Problem of the Missing Miss [Hardcover]

Roberta Rogow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1998

The Rev. Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) becomes a proto-Holmes to the Dr. Watson of young Arthur Conan Doyle. This suspenseful mystery treats the reader to a fascinating picture of the British seaside resort of Brighton & its history & daily rhythms c. 1885. Lord Marbury, a stalwart M.P., sends his young daughter Alicia to Brighton to spend her vacation with his old professor, the Rev. Charles Dodgson. But when Dodgson arrives at the train station to meet his charge, she is nowhere to be seen. It quickly becomes clear that Alicia has been kidnapped by her father's political enemies. A chance meeting with a young doctor visiting Brighton on his honeymoon, one Arthur Conan Doyle, leads the two to work together to find Alicia.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, had a sizeable ego, but even he would have been surprised to find his ace detective, as well as himself, cast as the star of other people's fictions. Doyle (already played by Peter O'Toole to perfection in the underrated 1997 film Fairy Tale) teams up with the Reverend Charles Dodgson (better known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll, the creator of another timeless character, Alice) in a polished, poignant first novel by Roberta Rogow. The lovely resort town of Brighton is the setting for this story of Doyle and Dodgson's search for the daughter of a crusading politician. Rogow manages to describe the dark details of Victorian child prostitution with total honesty while also being nostalgic and very funny. --Dick Adler

From Library Journal

First novelist Rogow pairs an aging Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) and a youthful, impetuous Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle (willing to pursue a mystery at the expense of his honeymoon). They meet in late 19th-century Brighton, where Lord Marbury's daughter, meant to spend some time with Dodgson, is abducted by opponents of the upcoming Criminal Amendment Bill. The abduction spawns murder, but Doyle and Dodgson have difficulty convincing police that the daughter is in danger. Part of the fun here lies in the reluctant partnership, but there are other spunky characters to watch as well. A good Victorian historical.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur; 1st edition (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312185537
• ISBN-13: 978-0312185534
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,520,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Premise - Easy Mystery, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Problem of the Missing Miss (Hardcover)

It's a pretty neat idea for Dodgson and Doyle to hook up and solve mysteries, but in this first installation, the answer to who was the villain was so simple that it was a bit of a boring read. Hopefully the next installments get better.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing mystery with a twist, June 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Problem of the Missing Miss (Hardcover)

At the Brighton train station, Professor Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) awaits the arrival of Alicia Marbury, daughter of former student, Lord Richard Marbury. Alicia never makes her appointment. Instead, a distraught Charles meets Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle, who agrees to help search for the lass.

Richard receives a note threatening the life of Alicia if he fails to withdraw his bill, one that will raise the age of consent in an attempt to end the horrid practice of child prostitution. When the kidnapped girl's nanny is soon found dead, the two famous English writers know they must work fast to save Alicia's life.

THE PROBLEM OF THE MISSING MISS is a fun to read historical mystery that deserves attention from fans of the genre because of the two writers who star in the book. Newcomer Roberta Rogow brilliantly develops the juxtaposition between the humorous exchanges of her two lead protagonists and the seriousness of child prostitution that is prevalent in Victorian society. However, it is the characterizations of Carroll and Doyle that are a delight and their jocular interplay turns the novel into a fabulous story. Readers will want more tales starring these two great authors.

Harriet Klausner