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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"unputdownable" -- it was that good a read, September 23, 2004
Fast paced, exciting and thrilling, this latest Sarah Tolerance (pre) Regency-era mystery novel was a treat to read from start to finish. Stuck on a 'plane for an uncomfortable 9 hours, having this wonderfully absorbing and unputdownable book to read was a godsend! Madeline E. Robbins has created a rather unique new series (only two books in the series so far) that every historical mystery lover should read. And her heroine is totally out of the ordinary too: intelligent, independent, intriguing and likable. SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE: THIS IS NOT A SERIES TO BE MISSED! All of London is shocked and agog about the brutal murder of Chevalier d'Aubigny -- somehow a murderer had gained access to the Chevalier's London house and savagely beat the man to death in his own while his entire household. How was the murderer able to get in and out of a locked house without detection? And how was he able to commit so brutal a crime without awakening any in the house? Worried that the murderer may come after his sister, the Chevalier's wife, Mr. Colcannon hires Miss Sarah Tolerance, a private inquiry agent to discover who murdered the Chevalier and to protect his sister's interests. Soon, Miss Tolerance finds herself moving about both amongst both the high and low of society as she tries to discover more about the murdered man -- what kind of man he really was and who his friends and enemies were. And what she discovers (almost at once) dismays her: for while the Chevalier was not a well liked man, the person with the biggest motive for seeing him dead was his wife, her client. But Miss Tolerance instinctively knows that her client was incapable of so brutal a murder no matter the provocation. And determined to protect the helpless widow, goes after the truth with a vengeance. From the very start I was hooked. "Petty Treason" was a swiftly paced and suspenseful read, full of interesting twists and turns, and with some truly fascinating red herring suspects. The storyline was an intriguing and captivating one, and was very well crafted indeed. Also well done was the manner in which the author allowed for the level of suspense and tension to gradually build. But what really hooked my interest was the character of Robins' heroine, Sarah Tolerance. Intelligent, frighteningly capable and compassionate, Miss Tolerance engages the reader's interest on every level -- in spite of the author's tendency to refer to her heroine as "Miss Tolerance," something that manages to distance the reader from the heroine, I thought. All in all though, if you're looking for a thrilling, exciting, action-packed novel, with a fascinating heroine, and that vividly (and accurately) portrays life in the early 19th century London, you'll want to read "Petty Treason." A truly unputdownable book.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very enjoyable mystery set in an alternate Regency, June 28, 2006
This review is from: Petty Treason: A Sarah Tolerance Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
Petty Treason is set in a somewhat altered England, in about 1810. The main alteration concerns increased power for George III's Queen, and a concomitant increase in the rights of women -- not to say that their status is all that much better than in the real 1810. But Robins' heroine, Sarah Tolerance, a Fallen Woman (ruined as a result of running off with a lover who subsequently died), is at least able to make a living as an agent of inquiry, and also to do such things as attend a club alone, fence, and wear men's clothes on occasion. The other effect of the books being alternate history is to allow Robins to have her characters directly affect the politics of the time without violating established history. The real pleasure of the books is in their detective stories, their evocation of a historical time, and in their engaging characters. Which is to say, they are likely to be enjoyed by fans of detective novels like Anne Perry's Victorian-set novels, and the late Kate Ross's post-Regency books about Julian Kestrel. I found Petty Treason to be very enjoyable (as I did its predecessor). In this book Sarah Tolerance is engaged by a gentleman from the country to protect his sister, after her husband is found murdered in his bed. The husband is a French emigré, and, it soon transpires, a very unpleasant man. He appears to be a sadist and a spendthrift. The wife is a very naive and countrified lady, and appears overwhelmed by her position, hardly aware of the truism that in a murder the spouse is the first suspect. Miss Tolerance's investigation leads her to some of the darker aspects of the London sex trade. She also encounters some shadowy figures of the French emigré community -- which, given that England is at war with Napoleon's France, brings the title of the book into some focus. (It turns out, which I didn't know, that petty (or petit) treason has another meaning which is also important.) And her situation is complicated by friction with the official magistrate assigned to the case, with another magistrate who has been her friend, and with her Aunt and host, a quasi-respectable Madam. As I said, I quite enjoyed it. The novel ends with a couple of half-predictable but satisfying twists. The main characters continue to hold our interest. And the prose is strong, and on occasion delightful (as with the opening paragraphs, a nicely composed set piece).
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent look into Regency England and the role of women, January 3, 2005
Fallen woman Sarah Tolerance makes her living as an investigator and it's no huge surprise when an anxious brother contacts her to investigate his brother-in-law's murder. Not that anyone really regrets the death of the French emigre who tortured his wife and others, spent more money than he made, and spent his time in dangerous company. Finding the killer soon takes second place to keeping the victim's widow, Anne d'Aubigny, from the pursuit of English Law--law that was especially vigilent against that most horrible of crimes--a wife's murder of her husband. Sarah's investigation soon puts her in harm's way--she is attacked in the street, as is one of her witnesses. Undeterred by the attacks, she continues her search and finds a second mystery--the victim had recently found himself with some level of wealth--without any apparent source. The more Sarah looks, the more it appears that there are layers of complexity hidden, that the d'Aubigny murder is only a part of a plot that might threaten England itself--at a time when every resource is stretched to support the ongoing war against the French and Napoleon. Author Madeleine E. Robins provides a fascinating look at Regency-era England, diving below the manners and misunderstandings of most Regency writings to examine how a woman might make her way in a time when sexism was viewed as natural and when a woman without a man's protection was seen as fair game. Robins' strong writing engages the reader and draws us into a mystery that continues to reveal new depths--leading from a simple murder to possible treason against the nation itself. The sharp twist at the end left me, at least, nodding with appreciation. I look forward to reading more mysteries by Robins.
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