Sick of Shadows: An Edwardian Murder Mystery (Edwardian Murder Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Marion Chesney (Author)

Book Description

Series: Edwardian Murder Mysteries | Publication Date: March 24, 2005

Captain Harry Cathcart and Lady Rose Summer have entered into an engagement of convenience-convenient for Rose, who wants to avoid being sent to India with all the other failed debutantes. Despite her considerable good looks, Rose's sharp intellect and radical ideas have served to repel her would be suitors. Rose's parents, unaware of the deception, are hardly thrilled that their only child is marrying a man in trade, but Harry comes from a good family, and at the very least, they hope he will keep their troublesome daughter out of mischief.

Unfortunately, even a pretend engagement cannot save Rose from trouble. Bored with endless parties, teas, and balls, she befriends Dolly Tremaine, a beautiful young girl newly arrived from the country and overwhelmed by the demands of the Season. Rose is delighted to have a protégée but their friendship is cut tragically short when Dolly is found floating in a river. Harry is summoned immediately to help solve the mystery of Dolly's death, and to keep Rose from being the murderer's next victim.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you missed the first novel in this series, get it right away. Snobbery with Violence introduced the Edwardian heroine Lady Rose Summer. Her second appearance is, if anything, even wittier and more amusing than the debut."--The Globe and Mail on Hasty Death
"Once again Chesney has concocted an amusing brew of mystery and romance that will keep her fans turning the pages."--Publishers Weekly on Hasty Death
"If you are a fan of well written traditional mysteries, Lord Peter and Albert Campion, you might want to try this series."--Reviewing the Evidence on Hasty Death
"Light, amusing, easy to read and thoroughly delightful."--Tampa Tribune on Snobbery with Violence
"Old hand Chesney (the School for Manners series and, as M. C. Beaton, the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mysteries) maintains her charm and sassiness while indicting evergreen pomposity and class-status stupidity."--Kirkus on Snobbery with Violence
"Combines history, romance, and intrigue resulting in a delightful romantic mystery."--Midwest Book Review on Snobbery with Violence

From the Back Cover

A DEADLY FIRST SEASON
Lady Rose Summer couldn't be more delighted to assist Society's most beautiful new debutante Miss Dolly Tremaine in negotiating her very first Season. Now engaged to Captain Harry Cathcart in order to avoid being shipped off to India, Rose is desperate to do something more useful than attend endless balls and parties. And the country-bred Dolly was totally at sea--and needed all the help Rose could give. But when Rose rushes to prevent Dolly from making a disastrous mistake, she discovers her stabbed to death and floating in a boat on the Serpentine River. And it isn't long before Rose barely survives an attempt on her own life. Now, Rose and Harry's race to uncover the secrets of Dolly's life is stirring up a hornet's nest of deceptions and devilish schemes from London's most exclusive townhouses to the seemingly-peaceful Yorkshire coast. And a cunning murderer is only a breath away from burying the truth--and the persistent Lady Rose--with one devastating stroke...
 
 "A tidy and well-executed mystery/historical with strong overtones of romance."
--Library Journal
 
"A lighthearted romantic romp through Edwardian snobbery, with hints of the cataclysmic changes in store for high society."
--Kirkus Reviews

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (March 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312329644
• ISBN-13: 978-0312329648
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,778,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marion Chesney is known primarily for the more than 100 historical romance novels she has published under her own name and under several pseudonyms: Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward. But M.C. Beaton is the pseudonym she reserves for her mystery novels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great New Series - Clean Reading, May 2, 2005

By 

Sissalou "sissalou" (SAINT CLAIR, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sick of Shadows: An Edwardian Murder Mystery (Edwardian Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Other reviewers wrote great reviews telling the plot, etc. So I won't do that. Instead, I'm writing this review to let you know whether or not the book is worth your hard-earned cash. In my opinion, Sick of Shadows is a worthy purchase.

These are the reasons that I liked Sick of Shadows:
1) The prose is "light" and easy to read. Its simplicity is actually charming.
2) There are no explicit sex scenes.
3) I enjoy the banter among the characters.
4) I enjoy the TV-script-like plights and miscommunications (reminds you of the "trouble" that "Lucy" would get into).

Why I withheld one star. I do not like historically incorrect details specifically modern attitudes ascribed to Edwardian characters (in this case--the main characters semi-accepting homosexual proclivity as acceptable behavior which was not the case in Edwardian times).

The books in this Edwardian mystery series by Marion Chesney are delightful to read. I read all three published to date and look forward to additional stories in the future.

If you haven't read the first two books in this series, I recommend that you do so, in order for you to really get to know the characters, although Sick of Shadows is fine as a stand alone book.

Again, this review is to let you know about the book itself and its entertainment value to me. Thank you and hope you enjoy this book as well.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nice first draft, December 17, 2005

By 

B. Clements - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sick of Shadows: An Edwardian Murder Mystery (Edwardian Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The story is uneven and slow in places. Some of the dialogue is stilted and the editing is non-existant. I found many typos and dialogue that was credited to the wrong character or not at all, leaving it uncertain who was speaking. One short paragraph was so badly mangled it made no sense at all.

I have read a lot of Marion Chesney, both the romances and the M.C. Beaton mysteries. Parts of this book seemed to be written by someone else. The writing is not as strong and descriptive as Chesney usually is and some of the actions and dialogue do not fit the characters I have come to know from the first two books. The storyline itself is very slow and almost disappears for a while before finally returning to the mystery of the murder.

Also, in this book, it is stated that Captain Cathcart forgot to give Lady Rose an engagement ring, however, in "Hasty Death" the ring was clearly given.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good, June 18, 2005

By 

G. Greene - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sick of Shadows: An Edwardian Murder Mystery (Edwardian Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)

While this is nowhere near Chesney's best writing (see either the Daughters of Mannerling or the Poor Relation series for a wickedly funny read), it is still moderately enjoyable. Some (but not enough) of her trademark humor is present, and the mystery is nicely done. But I very much miss her wit and brilliant, outrageous characterizations and hope she will ditch this field of inquiry (the Edwardian Age) and return to Regencies post haste.