The Murders of Richard III

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: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This, the second Jacqueline Kirby mystery, was a terrible disappointment. The mystery evolves around the going-ons of a English country house party, attended by a bunch of ho-hum characters. When they start to die, it gives Jacqueline a mystery to solve, but the people are so unlikable you can't help but think, "Why bother?" And Ms. Kirby comes off as somewhat mean-spirited in this one. Oh well.