The Tainted Snuff Box (Beau Brummell Mysteries) [Paperback]

Rosemary Stevens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2002 | Series: Beau Brummell Mysteries

Regency fashion icon Beau Brummell must deduce who poisoned the Prince of Wales' bodyguard before his friend is executed for the crime.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her second Beau Brummell mystery, Stevens keeps to the high standard she set in Death on a Silver Tray (2000). It's the autumn of 1805, and the Prince of Wales, frightened by threatening letters, has moved with his entourage to Brighton to escape the unknown menace. There, during a walk on the beach, his friend Beau Brummell discovers the body of a young lady, whose identity he's moved to discover. Before he can make much progress, Sir Simon, an obnoxious parvenu who has ingratiated himself as the prince's food taster, samples a new blend of snuff belonging to Lord Petersham at a dinner party with fatal results. Believing he was the intended victim, Prinny orders Beau to find out who put the poisoned snuff in Lord Petersham's box. Petersham himself is a suspect, and it will take the intervention of Brummell and his pet, Chakkri, "the only Siamese cat in England," to clear the lord's name. In the end, the chivalrous Beau risks social ruin to bring the real murderer to justice. Stevens, with several Regency romances to her credit, shows that her familiarity with the era has not bred contempt. Her mastery of the language and knowledge of the conventions and morals of the British aristocracy allow her story to ring true. With a cast of enjoyable characters, both real and fictional, and a string of red herrings, hidden motives and plot twists as intricate as a well-tied cravat, this story will delight both historical mystery and Regency fans.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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

About the Author

Rosemary Stevens lives outside Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and two children. She has published four previous novels set in Regency England. She is also the author of Death on a Silver Tray, the first Beau Brummell mystery. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425184412
• ISBN-13: 978-0425184417
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,483,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good series, very different protagonist, October 29, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tainted Snuff Box (Hardcover)

This is Beau Brummell's second mystery. He is in Brighton visiting Prinny at his Pavilion. The Prince Regent is in fear of his life and has appointed a slimey baronet, Sir Simon as his food taster. The Beau and his friends don't trust him, but are alarmed when he drops dead at dinner after trying Lord Petersham's snuff. Suspicion rests on Petersham and Brummell's reputation is is shreds, so he must solve the mystery.

I am really enjoying this series. I always liked the character of Beau Brummell, and was saddened at how his life ended up. He had a good run while it lasted. I have a hard time reconciling my memories of what I have read about the Duchess of York to the apparent grand passion Brummell has for her. The hair and messes of 107 dogs would revolt the man I have read about. But I have only read fiction books with him as a character, and even then a long time ago. I look forward to the next book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an intriguing and delightful mystery, June 2, 2001

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tainted Snuff Box (Hardcover)

No sooner has he successfully solved the murder of a rather obnoxious countess, then Beau Brummell finds himself embroiled in a new mystery: that of discovering who wants to murder the Prince of Wales!

Convinced that someone is trying to assassinate him, the Prince of Wales has moved his court to the Pavilion in Brighton. Brummell, having completed his commission (from the Duchess of York, no less) to discover who had actually murdered the poisonous Countess of Wraybourne, has decided to shake the dust of London from his elegant boots, and join his prince at the sea resort. However things at the Pavilion prove to be tense and unpleasant. The Prince has surrounded himself with guards, and seems to be perpetually in the company of a rather odious baronet, Sir Simon, who has appointed himself the Prince's official food taster. Brummell is appalled at the situation. Not only is Sir Simon a horrid little toad of a man, with little manners and an excruciating taste in clothes, but he also seems to hold a rather unhealthy sway over the Prince of Wales, and looks close to usurping Brummell's place in the Prince's life. The only bright spark currently is that the Duchess of York is also in residence, so that Brummell can now spend as much time as he'd like with the woman who has first place in his heart.

One morning while walking on the beach with the Duchess, the pair discover the body of a young well dressed young lady. Preliminary examinations reveal that she was killed by a sharp blow to the head and then thrown into the sea. No one knows who the young lady is, and she seems destined for an unmarked grave. However events soon unfold in a manner that claims Brummell's attention away from the unknown woman. Brummell's good friend Petersham has just created a new blend of snuff, and has promised the Prince that he will be the first to try it. And so the following night Petersham presents the Prince with his new blend. But before the Prince can take a pinch, Sir Simon insists on sampling the snuff first. Imagine everyone's horror when Sir Simon violently chokes to death before their very eyes. Suspicion falls on Petersham for trying to murder the Prince. Brummell knows that his friend is innocent, but has a hard time making his point the hysterical Prince of Wales and the unimaginative Bow Street Runners. He is further hampered by Petersham himself who does not seem to see the danger he is in, and refuses to take the investigation seriously. Brummell soon comes to the conclusion that only he can save his friend from ruin and discover who poisoned the snuff and why.

"The Tainted Snuff Box" is a really fun read that successfully transported me to English drawing rooms of the early 19th century. While the plot of this mystery is not too complex, it is a very interesting and intriguing one. The mystery unfolded at a brisk and fast pace, and the characters, primary and secondary, were all well developed; I especially liked that Rosemary Stevens inserted the fascinating Lydia Lavender into this mystery. This is one appealing and interesting character that really made this novel more enjoyable for me. "The Tainted Snuff Box" is a charming and delightful mystery, and definitely a fun read.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The character makes this a thrilling mystery, May 8, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tainted Snuff Box (Hardcover)

In 1805, Mr. Beau Brummel, the arbiter of style and good taste, joins the Prince of Wales in Brighton. The Prince fled London out of fear for his life after receiving several threatening notes. Mr. Brummel takes the Prince's theatrics so seriously that he continues to work on the perfect knot of his cravat. At the Prince's Pavilion, Sir Simon, a throwback to an age of ostentatious overkill, serves as the food taster to his Highness. In a short time, Simon insults Beau and his friend Lord Perry, who threatens to kill the pompous butt licker.

Lord Petersham mixes some snuff making a new blend. As expected, he offers the first taste to the Prince of Wales. However, Sir Simon adamantly demands to test the snuff to insure no poison has been included as an ingredient. Simon dies. Everyone except Beau believes that Petersham tried to assassinate the Prince. Beau begins to investigate because he knows the Prince has several enemies and so did that odious cow Simon, including Brummel's friend Lord Perry.

THE TAINTED SNUFF BOX, the sequel to DEATH ON A SILVER TRAY, is an entertaining historical mystery that showcases an intriguing era in the English aristocracy. The characters seem very real as if the audience is witnessing the regency period first hand. Beau knows more than wardrobe as he makes an intelligent amateur sleuth because he understands people so well. Rosemary Stevens provides more than just a cleverly drawn who-done- it, she gifts her fans with a powerful period piece wrapped inside a strong mystery.

Harriet Klausner