Rosemary Stevens
Death on a Silver Tray (2000)
Author: Rosemary Stevens
Genre: Mystery (Historical)/Amateur Dectective (Cozy)
Plot Summary:
Compulsively fashionable George "Beau" Brumell (an actual historical figure) moves in the best circles of English society, and prides himself in setting the standards for what is civilized and stylish. When he agrees to favor a close friend with help in a murder investigation, Brummell finds his own reputation at stake, and must find the true killer before an innocent person goes to jail--or worse, he loses his standing in society.
Geographical Setting: England
Time Period: Regency (early 1800s)
Series: Beau Brummell mysteries
Appeal Characteristics:
Stevens' highly descriptive scenes of Regency England draw the reader into another world of high fashion, recreation, and ennui, and the reader feels compelled to turn the pages of this slow-paced mystery if only to discover what sort of hijinks the aristocracy will indulge in next. Furthermore, a host of quirky characters move through the pages of this novel, each of them with their own amusing little secrets and mysteries. Additionally, an uncommonly perceptive Siamese cat slinks his way through, trying to reveal the killer's identity. However, it is Brummell's character, fastidious, fashionable, yet faithful and fair-minded, who dominates this story.
Read-alikes: Readers who prefer mysteries featuring actual figures from history will appreciate Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen Mysteries. For those who appreciate historical mysteries that feature characters of independence and spunk, Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series will supply possible read-alikes. Lilian Jackson Braun's Cat series will provide animal-loving readers with potential alternatives for stories involving sleuthing felines. Anne Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mysteries are set in Nineteenth-century England, thus appealing to those who wish for a similar geographic setting and time period. Finally, Emily Brightwell's Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries series offers readers cozy mysteries set in Victorian England.
Red Flags: Vague references to homosexuality and prostitution
|top|
|
