Customer Reviews

The Problem of the Evil Editor: A Charles Dodgson/Arthur Conan Doyle Mystery (Charles Dodgson/Arthur Conan Doyle Mysteries)

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As somewhat of a traditionalist, I will admit that I tend to be skeptical of ficitionalized presentations of literary giants. But The Problem of the Evil Editor swept aside all my reservations. Rogow writes with such obvious affection for two very different but equally great English writers (Lewis Carroll and A. Conan Doyle), and she sprinkles in cameos by other writers as well (e.g., Beatrix Potter). Often when I read historical mysteries, I feel as though I am reading a book into which the author has crammed excessive research/detail, but this book finds a lovely balance. I did figure out the murderer's identity in the first half of the book, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the characters, the plot, the cameos, and the atmosphere. And--having been an editor myself for many years--I loved the portrayal of Bassett. Recommended for those who enjoy literary mysteries!

I was not too impressed with this mystery novel. The mystery plot, for example, was a little weak, and it was evident rather early in the novel who the murderer was and his reasons for committing the deed. I also found that most of the characters were not that well developed at all -- in fact the murderer's character was a little more developed than the rest! But only by very little, and I'm really sorry that I've let the cat out of the bag with this piece of information.

I also kept getting side-tracked by all the famous (or infamous)personalities that popped up all over the book. For example, in the first chapter Beatrix Potter is despatched from the offices of the Youth's Companion in tears by the boorish behaviour of the soon-to-be-dead editor, Samuel Bassett. And I found to my dismay that I was not really following the plot so much as keeping an eye out for further such personages to creep up!

What I truly liked about this book was the descriptions of London during the winter and the Trafalgar Square Riots of 1886. Ms Rogow not only described this event masterfully but she also provides the reader with an intelligent and informative background to the event. I also found the subtle manner in which she presented class distinctions -- the way in which she portrayed the impact of these riots and what it meant to different people of different classes -- admirable.

This was not a badly written book (especially from a historical point of view); it is just a pity that so many other things got in the way of a more interesting plot that could have saved the book.

In 1886, Reverend Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, introduces his friend Arthur Conan Doyle, a wannabe author, to his editor Mr. Samuel Basset. However, the children's editor rejects Doyle's stories even as he discards a work from a budding Irish writer named Wilde and a drawing of a rabbit from a Potter as pathetic junk. Basset is simply an ill-tempered individual who upsets everyone in his path. Dodgson turns irate when he learns that Basset sold the first printings of Alice for personal profit and not for charity as the author demanded.

However, his anger cools when someone kills Basset. The police feel the odious editor died due to Labour Riots that rock London. Dodgson thinks otherwise. Drafting Doyle to assist him, Dodgson begins to investigate the murder of the evil editor, especially when a second murder occurs and Wilde is the prime suspect.

THE PROBLEM OF THE EVIL EDITOR is an entertaining who-done-it due to the homage paid by Roberta Rogow to her heroes and other artistic giants of the late nineteenth century. Though lacking suspense, the story line remains fun because of the interplay and wit of the cast. Readers who enjoy historical fiction and fans of the two lead protagonists will enjoy the third Doyle-Dodgson collaboration (see THE PROBLEM OF THE MISSING MISS and THE PROBLEM OF THE SPITEFUL SPIRITUALIST).

Harriet Klausner