Rating: 
Summary: Fluffy but cute
Review: I admit I do enjoy this series, but it is strictly a "fun" read. I agree with the other reviewers that the author(s) really make a royal hash of the British titles, alternately referring to the same character as Lord "surname" and then as Lord "first name" - yet the same person would NEVER go by both of those. Charles, as a peer, would never EVER be referred to a Lord Charles, and it would be terribly gauche to do so. A prince is never Your Majesty. These are pretty simple things that even an American like me can figure out and understand, yet the author(s) screw this up every time in book after book. However if I just grit my teeth and bear it the rest of the book is funny and informative, a "light" read, so I guess I cannot expect too much accuracy. But fun. Brain candy.
Rating:
Summary: Fluffy but cute
Review: I admit I do enjoy this series, but it is strictly a "fun" read. I agree with the other reviewers that the author(s) really make a royal hash of the British titles, alternately referring to the same character as Lord "surname" and then as Lord "first name" - yet the same person would NEVER go by both of those. Charles, as a peer, would never EVER be referred to a Lord Charles, and it would be terribly gauche to do so. A prince is never Your Majesty. These are pretty simple things that even an American like me can figure out and understand, yet the author(s) screw this up every time in book after book. However if I just grit my teeth and bear it the rest of the book is funny and informative, a "light" read, so I guess I cannot expect too much accuracy. But fun. Brain candy.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Really Bad, Not Really Good
Review: I started reading this book one evening before bed and had not gone more than two chapters when I found myself noticing that I had a couple of places on the wall I needed to touch up with paint. A couple of chapters later I found myself wondering if I needed to clean my gutters out. Since neither paint nor gutters appear prominently in this book, the only conclusion I could draw was-- I was bored. I ended up finishing the book when stopped by a train and it was the only book I had in the car. Here's the good: It's not badly written at all. One of the authors writes the China Bayliss mysteries which I have read and enjoyed, so the writing is smooth and professional. The information on horse doping was new to me and appeared well researched. Here's the bad: I felt as though the characters lacked depth. Charles (I think he started the series as Sir Charles but I must have missed something after that) is egalitarian (doesn't want to use his title), supportive of his wife having a career as a writer, and interested in science. The reader would not guess that he had ever held any other views or struggled to arrive at the views. The just appear full blown. Kate, his American wife, supports women's sufferage, writes succesful novels and has set up a school to teach women agriculture. She also never seems to question her ideas or wonder if what she is doing is best for the objects of her charity. They have one friend who supports Cecil Rhodes' policy in Africa, but I'm sure he will see the error of his ways. All of the other members of the nobility and gentility are potrayed as corrupt and venal. This is just too easy for the modern reader. It affirms the current beliefs in these areas and never asks us to examine whether or not the beliefs of that era had any value. Also there are numerous errors in the titles used in the story. Lord Charles (and Lady Charles for his wife) are honorific titles for the younger sons of Dukes and Marquesses and their wives. Charles's proper title would have been Lord Somerset and Kate would be Lady Somerset. It's stated he doesn't want to use the title (prefers Sheridan) but it still wouldn't be proper to address him as "Lord Charles Sheridan." If he properly renounced the title he would be simply Mr. Charles Sheridan. I guess it might be possible to just say it's meant to be light entertainment and shrug off any criticism that way, but it has to have some quality that engages the interest of the reader before it can entertain.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: I stumbled across this novel in a bookstore and I almost didn't buy it; how glad I am that I did. The writing team who wrote the story really has done their homework; except for one glaring mistake, the historic minutiae was detailed and it all appeared to be accurate. The one consistent error was alternately referring to the Prince of Wales as both "His Royal Highness" and "His Majesty;" a person can be only one or the other, as "Majesty" is reserved for the sovereign. Since the story was set during the last years of the life of Queen Victoria, who was "HER Majesty," then her eldest son, Albert Edward, still was only the Prince of Wales, not yet King Edward VII. Therefore his proper honorific would have been "His Royal Highness." In light of all of the other seemingly accurate facts in the story, this error was jarring. The mystery was charming, however, at least insofar as murder can be charming. It was set in a now-gone world of manners and rules. The part of the tale which involves thoroughbred horse racing and the stakes involved actually was a primer in the evolution of this sport. I enjoyed DEATH AT EPSOM DOWNS, and I plan to read the other books in this series.
Rating: 
Summary: A great Victorian mysyery
Review: In 1899, Lord Charles Sheridan, Baron of Somersworth, and his wife Lady Kathryn attend Derby Day at Epsom Downs. Charles, a photography buff, plans to shoot the hoses as they cross the finish line. However, tragedy strikes during the race when one of the thoroughbreds Gladiator goes berserk killing his jockey and another horse. The highly respected racing horse owner and fan, the Prince of Wales, believes someone drugged Gladiator. He asks Charles to investigate. While Charles is sleuthing, Kate visits Lillie Langtrey in an attempt to interview the famous actress for a magazine article that Kate wants to write under a pseudonym. Kate learns that Lillie owes a fortune to a bookie, who happens to have been shot at the same time he was supposed to meet the renowned performer. Charles sees the link between his inquiries and the bookie shooting. He files his report, but no one knows whether the guilty party will be punished or even if the doping will stop. DEATH AT EPSOM DOWNS is as much a social commentary of a time in which the excesses of the aristocracy was slowly ending (but still prevailing) in England as it is a mystery. The cleverly arranged mystery absorbs the audience, but takes a back seat to the human drama at the tail end of the nineteenth century. Robin Paige provides a page-turning novel that will entice historical fiction buffs and Victorian mystery readers to seek her previous works in a strong series. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Good solid entertainment
Review: Robin Paige has developed a Victorian mystery series revolving around Kate and Charles Sheridan that is well worth taking the time to explore. The author has clearly done her homework concerning the era and rarely makes a mistake, knows how to develop an intriguing plot, and gives us an enchanting hero and heroine. However, like M&M's or a hotdog at the baseball park, the books by Paige are quickly swallowed, thoroughly enjoyed, yet just as quickly forgotten after awhile. In other words, this series is excellent for entertainment, yet not a series I would spend my hard-earned cash for in order to own them in hardback. Unlike Anne Perry's fascinating darker Victorian mysteries involving the characters of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, or the darkly deep written historical novels by Laurie King centering on Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, this series by Paige is a lovely light read.
Rating:
Summary: Another good addition to the series
Review: The latest of the Kate and Charles Sheridan series lives up to the previous mysteries. All of my favorite characters are there, and the setting of the racecourse at Newmarket is different than most of the Victorian and Edwardian mysteries. The description of Lillie Langtry and her life seems pretty accurate from all that I have read, and so does the decription of the racing world at the time. I really enjoyed the mystery, although I was a bit disappointed if not surprised by the resolution. I enjoyed it very much on the whole. The authors have a knack for bringing historical figures to life and writing a good mystery along with it.
Rating:
Summary: Another good addition to the series
Review: The latest of the Kate and Charles Sheridan series lives up to the previous mysteries. All of my favorite characters are there, and the setting of the racecourse at Newmarket is different than most of the Victorian and Edwardian mysteries. The description of Lillie Langtry and her life seems pretty accurate from all that I have read, and so does the decription of the racing world at the time. I really enjoyed the mystery, although I was a bit disappointed if not surprised by the resolution. I enjoyed it very much on the whole. The authors have a knack for bringing historical figures to life and writing a good mystery along with it.
Rating:
Summary: A Nice Little Mystery
Review: This book is just as enjoyable as the previous ones in the series. I like the way the Albert's craft a tale. The story is neatly plotted, the mystery is just quirky enough, and we get a bird's eye view of actual people that lived during this era. The depiction of Lily Langtree is realistic. We see her as she was in the later stages of her illustrious career. I found this book was also interesting because of the descriptions of the life of the "horsey" set from this time. It also told us what horse racing was like in England in the latter part of the 19 century. Really, not much different than now if you think of it. Doping still occurs, and fortunes are made and lost at the track. All in all, a good story with all of our favourite characters.
Rating:
Summary: A Nice Little Mystery
Review: This book is just as enjoyable as the previous ones in the series. I like the way the Albert's craft a tale. The story is neatly plotted, the mystery is just quirky enough, and we get a bird's eye view of actual people that lived during this era. The depiction of Lily Langtree is realistic. We see her as she was in the later stages of her illustrious career. I found this book was also interesting because of the descriptions of the life of the "horsey" set from this time. It also told us what horse racing was like in England in the latter part of the 19 century. Really, not much different than now if you think of it. Doping still occurs, and fortunes are made and lost at the track. All in all, a good story with all of our favourite characters.
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