Death at Rottingdean (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 5) [Paperback]

Robin Paige (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

For Kathryn Ardleigh and her newly Lorded husband Charles, a seaside holiday in Rottingdean is a needed rest. The cozy hamlet is built on a labyrinth of hundred-year-old tunnels that once were used by smugglers. But when a coast guard's body is found on the beach, the town is suspected to plying its illicit trades of the past. And with the help of a young writer named Rudyard Kipling, they're about to discover something rotten in Rottingdean...

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dualities abound in Paige's (aka Bill and Susan Alberts) mix of real and fictional characters in this mystery set in the former smugglers' haven of Rottingdean, England, during the 1890s. The coastal village, with its picturesque clay caves, seems the perfect place for a relaxing holiday, or so the Sheridans, Lord Charles and Lady Katherine (herself a mystery writer under the pseudonym Beryl Bardwell), think as they motor toward it for a respite from hectic London. But when a coast guard's body washes up on the beach, the couple begins digging for the truth with their neighbors: the Rudyard Kiplings, Mrs. Edward Burne-Jones and Patrick, a redheaded, freckle-faced village boy who seems to know much more than he's telling. Their sleuthing picks up when the Prince of Wales asks Charles to investigate the death for the Crown. The authors (Death at Gallows Green; Death at Devil's Bridge) set the tone in each chapter of this fifth entry in the series with a quotation from Kipling or another Victorian. This adventure is just as much fun as the other four have been.

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; later printing edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425167828
• ISBN-13: 978-0425167823
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > British Detectives

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb late Victorian mystery, January 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Death at Rottingdean (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 5) (Paperback)

When the fourth Baron of Somersworth dies, his brother Charles Sheridan must hastily return home to assume the title's responsibilities. Charles' Irish-American spouse Kate accompanies her beloved mate. However, her efforts to become a successful Baroness lead to her miscarriage and inability to have children any longer. Concerned about Kate's mental state, Charles takes her on a vacation in the coastal town of Rottingdean, just outside Brighten.

When the distraught couple arrives at the vacation hot spot, a coast guard is killed and a second death shortly follows. The Prince Regent orders Charles to investigate the two killings. Very quickly, the married couple concludes that most of the townsfolk are engaged in illicit smuggling with the contraband stored beneath the city. However, the activities go way beyond the local level as they threaten the health of the entire empire.

DEATH AT ROTTINGDEAN is a mesmerizing story line that has seemingly endless excitement. Set in late Victorian England, readers glimpse a country still struggling with the impact of the industrial revolution. Science and technology seems to advance at a rate similar to today's information technology revolution. Still, the old class system remains viable and alive. Robin Paige provides fans with an excellent historical mystery that will have genre fans searching for the previous four fabulous novels in this special, one-of-a-kind series.

Harriet Klausner

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read !, June 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Death at Rottingdean (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 5) (Paperback)

Loved the story , maybe I am being biased for I am lucky enough to live in Rottingdean. I was able to read the story while sitting by the village pond & on the beach.The historical research into the area is first class. Great read for the Summer or a seaside holiday.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Book, June 6, 2007

By 

Austen (California, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death at Rottingdean (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 5) (Paperback)

I love this series. Not only are the stories well told but I love how the books include real authors from the period in the story lines. This is usually done with fairly minor characters but Rudyard Kipling plays a major role in this book. The books are also very well researched and in this particular book I learned a great deal I had never known before about the smuggling that went on in England. These mysteries are also very family friendly. I would recommend them to anyone.