Customer Reviews

The Sudbury School Murders (Mystery of Regency England)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These days, it's not easy to find a true mystery; a murder, clues and a solution. This is just such a book! Captain Lacey is an interesting character, one whose merits are seen and valued by others much more than himself. He is a strong, appealing character with a history and unresolved issues. Lacey is supported by interesting secondary characters an a vivid depiction of the time period. The dialogue is well done; neither so focused on being of the period it slows down ones reading nor so modern as to be anachronistic. The story is involving so that I read it straight through. I very much enjoyed this book but it is best to read the series from the beginning. The good news is that the 5th book is due out June 2006.

This was my first Captain Lacey book, but it certainly won't be my last. I was disappointed when I couldn't get a hold of any more of Rosemary Stevens's charming Beau Brummell mysteries as I enjoy novels set in the Edwardian/Regency/Victorian eras, but Ms. Gardner have provided me with a complex and appealing new hero. I especially enjoy her descriptions of "how the other half live" in the two novels I have read thus far and find her female characters most interesting. I look forward to getting a hold of Lacey's earlier adventures as well as discovering what his future might be with Lady Breckenridge!

An excellent continuation of a fine series. The atmosphere of Regency England is believable. While the villain was revealed about the middle of the story, more details of the protagonists past are revealed and a progress is seen in his character. You are left anticipating the next book in the series.

I was very pleased with the used book I received. It looked liked new. I was also pleased that it arrived so promptly. I love the author and hope to read more books in the series.

Captain Gabriel Lacy leaves London to travel into Berkshire to take up the position as secretary to Everard Rutledge, headmaster of the Sudbury School. Lacy's good friend Grenville has helped him get this post so Lacy can rest and recover both his mental and physical strength. Somehow Lacy always seems to find himself involved in solving mysteries and is in need of some relaxation time. He is also at the school to discover who is playing the pranks on the students and tutors. Some of those pranks have become dangerous and need to be stopped. This school does not cater to the English upper class in society, rather these boys are the sons of the newly emerging wealthy commercial tycoons. Rutledge relies very heavily on financial donations from these men to keep his school up and running.

This is the fifth Captain Lacy book I've read. I had hoped for just such a book as this, the kind where the mystery would play a larger part than the personal relationships between Lacy and the continuing characters in the other novels. I got my wish to some extent. Grenville shows up at the school to help Lacy in his investigations after a murder of a school employee takes place. Also putting in an appearance are Marianne (Grenville's mistress), Lady Breckenridge (a widow Lacy is liking more an more) and Colonel and Louisa Brandon (Lacy's former commanding officer and his wife). James Denis plays quite a large part in this story but this time in a very positive manner. My problem with the story is that the author did not present us with very many suspects so after the second murder it was fairly obvious who the culprit was. The motive was also revealed rather early in the story. This probably can be a stand alone book, but I think readers would be much more satisfied if they read the first in the series,The Hanover Square Affair, in order to firmly establish all the characters in their proper places. I enjoyed the atmosphere created by this author and have never read a mystery which took place among the canal system of Regency England.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of Lacy in this setting outside London. His character traits of honor and strict adherence to duty shine through in this rural setting. His capacity for observation and solving mysteries are very well shown by Ashley Gardner. This book got back to what I read a historical mystery for, namely the puzzles placed before the protagonist and the enjoyment of watching the solution being found. Unfortunately, as I stated previously, this puzzle became rather easy to solve early on in the story.

This is the fourth in the Captain Lacy Mystery Series written by Ashley Gardner. I read the third one earlier this week and was a little bit disappointed by the story and the interactions between the characters. This installment is right on par with the first two books in the series. I thought everything was very well done; the writing, the mystery, the period details, I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Captain Gabriel Lacy has taken a position as a secretary to a head master at a country school for boys. His good friend Lucius Grenville went to school with the headmaster and recommended Lacy to the position. There have been some disturbing pranks at the school and the headmaster would like Lacy to uncover who the perpetrators are. Lacy is ready to enjoy the clean air and quiet peacefulness of the country. But the pranks become deadly serious when a body is found in a nearby canal and Lacy finds himself investigating another murder.

I enjoyed returning to these characters, I like the way their relationships develop in this book and I found the mystery to be taut and well paced. I'm looking forward to reading the next two mysteries in the series but I'm disappointed that they are the last two. I hope Ashley Gardner will come back to create more adventures for Captain Lacy. I will certainly read them if she does.

This is my first outing with Captain Gabriel Lacey--but it won't be my last. This book has everything a mystery should have: atmosphere, characters you can actually care about, a hint of danger, and multiple corpses. It is a shame that so many books in the series are out of print.