Rating: 
Summary: Huh?
Review: Disappointing. It was interesting to read about Grey, but the book as a whole reminded me of a cheesy dective mystery on old T.V. You know the one. Where there is no way to possibly guess the ending because absolutely nothing connects, then the bad guy takes the last 30 pages of the book explaining the whole plan. All the characters say, oh, so that's why. Only the reader is left dumbfounded. Normally, I reread to make sure I understand the story, but, well, I just couldn't make myself go through the story one more time. I barely got through the first time.I gave it two stars only because Garbaldon did a fine job handling the homosexuality. It was honest, but not offensive.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I eagerly devoured the Outlander series and consider Diana Gabaldon a writer who writes an enthralling, well researched book. This is well researched, but there is not really a plot with characters the reader gets to know. It became a chore to read about halfway through.
Rating: 
Summary: My first Gabaldon
Review: This is my first Gabaldon novel and I enjoyed it tremendously. Her other books due to sheer size have been intimidating but if the writing in Lord John is on par with the Outlander series I now see why she has her fans for that series. I am not a big book type and Lord John was long enough and detailed enough to follow and be well entertained by. On its strengths I may dip into the Outlander but I will certainly be looking for more Lord John stories. She handled the homosexuality very well both on the personal level of Lord John's dealing with it and also the historical context of how mid 1700's society regarded it.
Rating: 
Summary: You're all too hard on her -- this is a intriguing, fun read
Review: I've read all of the Highlander novels and loved them and I also read lots of mysteries and historical novels. This is a lovely short fun and intriguing read with a great main character and neat references to the Highlander novels and to Jamie Fraser that got me reminiscing about those books too. The plot had some great twists and kept me turning the pages. I'll admit it took me a bit of time to get into it at the beginning, but then again so did the first Highlander novel. Gabaldon's great historical research and attention to details is again superb. Just read it and enjoy it for what it is.
Rating: 
Summary: I gave it a three ...
Review: simply because of the love of the Outlander series. She tried to make his character into a book, but it just didn't hold my interest. I skimmed the last 30 pages once I found out the mystery. I hope she comes out with more about Jamie and Claire and leaves John Grey behind!
Rating:
Summary: OK, but Not Great
Review: As mystery novels go, Lord John and the Private Matter is OK, but not great. The story takes place in 18th-century London featuring a character from the author's Outlander series. Lord John Grey is a good enough character, someone I could enjoy reading about again, but the author's style is just a little too choppy -- not giving us enough time to become really invested in the character. On an interesting note, the character of Lord John is a homosexual so we get a nice look at that lifestyle in 1750s England. The author has certainly done her research and all the characters ring true from that standpoint, but straight authors writing gay characters just doesn't work -- at least not for Gabaldon. The book is short and everything ties up nicely in the end. If the author can do a better job of developing the character and future plots, it will be worth reading more of Lord John's exploits.
Rating: 
Summary: Wast of Time
Review: I did not care what happened to any of the characters. Forced myself to keep reading in case it came alive. Alas, no. I just skimmed the last chapter for lack of interest. A good writer wasted her time.
Rating:
Summary: Not awful, but not that good, either
Review: While Lord John was readable enough, there just wasn't enough to allow me to give it a more favorable rating. The scenes set in the traditional whorehouse were vivid and held my interest, but the mystery was thin, and I found myself not caring about Lord John or his private matter. Gabaldon is capable of much better writing, as she so ably proved in Outlander. It was heartening to see, though, that she's able to produce something that isn't as bloated as her recent efforts in the Outlander series.
Rating:
Summary: Lord John and the Private Matter
Review: In 18th-century England, Lord John must solve a mystery of missing classified information, while attempting to keep a man with syphilis from marrying his cousin. Interesting period, interesting character, intriguing setting, and decent prose, but for the life of me I couldn't make sense of the plot. At one moment after another, the characters jumped up and yelled, "Aha! Now we know!" while I was left thinking "Huh?" One clue does not logically connect to the next. The characters' thought processes are beyond fathoming. As far as I can tell, though the large outline of the plot seems solid, none of the little bits add up. Perhaps it will make sense to other readers, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Rating:
Summary: Big disappointment!
Review: I absolutely loved the "Outlander" series and was expecting more of the same. Lord John left me confused. It's hard to follow and harder to care about the characters. Doesn't even hold a candle to "Outlander" and was a chore to finish.
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