Customer Reviews

Hasty Death: An Edwardian Murder Mystery (Edwardian Murder Mysteries)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This mystery is part of a historical (Edwardian) series written by M.C. Beaton using a pen-name Marion Chesney. M.C. Beaton is a real favorite of mine (known for the Hamesh Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series), so I picked up this book with high expectations.

I have mixed feelings about the book. It's amusing and reasonably accurate historically, although it's not meant to be a very serious attempt to do either a mystery (the plotting isn't that strong) or period piece (the characters are very atypical for the time, as the author points out). My interest in the book was strong at first but by the last 50 pages, far from being desperate to find out "who done it", my interest was waning and I was counting how many pages I had left.

The characters are amusing and likeable (the ones that ought to be, at least -- the unlikeable ones are sufficiently villainous in a light-hearted way). The heroine Rose (an upper class young woman is driving her parents crazy with her desire to be a modern young woman -- for a while she was supporting the suffragettes and now she wants a JOB). The romantic interest is Harry, an upper class young man who is WORKING as a private detective -- which has made many of the upper class look down on him as being in trade. At the beginning of the book, a young man (from the upper crust) is found dead, and these two independently (and subsequently sometimes together) investigate his death. There's a class-conscious police detective who is longing to man the barricades when the revolution happens, a cockney maid (who is somewhat unbelievably transformed into Rose's companion), a manservant, and a variety of aristocratic characters. There's a country house party and a wicked doctor and various other characters, all drawn broadly enough you have no trouble remembering who is who.

Parts of the book are laugh out loud funny. I only wish Ms. Chesney had concentrated more on plotting.

"Hasty Death" is the third installment in this Edwardian series, and even though I vastly prefer Chesney's Regency novels, these are beginning to grow on me a bit. The characterizations are highly amusing, and the relationship between Rose and Cathcart is moving along nicely; they even become engaged, though it is a sham engagement. And no, the situation is not resolved at the end of the book . . . which brings me to one of the major irritations about this mystery/romance series: though the murder mystery is resolved at the end of each book, the romantic relationship is not, which I find very unsatisfying. In Chesney's previous books, they all contained an entertaining cast of characters and each one became the focus of successive novels. Not so, here; we are supposed to be engaged by a not-very-intriguing mystery and remember where these characters are in their development when the next installment comes out in a year or two, and while these characters are mildly interesting, they aren't that memorable, nor are they worth rereading the previous novels.

Nevertheless, Chesney is a very good writer, and this is a nice way to while away an afternoon.

As someone who has enjoyed the Hamish MacBeth series, I was looking forward to some light entertainment but was sadly disappointed. The basic ingredients are all there for a satisfying cosy with TWO spunky heroines and double love interests, but The author failed to deliver on the promise.

Perhaps the situations were supposed to be humorous coincidences, but they stretched far beyond humor and were too far-fetched to be believable, and there was ample evidence of sloppy writing and no editing. For example, in one scene the heroine goes to a luncheon that is to feature a speech by a noted occultist. Instead, with no explanation, the scene unfolds with a speech by the hostess on vegetarianism instead.

If you are looking for a modern historical mystery with a light touch, I would recommend Jacqueline Winspear's Maisis Dobbs series instead.

This book brings back memories of Agatha Christie?s writings, with the superb combination of wit , charm and intellect in the creation of murder mysteries. The author expertly intersperses the darkness of human activities such as murders and blackmailing, with wry humour and indications of romance between the adversarial protagonists of the story. This will be a very entertaining read that takes you back to the early decades of the twentieth century. The author is also competent in conveying the historical setting of the novel, with witty observations on the beginnings, of the rumblings of change in the social structure of British high society.

I would also suggest other books written by the author under the penname M.C. Beaton, the Agatha Raisin series of mysteries, which I have also enjoyed tremendously.

Lady Rose Summer returns in this second outing of Chesney's Edwardian Mystery Series. Rose is the spoiled daughter of the Earl and Countess Hadshire who is trying desperately to marry her off and since her failed first season, they are now considering either an asylum or India. Both seemingly will do the right job. But Roses decides to break the class barriers and go out into the working world with her maid Daisy. Being a typist seems interesting that is until she is forced to actually live off of her salary and not daddy's money. Well, low and behold a murder mystery falls into their lap and with the help of charming Captain Harry Cathcart, they all, Rose, Harry, Daisy and Becket, wind their way though an interesting group of blackmailer and blackmailees to a rather unique conclusion. Who knew you could blackmail a person for that reason; guess we all have something we must hide.

Once the murder is solved, Rose still has that little problem of becoming engaged or being forced to India. How is she going to get out of this, since marriage seems to be the last thing on her mind.

I enjoy this rather easy to read series. No complicated storylines or history to remember; an easy adventure with a cast of interesting recurring characters. This one also includes a little side story of unrequited love.

I wanted to add a few quick points since other reviewers have so succinctly covered the gist of the book.

This "mystery-lite" series, set in Edwardian England, while not the most enthralling, mystery wise, is above par in characterizations, fun dialog and giving the reader the ambiance of the period the stories take place in.

I read the first three books back to back: first-Snobbery With Violence, second-Hasty Death, and third-Sick of Shadows-and I do recommend the reader read the books in order so they can follow the flow of Rose, Harry and crews adventures and misadventures.

I am an avid reader of Miss Chesney's Regency Romances and I can honestly say that this series is just as entertaining. Chesney is well known for her intriguing bits of info about the period the book is set in and it is here as well. I learned so much about the social customs, beliefs, superstitions and slang of the period.

I would suggest this series of any fan of period fiction who is looking for something a bit lighter and more funny than say The Historian, LOL. There is enough mystery to satisfy your average mystery fan, though mystery purists may feel unfulfilled. There is a fun and sweet side story of Romance that continues throughout and read the series if for no other reason than Rose's Ladies maid and companion-the hilarious Daisy!

I hope Miss Chesney writes more in this charming series-5 stars.

PS-of the first three I felt this was the best so enjoy!

This is the second in a series of murder mysteries set in Britain in the first decade of the 20th century featuring Captain Harry Cathcart and Lady Rose Summer.

To date there are four books in the series, which are

Snobbery with Violence
Hasty Death
Sick of Shadows
Our Lady of Pain

The author writes romantic fiction, mostly humorous regency romances plus one or two set in the Edwardian period, under the name Marion Chesney, and also writes mystery/detective stories such as the Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth series under the name M.C. Beaton.

This Edwardian series is a something of a cross-over between the two - part romance and part murder mystery - and the books often have both names on the cover (usually something like "M.C. Beaton writing as Marion Chesney.)

In this second book, Lady Rose Summer gets so fed up with being an ornament to society that she wants to get a job, and arranges for both herself and her maid, Daisy, to work as typists at a bank. While she is working there, she learns that a young gentlemen, Freddy Pomfret, who has just been murdered, had banked large sums of money from other aristocrats. Had he been blackmailing them, and is that why he was murdered? So she goes the police and offers to help find the murderer.

However, her parents have other plans to deal with their wayward daughter - which unbeknown to them are a threat to her life ...

The main characters in the series are:

Captain Harry Cathcart, younger son of a Baron, has left the army after being injured in the Boer war. At the start of the first book he carried out a service for Lady Rose's father, the Earl of Hadfield, for which he gained a reputation as a fixer, and by the time of this book he has formally goes into business, being quite successful as the Edwardian equivalent of a Private Investigator.

Lady Rose Summer, only daughter of the Earl and Countess of Hadfield - slightly notorious as having briefly been involved with suffragettes. Chafes at the fact that society will not allow her a useful role, and constantly looking for something more challenging to do - fom working as a typist for a bank to helping the police solve murders.

Beckett - Harry's valet: in love with Daisy

Daisy - Lady Rose's maid. A former chorus girl, but when Captain Cathcart recruited her to play the role of a maid with a contagious disease as one of the escapades in the first book, Lady Rose recuited her to do the job for real. In love with Becket.

Detective Superintendent Kerridge - a senior policeman of humble origins and carefully supressed radical views, reinforced by the fact that whenever he has to interview an aristocrat they always threaten to report him to the Prime Minister. Plays Inspector Slack to Lady Rose's Miss Marple.

Despite that comparison, this is not in the same league as Agatha Christie as a detective story, and neither is it in the same league as Jane Austen as a romance. However, it is an amusing and entertaining light read.

Relatively amusing book, but not much of a mystery. The situations are rather contrived - every single time Lady Rose is in danger, Harry appears seemingly out of thin air and rescues her. It's all a little too convenient. I lost interest in "whodunit" pretty early in the book. The ever evolving relationship between Rose and Harry was the only interesting part of the book for me.

It might be the dawn of a new century, but women remain the property of their father, brother, or husband. The chasm between the social classes is as large as it has ever been and females of Polite Society are expected to marry a rich titled gent. Lady Rose Summer, daughter of an earl, is not content to idly party, as she prefers to work. Her reluctant but suffering parents accept her laboring at a bank alongside her former maid Daisy.

At the bank, Rose learns of the murder of Mr. Pomfret. She checks the records and learns that three people deposited funds into the account of the deceased. Rose discusses her finding with private detective Captain Henry Cathcart and both agree that it seems the victim blackmailed several people, of which all had the motive to kill him. Unable to resist, Rose accompanied by Henry and her maid Daisy hunt for the killer.

Although this novel takes place at the beginning of the twentieth century in enlightened London, the gap between the social classes remains as vast as ever and the suffragette movement is just starting to impact society. The solid investigation into the cleverly designed mystery is fun to follow especially in light of Rose's deeper agenda to gain the attention of her "social inferior" Harry. Sparks fly while they making inquiries, which makes for a terrific tale from Marion Chesney, know for her Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth tales.

Harriet Klausner

Lady Rose Summer is a spoiled, wealthy young woman who is also intelligent enough to realize that even though she has enough money to buy whatever she wants, lives in an elegant London townhouse and she is in many ways less well off than her own servants. Even though she is nearly twenty years old she must ask permission to leave the house, must be properly chaperoned at all times, her mail, phone calls and visitors are all screened and she must comply with her parent's wishes in all things, even to who she will marry which makes her just another failed debutante of the Edwardian era.

A few months earlier (SNOBBERY WITH VIOLENCE) had made the acquaintance of Captain Harry Cathcart, acquired a maid, Daisy Levine and had some adventures while solving a murder. Now Lady Rose chaffed more than ever against the limitations of society and her parents and wanted to try new things. She was determined to become a typist, and (with Daisy) secure work and live in a women's hostel. After she finally gets her wishes though Rose discovers that the business world is not as glamorous as she had imagined. When a murder of one of her 'set' occurs Rose is more than happy to once again take up sleuthing, even (or perhaps especially) if it means returning to her parents' comfortable home.

The attraction of these charming novels lies in Rose, her companions and her on again/off again romance with Harry Cathcart. No great surprise since the author 'Marion Chesney' is also 'M. C. Beaton' of Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin fame. As always with her work, no matter what name she uses, Chesney's characters come to life with both virtues and flaws that they manage to overcome, at least to some extent, over time.

Fans of Agatha Raisin and/or Hamish Macbeth will definitely not want to miss out on this series. The overall story arc of this series is, if anything, even more pronounced than either Agatha Raisin or Hamish Macbeth so these novels really do need to be read in order, and preferably one after another.