During the reign of George III, London had its own Mr. Blackwell, of sorts -- a man named Beau Brummell, whose eye for fashion and trendsetting in England's Regency Era is now the stuff of legend. That romance author Rosemary Stevens thought to immortalize such a person as a fictional sleuth intrigued me enough to select this title on a recent library trip. Having enough disposable income to live comfortably without having to resort to manual labor (lucky bastard), Mr. Brummell lives his days leisurely, relishing his Dressing Hours with loyal valet Robinson and wielding his power over Society as the last word on fashion and propriety. When Brummell decides calamander wood is a must for that sedan chair, one can be sure the chairmakers will be flooded with orders. When Brummell goes out for the evening, one doesn't expect him to return home before the sun, and not until his pockets are stuffed with his winnings from various card games around town.When the Duchess of York begs Brummell to help solve the mystery of a cantankerous lady's murder and thereby clear the name of a dear friend, the gentleman's gentleman cannot refuse, and Brummell devotes some of his leisure time quizzing house servants and social butterflies about the murder. Mind you, he doesn't devote all his time, not when there is whist to be played, reels to be danced, and perfectly starched crevats to be showcased around town. I still haven't decided whether or Stevens was trying, through Brummell's meticulous narration, to make Death on a Silver Tray a funny book. If so, she succeeded -- it's a rare moment when I end up laughing out loud at words on a page, even rarer when the words are funny! That Brummell is more concerned for his outward appearance than his life, which is threatened often during his investigation, is a scream, as is a cute subplot concerning the gift of a Siamese cat which mirrors the good taste of his new master. It is my hope Stevens doesn't dally in producing another installment to what promises to be an enjoyable series. She just may make mystery reading fashionable.Not that it ever was not fashionable in the first place.
This book is the first in the Beau Brummel mystery series. I picked it up because I am interested in Beau Brummel, and the biography I wanted to buy I couldn't immediately get my hands on.I will be the first to say I don't read a lot of mysteries, so I don't really know what the standards are. However, I think there were some amateurish moments. The book really suffered from being written in first person -- it meant a lot of expository dialogue and a LOT of Beau thinking nice things about himself and his clothing, which would have been less abrasive if written in a third person format. The reason for Beau becoming involved in the investigation is flimsy at best. And I figured out who the killer was about 6 pages after the murder -- though I did get the motive wrong. Like I said, I don't read a lot of mysteries, and when I do I often can't ever figure out who the killer is, but when entire characters don't seem to have a plot-related reason to exist, it's pretty easy to figure that they must be the one.It wasn't a great book, but it was a nice light read, less than 300 pages, and took less than 2 days. And sometimes nice light reads are just that -- nice.
Do You like book Death On A Silver Tray (2001)?
Yet again another historical mystery. Now I think I am Chia obsessed. In this one, Beau Brummel, the leader of the Ton in early 1800s England investigates the murder of a rather grumpy old countess. Brummel is asked by a friend, the Duchess of York, to prove that her friend did not kill this countess. Along the way, Brummel randomly picks up a new pet: a Siamese cat. This plot device follows in the long tradition of cat sleuths, where certain feline friends provide vital clues for their owners. Anywho, Stevens rather obviously drops hints as to who the killer is. In this respect her technique is amateurish. Her attempts at using Regency language also feel forced. But overall, I found this book appealing. I really don't know why. I know that's not much of a recommendation, but it's all I've got.
—Gloria
"In Regency England, Beau Brummell stood as the uncrowneed king of genteel Society. Whatever he wore was the height of fashion. Wherever he went was the place to be. And the last place one would expect to find himwas in the middle of a murder mystery. But then, Beau brummel was never one to do what was expected."When the Duchess of York asks for his help, Beau Brummell cannot refuse. The cantankerous Countess of Wrayburn has been fatally poisoned, and her paid companion -- for whomthe Duchess arranged employment -- is the prime suspect. If the accusations prove true, the scandal would ruin the Duchess' good name. Brummell hastens to the Wrayburn house, and it doesn't take long to realize that more than one person had motives against Lady Wrayburn. And Brummell is going to find out who. Because if there's one thing that's never in style, it's murder..."~~back coverFamiliar plot, tepid characterizations, the murderer well known early on, but not because of any clues but a general hunch. The book helped pass away a long day of recovery from being ill, but only worthwhile as a piece of fluff.
—Kate
Don't miss this series of four books starring the answer to fashion Beau Brummell and his sleuthing ways. This series is cleverly written, entertaining, and always interesting in plot. Pretty much everything a good mystery should be with entertaining regency characters thrown in, as well as Beau's incorrigible butler, Robinson (maybe my favorite character). I will keep these and read them again. If you are looking for something refreshing and different, and don't mind a little laugh-out-loud in your mysteries, these are for you.
—Eleanor Jones
