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Death on a Silver Tray (Beau Brummell Mysteries (Paperback))

Death on a Silver Tray (Beau Brummell Mysteries (Paperback))

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Mystery with Appeal/ An Investigator with Class
Review: Tired of the same old thing? Looking for an investigator you can't get enough of, a scintillating plot and incredible atmosphere? Pick up this book. It's got it all.

I admit I've become jaded with conventional mysteries. Puzzling out the answer isn't enough. I've longed for a really good book set in an interesting time period-- one I can just sit back and immerse myself in without looking at the clock every fifteen minutes and wondering if the author will ever get around to actually having something happen. Well, folks, this is the book. Stevens' portrayal of Beau Brummell as Regency Detective is magnificent. Her presentation of the time in which he lived deftly and accurately done. And there's not one character in here that you don't come to know intimately. No cardboard cutouts for Ms. Stevens. Not a one! I will admit that I solved the mystery-- but only at the exact same time that Brummell did. A terrific read. I'm in love Beau, the incomparable, Brummell just as I always have been with Sherlock, the audacious, Holmes. Three cheers, Ms. Stevens! You've made my day.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good mystery, excellent historical detail, lovely reading
Review: What a wonderful start to what I hope is a long series of Brummell mysteries! This book reminds me very much of Peter's Amelia Peabody series - (although admittedly without the satisfaction of a Peabody/Emerson style romance). I say this because not only is the detail in it impeccably researched, but because Brummell is a wonderfully wry witty personality and makes a perfect character to use to solve these mysteries. He is the essential good companion you need to laugh with and also discover the clues (he is very observant of everything) as he finds his way through the confusion to reveal a killer in their midst!

I think Steven's has got Brummell's essential character down very well. It is clear from biographies of Brummell that he was an amusing, entertaining person and a very loyal friend - clearly she has done a lot of research on him and his times. She has also peopled the book with a variety of real and imagined characters mostly who are very likeable or very droll or a mixture of both. This book provides a very nice way to while away an afternoon or two.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Foppish entertainment at its best
Review: What fun!
Presenting the early 19th Century fop, Beau Brummel, as a sleuth to be taken seriously would most likely have produced a miserable flop but this little book, written in first person, is first-order delight. The character of Brummel is quite consistent; he's unable to take anything seriously except himself and how he presents himself to society. Vain, self-centered, proud and so shallow that he is almost shocking, Beau Brummel is the most pretentious and self-righteous character we've seen in a long time. He's also sensitive and thoughtful of others; traits that round out his character. And it's this character that makes the book so charming.

The story is totally forgettable -- this is a character-driven tale set against a charming, historic background. You could read a lot into it as an indictment of society if you want to stretch a bit, but it's much too much fun to spoil with such seriousness. If you're in the mood to be entertained, this is the book for you.


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