An Improper Death

Dr. Alexandra Gladstone #2

by Paula Paul

Admiral George Edward Orkwright, upstanding and respected, is found dead--attired only in women's undergarments. The town constable says his death resulted from a drunken drowning, but Dr. Alexandra Gladstone disagrees.

She is joined by her maid, Nancy, the London barrister, Nicholas Forsythe, and her faithful dog Zack as she searches for the truth. Finally she uncovers secrets that are even more shocking than the way the admiral is dressed.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Victorian, Fiction

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 5, 2002

About the author

Paula Paul writes novels that touch the heart and challenge the mind. She has published 25 novels, some with major New York publishers and some with small presses. They include historical fiction, mysteries, YA and literary novels.

She is a native of Texas. She wasn't really born in Lubbock, as her profile info states. She was actually born outside of Lubbock on her grandparents' farm. She grew up on a ranch about 80 miles from where she was born and attended a country school where she graduated as valedictorian.

She has a degree in journalism and worked for several years as a print journalist, winning a number of state and national awards. She has also won national awards for her novels.

Reviews

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Dr. Alexandra Gladstone series, AN IMPROPER DEATH, was more appealing to me than the first. I am coming to appreciate that there is a certain Holmesian feel to the plot structure, and I am a big fan of the great detective.

Propriety is paramount in the Victorian Era… a place for everyone and everyone in their place. Alexandra Gladstone has broken that mold, much to the chagrin of many. Her maid-of-all-things, Nancy, who has been her companion since childhood, also breaks the propriety rules in her own way. Together they form an inimitable team.

As the title suggests, there is a death but is it due to an accident or murder? And, not only is there a death, there is an inexcusable impropriety connected to it. With the exception of Alexandra and Nancy, the principal characters are all acting a bit squirrelly when said death comes up in conversation.

There is no doubt that I will finish reading this 5-book series (I actually read the fifth book some time ago without benefit of having read the first four). I have long-believed that when reading a series, it is important to read them in the order they were published (or in some stated chronological order, as is sometimes the case) in order to see how the backstory is developed and how the characters change. The first book, SYMPTOMS OF DEATH, suffered from a lack of growing pains… this one has grown up.

[Ainee Beland]

When the old country doctor of Newton-Upon Sea (Huntington Gladstone) passes away, he left only his daughter Alexandra Gladstone, with the secrets of his trade—to continue with his practice and the villagers depends on its lady-doctor for their births, death, and all the inconveniences in between.
An Improper Death gives us Admiral Orkwright, who is one of the most respected men in this quiet seaside community – until his dead body washed a-shore clad only in a woman’s undergarment.
Dr. Gladstone is not convinced that his death is the result of being drowned at sea, because he was drunk. This was suggested by Constable Snow—who has also refused for Dr. Gladstone to perform an autopsy which might help to find the cause of death, but not necessarily.
-------
Mary Prodder suggested to Jane Orkwright how to go about killing the admiral while he was in the tub (in a drunken stupor), she told her to hold his feet or such; anyhow, Jane did go upstairs as the admiral was in the tub and a bit later went downstairs to tell the ladies that he drowned; and in the rush to dress him; all that Jane could find was her undergarment and she dressed him in that only, and they took his body to a nearby rowboat and Jane took the body out to sea and dumped him in; she never thought that his body would wash-a-shore.
Anyhow, despite her crime (killing her husband who she claimed was abusive and could not divorce him for fear of losing her youngest son to him); Dr. Gladstone helped Jane Orkwright, her son William and her maid Annie to leave town and move to someplace where none knew them and to live in peace; I think they moved to Edinburgh or such place and they would change their names as well.

[Waven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't impressed starting out with this little novel and even now hesitate to give it four stars. I really think it deserves three and a half but will round up because I think three is too low a rating. Though not a fan of murder-mysteries, a friend recommended me this and gave me the book to read. Admittedly, it's a rather simple and slow-moving plot, but once I got into it I rather enjoyed it. Part of it is expectation; if I were looking for a mixture of Dan Brown and Sherlock Holmes, this book would have been a terrible disappointment. But I try to take a story in the spirit it's offered, and what I found was a pleasant Sunday sort of read with just enough action and intrigue to keep things interesting. I did not read the first Dr. Gladstone tale and do not feel it would be necessary; though there were a few mentions of it, this made a decent stand-alone story. There were some shortcomings, notably that though Dr. Gladstone is not portrayed as a super-sleuth, she still missed some rather glaring details I would expect a doctor to notice. There was also the matter of the impropriety of the titular death. The reason - and part of the means - offered up at the end seemed very flimsy, and though not impossible it certainly seemed unlikely. Again, I did not take it too seriously and did still enjoy the book. I was also pleasantly surprised by some well-delivered humor and more than a few passages that hinted at talent waiting to be fully explored. I'm still no fan of the genre, but I think the author has potential. My recommendation: this is a good book for rainy afternoons, waiting room stints, and cross-country flights. And the author might be worth keeping an eye on.

[Marie Shirley Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your "cosy" mystery, but it's good

Marie Shirley Griffin

This is the second book in the series. While they can be read as stand alones, characters from previous books play important roles, so it's nice to have the background.

This mystery was a bit wordy, but you get a very thoroughly complete education on English law regarding divorce and women's rights or lack thereof in the 18th-19th century. Prepare to be appalled.

[Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first in the series. It was missing something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Perhaps all the background information on the characters in the first novel filled the holes in the action. Also, so this novel could "stand alone" there was redundancy from the first book; dull reading for someone who just finished the first book in the series.

[Carole Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this Dr. Alexandra Gladstone mystery to be very much less interesting than the first book. The plot was flimsey, IMO, and it was slow-moving toward what I thought an obvious end. Dr. Gladstone was made to look rather incompetent, IMO. Not worth the bother.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. I wish there had been more in this series.