Whom the Gods Love

Julian Kestrel Mysteries #3

by Kate Ross

Suave Julian Kestrel is called by Sir Malcolm Falkland to investigate the murder of Sir Malcolm's son and finds himself drawn into a strange world populated by an assortment of suspects and a killer who could be anyone

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Regency, British Literature

382 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Kate Ross, born Katherine Jean Ross, was an American mystery author who wrote four books set in Regency-era England about dandy Julian Kestrel. The novels in the series are Cut to the Quick (1994), which won the 1994 Gargoyle award for Best Historical Mystery, A Broken Vessel (1995), Whom the Gods Love (1996), and The Devil in Music (1997), which won the 1997 Agatha Award for Best Novel. The Lullaby Thief (1997), a short story featuring Kestrel, is included in the mystery anthology Crime Through Time, edited by Miriam Grace Monfredo and Sharan Newman. Ross was also a trial lawyer for the Boston law firm of Sullivan & Worcester and a graduate of Wellesley College and the Yale Law School. She died of cancer in 1998.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Kate Ross can sure write. There's not a sentence in the book that doesn't move the story forward or add to the intrigue and then at the end she sums it all tidily up without one loose end left. Fantastic.

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Julian Kestrel book so far. This book centers on a mysterious killing that took place during a party at the victim's home. Alexander Falkland, who sounds like he was the up and coming golden boy of London society, was bludgeoned to death in his own home. While almost no one has an airtight alibi, the house was crawling with people- who don't seem to have seen anything. Mysterious indeed.

Enter Julian Kestrel to solve the mystery. Julian finds a house full of people who aren't quite what they seem and as he investigates, the threads of clues take him far into Alexander's life and into the secret lives of others around him. It's all very engaging reading and as with all Kate Ross' books, the prose is more than a few cuts above the average. I loved how finely crafted the various plotlines were - Ross wove them together quite well. I also enjoyed the additional glimpses into Julian Kestrel's own life. With each book, I feel like I know him more and more. Now I face a dilemma - do I read the 4th (and last) Kestrel book now or save it to savor later?

[SarahC · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best mystery I have read in years. The characters are interesting and the mystery plot is solid and carries through well to the end. It is has a period setting, but I believe the writing is so well-constructed that many readers of good mystery would enjoy it even if you usually prefer more modern settings.

Ross made her detective Kestrel a charming mover in the high society of London, but his true more moderate backgroup shows through in the character. The story has humor but it is also a compelling literary mystery.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number 3 in the doomed Julian Kestrel series. I've already said that #4 is my favorite of the series, and maybe it is, but depending upon the day, Whom the Gods Love is actually my favorite, and not just because it was the last one I read. I thought this book was the most poetic in its structure and had the best mystery of the series. It's the one I want to read again the most, but every time I go to start it, I feel too sad at the thought that there are no more books in the series and stop.

[Princessjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

Enjoyable.

And yet, the victim had such extreme personality that he became a cardboard version of a cliche. Plot is rather convoluted--although masterfully so--but some of the twists defies belief.

As usual, Regency details and atmosphere masterfully rendered. The living characters are all unique and vivid, act and react in ways that makes sense for who they are. A very good locked drawing room mystery.

It feels kind of a cheat that the victim turned out to be such a terrible creature, having zero redeeming quality and basically asking to get killed.

Alexander Falkland was a narcissistic, sadistic sociopath who only cared about having everyone love him. He appeared charming and delightful, accomplished at everything. In private he was petty and mean, have no compunction to blackmail, torment, or murder. He married his proper wife because she's the most beautiful, but found her boring so mostly ignored her. In secret, he kept a mistress who procured a stream of young women for him. It was hinted that he beat them up as part of sex.

He blackmailed the young lawyer, Mr. Clare, to write learned letters to his father. He wanted to go into politics or something, and wanted to win his father to his side and promote his career. Mr. Clare's secret was that he was in fact a she, a female twin who is accomplished actress and was classically educated exactly as her brother. When the real Mr. Clare died of a fever, she took his place.

Meanwhile, Alexander spent and speculated wildly, and eventually lost a fortune. David Adams, a rich Jewish moneylender/business man, managed Alexander's finances and knew his vices, hated him, and loved Mrs. Falkland. He bought up Alexander's IOUs and absolved them in exchange for a chance to sleep with her. Alexander plotted with his mistress and tricked his wife into going off into some corner, where Adams became overcome with emotions and raped her. She became pregnant as result, and later rigs things so her horse threw her, causing her to lose the fetus.

Alexander wanted to get rid of evidence of the wife-exchanging scheme, so he drugged his mistress and committed her to a private insane asylum in the dark of night. He returned to murder the maid, and threw her body in a field with her face bashed in and obliterated.

This was because, for amazing coincidence, that maid was the identical twin sister of Mrs. Falkland's own maid servant! and he did not want a corpse from his secret life to draw the attention of people in his "real" life. This maid servant discovered Alexander killed her sister, and took the first good opportunity to bash his head in with a poker.

Julian Kestrel prevails and discovers all these crazy things. The maid gets sent to Australia, which is not bad for having committed murder. Mr. Falkland was disillusioned about his son, but finds love with now-Miss Clare. Mrs. Falkland will travel to the Continent with her younger brother. Julian wins his bet and gets 500 lbs.

Isn't this crazy convoluted???

[Jamie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read; I liked this more than the second book, and I look forward to the last one. There are sadly only four of these, as the author died young.

Kestrel is a late-Regency dandy who has acquired curiously strong reputation as a detective after solving two murders amidst the English aristocracy. The mystery is a decent one, if a touch melodramatic, but it would have worked better for me if I hadn’t recently read another book with a very similar plot twist.

The writing is quite good and Kestrel is a compelling protagonist. I wish that the reader could witness more of his dandy lifestyle, since it does not seem to entirely fit his personality, but at least in this book we get to see him tie a cravat.

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the series all out of order, so this turned out to be the last one I read. And it is perhaps the best, though I do mean to reread #4 The Devil in Music just to make sure.

Julian Kestrel, regency dandy turned detective (though really this is much better written than one would think from the description) investigate the murder of society´s golden boy. And wow, I loved this book - the plot is complex and very strong ( I did see one small plot point, but then again there was no way around that), the characters very deep, a believable note of hope. Perhaps the best of the series, though all 4 books are excellent.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Alexander Falkland is murdered in his own study while a house party was in full swing just a floor above, his father Sir Malcolm Falkland asks Julian Kestrel to assist the Bow Street Runners in bringing his killer to justice. Sir Malcolm adored his son--a man he thought perfect in every way. Perfect in looks, accomplishments, marriage, and in choosing to follow his father into the law as a profession. But obviously someone thought Alexander less than perfect. Someone hated or feared him enough to strike him down with a poker.

Julian accepts the commission, but not before warning Sir Malcolm of the consequences.

You must realize, Sir Malcom, these investigations can turn up painful, even shocking information....I shall ask impertinent questions, respect no one's privacy, treat nothing as sacred, and everyone not absolutely cleared as a suspect. I don't say this to alarm you--merely to make you see that, in embarking on an investigation like this, you must ask yourself, not merely what the truth is, but whether you wish to know it.

The lawyer assures him that he wants nothing but the truth, no matter what it is, where it leads, or to whom the finger of guilt points. That assurance will be tested more than once as the investigation progresses--for it soon becomes clear that Sir Malcolm didn't know his son at all and few people did.

Alexander was heavily in debt and his new friend David Abrams had bought up all his promissory notes...and then forgave them, apparently without requiring payment. But there is more than one way of paying off a debt. It's also proven that Alexander wasn't nearly the devoted husband that he liked to play in front of the world, and his tastes in extracurricular activities don't bear great scrutiny. And then there is the fact that he wasn't the scholar and devoted law student his father thought him. He had some sort of hold over Quintin Clare (a fellow law-clerk) and Clare is the one who wrote knowledgeable letters to Sir Malcolm and who primed Alexander with topics to discuss in the lawyers' dining hall. It seems that Alexander Falkland was a fraud in nearly every area of his life. But which area was the one that brought about his death?

When Alexander's widow is thrown from her horse, resulting in the loss of the child she was carrying and it's found that her saddle had been tampered with, it looks as though someone wants to wipe out all trace of Alexander...including his unborn child. Julian fears for Belinda Falkland's safety and redoubles his efforts to find a clear trail to follow among the various byways in Alexander's hidden life. And he wonders again whether Sir Malcolm will want the truth once he finds it.

The Julian Kestrel series just gets stronger with each book. The mystery here is tightly plotted and Ross expertly brought all the threads together to create a solid fabric. Great period details and interesting, well-rounded characters. Alexander is the least vivid--more a caricature of the ultimate bad hat, yet still a good focal point for the plot. Julian's detective work is the most workmanlike of three novels so far--perhaps because he's working closely with Vance, the Bow Street Runner. He sets down a timeline of who was where when and checks witness statements against one another. He spends a greater amount of time interviewing the principle witnesses/suspects and discovers several material clues. A very nicely put together mystery.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I PROMISE YOU; NO SPOILERS HERE!

WOW!! I enjoyed this book more than any I've read in months, or years. What a ride this was!

Miss Ross writes so tightly-no extraneous information, filler or fluff. Everything is so tightly woven. The characters are all very well fleshed out; so human. You feel compassion and empathy for them and want to know their stories.

I could not put this down, except to sleep of course, and read this in 24 hours. There were so many characters at Alexander's party; so many suspects. I kept trying to figure things out but couldn't! I am amazed at the minds of authors like this who think of EVERYTHING!! Also woven into the story were things I love like history, art and Greek myths. The author has a big vocabulary. I take the time to look up words I don't know when I'm reading, and I love it.

At a little more than 2/3 of the way through the book, I wrote to myself what I thought was happening and by who. I looked it up when I was done and I'd only gotten 1/3 of it right! What a great mystery this was! I shudder to think I almost returned this to the library without even reading it.

Read it! You won't regret it!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent! The author's writing is a delight - I found myself rereading passages just to enjoy her turn of phrase a bit longer. Took me 9 days to finish this book, as I was savoring the experience. The plot is quite complicated - 2 murders and a life-threatening accident. I was kept in suspense throughout and enjoyed the thrilling (though somewhat drawn-out) conclusion.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Loved it!

This series just gets stronger and stronger with each passing novel. Sadly, I only have one left to read, and I can't help but wonder where Julian, Dipper and all the rest would be today had the author not passed on.

I love the fact that I can never figure out who the guilty party is...I'll think I'll have it figured out and there's some twist the throws my whole theory out of the window.

[Taryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

So. Disturbing.

I wish I could wash my brain with soap.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good, it totally made me forgive the author for the "romance" in the previous book in the series.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at public versus private lives, and how even 200 years ago, the private would eventually come out.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best mystery! Every time I thought I knew "what was what" I was wrong! It was wonderful to follow along as Julian made his discoveries! Excellent, excellent novel, Kate Ross was a genius.

[Ruby Bibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly one of the best written mysteries

-Extremely well done and very interesting mystery presented to Julian Kestrel by Sir Malcolm. Sir Malcolm’s son, Alexander Falkland, has been killed. Alexander was a wonder child. He was only about Julian’s age, about 25, but he was loved by everyone. He wrote letters of deep philosophical and legal arguments to his father, who was a judge; he was a socialite who held lavish parties; he was an accomplished investor who made a good deal of money; and was a loving and devoted husband to a beautiful wife.
-It was during a party that he was throwing, where Alexander’s wife, Belinda, had complained of a headache, and Alexander said he would check on her. For some reason, though she was upstairs, he went to a lower level study, and it was there where he was found dead, with his head fractured and hit by a heavy fireplace poker. There were over 80 people invited to the party that evening, not including the staff, so that there were a multitude of suspects. Sir Malcolm wanted justice for the death of his son and he approached Julian Kestrel with a request that he come and look into the matter. Kestrel was known in their social circles, and his reputation as a solver of crimes was growing. In addition, Vance, one of the Bow Street Runners who was assigned to the case, also was in need of help, as the case was far too difficult for him to pursue, not least of which for the fact that he would be unable to properly question those members of high society who attended the party because of his lower position in society.
-It seemed to be an impossible case, but Kestrel, accepting that he has a talent for ferreting out the truth, accepts. A wager in the clubs is also made and Kestrel accepts a wager where the crime must be solved in a week’s time for him to either win or lose a sum of 500 pounds, which was a huge amount of money at the time.
-The standard initial investigation is done and a list is compiled of those guests or servants without alibis at the time of the killing. Kestrel questions the staff and some additional information comes out of Falkland and his wife, which all seems strange. Stranger still are the testimonies of the various guests as Kestrel knows that certain information is being withheld, as the pieces don’t fit. As we read along, the difficulty of exactly how to formulate a plan to proceed leaves the reader stymied, but once Kestrel proceeds in his investigation, you realize his plan is viable. His examination of suspects is done with tact and he proves himself to be very witty.
-The case takes many strange turns as Kestrel realizes that whatever something appears to be may not be what it actually is. This happens very often. With Kestrel’s brilliance at deducing the truth, there’s so much that makes this one of the most interesting mysteries I’ve read. His uncovering of the true nature of the murder victim, is only part of the maxim within this book that what you see is not what is.
-There’s a large cast of characters that each contribute to the revelation of the events that took place on the night of the killing and events preceding that night. There are so many possibilities as to who the killer could be, but an attack on the victim’s wife only increases the confusion. There were enough clues to lead Kestrel to formulate an idea of what happened, but it’s only with additional investigation that leads to more concrete facts, that more bits of the story are revealed, which leads to more questions.
-The author has done a truly masterful job at presenting this story. The gradual way that both revelation of facts and additional clues are revealed and followed up upon is proof of her exceptional writing ability. Very enjoyable writing and very interesting characters.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you took Dorian Grey and made him the murder victim in a mystery novel, you would essentially have this book. Kate Ross was no Oscar Wilde, but she was a strong writer and her portrayal of her Alexander Faulk, a noble man killed in his own home during a party, is vivid and haunting by the time you reach the end. There's some heavy allegory, with a portrait of Alexander hung above a fireplace. Various members of the household and visitors wind up glancing at the portrait during conversations - the timing and their reactions revealing much about their true feelings about the man.
This is the third installment in the Julian Kestrel series and wastes no time in getting right to the murder. The book opens with Julian meeting his client, in a graveyard. Alexander's father has hired Julian to find his son's murderer, despite Julian's warnings that the investigation will likely uncover some uncomfortable truths about Alexander. The father is determined nonetheless, and so the story begins.
Ross sets up the pacing brilliantly, slowly unraveling parts of Alexander's character, bit by bit, each layer becoming more selfish and sinister. When Ross had finished, this reader was dismayed by the depths of depravity that Alexander was capable of. Ross makes a complicated but compelling case for the killer, at least for their motives.
There are interesting and relevant subplots, that are given just enough time and attention to enhance rather than detract from the main story, among them a romance, a hidden identity, a trip to a madhouse, another unidentified dead body left abandoned in a field, help from the Bow Street Runners and the ever enterprising valet Dipper. We also learn more about Julian's backstory.
Each book I read further confirms how tragic it is that this author died so young. This whole series is so unknown but the quality of the mystery plots, the characterizations, and the writing are so solid. Could have been a longstanding, best selling international series given more time and books. Sad that I only have one left to read.

[Thu Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 3rd murder mystery for Julian Kestrel. This time he didn't stumble across any dead body, he was respectfully requested by the victim's father to step into an investigation that Bow Street so far failed to make any progress. And this time, we're back into Regency's drawing rooms world.

This, for me, is the best mystery so far in the series. Mind-boggling intrigues, so many pieces of puzzles that are impossible to fit together because they don't click directly with each other but the mind wants them to, to make it a convenient solution when the answer is convoluted and full of deceptions that became gripping stories that left a scar on your conscience.

My initial theories were romantic and utter rubbish but keep following Julian and I've arrived at the answers at the same time. This is one of the reasons why I like the series, the writing helps you think, with Julian reading witnesses/suspects' statements, him making a note of the events chronologically, him doing a lot of interviewing, and him wording out all of his theories, no matter how twisted and against the evidences they were. Dr. MacGregor isn't in this book, but we have Sir Malcom, the client, there to comment on how devilish a mind Julian has in concocting theories of suspects, and to compliment him on keeping tabs of all the details. The series definite has a hardcore police procedures structure to it, a rare gem among a stream of Regency lady sleuths who rely on gossips and carefully veiled conversation.

Also, this is why I prefer historical mysteries to modern ones, the crime was committed 80 years too early for fingerprint identification so the perpetrator got away at once and would have to be found by a lot more evidences put together.

While not surprised about the whodunit and whydunit, it's still heart-breaking to witness the characters' confession. The previous 2 books are nowhere near cozy, but this one tops it with a strong sense of loss and anger. I will remember this book as one of those dramas that remind me of human's ugly side and what it costs.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young aristocrat, Alexander Falkland, is murdered in his own home as a party went on. His family is devastated, and as the Bow Street Runners investigation has seemed to grind to a standstill, Sir Malcolm Falkland turns to Julian Kestrel, an amateur detective with a skill to digging up vital clues about murder.

Alexander seemed to be the perfect educated man, loving husband and loyal friend, but Kestrel quickly sees that there are many Alexanders. Just who was he really? Before he can find who is the murderer, Kestrel must find out who Alexander was and what drove another individual to snuff out his life.

His investigation takes some turns Kestrel never imagined, and what he discovers paints a very different picture of the victim. There are many who did have motive, but who took their fear, their hate a step further?

Kate Ross has developed an interesting character, an elegant dandy who uses all his social skills and knowledge of human nature, to delve into mysteries. Ross then creates mysteries that fit the times, the situations of the era she creates with great writing and skill. This is a mystery that twists and turns with plenty of surprises to keep interest high and readers glued.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not great, but vastly better than the one preceding it in the Julian Kestrel series, "A Broken Vessel." Until the last chapter, I was expecting to be able to rate this one 4 stars, but then it crashed and burned with a lame ending that I not only didn't see coming, but couldn't accept as the right or fitting solution. I have said before in my reviews that I am not good at plots, but I do have an avid reader's sense of what makes a satisfying conclusion and this book's denouement was abrupt, ill-defined and stretched credulity beyond acceptable limits! It was building to a nice climax when the rug was pulled out from the reader and not in a clever way, but in a convoluted mess that made a hash of the elemental clues.
So why three stars? I rounded up rather than down because in this outing, we didn't have to put up with a lot of questionable street slang that purported to be authentically early 19th century (see: "A Broken Vessel.") and because the grammar through the book was elegant! Yes, such things as excellent grammar that is reflective of the time period can definitely be enough to lift a rating by half a step!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This is the third book in the series. Julian has been asked to look into the murder of Alexander Falkland at the request of Alexander’s father. The murder happened at home while a party was going on. Julian warns him that he may uncover some unpleasantness during his investigation. As he digs into the case, he finds a series of contradictions in Alexander’s character and behavior, leading to a host of suspects, including the fostered brother of his wife, a business partner, a legal colleague, and his wife herself. It seems that Alexander’s public exterior is far different from the man in private. After a separate incident against Alexander’s wife causing a traumatic fall from a horse, Julian may have another puzzle on his hands. This was a well-crafted mystery with a few twists and turns along the way.

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

See PrincessJay's review for the plot. 381 pp of a somewhat confusing mystery.

Yes, it does get convoluted at the end, as though Ms. Ross herself couldn't figure out Whodunit. Poor Julian Kestral was a bystander while the other characters argued among themselves at the last. Actually, he let them hang themselves. Sir Malcolm had a lot to deal with, and he dealt with it as a strong cardboard father should. David Adams, says he was certain "As sure as his name was David Adams", which it wasn't. None of the seven or so main characters were what they had seemed to be, almost all of them had layers upon layers of desperate flaws in their character, which were known to some of the others, and revealed to us (not necessarily by Julian) when Ms. Ross deemed the time to be right. Entertaining, but . . .

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read from the Julian Kestrel series (and I hate to read out of order). This was for my Mystery Book Club this week and I really enjoyed it. Kestrel is quite the detective and I was amazed at all the various "seemingly" unrelated bits and pieces that came together to make a whole. Alexander and his wife are the cream of society and couldn't be happier until one evening at a party they are hosting, Alexander is murdered by a blow to the head. Who could have wanted to kill this handsome, successful, intelligent young man, leaving a grieving widow? Turns out Mr. Kestrel suspects almost everyone and there's more than one suspect that had a reason to do it. Great read. I'll have to go back and pick up the first two.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book in 2013 and quickly bought and read the second. Then I found the author, had passed at an early age, and there were only four Julian Kestrel books. As I was getting hooked on the series, I decide to stop there. Recently, while browsing, I saw book #3, and decided to finish the series.

I'm so glad I did. This was well done and well written. I found it was hard to put the book down. It is reminiscent of the way CS Harris writes. The depth of the characters, the plot, the twist, the turns. This certainly, to me is the best of the three I've read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the Julian Kestrel mystery [series]—more like the first one because Julian’s on his own again, and among the aristocracy, so you get to see more of his dandified manners [a plus in my book]—also he is continuing his relationship with Phillipa Fontclair—who I am convinced will be his future wife. I kept seeing things way ahead of Julian—but it didn’t spoil the enjoyment for me.

2020 note: The author died young, after book four, so I never got to read about Julian and Phillipa (once grown) falling in love, but I am convinced it happened.

[Spiderorchid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Ross really outdid herself with the third of the Julian Kestrel mysteries: suspense, humour, heartbreak and a well-constructed who-done-it (and why-done-it) that has you turning the pages. The early 19th century setting and atmosphere are perfect and the characters are interesting. Ross not only wrote excellent historical crime novels, she made you care about the characters and that's all the difference between a good book and a great one.
I have a new favourite.

[Sara G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite mystery so far in the Julian Kestrel series. The dandy detective is tasked to look into the murder of a young man who was society's darling. Nobody and nothing is as it seems, and the author did a great job of keeping me guessing until the end. The characters were even better than the mystery, though. As our detective unraveled everyone's inner thoughts and motivations, they came across as such real, interesting, and flawed individuals. No two dimensional red herrings here.

[Chantall Strauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, through Voracious Readers. Once I started the book, I couldn’t stop reading it. It is a very well written book, so much so that I actually felt like a part of the quest the characters were on. I appreciated that the characters grew as the story progressed. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the series so I could find out what was going to happen with my favorite characters.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars, but when I have gone to write my review 4 months later, I hardly remember it. It takes place in the 1820's in England. There are a lot of characters, but fortuantely there is a list of them at the beginning of the book, which I kept referring to. Think I should give another Kate Ross book a try.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story ranks right up there with the first Julian Kestrel Mystery for me. Solid mystery, beautifully written by a very talented author with (IMHO) a great command of the English language. Julian Kestrel's growth and confidence in himself as an intelligent detective (as opposed to only an elegant dandy) are touched on as well as demonstrated in this book.