Customer Reviews

Death and the Jubilee: A Novel (Lord Francis Powerscourt Murder Mysteries)

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When an aging German banker is found, his body decapitated, hands severed, Lord Francis Powerscourt is called into action. Powerhouse has developed a reputation as an investigator but this case is bigger than anything he has tackled. A vast conspiracy to destroy the British Empire threatens England's place in the world. Germans and Irish republicans combine to threaten Queen Victoria--and the institutions that British power rests upon. Before his investigation is complete, Powerscourt will be shot at several times, develop interest in early arson research, and put his own wife at risk.

Author David Dickinson draws a convincing picture of Britain at the end of the 19th century. Victoria nears the end of her long reign and the entire Empire prepares to celebrate her jubilee. Yet already, Germany (still allied with Britain at this time) sees its place as the dominant nation of the world and views Britain as its primary threat.

Powerscourt makes a sympathetic protagonist. He is clever enough to make a difference, willing to throw himself into the investigation, and very much in love with his wife and family. Scenes where Powerscourt plays cricket or visits his tutor add depth to this interesting character. His curiosity about arson plays into the story and also shows the type of talent that makes Powerscourt an effective investigator.

Dickinson introduces enough subplots to keep up reader interest. Even minor characters such as Dominick Knox of the Irish Office tantilize the reader interest. Unlike GOOD NIGHT SWEET PRINCE, the earlier novel in this series, DEATH AND THE JUBILEE is conservative rather than questioning of authority. Both novels are definitely worth the read.

First Sentence: One nondescript room at the top of the War Office in London had become the nerve center of the British Empire.

London is excited about the upcoming Diamond celebrating the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign, but there are also great concerns about security.

A corpse, without head or hands, is found floating in the Thames. Because the body appears to be a wealthy, older gentleman, Lord Francis Powerscourt is brought in to work with the security forces to identify the corpse and determine whether there is a greater threat.

The investigation leads Powerscourt back to his native Ireland, into the world of international banking and facing a personal threat.

I was afraid, at first, that this book might be a bit dry for my taste. It definitely was not.

There are great characters. Powerscourt is an ex-soldier, who is wealthy, urbane, literate, polite, and confident of his position in life. He loves his wife, Lady Lucy, and family, is capable of expressing emotion. Lady Lucy is no vapid Victoria female, but intelligent and holds her own. There is delightful interaction between Powerscourt, Lady Lucy and their children which adds humor and a softer note to the story. While they take the lead, the supporting characters, some of whom are recurring in the series, are well developed and integral to the story.

Dickinson's sense of place is strong enough that his description of a cricket match made me actually want to understand the game. The verbally paints with contract: "All around were the signs of England in the Spring...Then Powerscourt saw the sad remains of Blackwater House."

The story is very well plotted with escalating suspense. It begins with a seemingly straightforward murder but quickly become much more and goes places I didn't expect. There is no question that I shall read more books in this series.

David Dickinson is one of the best writers in the historical mystery genre. He belongs to the same ranks with C.J.Sansom and Edward Marston. Historical accuracy combined with great plotting and vivid characters makes him a standout among his peers." Death and a Jubilee" is more of a thriller than traditional mystery. Terrorist attacks planned during the celebrations of 60 years of the reign of Queen Victoria,are the real subject. Few murders are just a sideline. Beautifuly written witha quick pace. Another winner.

I really enjoyed this book, the second in Dickinson's Lord Powerscourt mysteries, although it was slow going in some parts (hence 4 stars instead of 5). Powerscourt is a very likeable hero and doesn't disappoint, but the pacing did in places. This may have been the author's way of bringing to life the Victorian setting of 1897 England, where despite the hustle and bustle of London at the center of the vast British Empire, life moved at a much slower pace than we can even imagine in our digital, wired age (including the pace of murder/conspiracy investigations!) A terrorist plot threatens to devastatingly disrupt the massive celebration planned for the Queen's Jubilee, but it felt as if the urgency didn't kick in until the last 100 or so pages; and there was an interminable chapter right before that about a cricket match that I felt a good editor could've hacked down by at least half.

The first book in this series, "Goodnight Sweet Prince", was about the mystery surrounding the death of Prince Eddy, Victoria's debauched eldest son; I liked it so much that I immediately ordered this book from Amazon. I truly enjoy Powerscourt and his evolving cast of supporting players and look forward to reading his further adventures. I'd recommend the first two books in this series without reservations to historical mystery buffs.