Lord John and the Private Matter [Paperback]

Diana Gabaldon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2004

Lord John Grey is a man at the centre of the political upheavals that rocked Britain in the mid-18th Century. The Jacobites are still a threat, and the old enemy, France, is ready and willing to exploit the situation to its own advantage. London, Edinburgh and Paris are hotbeds of espionage, intrigue and murder. Lord John, having been removed from London for some time, appears to be above the plotting and does not appear to have any allegiance to one clique or another. So when murder happens, and seems to be the result of French espionage, he is the one who seems best placed to be able to unravel the knots...But who is John Grey, where do his allegiances lie, and who, in the long run, will he follow and serve?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Trouble befalls Lord John Grey (fresh from minor roles in Gabaldon's bestselling Outlander novels) when he accidentally discovers that the Hon. Joseph Trevelyan, his cousin's betrothed, may have what those in 1757 termed "the pox" or "the French disease" syphilis. Before he can figure out an appropriate way to handle this delicate matter, he becomes involved in the investigation of the mysterious and grisly murder of a military colleague suspected of being a spy. Gabaldon (The Fiery Cross; Drums of Autumn; etc.) stitches these two plots together into a compelling narrative that also offers a wealth of juicy details about 18th-century London, especially its homosexual underbelly. Lord John, who reminisces about his dead lover, Hector, and the "lean, hard body" of an old flame, learns that Trevelyan may be traveling from one house of ill repute to another of a different sort: at the Lavender House, both buyers and sellers are men. Among his various trials and tribulations, Lord John must discern the identity of a mysterious figure in a green velvet dress spotted in both of these establishments and investigate the mysterious death of a similarly attired man, found with his face bashed in. Grey is a competent and likable sleuth, and Gabaldon's prose is crisply elegant. Her many fans will be happy to learn that this is the first in a series about the travails of Lord John Grey.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

After accidentally observing a spot on Joseph Trevelyan's "privy member," Major Lord John Grey finds himself in a devilishly difficult position because Trevelyan is about to marry Grey's cousin, who has no idea her fiance is infected with the pox. As he searches for a discreet way to confirm his suspicions, Grey is dragged into a different kind of investigation. British Army requisition papers have vanished in Calais, and Grey must find out if there is some connection between their disappearance and the recent murder of a possible spy Sergeant Timothy O'Connell. Grey, who has a secret of his own to protect, begins an investigation into O'Connell's death, which, interestingly enough, leads to Trevelyan and a mysterious woman in green velvet whose identity may provide answers to all of Grey's questions. New York Times best-seller Gabaldon promotes Grey, a popular secondary character in her Outlander series, to a starring role in this thoroughly entertaining and wonderfully witty historical mystery set in the richly detailed, occasionally bawdy world of Georgian England. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Random House (October 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 009946117X
• ISBN-13: 978-0099461173
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.1 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (184 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,376,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diana Gabaldon is the New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Outlander novels-Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and A Breath of Snow and Ashes (for which she won a Quill Award and the Corine International Book Prize)-and one work of nonfiction, The Outlandish Companion, as well as the bestselling series featuring Lord John Grey, a character she introduced in Voyager. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

147 of 152 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Lord John" -- Not a Bad Start for a New Series, December 5, 2003

By 

Ms Winston (East Coast U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lord John and the Private Matter (Hardcover)

"Lord John and the Private Matter" started existance as a short story that got away from the author, and ended up instead as a novel. It is the first of a series of mysteries featuring a character from the wildly popular "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon. Lord John is an 18th century British army officer, who also happens to be gay. His sexual orientation is made known to the reader from the beginning (if they did not know it already from reading "Outlander), but it is not common knowledge among his fellow officers. In solving the rather light-weight mystery, Lord John gives the reader a tour of the underground world of some 18th century London homosexuals, including pubs that catered to gays, as well as houses of prostitution. Some of the vocabulary in the book is rather modern (such as the use of the word 'transvestite'), and the author states that she did take liberties in this area. There is a brief encounter with a male prostitute, which may disturb some readers.

The strength of the novel is with the characters, not the plot. Lord John is very likable and intelligent; his loyalty to his family shines through the entire work. We also get to meet his delightful mother, who is witty and well-read. My impression was that mother was aware of her son's sexual orientation, although that is not spelled out; his 16-year-old female cousin is obviously unaware, as she would like to see him married.

I hope that future "Lord John" books have a stronger plot line and a more interesting mystery. Ms Gabaldon's "Outlander" series is full of historical detail, has complex plot lines, and very memorable characters, so that this book was a bit of a disappointment to a reader who has read all of her previous books more than once. However, the strong characterizations alone will keep me coming back to "Lord John."

97 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to love this book, October 21, 2003

By 

Lynne P. Caldwell (Dadeville, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Lord John and the Private Matter (Hardcover)

After passionately reading the OUTLANDER series I became a Diana Gabaldon fanatic! I receive group messages and frequent her web site. I even slipped into a mild depression when completing FIERY CROSS knowing it would be a few years before I would be able to find out what happened to my beloved Jamie and Claire. Her books are among the best I have ever read---until LORD JOHN and the PRIVATE MATTER. Even after reading the dismal reviews, I was determined to like this book. I find it difficult to believe that Diana even wrote this book. I knew this book would be totally unrelated to all things Outlander but I figured that the same great writing with wonderful character development that we are so accustomed to would continue with her new series. Unfortunately, I was wrong. In fact, I know no more about Lord John after reading a book about him than I did from reading the Outlander books. Plus, I had a hard time following this mystery. For example, when Lord John would notice a 'look' in a servants eye, I wasn't certain what that look meant.

I don't mean to write a scathing review because this book is not horrible--it's just not great. Read it for what it is, a little mystery story that is mildly entertaining.

49 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good mystery, October 2, 2003

By 

Susan (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lord John and the Private Matter (Hardcover)

This book is a departure from our usual Diana Gabaldon fare. It is definitely not a romance - but none of her books are romances - there is only one scene that even hints at romance, and the particulars are left to the reader's imagination.

The book provides some intriguing insights into the mind and character of Lord John Grey. No matter what one may think of him in the main series, one will know him better and perhaps see him as a more sympathetic character after reading this book.

At heart, Lord John is a good and honorable man and these traits are displayed in a good twisting plot