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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Promising Debut, January 6, 2006
Set in the early years of the 20th century, this first-in-a-series entry introduces us to Lady Rose, a rebellious young lady of means who chafes at her society restrictions and sometimes absurd social requirements, and to Harry Cathcart, a wounded veteran of the Boer Wars who finds himself with no career and no visible means of support. Their lives are thrown together when Lady Rose, whose reputation is damaged when she is photographed at a suffragette rally, is wooed by a suitor who refuses to ask for her hand in marriage. Harry is recommended to Lady Rose's father and is asked to investigate her suitor.
As damaged goods, Lady Rose is asked to attend a get together at an absurdly tacky castle. It is obvious from the outset why she is there - to find a husband. But things get dicey when there is a death amongst the guests. Harry is called in to do damage control, but questions whether the person died of natural causes, suicide, or was murdered. Lady Rose, although blaming Harry for her downfall, cannot resist the lure of the excitement of helping Harry investigate the circumstances of her fellow guest's death.
This is a promising new series in the historical/cozy mystery genre. It took me a while to place the characters in their historical context because I apparently did not read the subtitle of the book, "An Edwardian Murder Mystery" on the front cover. I read historical mysteries because I love history and I love mysteries. However, there was little history in this mystery. With the exception of the mention of the suffragette movement and several references to that new contraption the automobile, there was no mention of the surrounding socio-political happenings.
The author did an admirable job of introduction the two main characters as well as several minor ones, the mysterious Becket, Harry's valet, Daisy, former vaudevillian and now Lady Rose's personal maid and confidante, and Lady Polly, Rose's mother. There were, of course, other minor characters, but these are the ones who will, presumably, return in other entries in this series. In addition, the author kept the story moving along by doling out clues without giving away the ending.
All in all a satisfying cozy that has the promise of becoming a very good historical mystery series.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charming mystery, characters, and interesting history, August 13, 2003
Returned from the wars in Africa, Captain Harry Cathcart has retired to his (low-cost) club and is well behind on paying his friend and acting-gentleman's gentleman when he gets a strange request. The Earl of Hadshire is concerned that a young man has been paying court on his daughter, Lady Rose, yet no proposal has been forthcoming. Can Cathcart investigate and determine if the young man is all he seems? With this job, Cathcart launches into a career of helping hapless British aristocrats recover from social embarassment, blackmail, and other consequences of their foolish acts. For Lady Rose, however, the consequences are tragic--thanks to her impetuous announcement, everyone knows that the young man was tampering with her affections--and Lady Rose, not the young man, suffers a destroyed reputation. A beautiful woman with a shady reputation becomes a target for any playboy and Edwardian England (the novel is set in 1907) has plenty of playboys. Cathcart is called in to head off embarrasment again--but even Cathcart draws the line at covering up murder. And when Lady Rose is invited to a house party in the country, deaths and disappearances start to happen too quickly to be called anything else--except by the local aristocrats who are willing to use all their powers to cover up anything that might stink of such commonness as murder. Author Marion Chesney creates a charming tale that combines romantic tension (Lady Rose and Cathcart are attracted but in denial), mystery, and a look at a historical era where the British aristocracy cling to the vestiges of their Regency glories even as the rest of the world heads toward modernism and world war. Cathcart makes a fine romantic hero as well as an intriguing sleuth with Lady Rose available to provide impetuous advice and push him to extremes. Lady Rose, with her ambitions to become middle-class, support for woman's sufferage, and contempt for corsets, lives in an era where such beliefs are just possible--and is punished just as society would punish such an outrage--by being put on the shelf. Cathcart's servant and Rose's maid provide a secondary romantic interest as well as humor. I also appreciated the bolshevick police sergeant. Chesney's writing draws the reader in, lets us share the romance but also the disgrace of Edwardian aristocracy, and propells a fine mystery through to its conclusions. I would be surprised if we don't see more of Lady Rose and Captain Cathcart--and look forward to the next installment.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hopefully, the beginning of a great new series!, July 4, 2003
This is a terrific Edwardian mystery/romance from Marion Chesney, who, as M.C. Beaton, writes my current favorite mystery series featuring Agatha Raisin. If you like the Agatha Raisin books, Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries, and Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence Beresford adventures, you'll love this book. Chesney creates 4 really memorable characters in this delightful story, told with her unique humor. Aristocratic Captain Harry Cathcart, a saturnine, anti-social Boer War veteran who must earn his living, turns to discreetly clearing up messes for the aristocracy and becomes quite successful. Lady Rose Summer, beautiful daughter of an earl, is over-educated and far too independent for her class and time. She meets Captain Cathcart when her father hires him to investigate a young man she has become infatuated with. Lady Rose's father later hires Cathcart to handle another delicate situation regarding King Edward VII. The two meet again and join forces to investigate the mysterious death of a fellow guest of Lady Rose's at a marquess's house party. The young woman has died of arsenic poisoning, and Cathcart and Lady Rose set about uncovering some sordid secrets among the aristocracy to find out why the girl was killed. Cathcart's manservant Becket, a young man Cathcart found starving and nearly dead from hard labor, has worked hard to educate himself, and eagerly assists in the investigation. Lady Rose's maid Daisy, a former music hall performer, is educated by Lady Rose throughout the story, and also joins the investigation. Becket and Daisy are clearly fond of each other, and clearly intend to bring the feisty Lady Rose and the proud Cathcart together. I hope Chesney intends to write more stories with these characters. This first novel would earn five stars, except for the fact Chesney over-populates the book with far too many characters for this rather short story. Still, as with the Agatha Raisin series, I beg for more, more, and more!!
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