Murder and the Golden Goblet (Marsh and Daughter Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Amy Myers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2007 | Series: Marsh and Daughter Mysteries

The latest in the Marsh & Daughter mystery series - Who was Lance Venyon? Curiosity over a memorial plaque in an old Kentish church sets wheelchair-bound ex-cop Peter Marsh and his daughter Georgia on a long and dangerous trail that will lead them not only into the world of art fakes in 1950s Paris, but further back still to the legends of King Arthur, Sir Gawain and their connections with Dover Castle . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

True-crime writers Peter Marsh and his daughter, Georgia, are at a wedding when Georgia steps into the church's graveyard, sees a headstone marked "Lance Venyon, Lost at Sea, 1961," and feels that intuitive frisson that signals the kind of sleuthing challenge that often leads to a new book. Who was Lance Venyon, and what tragic chain of events led to his death at sea? Following a few tenuous leads, Peter and Georgia uncover tentative evidence that Venyon was murdered. The case takes them from fifth-century Saxon England to 1950s Paris, from Budapest to a muddy field in Kent, and deep into the dark but fascinating world of art theft and forgery. Although there are almost too many characters and plotlines to absorb, Myers successfully weaves them all together in a page-turner that will appeal to art buffs, fans of King Arthur, and those who enjoy a good puzzle. The tone is lighter, and the prose less compelling, but the subject matter here will draw those who like Arturo Perez-Reverte's historical mysteries. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From AudioFile

The unique detecting duo of ex-cop Peter Marsh, who is now in a wheelchair, and his feisty daughter, Georgia, is on the trail of a case. But is it merely legend, or is it real? Narrator Gordon Griffin is terrific whether he quotes ancient text or portrays a fascinating variety of characters. Is King Arthur's golden goblet truly buried in Kent? The quest takes Peter and Georgia into the life of the late Lance Venyon and the world of art forgery. Along the way, they come to question whether Venyon's seemingly accidental death may have been murder. Griffin's delivery enlivens tales of King Arthur, Sir Gawain, and Dover Castle, as well as the world of 1950s' Paris art forgery. Art buffs and mystery fans will enjoy. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727864734
• ISBN-13: 978-0727864734
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,710,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars chasing a mystery, June 18, 2011

By 

Auntie Annie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Murder and the Golden Goblet (Marsh and Daughter Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The premise of this series is great: a wheel-chair bound father and his grown daughter find unsolved old cases, solve them, and write a book about it. This particular book revolved around an Authurian theme, the chalice from which Sir Gawaine was given a drink before dying. The chalice showed up in paintings that may or may not be forgeries. Many of the characters involved seem to operate in the grey areas of the law. I found both the father and the daughter to be solid, three-deminsional characters. However, the much of the dialogue seemed mundane. The characters droned on and on about virtually nothing that progressed the plot, and I finally gave up before completing the book. There must be many who enjoy this series, however, as there are nine or more different titles published.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not too bad, but cluttered., March 30, 2011

By 

C. A. Rockwell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder and the Golden Goblet (Severn House Large Print) (Hardcover)

The problem with this book is that it is too cluttered and untidy. The basic story revolves around the disappearance of one Lance Venyon, who according to a plaque in a church was lost at sea in 1961. Decades later, Georgia Marsh notices this plaque, and becomes determined to find out what exactly happened to Venyon, especially when she learns that his widow, now deceased, had always believed that he had been murdered. Before long, the story is ballooning out of control. Venyon, it turns out, had been involved in the art world, in particular that of the theft, forgery, and copying of art. He also had a friend, Jago Priest, who was and is obsessed with the legend and history of King Arthur. He believes that the buried remains of Sir Gawain and a goblet that was supposedly used for his last rites exist somewhere, and he is eager to find them. Just before he vanished, Venyon had let on that he was about to reveal an amazing piece of Arthurian art, so Georgia, thinking that his disappearance might have had something to do with this, delves into the world of art. Though the goblet is what really seems to matter, Myers somehow works in several Rossetti Arthurian paintings as well. Georgia makes several trips to Europe, where she meets with various artists, art collectors, and art dealers, with whom she has lengthy discussions about the goblet and the paintings - did they exist? If so, were they real or were they fake? Someone who is fascinated with art history in general, or with the subject of art forgeries in particular, might have been able to follow all that, but I myself found those endless conversations tedious and downright confusing. Throw in an aged scholar of English history with Alzheimer's who can speak only in hazy riddles, and a family of artists who changed their names, and you have a real recipe for befuddlement. A reader might be able to keep track of things if he rereads countless paragraphs and keeps notes along the way, but I prefer novels that can be read for entertainment, not heavy-duty studying.

Back in the present, a younger member of the above-mentioned artist family, who had come to England asking about the long-lost Venyon, is found murdered. Speculation about who killed him and why is woven in with the discussions of art, but little is said about the actual investigation into his murder. In the end, it is solved quite by chance when the murderer confronts Georgia about something else. When it suddenly dawns on her that this is the murderer, she blurts out, "You shot him!" My, my. I had never thought of Georgia as a TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine, but she certainly was that here.

There is simply too much "stuff" in this story. It seems that Myers is interested in the Arthurian legend, the paintings of Rossetti, art history, and art forgery, and tries to cram it all into one book. The book could have done without the Rossetti paintings, with Myers concentrating on the goblet. Running in the background is a story about a modern-day art forgery and theft ring, but it's quite superfluous to the main story. It's as if Myers simply wanted to throw in as much as possible about art forgery. The character who was murdered was important to the story - at least his family was - but his murder would have been more relevant if it had been tied in directly with the Venyon case - more cannot be said without spoilers. As it is, it seems to have been thrown in just for the sake of having a modern-day murder. At the same time, she leaves out things that are pertinent. We ultimately learn what happened to Venyon, but we are not told of the thought processes leading up to the solution. Peter Marsh suddenly springs his solution on everyone, surprising even Georgia, and there is no coherent wrap-up explaining how he came to his conclusion. There are a number of other loose ends that are not tied up, but I cannot discuss them without a lot of spoilers.

Though I complain that the story is too cluttered, there is one aspect that is sadly lacking. In the first "Marsh and Daughter" book, "The Wickenham murders," we learn that they had a son and brother, Rick, who years earlier had disappeared without a trace while on a walking trip. In that book, Myers deftly and with great accuracy and poignancy weaves in how such a loss affects the survivors in many ways, big and little. This aspect has faded with each subsequent book, until in this one it barely appears. There are a couple of perfunctory references to Rick, but the grief and poignancy are gone. Pity. It was a special feature of the "Marsh and Daughter" books, something that defined their characters - and touched those readers who have also had loved ones who disappeared.

I've enjoyed the previous "Marsh and Daughter" books, and the basic premise of the series is very attractive. This is not one of Myers' better works. It is okay, but it would have been more readable had Myers pared it down and tidied it up before sending it to the publisher.