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Princess Louise #2
Skeleton-In-Waiting
Sequel to King and Joker
Britain’s beloved Princess Louise is a grown woman now, married to commoner Piers Chandler and enchanted by their infant son, Davy. While visiting a certain Mrs. Walsh—a mysterious old woman claiming to be a royal relation, a Romanov who escaped the terror of the Russian Revolution—Louise and little Davy are nearly taken captive by would-be kidnappers. Through pluck and quick thinking, Her Royal Highness avoids the unthinkable, but Mrs. Walsh is killed in the melee, leaving her secrets unspoken and her mysteries unsolved.
Not easily daunted, the young princess turns to her husband for help in unraveling the tangled truth about the murdered Mrs. Walsh—a hunt that soon leads them to Tashkent, the teeming capital city of Uzbekistan, where they hope to find answers. But some doors to the past are opened only at gravest risk to life and limb—even for those of royal blood.
Bringing back many of the unforgettable characters from his acclaimed King and Joker, Dickinson’s Skeleton-in-Waiting is yet another majestic thriller from a true master mystery novelist, offering further proof that this author has few equals among crime fiction royalty.
Britain’s beloved Princess Louise is a grown woman now, married to commoner Piers Chandler and enchanted by their infant son, Davy. While visiting a certain Mrs. Walsh—a mysterious old woman claiming to be a royal relation, a Romanov who escaped the terror of the Russian Revolution—Louise and little Davy are nearly taken captive by would-be kidnappers. Through pluck and quick thinking, Her Royal Highness avoids the unthinkable, but Mrs. Walsh is killed in the melee, leaving her secrets unspoken and her mysteries unsolved.
Not easily daunted, the young princess turns to her husband for help in unraveling the tangled truth about the murdered Mrs. Walsh—a hunt that soon leads them to Tashkent, the teeming capital city of Uzbekistan, where they hope to find answers. But some doors to the past are opened only at gravest risk to life and limb—even for those of royal blood.
Bringing back many of the unforgettable characters from his acclaimed King and Joker, Dickinson’s Skeleton-in-Waiting is yet another majestic thriller from a true master mystery novelist, offering further proof that this author has few equals among crime fiction royalty.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
16 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Peter Dickinson
142 books156 followersPeter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE FRSL was a prolific English author and poet, best known for children's books and detective stories.
Peter Dickinson lived in Hampshire with his second wife, author Robin McKinley. He wrote more than fifty novels for adults and young readers. He won both the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Award twice, and his novel The Blue Hawk won The Guardian Award in 1975.
Peter Dickinson lived in Hampshire with his second wife, author Robin McKinley. He wrote more than fifty novels for adults and young readers. He won both the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Award twice, and his novel The Blue Hawk won The Guardian Award in 1975.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 5, 2019
2019 bk 206. Princess Louise is back with a husband and infant son. She has fought her battles with her parents and the GBP (Greater British Public) and now lives in a mansion (not a palace), has fewer minders (a lady-in-waiting, a nanny, a housekeeper, and, she thinks, a smaller security detail. Her husband was given a title, that as a university research scientist he disregards. Her small son, Davy, only cares about eating, sleeping, and being kept clean. When Grandmother Romanov - Windsor dies, Louise learns that her letters and other papers are to be given to a royal outsider to edit and possibly publish. This sets off alarms. The fact that the brother of a jailed terrorist has disappeared also sets off alarms at the palace. At some point there is a collision, creating the mystery. More obvious than the King & Joker, I still think this is the better book, although this is one of the few instances where not only could the books work as standalones, that they actually each work better having read both of them. I do wish he would have written a third book in the series.
March 1, 2022
I'd not read any of this series before but am now hooked. Great care was taken in the writing of authentic characters and experiences with just enough twists and hints to keep you thoroughly engaged and trying to conclusively determine who dunnit.
Now to look up the first in the series....
Now to look up the first in the series....
March 3, 2024
"Skeleton-In-Waiting" is a rather disappointing follow-up to Dickinson's very-slightly-alternative-universe royal mystery, "King and Joker". At some point in the 13 years between the two books, Dickinson seems to have lost his skepticism towards the English royals: in particular, Princess Louise's decision, at the end of "King and Joker", to try to step away from being a princess, has been completely forgotten. It's not that she changed her mind, it's simply never alluded to. Neither, for that matter, is the driver of the first book, the secret of her parentage. In fact, in this book Dickinson has nothing interesting to say about his imaginary royal family at all: even when he reaches into the past for mystery, it's to the Russian Revolution, not Edward VII. Perhaps in 1989 the fact that Louise is married to a commoner qualified as a revolutionary development that showed her independence of spirit, but by today such is no longer the case, and anyway that would pale compared to her trying to become a commoner herself. It would be difficult, of course, but that's what would make it interesting. Instead, we get a rather cliched Irish terrorist plot and the above-mentioned historical excursion, which isn't bad but doesn't have a direct connection to anything else in the story. It's Dickinson, so it's still readable, but it's definitely one of his lesser efforts.
February 1, 2023
For those who enjoyed King and Joker; Skeleton in Waiting tells us what happened to the main characters. It’s good, and very easily read, but that’s because it’s Peter Dickinson. He’s a phenomenal writer, and it’s hard to imagine not enjoying something he’s written.
That’s a good thing, because most of “Skeleton in Waiting” is just preparation for a brief interlude of excitement; and then you have to work out how the whole thing ties together.
As usual, it’s a clever knot that he untangles.
If you’re looking for extra insights into Royal behaviour, you won’t find them. PD went pretty close to being “over the line” in K&J; and he’s clearly not taking any risks this time.
That’s a good thing, because most of “Skeleton in Waiting” is just preparation for a brief interlude of excitement; and then you have to work out how the whole thing ties together.
As usual, it’s a clever knot that he untangles.
If you’re looking for extra insights into Royal behaviour, you won’t find them. PD went pretty close to being “over the line” in K&J; and he’s clearly not taking any risks this time.
June 14, 2018
So Dickinson creates an alternate British Royalty-verse in this duo, King and Joker and Skeleton-in-waiting. But wait, the royals already inhabit an alternate universe - why do we need another? Oh, I see. To make them less appalling and more appealing. Mission accomplished.
February 13, 2019
Better than the first Princess Louise.
February 1, 2022
We are all prisoners of our pasts. -
Note
, Pg. 2
Everybody is in one sense genuine and in another sense fake. We all have to invent our own persona as a carapace for our inner incoherence. - Pg. 72
Nobody does anything for a single motive. All actions are the outcome of a series of inner compromises, mainly unconscious. - Pg. 108
Everybody is in one sense genuine and in another sense fake. We all have to invent our own persona as a carapace for our inner incoherence. - Pg. 72
Nobody does anything for a single motive. All actions are the outcome of a series of inner compromises, mainly unconscious. - Pg. 108
July 22, 2012
This is a sequel to King and Joker, which I really liked a lot. It's set in an alternate history with an alternate royal family on the throne of England.
(And is nevertheless very clearly a mystery that happens to be set in this alternate history, rather than an alternate history (ie, SF) that happens to be a mystery. Somehow the genre conventions very clearly come through though I couldn't articulate them.)
Unfortunately for my tastes, the sequel takes place late enough that my favorite parts of the original -- Princess Louise coming of age and figuring out how to be a princess without entirely losing her identity, and the quirkiness of all the Family members living under one roof and interacting with each other -- no longer apply. When this book opens, Louise is married and the mother of an infant, living with her commoner husband and a small staff in her own large house in London. The rest of her family appear mostly offstage, or at social events.
It was all right as a mystery, but I was disappointed that it was so different in tone from the original.
(And is nevertheless very clearly a mystery that happens to be set in this alternate history, rather than an alternate history (ie, SF) that happens to be a mystery. Somehow the genre conventions very clearly come through though I couldn't articulate them.)
Unfortunately for my tastes, the sequel takes place late enough that my favorite parts of the original -- Princess Louise coming of age and figuring out how to be a princess without entirely losing her identity, and the quirkiness of all the Family members living under one roof and interacting with each other -- no longer apply. When this book opens, Louise is married and the mother of an infant, living with her commoner husband and a small staff in her own large house in London. The rest of her family appear mostly offstage, or at social events.
It was all right as a mystery, but I was disappointed that it was so different in tone from the original.
November 26, 2011
Dickinson's fictional royal family is charming. And as usual, the mystery is a device. Dickinson's real attraction are his central characters and the thoughtful and sensitive comedy of manners he manages to weave even into his most plot-driven works.
June 1, 2024
The first time I read this, in 2004, I gave it 4 stars because I felt it did not compare well to the previous book, King and Joker. This time I was much more impressed with the story and enjoyed it very much, so I upped my rating to 5 stars.
December 9, 2013
I love this little duology, which forms a pair with KING AND JOKER. Why there are not twenty more volumes I really do not understand! An alternate Britain with a pack of alternate royals, including the intrepid Princess Louise. A smart princess!
July 2, 2014
didn't finish
February 4, 2016
Sequel to "King and Joker." As in that book, the alternative version of Britain is well thought-out and the mystery is good.
October 29, 2016
Actually, another three-and-a-half star rating! Fairly absorbing alternative history, a step up on its predecessor "King and Joker".
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews