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Death on a Silver Tray |
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 Death on a Silver Tray byRosemary Stevens Berkley Prime Crime 277 pages, 2000 ISBN 0425174689 Reviewed by PJ Nunn Beau Brummell has the dubious distinction of being the most fashion conscious bachelor in London society during the early 1800s. Ever the proper gentleman, he’s highly intrigued when a particularly obnoxious member of their circle is poisoned and his dearest friend, the Duchess of York, asks him to discreetly look into the matter. It seems the dead woman’s maid, Miss Ashton, is the most likely suspect, but the Duchess, or Freddie as he playfully calls her, simply discards that hastily grasped conclusion. Brummell is no cad and sets out at once to investigate the matter, much to the dismay of Investigator Lavendar, a colorful fellow in his own right. Before even a few days have passed, Brummell’s uncovered an entire houseful of suspects but can prove nothing. He must be on the right track, though, because now threatening notes are being directed to him. Death on a Silver Tray inhabits a cadence that is entirely unique, tossing stereotypes out the window of Brummell’s gilded sedan chair and provoking peals of laughter at the most inopportune and unexpected moments. Relationship twists are truly imaginative, right down to the one between Brummell and his cat, Chakkri – another one of a kind character. Ordinarily, I find little pleasure in historical novels, but this one defies the odds. Filled with chalk drawings and perfumed housecoats, quaint phraseology and quick wit, it’s a delightful tale of murder, mystery and mayhem. |
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