

William C. Townsend (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death in Hyde Park (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 10) (Mass Market Paperback)

Really excellent. Historical aspects seem authentic, and are consistent with what I have learned from other sources. The Wittigs are among my favorite writers. Good yarn!

4.0 out of 5 stars CORONATION DAY WOES..., July 10, 2011

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Death in Hyde Park (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 10) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the tenth entry in this series of well-written and carefully researched cozy period mysteries. Replete with period detail and the social mores evocative of a bygone era, this is a series of historical mysteries that is well worth reading. The main characters are engaging, and with each passing book, the reader becomes more fully immersed into 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.

This series features Lady Kathryn and her husband, Charles Sheridan, who is also the fifth Baron of Somersworth. They are the Nick and Nora Charles of the early twentieth century. When a bomb is set off on King Edward's coronation day in 1902, blowing up the bomber in the process, Charles is commissioned by King Edward to inquire into the activities of local anarchists to determine the extent to which their activities should be taken seriously and whether or not they are a threat to the crown. Charles, aided by his intelligent and feisty wife, Kathryn, investigates, and what they discover makes them test their liberal proclivities.

In addition, American author, Jack London, also weighs in, as he is inextricably woven into the plot. This series of 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 Jack London, illuminating as to why he was included into the storyline. 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.