Customer Reviews

Death and the Princess

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

 

 

Hello--BBC? Are you there, old chaps? I say, there is this terrific novel that would make an absolutely smashing episode of MYSTERY or one of those type programs which you all do so well.

Death & the Princess--no, no! not *that* Princess--by Robert Barnard just cries out for a visual treatment. There's this hunky Scotland Yard Superintendent with a bit of Toff in his history somewhere there, and a name that could hardly be more Brit. Peregrine Trethowan. Now I ask you! Of course, he's married (aren't they all) and has a young son, to boot, so he wouldn't be up to much in the way of hanky-panky, but still--that gorgeous young man who played Mr. Darcy in your recent P & P, would be ideal in this role.

Anyway, the Princess here is Helena, who is a many-times removed sprig of the current residents of Buckingham Palace, via her now-deceased Mama. Her Bavarian Papa, Prince Rupert, has managed to wangle himself into a position with the current Prince of Liechtenberg, and that entourage is about to visit London. This promises to create a bit of a stir, you see, because the Princess likes to have things happen. Especially when she's there to watch!

In her ordinary life, Helena is a charming young miss (rather reminds me of the second Miss Bennett in that aforementioned P & P) who cheerfully carries out all the 'meet and greet' type tasks assigned to her by the higher-ups, in exchange for which she has a 'grace and favor' at Kensington Palace. Athough the Royals don't really specialize, as such, it seems as though Helena visits an awful lot of places that cater to the elderly, and does it cheerfully, too!

She even manages to have a private life, of sorts. There's that young, and supposedly Honorable Edwin Frere, and the Northern Ireland footballer Jimmy McAphee, the MP (from perhaps the wrong side of the aisle) Harry Bayle, and the current acting sensation, Jeremy Styles (who once did portray the aforementioned Mr. Darcy) in the current batch. Oh, and let us not forget the reporter Bill Tredgold. Unfortunately, he's no longer with us, having had a gas heater do exactly the wrong thing while he was staying at a Tudor era inn near Shrewsbury.

Well, there you have the cast of characters, except for a short star turn by Edwina, Lady Glencoe, that is. (You can read all about her on page 136 of the first edition.) There's even a bang-up plot that comes to light when a old lay-about mumbles something about a threat to the Princess. I think you really will have to read this for yourself, old chaps, to see just how it goes together so neatly. And such perfectly delicious political satire thrown in for good measure. I can just hear that first-person narration now . . .

When you pick up one of the many murder mysteries by Robert Barnard, you are likely to find yourself within one of three categories of approach:

1) Scathing satires of political or class absurdities.

2) Serious explorations of a particular societal problem or some past event which haunts one of the protagonists and which they must resolve by the end of the story.

3) Lighter, colorful farces (usually tinged with observations about class distinctions) which go down as easy as a delicious bon-bon.

This one was quite rewardingly in the third category, though with a little of category one thrown in too via its gentle irreverence toward both Parliament and "the royal family."

Other reviewers have already summarized the story in more detail than I'd have attempted, so let me just add that if you are looking for an intelligently written, provocatively humorous, throughly entertaining page-turner that will even occasionally make you laugh out loud, this book is ideal.

Barnard walks an expert line here, combining plenty of "backstage with the Royals" details with an unflagging wit. His first-person narrator has a great way of skipping over a lot of tedious procedural detail so that the book keeps moving right along and never once gets bogged down.

Admittedly not really considered a Barnard "A-list" selection, nevertheless it's one of the most matter-of-factly entertaining books of Barnard's I've ever read. Plenty of colorful characters, uniquely drawn, with Mr. Trethowen and Princess Helena endearingly presented. Even the minor characters are vivid and entertaining, and the "mystery" itself at the core of the book gets solved in a slow but intriguing way.

A first-class effort from a very talented writer.

Robert Barnard's British Police Superintendent Perry Trethowan, six-foot-five, 238 pounds, a scion of a landed gentry family was introduced to readers in "Death by Sheer Torture." In that effort Perry's father, dressed in spangled tights, was murdered while cavorting on a whoopee strappado contraption. In this outing the royals are getting anxious about the beautiful young Princess Helena who has a fondness for the wrong type of men. A dying convict suggests that certain people are out to harm the Princess so Perry is chosen to head up her security detail.

The mystery is told in the first person with Barnard's usual sly humor peeking through. As it gets underway, you realize that it's a police procedural.

Barnard has a good understanding of the flaws and foibles of human nature and doesn't concern himself overmuch with human virtues and valors. While she was in power, Barnard loved to poke fun at Margaret Thatcher. There are some funny lines, and he is highly imaginative when he has his humorous outbursts. There's a lot of insider-sounding knowledge of British politics, social life, the class structure, country B and Bs, and London high life.

His wry sense of humor: Helena visits a nursing home. When she's not there, "The old people would be partaking of a light lunch (cabbage stalks and potato peelings, most probably)." In another scene: "She motioned us to two upright chairs, eighteenth century jobs, seemingly designed for midgets with spinal problems."

The solution is a solid one; this is a well-told tale, not one of the author's best, but it will do because he has a talent for turning dross into gold. He always keeps the narrative humming along with his breezy style