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The Little Victim [Large Print] [Hardcover]

R.T. Raichev (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)


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Hardcover, Large Print, December 15, 2009 --  

Book Description

December 15, 2009
Praise for R.T. Raichev:

"Deftly mixes dark humor and psychological suspense, its genteel surface masking delicious deviancy.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Mixes Henry James’s psychological insight with Agatha Christie’s whodunit plotting skills. . . . Raichev once again triumphs.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Except for its modern-day setting, the book could have been published during Agatha Christie's heyday, the so-called Golden Age of detective fiction, and readers who relish that period will be delighted.”—The Denver Post

"Raichev's use of characterization and allusion will keep the reader turning pages to the end."—The Oklahoman

It promised to be the perfect holiday with every modern convenience: exotic terraced gardens complete with an English folly, thirty-eight varieties of ice cream, and cocktails with names like “Widow’s Wink” and “Mumbay Mule.” Antonia Darcy and Hugh Payne never seriously imagined they would encounter anything worse than extravagance in this idyllic setting.

But an uninvited guest at the garden party given in their honor makes Antonia his confidante. Not only does he claim to have witnessed the strangling of beautiful, wayward Marigold Leighton, he also insists it was their host Roman Songhera, the “uncrowned King of Goa,” who had committed the murder.

R.T. Raichev is a researcher and writer who grew up in Bulgaria and wrote a university dissertation on English crime fiction. He is the author of four novels in the Antonia Darcy series and has lived in London since 1989.


From the Hardcover edition.
--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mystery novelist Antonia Darcy and her husband, Maj. Hugh Payne, travel to India in Raichev's witty fourth mystery to feature the amateur sleuths (after 2008's Assassins at Ospreys). The couple stay at Coconut Grove in Goa, the hacienda-style home of Roman Songhera, an Indian gangster. The scandalous behavior of Songhera's mistress, Marigold Ria Leighton, the daughter of Lord Justice Toby Leighton, has driven Songhera to the brink. At a lavish garden party at Coconut Grove, a drunken Englishman claiming to be in the employ of Lord Leighton tells Antonia that he saw Songhera kill Ria and fears for his life. With nods to Agatha Christie, John Buchan, P.D. James and other mystery greats, the amiable detectives sort out motives and suspects to arrive at the truth and a poetic justice more fitting than a mere jail sentence for the culprit. Clever chapter titles echoing classic detective fiction titles (e.g., Christie's The Mirror Cracked) add to the fun. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

R. T. Raichev is a writer and researcher. He grew up in Bulgaria and wrote his university dissertation on English crime fiction. He has lived in London since 1989. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 322 pages
  • Publisher: Magna Large Print Books; Large type edition edition (December 15, 2009)
  • ISBN-10: 0750531509
  • ISBN-13: 978-0750531504
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cocktails and Corpses, June 24, 2009
This review is from: Little Victim (Hardcover)
As always with R.T. Raichev, The Little Victim gives the reader fine writing, bizarre intriguing events, a colourful social setting (in this case a sort of Greeneland version of Goa)and a general ambience of raffish elegance undershot with nagging disquiet. The aura of creeping menace beneath the stylish surface is beautifully maintained and, typically, the narrative is threaded with with humour, sly literary allusions and spare yet richly evocative description. Raichev's novels are not long and can be read happily at a couple of sittings: the only problem is that one so wants to spin out the pleasure, and thus a leisurely reading is advised!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "The betrayed lover's psyche must be a terrible place.", June 7, 2009
This review is from: Little Victim (Hardcover)
R. T. Raichev's new Antonia Darcy/Hugh Payne murder mystery certainly evinces Major Payne's wise pontification: "One ignores the ancient and dangerous power of carnal love at one's peril. Think the ORESTEIA. Think OTHELLO. Think CARMEN. The betrayed lover's psyche must be a terrible place." Yes, think of these classics, and others, as you read. And yes, think about what obsessive love -- not merely carnal -- can stamp upon those infused, nay infected, with it.

The Little Victim, the fourth in this esteemed series, is arguably the darkest thus far, depicting the least sympathetic characters. Lord Justice Toby Leighton laments the loss of his daughter, Marigold, also known as Ria. He is a man who values uprightness dearly, costing him his relationship with his daughter. She, rebelling fiercely against him, embarks upon a life of debasement and danger far from her childhood home. Her father searches for her, sending someone after her to Goa, India ("Golden beaches. Sapphire skies"), where, it turns out, she is affianced to the local gangster, Roman Songhera.

Hugh and Antonia also toddle to the very same spot. As a favor, they are accompanying a friend of Hugh's aunt to Songhera's estate, Coconut Grove, which she wants to acquire. There, on the estate and nearby, more than one person's life is extinguished, and in a round-about way, Antonia and Hugh, as usual, do their utmost to unravel the murky net (not chain) of events surrounding the deaths. Although our heroes drop out of the story for an interval, when they jump back in, they play key parts.

Antonia/Hugh mysteries are all ingenious, and this is no exception. They are gems of canny misdirection and clues that are there but -- generally -- can't be easily applied because so many unknown factors coexist as the story spools itself out. First-time readers may be more easily led around by Raichev's pen than those more familiar with his tendencies. He always presents fresh themes, locations, and characters. But like many talented authors, he nevertheless adheres to certain patterns when writing -- at least he has thus far. Which isn't to say that THE LITTLE VICTIM is altogether predictable; even old pros will be kept guessing on a number of tracks. The pacing of the novel is expert, and the motivations of the characters -- awful as a number of them are -- all make sense. Also, wonderfully as ever, Raichev conjures his signature wry and witty dialogue, portions of it again poking at the art of mystery writing.

Raichev's title is inspired by a verse by Thomas Gray: "Alas, regardless of their doom, / The little victims play!" After concluding THE LITTLE VICTIM, the utter aptness of that choice leaves one sad for the father, daughter, and others in this doleful drama of human nature soured and struck down by life. (4.5 stars)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent amateur sleuth, June 2, 2009
This review is from: Little Victim (Hardcover)
Mystery writer Antonia Darcy and her husband Major Hugh Payne travel to India where they stay at at Coconut Grove in Goa, home of Indian gangster Roman Songhera. However, the felon is upset with his mistress Ria, daughter of Lord Justice Toby Leighton; in fact she is driving him insane with her out of control scandalous behavior as she has done with her estranged concerned dad.

At a lavish garden party hosted by Songhera, a drunken Englishman Julian Knight makes two startling claims to Antonia. First he swears he works for Leighton and second he insists he saw Songhera kill Ria. The man fears that Songhera will kill him next to make sure there are no witnesses to testify. Antonia informs Hugh, and the married couple investigate the apparent homicide of Ria; neither expected there were so many suspects wanting the English mistress dead.

The latest Darcy-Payne amateur sleuth (see ASSASSINS AT OSPREYS) is an excellent whodunit filled with twists, red herrings, plenty of suspects, a local atmospheric flavor and clever spins while also paying homage to the classic mysteries (including brilliant chapter titles). The story line is fast-paced from the moment the lead couple arrives in Goa and never slows down. THE LITTLE VICTIM is a super one sitting whodunit as nothing is quite like it seems.

Harriet Klausner
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
croc farm, partial solar eclipse
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Julian Knight, Major Payne, Roman Songhera, Lord Justice Leighton, Coconut Grove, Lady Grylls, Lucasta Leighton, British High Commission, Fernandez Avenue, Mumbai Mule, Old Leighton, Honourable Charlotte, Scotland Yard, Lord Leighton, James Bond, Noon's Folly, Dover Street, Antonia Darcy, Iris Mason-Stubbs, Thank God, Military Club, Old Zebra Face, First World War, The Indian, Snow Queen
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