First sentence: "Come, Powerscourt, come."It is January of 1892 and the eldest son of the Prince of Wales has been found dead in his bed. The tale that has come down through history is that he died from a bad bout of influenza, but what if instead his death was caused by a murder that was covered up by his royal father? This is the story David Dickinson tells through the eyes of the Irish investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt. Lord Powerscourt is hired by the Prince of Wales to investigate the death of Prince Eddy and also to investigate who has been blackmailing the Prince of Wales. The investigation takes Powerscourt from Sandringham House to the chills of Northern England and the Mediterranean climes of Italy. The suspects range from lowly household servants to Queen Victoria herself. Danger, conspiracy, sex, and intrigue pop up at every turn. As the bodies keep piling up, will Powerscourt be the next corpse? I don't usually read mysteries but I still needed a book about a prince for my royalty reading challenge (something that is much harder to find than you would think) and I found this on my library's shelf and decided to give it a shot. It was a delicious change of pace for me and a delightful romp through the streets of Victorian London and the canals of Venice. The outcome of the mystery was somewhat surprising but there were hints scattered throughout the book as well as a few red herrings along the way to keep it interesting. I don't usually read about royalty from this era (my interests lie in the centuries before) so it was nice to learn things about this time in history as well. The editing in this book left much to be desired. There were many typos and grammatical errors. Something was said to have taken place in June and then later it was referred to as happening in September. I would have also enjoyed a historical or author's note about the plausibility of the tale. However, this was a fun mystery to read and kept me interested and reading. Great read for a holiday weekend. Royalty Reading Challenge: Read a book where a Prince is the central figure. (The character must be a prince through at least 75% of the book.)
This murder mystery is based on the clever premise of using real characters and facts – or at least building on rumours prevalent at the time – to create a fictitious parallel plotline. We learn of the suspicious and, for the sake of this plot, hushed up death of the second in line to the throne of late Victorian Britain, Prince Albert Edward, or Prince Eddy, the real life son of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and grandson of Queen Victoria. Lord Francis Powerscourt, an Irishman with a reputation for solving mysteries, sets out to find the murderer. He is already involved because he has been called in to investigate the blackmail notes being sent to the Prince of Wales prior to Prince Eddy’s death. Is there a connection and could the culprit be one of the royal household so bent on observing protocol - or possibly keeping secrets?This is the second Lord Francis Powerscourt murder mystery I have read and enjoyed, the first being Book 8, ‘Death of a Pilgrim’, after which I decided I ought to read the books in chronological order. (I picked that one up because of its setting on the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage route to Northern Spain which runs through places I have visited in France).I have seen comments that Lord Powerscourt travels around Britain and indeed Europe with unusual ease for the late 19th Century. That did not worry me particularly as, after all, the age of steam had made travel much easier but also David Dickinson conveniently provides a character whose extensive knowledge of railways comes in extremely useful. Less credible, I found, was the network of helpful waiters who seemed willing to ignore their duties when instructed to help track down an individual in busy Venice! There were one or two other minor plot details that did seem to add up or I did not really fully understand, but none of these spoiled my enjoyment of the book which kept its secrets well with the added enjoyment and lightness of a restrained romantic sub plot. I look forward to reading Book 2 in this series, ‘Death and the Jubilee’.
What do You think about Goodnight Sweet Prince (2007)?
There was indeed controversy surrounding Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (otherwise known as Prince Eddy). In particular surrounding his sexuality, intellect and sanity. According to the history books he died of influenza, but what if he didn't? THat's what David Dickinson's compelling historical mystery is all about. The story follows Lord Francis Powerscourt and his intriguing investigation into the death of Prince Eddy, said to be a very naughty young man - involved in homosexual brothels, and the spreading of a particuarly nasty veneral disease through a bunch of young sailors. It is this particular indisgression that Lord Francis fears may be responsible for Prince Eddy's brutal murder. The twist of history surrounding a figure who is known or at least suspected to have gotten up to all sorts of mischief is a good premise - a great one when researched and handled properly. David Dickinson has managed to pull of an immensely intriguing story, fleshing it out with characters appropriate of the time period and creating a likeable main character in Lord Francis. Goodnight Sweet Prince was well researched and there was enough of a mystery to keep you guessing at various stages throughout. Some parts you could figure out staight away and others took a while longer, and some you didn't know the answer to until all was revealed. A definite recommendation to anyone who likes mystery and historical fiction.
—Chantelle (aka the Blogmonstar)
This is a new series for me, but into its ninth book. This one, the first, introduces Lord Francis Powerscourt, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat living in England, a sometime investigator for the government, as well as his buddies, family, and love interest. The characters grabbed my attention - very well-drawn and intriguing. The plot creaks a little at the start but half way through takes off and is very exciting. Dickinson draws on his knowledge of Victorian England, art, and the classics and, in a very fast paced finale, several cities in Italy. Recommend this highly. I'm off to find the next book in the Powerscourt series.
—Jocelyn Harvey
this was a kindle reduced price special and i was hooked! now i want to buy the rest of the 7 book series, but they aren't on sale. the hero is a victorian-era investigator who is asked to check into a blackmail scheme involving the promiscuous prince of wales, and then the prince's oldest son is found murdered--this is a novel, NOT truly history. the romance between the hero and the heroine is kind of an afterthought. but it was truly intersting to see how, UNLIKE today, the rich and powerful could cover up anything and get away with it.
—Diane
