Rating: 
Summary: Great Ricardian Romp!
Review: As a dedicated Yorkist and a member of the Richard III Society, I am constantly reading any work I can find about the Duke of Gloucester. This book is a murder mystery that takes place at a weekend gathering of Ricardians in England. Accidents begin to happen that echo Shakespeare's telling of Richard's alleged murders. Each of the Ricardians in the novel plays a role from the Yorkist period ... one accident has the fellow playing George, Duke of Clarence, bound and stuffed into a barrel (to echo the alleged drowning of the unfortunate Duke in a butt of malmsey). The reading is light and entertaining, and replete with well researched historical information. It's on my Listmania "Ricardian Reader's Library" as a result.
Rating:
Summary: Great Ricardian Romp!
Review: As a dedicated Yorkist and a member of the Richard III Society, I am constantly reading any work I can find about the Duke of Gloucester. This book is a murder mystery that takes place at a weekend gathering of Ricardians in England. Accidents begin to happen that echo Shakespeare's telling of Richard's alleged murders. Each of the Ricardians in the novel plays a role from the Yorkist period ... one accident has the fellow playing George, Duke of Clarence, bound and stuffed into a barrel (to echo the alleged drowning of the unfortunate Duke in a butt of malmsey). The reading is light and entertaining, and replete with well researched historical information. It's on my Listmania "Ricardian Reader's Library" as a result.
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted to like this more, really I did....
Review: I am a big Elizabeth Peters fan, I like the Jacqueline Kirby character, love isolated-house-party mysteries, I'm even interested in English history but I did find this a bit of an effort to get through. It is NOT up to the standards of SEVENTH SINNER much less the Amelia Peabody series.Jacqueline Kirby is visiting England, she mets an old friend and former colleague, Thomas, who invites her to join him at a country house party/seminar. The purpose of the group is the study of Richard III, particularly establishing his innocence. The usual eccentric cast of characters is assembled and the requisite series of attacks begins. Naturally Jacqueline solves the crime before anyone else. On the plus side we get to see more of Ms Kirby in action, learn a bit more about her life (is there a MR Kirby?) and see her solve another interesting mystery. One the negative side we meet a bewildering array of characters who are sometimes referred to by their first names, other times by their last or by the character they are portraying at a costume party. The plot development is a bit ragged and the descriptions of the characters is not always consistent. I found myself backing up and re-reading some sections in order to follow the story which is a bit more work than this type of story warrents. If you are a Jacqueline Kirby fan you will want to read this one but if you are filling time until your next Amelia Peabody fix you might want to try something else.
Rating: 
Summary: Murhers of Richard III - The Boring
Review: I have read all of Barbara Michaels books and they are wonderful. I have also been reading some of her other books under the name of Elizabeth Peters. Of all of her books, this is the only one that I can truly say I couldnt stand. I was very surprised that she would write a book that was boring. Please read some of her other works, this book will give you a false view of the author. Usually she is an excellent writer.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I read Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time and it really caught me up. I know this book at the beginning says it won't be what The Daughter of Time is, but I was not prepared for such a shallow and silly work as this book turned out to be. It is the first book by Elizabeth Peters I have read, and does not inspire me to read another by her. I thought the character development was very poor. And the people were so incredible that one knew they are fakes.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I read Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time and it really caught me up. I know this book at the beginning says it won't be what The Daughter of Time is, but I was not prepared for such a shallow and silly work as this book turned out to be. It is the first book by Elizabeth Peters I have read, and does not inspire me to read another by her. I thought the character development was very poor. And the people were so incredible that one knew they are fakes.
Rating:
Summary: Beware of eccentric recreationists running around in velvet
Review: I read this a while ago, but it remains one of my favourite Jacqueline Kirby mysteries. She is involved with a group of Ricardians, eccentrics who are determined to prove the 'innocence' of Richard III, and who happily involve themselves in re-creation activities. Knowing some medieval re-creationists myself, she has the bizarre mix of dedication, surrealism and fanaticism you find associated with these groups down perfectly. The mystery is witty and all that you would expect from a Jacqueline Kirby mystery. The only reason I didn't give it 10 is that I think The Seventh Sinner is even better. I would also recommend the Vicky Bliss and Amelia Peabody stories for those who like their mysteries with unusual flavours.
Rating: 
Summary: Intelligent attractive librarian solves the murder!
Review: I throughly enjoyed this book on cassette. Carmen Lynne Williamson does an excellent job bring the characters to life with her reading. Elizabeth Peters weaves the mystery of Richard III into the mystery of the party prankster/murderer. Although she has many sterotypical characters of an english mystery she manages make this a farce instead of a folly. As a librarian I really liked the portrayal of a librarian as attractive, witty and intelligent. I recommend this to all mystery fans.
Rating:
Summary: Fairly well done fluff
Review: Peters book ios a send-up of the classic English country house party mystery, featuring a super-woman sleuth (one thoroughly versed in history and Karate who knows all the tunes not only of Pinafore, but all of Gilbert and Sullivan), a bunch of silly characters, surrounding a totally implausible plot. As she gleefully indicates, this is no Josephine Tey investigation of history, though it does poke fun at those who take their history too seriously. Overall an engaging way to pass the time aimlessly.
Rating:
Summary: House party mystery farce
Review: The house party mystery is a classic format. Here, Peters takes the format and applies a liberal dose of history as the guests are a group dedicated to clearing the name of Richard III. (Richard is the king whose image is that of the one who killed his nephews.) And while this book is hardly a technical treatise on Richard's innocence, it is an entertaining pitch for that argument. (Josephine Tey's "The Daughter of Time" is a more convincing fictional argument - also a great read.) As the guests wander around in costume and are generally being eccentric, accidents start to happen. Most assume it is just a "joker" trying to disrupt the meeting but Jacqueline Kirby is suspicious. It's a fun, light entertainment as she considers each of the guests as potential suspects -- and then saves the day. Bottom-line: This is the second in Peter's Kirby series. Reading of the first book isn't necessary. This book is a good (not great) read for fans of English history who can appreciate a cast of overblown characters. Amelia Peabody fans may find the book too different for their tastes.
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