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The Pigeon Pie Mystery
Julia Stuart returns in her follow-up to the bestselling The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise with this clever murder mystery set in Victorian England, brimming with her signature charm and fabulous characters.
When Indian Princess Alexandrina is left penniless by the sudden death of her father, the Maharaja of Brindor, Queen Victoria grants her a grace-and-favor home in Hampton Court Palace. Though rumored to be haunted, Alexandrina and her lady's maid, Pooki, have no choice but to take the Queen up on her offer.
Aside from the ghost sightings, Hampton Court doesn't seem so bad. The princess is soon befriended by three eccentric widows who invite her to a picnic with all the palace's inhabitants, for which Pooki bakes a pigeon pie. But when General-Major Bagshot dies after eating said pie, and the coroner finds traces of arsenic in his body, Pooki becomes the #1 suspect in a murder investigation.
Princess Alexandrina isn't about to let her faithful servant hang. She begins an investigation of her own, and discovers that Hampton Court isn't such a safe place to live after all.
With her trademark wit and charm, Julia Stuart introduces us to an outstanding cast of lovable oddballs, from the palace maze-keeper to the unconventional Lady Beatrice (who likes to dress up as a toucan—don't ask), as she guides us through the many delightful twists and turns in this fun and quirky murder mystery. Everyone is hiding a secret of the heart, and even Alexandrina may not realize when she's caught in a maze of love.
When Indian Princess Alexandrina is left penniless by the sudden death of her father, the Maharaja of Brindor, Queen Victoria grants her a grace-and-favor home in Hampton Court Palace. Though rumored to be haunted, Alexandrina and her lady's maid, Pooki, have no choice but to take the Queen up on her offer.
Aside from the ghost sightings, Hampton Court doesn't seem so bad. The princess is soon befriended by three eccentric widows who invite her to a picnic with all the palace's inhabitants, for which Pooki bakes a pigeon pie. But when General-Major Bagshot dies after eating said pie, and the coroner finds traces of arsenic in his body, Pooki becomes the #1 suspect in a murder investigation.
Princess Alexandrina isn't about to let her faithful servant hang. She begins an investigation of her own, and discovers that Hampton Court isn't such a safe place to live after all.
With her trademark wit and charm, Julia Stuart introduces us to an outstanding cast of lovable oddballs, from the palace maze-keeper to the unconventional Lady Beatrice (who likes to dress up as a toucan—don't ask), as she guides us through the many delightful twists and turns in this fun and quirky murder mystery. Everyone is hiding a secret of the heart, and even Alexandrina may not realize when she's caught in a maze of love.
315 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2012
146 people are currently reading
2879 people want to read
About the author
Julia Stuart
6 books242 followersJulia Stuart grew up in the West Midlands in England. She studied French and Spanish, and lived for a short period in France and Spain teaching English. After studying journalism at college, she worked on regional newspapers for six years. She then became a staff features writer for The Independent, where she worked for eight years, including a spell with The Independent on Sunday. In 2007, she relocated to Bahrain with her English husband, who is also a journalist. She currently lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
December 13, 2017
2.5/5 stars. (rounded down for GR)
I was excited for this book. I kept reading it ,waiting for something big to happen.
But alas, nothing exciting ever happened and the whole book was a bit of a drag.
In the end I couldn't even remember half of the things that happened, because they felt so irrelevant.
However the characters did have interesting secrets and the sarcasm was very much appreciated.
Really wish this was better, as it had the potential, but oh well.
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I was excited for this book. I kept reading it ,waiting for something big to happen.
But alas, nothing exciting ever happened and the whole book was a bit of a drag.
In the end I couldn't even remember half of the things that happened, because they felt so irrelevant.
However the characters did have interesting secrets and the sarcasm was very much appreciated.
Really wish this was better, as it had the potential, but oh well.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
October 10, 2024
Odd. But also oddly enjoyable. 🤔
June 19, 2020
Princess Alexandrina, known as Mink, is the only child of the Maharaja of Prindur, whose English wife died when Mink was six. In 1898, when Mink is in her mid-twenties, the Maharaja dies in embarrassing circumstances – el flagrante in an opium den with the girl who cleans the boots and knives. Mink finds herself in straightened circumstances. She is forced to let all the servants go, except for her large-footed Indian nanny/maid Pooki, and to sell their house to pay the Government back for the financial support her father had received as a royal guest of the country.
Mink and Pooki are offered a grace-and-favour house at Hampton Court Palace, among the other poor aristocrats whom Queen Victoria provided accommodation for. Here she meets Lady Beatrice Fisher, the Hon Dowager Lady Monfort Bebb and the Countess of Bessington, who befriend her, and many odd and interesting characters who live and work at Hampton Court and in the surrounding area. Along with reports of ghosts, poor plumbing and damp, the residents also suffer from the fact that Hampton Court and its extensive gardens are also open to the public.
When another resident, Major-General Bagshot, a thoroughly unpleasant fellow, dies after eating Pooki’s pigeon pie at the fair, his death from English cholera is soon changed to death by arsenic poisoning. An inquest is held. The arsenic is believed to have been in the pigeon pie and Pooki becomes the prime suspect. Mink decides to investigate and find the real culprit. I thought I knew how it had happened, but the author had other ideas. Good for her.
This isn’t just a murder mystery. This, by the author of Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London Zoo, uses the history of another London landmark to create a delightful read full of interesting and quirky characters. It is about friendship and loyalty that transcend the strictures of the English class system. There is also romance. Recommended.
Mink and Pooki are offered a grace-and-favour house at Hampton Court Palace, among the other poor aristocrats whom Queen Victoria provided accommodation for. Here she meets Lady Beatrice Fisher, the Hon Dowager Lady Monfort Bebb and the Countess of Bessington, who befriend her, and many odd and interesting characters who live and work at Hampton Court and in the surrounding area. Along with reports of ghosts, poor plumbing and damp, the residents also suffer from the fact that Hampton Court and its extensive gardens are also open to the public.
When another resident, Major-General Bagshot, a thoroughly unpleasant fellow, dies after eating Pooki’s pigeon pie at the fair, his death from English cholera is soon changed to death by arsenic poisoning. An inquest is held. The arsenic is believed to have been in the pigeon pie and Pooki becomes the prime suspect. Mink decides to investigate and find the real culprit. I thought I knew how it had happened, but the author had other ideas. Good for her.
This isn’t just a murder mystery. This, by the author of Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London Zoo, uses the history of another London landmark to create a delightful read full of interesting and quirky characters. It is about friendship and loyalty that transcend the strictures of the English class system. There is also romance. Recommended.
July 15, 2012
The Pigeon Pie Mystery. Look at that name. Now think about it - maybe you will come to the same conclusion I did at first: the mystery must be about who, on earth, would eat pigeon pie?
However, that is not the mystery contained within the pages of this insanely witty, very dry, very British book about the HH Princess Alexandrina (Mink) and her maid from India, "Pooki". I don't read a lot of mysteries these days, and when I do I stick to authors that I've found through a (very painful) process that I have honed over the last few years. I don't like sensationalism, but I do like interesting character development - the more quirks the better.
Julia Stuart's writing reminds me a bit of Alexander McCall Smith's. But while his writing tends to be about developing the same characters and providing thoughtful insights into life in Botswana, Stuart's writing veers more toward bringing out the ridiculous in those we see around us. She's a fantastic mix of the more outgoing of Austen's awkward situations and McCall Smith's lovable characters. I don't know how to describe it better than that.
So, having loved The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise with all its eccentricities and, having been moved to tears more than once (both from laughter and sorrow), I jumped on Stuart's new novel faster than you can say Victoria and Albert.
For the last two days I have savoured this novel (look at me, spelling with extra vowels now). I've giggled and enjoyed every quirk - from ghosts to murder mysteries to monkeys to ill-fitting trousers on amorous doctors. And while I'm a bit disappointed that there wasn't the same level of bitter-sweetness in The Pigeon Pie Mystery, I hereby deem it a novel worthy to be read - but only by those who appreciate good, dry British humour (and don't mind picking up an extra vowel or two).
However, that is not the mystery contained within the pages of this insanely witty, very dry, very British book about the HH Princess Alexandrina (Mink) and her maid from India, "Pooki". I don't read a lot of mysteries these days, and when I do I stick to authors that I've found through a (very painful) process that I have honed over the last few years. I don't like sensationalism, but I do like interesting character development - the more quirks the better.
Julia Stuart's writing reminds me a bit of Alexander McCall Smith's. But while his writing tends to be about developing the same characters and providing thoughtful insights into life in Botswana, Stuart's writing veers more toward bringing out the ridiculous in those we see around us. She's a fantastic mix of the more outgoing of Austen's awkward situations and McCall Smith's lovable characters. I don't know how to describe it better than that.
So, having loved The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise with all its eccentricities and, having been moved to tears more than once (both from laughter and sorrow), I jumped on Stuart's new novel faster than you can say Victoria and Albert.
For the last two days I have savoured this novel (look at me, spelling with extra vowels now). I've giggled and enjoyed every quirk - from ghosts to murder mysteries to monkeys to ill-fitting trousers on amorous doctors. And while I'm a bit disappointed that there wasn't the same level of bitter-sweetness in The Pigeon Pie Mystery, I hereby deem it a novel worthy to be read - but only by those who appreciate good, dry British humour (and don't mind picking up an extra vowel or two).
June 21, 2018
I have wanted to read Julia Stuart's The Pigeon Pie Mystery for what feels like absolutely ages, after really enjoying her other three novels (The Matchmaker of Perigord (2007), Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London Zoo (2010), and The Pearl Fisher of Scotland (2016). The Pigeon Pie Mystery is her third novel, and is set largely inside Hampton Court Palace and its grounds during the reign of Queen Victoria.
As still happens today, the reigning monarch allowed 'grace and favour' residents to make their home in Hampton Court Palace, with their rent, at least, being paid by the state. One such character, whom Stuart focuses upon in this novel, is an Indian Princess named Alexandrina, and nicknamed Mink. She is invited to make her home in the palace in March 1897 after her father dies 'in such unusual circumstances' and leaves her penniless, forcing her to move out of their luxurious home, and into quarters with her hopeless and stubborn maid, Pooki.
Soon after she arrives, Mink 'is befriended by three eccentric widows', who invite her to a picnic, along with many other grace and favour residents and their families. Pooki decides to bake a great British favourite, a pigeon pie, for the occasion. At the picnic, nobody touches this, save for General-Major Bagshot, who dies. The coroner discovers traces of arsenic in his system, and Pooki thus becomes the favourite suspect in the ensuing investigation. A 'fun and quirky murder mystery' is promised.
This quirkiness is perhaps most apparent with a couple of the peripheral characters, as well as with Stuart's rather inventive chapter headings. These range from 'The Ominous Arrival of the Undertaker' and 'An Unfortunate Incident with the Blancmange', to 'The Hazards of a Stuffed Codpiece'. The character list which has been included also features quite unusual attributes and details about the protagonists. The Countess of Bebbington, for example, is a 'parsimonious widow in perpetual mourning, with an addiction to ferns', and the Watercress Seller who 'hawks outside the palace gate and sleeps in a coffin'.
I hoped that The Pigeon Pie Mystery would be just as entertaining as Stuart's other novels, but was left feeling a little disappointed. Whilst there are some undoubtedly creative and amusing elements at play within it, they become lost somewhat in rather a saturated plot, peopled with too many characters. The writing is certainly intelligent here, but it feels as though Stuart was trying to make too many things work; she had too many fingers in too many pies, and the result became something of a muddle, unfortunately.
The Pigeon Pie Mystery reads like a comedy of manners; in this way, it does tend to become a little silly in places. Whilst the novel did keep my interest, it was not at all what I was expecting. It felt quite different to Stuart's other books, perhaps just because it is her only historical novel. Although there is great period detail, and a clearly large amount of research which has gone into this work, it feels flatter than it should.
As still happens today, the reigning monarch allowed 'grace and favour' residents to make their home in Hampton Court Palace, with their rent, at least, being paid by the state. One such character, whom Stuart focuses upon in this novel, is an Indian Princess named Alexandrina, and nicknamed Mink. She is invited to make her home in the palace in March 1897 after her father dies 'in such unusual circumstances' and leaves her penniless, forcing her to move out of their luxurious home, and into quarters with her hopeless and stubborn maid, Pooki.
Soon after she arrives, Mink 'is befriended by three eccentric widows', who invite her to a picnic, along with many other grace and favour residents and their families. Pooki decides to bake a great British favourite, a pigeon pie, for the occasion. At the picnic, nobody touches this, save for General-Major Bagshot, who dies. The coroner discovers traces of arsenic in his system, and Pooki thus becomes the favourite suspect in the ensuing investigation. A 'fun and quirky murder mystery' is promised.
This quirkiness is perhaps most apparent with a couple of the peripheral characters, as well as with Stuart's rather inventive chapter headings. These range from 'The Ominous Arrival of the Undertaker' and 'An Unfortunate Incident with the Blancmange', to 'The Hazards of a Stuffed Codpiece'. The character list which has been included also features quite unusual attributes and details about the protagonists. The Countess of Bebbington, for example, is a 'parsimonious widow in perpetual mourning, with an addiction to ferns', and the Watercress Seller who 'hawks outside the palace gate and sleeps in a coffin'.
I hoped that The Pigeon Pie Mystery would be just as entertaining as Stuart's other novels, but was left feeling a little disappointed. Whilst there are some undoubtedly creative and amusing elements at play within it, they become lost somewhat in rather a saturated plot, peopled with too many characters. The writing is certainly intelligent here, but it feels as though Stuart was trying to make too many things work; she had too many fingers in too many pies, and the result became something of a muddle, unfortunately.
The Pigeon Pie Mystery reads like a comedy of manners; in this way, it does tend to become a little silly in places. Whilst the novel did keep my interest, it was not at all what I was expecting. It felt quite different to Stuart's other books, perhaps just because it is her only historical novel. Although there is great period detail, and a clearly large amount of research which has gone into this work, it feels flatter than it should.
August 8, 2012
Mystery
The Pigeon Pie Mystery caught my attention when I read that it was set in Hampton Court Palace during the 1800’s when it was filled with grace and favor residents. These were given by the Queen for service to the crown. The main character in the book has just moved to Hampton Court Palace and thought it would be a great place for a mystery.
Pacing: Usually l like a mystery with a slower pace but for me The Pigeon Pie Mystery was a little to slow. There is a lot of history woven into the story and it slowed everything down. The real meat of the story did not start until the last one third of the book.
Characters: HH Princess Alexandrina called Mink is the main character. When her Father died she found out there was not money and was forced to move out of her house and into Hampton Court Palace. At times I did not like Mink much. She ran up bills she knew she could not pay and felt it was her right. She was clever and did solve the mystery. Dr. Henderson was her love interest but we saw little of him and less of the two of them together. Pooki, Mink's maid was the best character in the book. She provides a lot of humor throughout the story. There is a huge cast of secondary characters and each plays some part in the story. The list is so long that the book starts with a three page Cast of Character section.
Mystery: The death that is at the heart of the mystery did not happen until half way through the book. It was intriguing and the solution was unexpected. I did like how it was handled.
Back-story and History: The back-story for Mink was told in more detail than I needed. The author did a lot of research on the history of Hampton Court Palace and much of the history was included in the story. It was interesting but I often felt I was reading a history book not a novel.
All in all this is just a OK book for me. It was so slow I often put it down and picked up something that moved a little faster. This is not an author I will read again
Doubleday published The Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart in 2012.
I received a free ARC of The Pigeon Pie Mystery from Amazon Vine
The Pigeon Pie Mystery caught my attention when I read that it was set in Hampton Court Palace during the 1800’s when it was filled with grace and favor residents. These were given by the Queen for service to the crown. The main character in the book has just moved to Hampton Court Palace and thought it would be a great place for a mystery.
Pacing: Usually l like a mystery with a slower pace but for me The Pigeon Pie Mystery was a little to slow. There is a lot of history woven into the story and it slowed everything down. The real meat of the story did not start until the last one third of the book.
Characters: HH Princess Alexandrina called Mink is the main character. When her Father died she found out there was not money and was forced to move out of her house and into Hampton Court Palace. At times I did not like Mink much. She ran up bills she knew she could not pay and felt it was her right. She was clever and did solve the mystery. Dr. Henderson was her love interest but we saw little of him and less of the two of them together. Pooki, Mink's maid was the best character in the book. She provides a lot of humor throughout the story. There is a huge cast of secondary characters and each plays some part in the story. The list is so long that the book starts with a three page Cast of Character section.
Mystery: The death that is at the heart of the mystery did not happen until half way through the book. It was intriguing and the solution was unexpected. I did like how it was handled.
Back-story and History: The back-story for Mink was told in more detail than I needed. The author did a lot of research on the history of Hampton Court Palace and much of the history was included in the story. It was interesting but I often felt I was reading a history book not a novel.
All in all this is just a OK book for me. It was so slow I often put it down and picked up something that moved a little faster. This is not an author I will read again
Doubleday published The Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart in 2012.
I received a free ARC of The Pigeon Pie Mystery from Amazon Vine
April 22, 2025
In the 7+ years since I first read this I managed to forget most of the book despite how much i enjoyed it the first time. This is my second favourite book by her. When I wrote the first review, it was only the second book I'd read by Stuart. I enjoyed this just as much as I did the first time so the books I didn't like as much as this and the first one I read weren't that way due to familiarity with this author. The characters and the story are well done, which is why it's still 4.5 stars.
I wrote more about what the book is about in the original review below.
Original Review
4.5 stars
Another delightfully fun read by Julia Stuart; I am even more determined to read her other books now after reading two.
When Mink's father, the Maharaja of Brindor, dies (Mink is her nickname; she was given Queen Victoria's first name) in a very compromising position, she discover's herself nearly penniless due to her father's outrageous spending habits, which she also has. She is offered a six bedroom home in the (very real IRL) grace-and-favour homes by Queen Victoria. She sells her home, her father's menagerie and various and sundry other things to pay off her father's government debts and moves with her last servant, Pooki who is a small, skinny woman with very large feet.
Once she has moved, we are introduced to a delicious cast of quirky characters with delightful names and tales of haunting. But when a General dies, it doesn't take long before Pookie is considered the leading suspect and Mink decides to investigate. Let's not forget that she is accused of falling in love by Pooki.
What can I say, other than I am a fan of Stuart's writing, and even though I desperately want to keep my average rating from soaring, I cannot tell a lie here and am rounding it up.
I wrote more about what the book is about in the original review below.
Original Review
4.5 stars
Another delightfully fun read by Julia Stuart; I am even more determined to read her other books now after reading two.
When Mink's father, the Maharaja of Brindor, dies (Mink is her nickname; she was given Queen Victoria's first name) in a very compromising position, she discover's herself nearly penniless due to her father's outrageous spending habits, which she also has. She is offered a six bedroom home in the (very real IRL) grace-and-favour homes by Queen Victoria. She sells her home, her father's menagerie and various and sundry other things to pay off her father's government debts and moves with her last servant, Pooki who is a small, skinny woman with very large feet.
Once she has moved, we are introduced to a delicious cast of quirky characters with delightful names and tales of haunting. But when a General dies, it doesn't take long before Pookie is considered the leading suspect and Mink decides to investigate. Let's not forget that she is accused of falling in love by Pooki.
What can I say, other than I am a fan of Stuart's writing, and even though I desperately want to keep my average rating from soaring, I cannot tell a lie here and am rounding it up.
July 7, 2012
No one captures quirky characters like Julia Stuart. Her latest novel, The Pigeon Pie Mystery will delight readers with a full cast of eccentric and loveable characters. Set in England in 1898 Stuart’s latest is a Victorian murder mystery that will leave readers begging for more! Princess Alexandria, also known as Mink, is devastated by the loss of her father, the Maharaja of Prindur. With the exception of her Indian maid Pooki, who has been her confidant since she was six and suffered the loss of her English mother, she finds herself completely alone, and much to her surprise, penniless. Luckily Queen Victoria, who was fond of her father, grants her a grace-and-favor house in Hampton Court Palace. The palace is filled with an unusual mix of aristocracy, servants, and working class folks, many with some avant-garde characteristics. Mink is soon invited to a palace picnic and Pooki bakes a pigeon pie for the event. One of the more distasteful residents Major-General Bagshot eats several slices, becomes ill, and eventually dies. The cause of death, arsenic poisoning. When Pooki is accused of tampering with the pie Mink comes to her defense and immediately begins to investigate other suspects. The list is long and Mink begins to uncover the many secrets of her new acquaintances. Stuart proves she is a master of combining humor and pathos to illuminate humanity. With an agreeable blend of history, wit, and whimsy, Stuart produces another novel that will delight and entertain readers.
August 20, 2013
I'm generally up for light Victorian-set fiction featuring a cast of outsized characters engaged in shenanigans, however... this effort fell kind of flat. The story revolves around Mink -- the half-caste daughter of a deposed Maharajah (and hence, a princess), who finds herself suddenly abandoned, homeless, and destitute upon the death of her father. Fortunately, the Queen favors her with a residence in Hampton Court Palace, where other down-and-out high society members also mark the days. The "mystery" (such as it is), involves the mysterious arsenic poisoning death of an odious Major-General, which Mink must solve in order to clear her maid Pooki, who is suspect #1.
Unfortunately, the story moves at such a glacial pace that it's very easy to put it down and walk away for a day or a week or two. Mink is not a particularly sympathetic protagonist, and without someone to drive the story along, it just kind of meanders. The oddballs of Hampton Court are too numerous to be distinct, and they start to blend into each other in a riot of quirk. There are definitely some amusing scenes and moments here and there, but the book ends up feeling more like a riff on a situation than something solid. I suppose Anglophile readers in the mood for something super fluffy might want to give it a try.
Unfortunately, the story moves at such a glacial pace that it's very easy to put it down and walk away for a day or a week or two. Mink is not a particularly sympathetic protagonist, and without someone to drive the story along, it just kind of meanders. The oddballs of Hampton Court are too numerous to be distinct, and they start to blend into each other in a riot of quirk. There are definitely some amusing scenes and moments here and there, but the book ends up feeling more like a riff on a situation than something solid. I suppose Anglophile readers in the mood for something super fluffy might want to give it a try.
January 4, 2014
The book has a wonderful cover illustration by Alison Jay.
April 5, 2013
What a delightful romp about England, Colonial India, a wonderful love story, dealing with a daughter of a Maharajah, who lost everything during the change over in India, the daughter who is a princess with her wonderful maid. Father dies very happy, meaning during a wild sexual romp which off course in Victorian England is more then shameful.
The Princess whose name is "Mink" reason for this name given in the book is given an apartment by none other then Queen Victoria at the Hampton Court Palace which is occupied by all sorts of interesting characters, this book is a funny look at the discusting class system of the Victorian era, but the characters are brought to life by Ms Stuart, I normally avoid reading books going back into history, but this is so worthwhile
Throughout the book, there is a love affair brewing with Mink and a Doctor who is an eligible bachelor, whose housekeeper is something else.
What a fun book to read, I highly recommend it, and am planning on reading her "The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise"
The Princess whose name is "Mink" reason for this name given in the book is given an apartment by none other then Queen Victoria at the Hampton Court Palace which is occupied by all sorts of interesting characters, this book is a funny look at the discusting class system of the Victorian era, but the characters are brought to life by Ms Stuart, I normally avoid reading books going back into history, but this is so worthwhile
Throughout the book, there is a love affair brewing with Mink and a Doctor who is an eligible bachelor, whose housekeeper is something else.
What a fun book to read, I highly recommend it, and am planning on reading her "The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise"
February 2, 2024
It was good, it was fun, but it was not something I would recommend or read again. It's a Victorian age murder mystery with whacky characters and a kinda love story. I felt like there were a lot of words with little substance but I'm happy I read it
September 1, 2018
After the Maharaja dies, his daughter Princess Alexandrina (aka "Mink") and the last remaining loyal servant Pookie are forced to move to a "grace and favor" residence at Hampton Court Palace. The much loathed Major-General Bagshot dies after eating pigeon pies which were baked by Pookie for the festival. It was determined he'd died of arsenic poisoning. Princess Mink sets out to clear her loyal servant. The mystery in this one is quite mild, but the mystery is not what is front and center here as much as the subtle humor interspersed throughout the plot and the "upscale village feel" of the work. Even the names of the characters bring a smile to the readers' face as they read or listen to them. This book is probably not for everyone, but those who enjoy a little English comedic humor will enjoy this clever work. I listened to the audio version read by Hannah Curtis. Her female voices are superior to the male ones.
March 10, 2023
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a book by Julia Stuart so i wasnt sure what to expect but surprisingly i enjoyed this one more then i thought i would. It reminded me alot of Agatha Raisin Series meets Midsomer Mysteries.
The Characters were enjoyable and entertaining to read about. Princess Alexandrina was definately my favorite especially when she was trying to deal with her father's death, which i could relate to.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in England while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Good English Mystery surrounding Royalty!! Can't wait to read more by Julia in the future!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a book by Julia Stuart so i wasnt sure what to expect but surprisingly i enjoyed this one more then i thought i would. It reminded me alot of Agatha Raisin Series meets Midsomer Mysteries.
The Characters were enjoyable and entertaining to read about. Princess Alexandrina was definately my favorite especially when she was trying to deal with her father's death, which i could relate to.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in England while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Good English Mystery surrounding Royalty!! Can't wait to read more by Julia in the future!!
July 28, 2012
Quirky, idiosyncratic, individual, peculiar, unusual, odd, strange, eccentric, unpredictable, distinctive, unconventional, weird, comical, bizarre, outlandish, wacky. And that only describes the cast of characters. Julia Stuart is a comic genius. She gives us a list of characters so radically different and strange, and bizarre, and etc., etc., etc., that you have to plan an extra half hour just to get control of the tears of laughter rolling down your cheeks.
But intertwined with the personalities, Stuart gives us a pleasant, cozy, but well-crafted mystery. It can't actually be described as a murder mystery, because the question is actually whether or not the deceased was murdered. Once that part is decided, the search must shift to who-dunnit? Did the Doctor who signed the death certificate make a mistake? Is the homeopath (whom many regard as a quack) able to shed any light on the subject? Did the good General (IS he a "good" General?) really die from ingesting a Pigeon Pie?
The setting - Hampton Court Palace in London, where this looney tune roster of "Grace and Favor" residents enjoy rent free living courtesty of Her Majesty the Queen (in this case and setting, the ruler is Victoria)--is especially interesting in view of the current Olympic games being played there, with the palace serving as the staging area for the final journey of the Torch last week. The sub-plot revolving around the authenticity and existence of ghosts in the residences, adds even more to the fun.
Not only do we get a good dose of wonderful characters, and a mind tickling mystery, we get some history, some culture, and a wonderful view of the vast British empire, it's class structure, and its polyglot population. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
The ending is especially delightful as Stuart seems to be leaving an opening for a series. Princess Alexandrina as a private detective? I'd love to see that happen. There is certainly enough here in setting, characters and opportunities for nefarious activity to be able to support several more in a series.
If Goodread let us give 1/2 stars I'd have given it 4 1/2.
But intertwined with the personalities, Stuart gives us a pleasant, cozy, but well-crafted mystery. It can't actually be described as a murder mystery, because the question is actually whether or not the deceased was murdered. Once that part is decided, the search must shift to who-dunnit? Did the Doctor who signed the death certificate make a mistake? Is the homeopath (whom many regard as a quack) able to shed any light on the subject? Did the good General (IS he a "good" General?) really die from ingesting a Pigeon Pie?
The setting - Hampton Court Palace in London, where this looney tune roster of "Grace and Favor" residents enjoy rent free living courtesty of Her Majesty the Queen (in this case and setting, the ruler is Victoria)--is especially interesting in view of the current Olympic games being played there, with the palace serving as the staging area for the final journey of the Torch last week. The sub-plot revolving around the authenticity and existence of ghosts in the residences, adds even more to the fun.
Not only do we get a good dose of wonderful characters, and a mind tickling mystery, we get some history, some culture, and a wonderful view of the vast British empire, it's class structure, and its polyglot population. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
The ending is especially delightful as Stuart seems to be leaving an opening for a series. Princess Alexandrina as a private detective? I'd love to see that happen. There is certainly enough here in setting, characters and opportunities for nefarious activity to be able to support several more in a series.
If Goodread let us give 1/2 stars I'd have given it 4 1/2.
February 11, 2014
Although the dialogue had its moments, this story suffered from a lack of conflict. Sure there was a murder, but I like my sleuth to be imperiled too- not just politely shunting from one conversation to the next. Give me a reason to care! To be anxious! To turn pages at a healthy speed!
The cast of character thrust upon my notice before the story had even begun was confusing too. I kept getting them all mixed up and had to constantly refer back to the list so I wouldn't get them mixed-up, which was annoying. And is it really necessary to list characters who make one brief appearance in the story before fading back into oblivion? You also learned too much about everyone too quickly.
All good books, and especially mysteries should leave you guessing, don't you think? This book had promise, but sadly, failed to deliver.
The cast of character thrust upon my notice before the story had even begun was confusing too. I kept getting them all mixed up and had to constantly refer back to the list so I wouldn't get them mixed-up, which was annoying. And is it really necessary to list characters who make one brief appearance in the story before fading back into oblivion? You also learned too much about everyone too quickly.
All good books, and especially mysteries should leave you guessing, don't you think? This book had promise, but sadly, failed to deliver.
July 27, 2012
Totally disappointed in this book, which lacked almost everything I loved about the author's previous book, The Tower the Zoo and the Tortoise (which I think was published under a different name in the UK). While I thought Pigeon Pie had the potential to be another charmer filled with gentle humor and quirky characters, it mostly fell completely flat, lacking both the sparkle and the emotional heft of the other book.
November 12, 2018
(Maybe 2.5 stars) Some of the absurdity of this book is difficult to distinguish from the history. For example, a barometer invented by George Merryweather which uses leeches kept in small bottles? That's absurd. It's also true. So many little details and trivia of Victorian England are thrown in here to entertain that the fact/fiction line becomes blurred. Thank goodness for Google. Otherwise, I would have thought things like this leech barometer were totally a fiction of the author's.
So this is entertaining and educational. A cozy mystery set in late Victorian England with an eccentric cast of characters. However, for me, the reading of it became quite tedious. There was no real depth to any character and after a while their quirky behavior became annoying. And as a mystery it falls short.
I can see that, if you are in the right frame of mind and also enjoy a lighter, sillier read, this would be right up your alley. My alley prefers more realistically-drawn, 3-dimensional people and I like factual information that contributes to the story rather than being dumped in to get the reader thinking "Can this be true?" but not having much relationship to the plot at hand. Actually, in this case, the trivia distracts the reader and detracts from the mystery, if indeed one reads this for the mystery element.
So this is entertaining and educational. A cozy mystery set in late Victorian England with an eccentric cast of characters. However, for me, the reading of it became quite tedious. There was no real depth to any character and after a while their quirky behavior became annoying. And as a mystery it falls short.
I can see that, if you are in the right frame of mind and also enjoy a lighter, sillier read, this would be right up your alley. My alley prefers more realistically-drawn, 3-dimensional people and I like factual information that contributes to the story rather than being dumped in to get the reader thinking "Can this be true?" but not having much relationship to the plot at hand. Actually, in this case, the trivia distracts the reader and detracts from the mystery, if indeed one reads this for the mystery element.
August 17, 2024
This book was ok. I envisioned the characters as much older than I think they really are. I didn’t know that people lived in apartments at Hampton Court Palace like in this book. Hampton Court was the home of Cardinal Wolsey which Henry VIII later claimed and took for himself! So, the setting was interesting to me. Other than that—I could take it or leave it.
“Do not fall into the fatal habit of thinking that if you were somewhere different life would be so much better. There are moths everywhere” (62).
Cute quote that really has no impact on the story or theme: “She who planted a garden planted happiness” (235).
“There’s no greater poverty than a loveless life” (245).
“Do not fall into the fatal habit of thinking that if you were somewhere different life would be so much better. There are moths everywhere” (62).
Cute quote that really has no impact on the story or theme: “She who planted a garden planted happiness” (235).
“There’s no greater poverty than a loveless life” (245).
February 8, 2013
Princess Alexandrina, nicknamed Mink, lives a lavish lifestyle with her widowed father, the Maharaja of Prindur, in London. However, when the Maharaja dies in compromising circumstances, Mink finds herself penniless. Queen Victoria rescues her by offering a "grace-and-favour" home within the Hampton Court Palace. Once she and her servant, the large footed and outspoken Pooki arrives, they are invited to a picnic to meet the other residents. She asks Pooki to bake a pigeon pie for the occasion, a favorite dish for the much reviled and fellow resident, Major-General Bagshot. After eating several slices, the Major-General dies from what is later revealed as arsenic poisoning and Pooki becomes the primary suspect. Mink has little time to do her own sleuthing to uncover the true murderer within the many eccentric residents, each with a motive to want to murder the Major-General.
This cozy mystery will have you guessing while walking with Mink as she gathers clues from the often odd occupants. Juxtaposed with her quest, you will also laugh as Pooki plays matchmaker between Mink and the local physician, Dr. Henderson.
This cozy mystery will have you guessing while walking with Mink as she gathers clues from the often odd occupants. Juxtaposed with her quest, you will also laugh as Pooki plays matchmaker between Mink and the local physician, Dr. Henderson.
December 17, 2012
Mink is an Indian Princess who falls on hard times when her father suddenly passes during some unsavory circumstances. Mink's faithful maid Pooki sticks by her and together they move into a grace and favor residence. The dispecable Major General Bagshot is dispatched with a poisened pigeon pie baked by Pooki so the blame for his death falls on her. Mink must uncover the true murderer in order to save her maid while in the processs uncovering some interesting secrets held by her neighbors in Hampton court.
I enjoyed this book set in Victorian England. I learned a lot that I didn't know from reading this novel. Maybe a little too much because at times the novel dragged. The mystery itself doesn't take place until the middle of the book but I found the resolution of it very interesting. There was a lot of character development in the first half of the book and now that the backstory of everyone is down I hope the author will use it to expand on future adventures for the delightful characters she created.
I enjoyed this book set in Victorian England. I learned a lot that I didn't know from reading this novel. Maybe a little too much because at times the novel dragged. The mystery itself doesn't take place until the middle of the book but I found the resolution of it very interesting. There was a lot of character development in the first half of the book and now that the backstory of everyone is down I hope the author will use it to expand on future adventures for the delightful characters she created.
December 19, 2012
This book was really simplistic. Fun, in that it was a quick, easy read and some loveable characters. I enjoyed the setting, learning a bit about the (ridiculous) English manners of the Victorian era...at the same time, it sometimes went too far into trivial, uninteresting information about certain characters, and I found myself skimming that part. The Princess goes along trying to discover the murderer, and while it is a fun read, there aren't any real clues she finds...just motives of individuals. In the end, she solves it, and it just so happened I had a feeling it would be the person it was, but there was really no information to include that. So in the end, after not observing any real clues, she makes a Herculean leap like you see in Agatha Christie, extrapolating the whole scenario from a couple of minor clues. What's irritating, is that you wonder why she isn't looking into this sort of thing - as she never does - and then all of a sudden, for reasons I didn't get, she does finally investigate one potentially obvious scenario.
May 5, 2014
I enjoyed Julia Stuart's other novel The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise and looked forward to reading The Pigeon Pie Mystery. This novel takes place in Hampton Court in the late 1800s among the grace and favour residents who were aristocracy who had fallen on hard times and were given apartments free of charge. A Princess and her maid are forced to move to Hampton Court after the scandalous death of her father. Slowly, she makes friends and during the Easter picnic, the generally disliked General Bagshot dies after eating pigeon pie prepared by the princess' maid. The princess makes it her mission to save her maid from the hangman's noose. It is a bit slow moving and the princess' friends all had names that started with the letter "B" which led to confusion on my part ( I kept having to think about which was which whenever the re-entered the story). This is definitely a cosy crime, but a little too sweet and slow for me.
July 13, 2012
first of all, i must thank the kindly people at doubleday publishers for sending me a free arc of this book, due to the fact that i had written what they considered to be a good review of julia stuart's previous book.
you know how when you start reading a book, in many cases you can tell almost right away whether or not you are going to love it or hate it? well this book was definitely one of the former. from the very first page, i was completely swept up in the story.
what a wonderful book it was, a victorian mystery with a fantastic cast of extremely eccentric characters, many of whom become suspects, although i am happy to say that until all was revealed, i had no idea who the culprit was, which to me is the sign of a very good mystery.
so if you like a great mystery, or just good writing in general, you should really give this one a try. i can't wait for her next book.
you know how when you start reading a book, in many cases you can tell almost right away whether or not you are going to love it or hate it? well this book was definitely one of the former. from the very first page, i was completely swept up in the story.
what a wonderful book it was, a victorian mystery with a fantastic cast of extremely eccentric characters, many of whom become suspects, although i am happy to say that until all was revealed, i had no idea who the culprit was, which to me is the sign of a very good mystery.
so if you like a great mystery, or just good writing in general, you should really give this one a try. i can't wait for her next book.
March 7, 2017
I very much enjoyed the quirky characters and the humorous writing. The mystery itself wasn't gripping, but the other more charming aspects of the novel carried me through.
August 31, 2012
Read this and other reviews at EditorialEyes Book Reviews.
~*~
4 out 5
The Maharaja is dead, the doctor has driven his bicycle into the Thames, and the pigeon pie might be poisoned. It's all just a day in the life of the characters in Julia Stuart's sly, crisply quirky The Pigeon Pie Mystery.
The year is 1898. Daughter of an English noblewoman and an Indian Maharaja, Princess Alexandrina (nicknamed "Mink" at a young age because of her penchant for sleeping amongst her mother's furs) finds herself without any option but to take up Her Royal Highness's offer of a grace-and-favour warrant to live at Hampton Court Palace. Her father died in scandal and financial ruin, which has caused her fiancé to flee from the taint of impropriety. The palace is home to a number of nobles who no longer have the means to support themselves, but who have curried favour with the Queen.
Her new living quarters are free of charge though not free of intrigue, headaches, meddlesome housekeepers, and murder. As she settles into her new home with her only remaining servant Pooki, the maid who all but raised her after the death of Mink's mother, she is introduced to the zany cast of characters who live in and around the palace. And life is busy, from verbal sparring with Dr. Henderson, who is deeply competitive with the homeopath from East Molesey and deeply attracted to the Princess, to having luncheons with the Ladies Beatrice, Bessington, and Monfort Bebb, to shopping for the latest fashions in spite of her inability to pay the bills.
It's all fun and games and discussion of exactly which hats and what fabrics to wear in mourning and half-mourning and for how long, based on status and relation to the deceased, until someone else turns up dead: General Bagshot, who is, of course, the most reviled resident of Hampton Court Palace. When it comes to light that he was poisoned, the most likely suspect is Pooki, who baked the pigeon pie the general ate before his death.
But Mink is determined to discover who the real culprit is. The married general's sexual advances toward both nobles (including Mink) and servants, and his numerous complaints and antagonisms of residents and palace employees alike mean the trail of suspects is long, and as Mink uses her intellect and wiles to investigate each person, she comes across a host of other secrets as well.
This book is far from a straight-ahead murder mystery, however, and indeed the first third of it is taken up by the story of Mink's financial downfall and entertaining tangents into the lives and histories of the characters. These include the Maharaja and the girl who came to clean the boots and the knives, and Pooki's abandonment in England after acting as a travelling nanny from India. We learn the stories of Mink's trio of new friends (and the ways in which they criticize each other and the world around them in brittle and oh so British ways), and of the Keeper of the Maze, of the American paleontologist visiting the Bagshots, of Lady Monfort Bebb's experiences as a hostage during the First Afghan War, and of the travails of Mrs. Boots, the put-upon housekeeper of the palace (whose protestations that she's not one for gossip are rather suspect).
Stuart paints a large, lavish picture of fin-de-siècle British life. Hampton Court Palace, in all of its grandeur and its flaws, comes alive, as do the streams of lower-class tourists who visit it, causing no end of grief for the residents. The clothing, the language, and the rigid manners and social rules of the time are all on display here. The somewhat omniscient point of view allows Stuart to wink at the reader as she shows the ladies' horror at the crude American's lack of manners. The day after the ladies are horrified that Cornelius B. Pilgrim brings his hat and cane into luncheon with him, he visits Mink: "After thanking him for coming at such short notice, she spotted Pooki's look of confusion as she closed the door. The Princess immediately saw the reason. He had failed to bring in with him his hat and cane as English etiquette dictated on a brief visit to a mere acquaintance, having left them in the hall as if he were a friend about to stay for luncheon" (p. 176). This is never precious or overly knowing, but it does allow us a rich glance into a totally different social norm.
The characters are well written and three-dimensional. I particularly loved Pooki, her superstitious practicality, her devotion to Mink even as she talks back and disagrees more than the average maid would, and the genuine humanity of her certainty and fear that she will be hanged for the murder. The everyday issues of palace life are authentic and fun to read, from the woes of the Keeper of the Maze, whose job it is to shout directions down to people lost in the palace's hedge maze, to Dr. Henderson's experiences being measured at the tailor.
This does, however, lead to something I found a bit irritating, the tendency to tell all of this background in the narration, rather than letting it come out through dialogue, in the characters' own words and voices. As a shortcut every so often, I don't mind this, but as a consistently used device I found it distracting.
The titular mystery is far more a reason to let us spend time with these characters in this setting than necessarily to figure out who done it. There's no real fear that justice won't win the day, and the mystery often takes a back seat to all of the goings-on. How you react to this will greatly impact how much you enjoy the book. If you're looking for more traditional detective fiction, with a lot of suspense and page-turning twists and turns, this might not be the read for you. If you want to spend time in 1898 and enjoy the ladies' horror that American women wear their diamonds in the morning, then you'll be right at home. The slower pacing and careful attention to weaving historical detail into an authentic story rules the day here. And I genuinely didn't know until the very end the solution to the puzzle, both the who and the how.
The Pigeon Pie Mystery is rather like the maze at Hampton Court Palace. It's a slow stroll along wending pathways, a thoroughly charming, funny, and affecting set of interweaving stories and fascinating settings. If the very sequel-ready ending does indeed lead to a series of Mink & Pooki books, I will happily read them all.
~*~
4 out 5
The Maharaja is dead, the doctor has driven his bicycle into the Thames, and the pigeon pie might be poisoned. It's all just a day in the life of the characters in Julia Stuart's sly, crisply quirky The Pigeon Pie Mystery.
The year is 1898. Daughter of an English noblewoman and an Indian Maharaja, Princess Alexandrina (nicknamed "Mink" at a young age because of her penchant for sleeping amongst her mother's furs) finds herself without any option but to take up Her Royal Highness's offer of a grace-and-favour warrant to live at Hampton Court Palace. Her father died in scandal and financial ruin, which has caused her fiancé to flee from the taint of impropriety. The palace is home to a number of nobles who no longer have the means to support themselves, but who have curried favour with the Queen.
Her new living quarters are free of charge though not free of intrigue, headaches, meddlesome housekeepers, and murder. As she settles into her new home with her only remaining servant Pooki, the maid who all but raised her after the death of Mink's mother, she is introduced to the zany cast of characters who live in and around the palace. And life is busy, from verbal sparring with Dr. Henderson, who is deeply competitive with the homeopath from East Molesey and deeply attracted to the Princess, to having luncheons with the Ladies Beatrice, Bessington, and Monfort Bebb, to shopping for the latest fashions in spite of her inability to pay the bills.
It's all fun and games and discussion of exactly which hats and what fabrics to wear in mourning and half-mourning and for how long, based on status and relation to the deceased, until someone else turns up dead: General Bagshot, who is, of course, the most reviled resident of Hampton Court Palace. When it comes to light that he was poisoned, the most likely suspect is Pooki, who baked the pigeon pie the general ate before his death.
But Mink is determined to discover who the real culprit is. The married general's sexual advances toward both nobles (including Mink) and servants, and his numerous complaints and antagonisms of residents and palace employees alike mean the trail of suspects is long, and as Mink uses her intellect and wiles to investigate each person, she comes across a host of other secrets as well.
This book is far from a straight-ahead murder mystery, however, and indeed the first third of it is taken up by the story of Mink's financial downfall and entertaining tangents into the lives and histories of the characters. These include the Maharaja and the girl who came to clean the boots and the knives, and Pooki's abandonment in England after acting as a travelling nanny from India. We learn the stories of Mink's trio of new friends (and the ways in which they criticize each other and the world around them in brittle and oh so British ways), and of the Keeper of the Maze, of the American paleontologist visiting the Bagshots, of Lady Monfort Bebb's experiences as a hostage during the First Afghan War, and of the travails of Mrs. Boots, the put-upon housekeeper of the palace (whose protestations that she's not one for gossip are rather suspect).
Stuart paints a large, lavish picture of fin-de-siècle British life. Hampton Court Palace, in all of its grandeur and its flaws, comes alive, as do the streams of lower-class tourists who visit it, causing no end of grief for the residents. The clothing, the language, and the rigid manners and social rules of the time are all on display here. The somewhat omniscient point of view allows Stuart to wink at the reader as she shows the ladies' horror at the crude American's lack of manners. The day after the ladies are horrified that Cornelius B. Pilgrim brings his hat and cane into luncheon with him, he visits Mink: "After thanking him for coming at such short notice, she spotted Pooki's look of confusion as she closed the door. The Princess immediately saw the reason. He had failed to bring in with him his hat and cane as English etiquette dictated on a brief visit to a mere acquaintance, having left them in the hall as if he were a friend about to stay for luncheon" (p. 176). This is never precious or overly knowing, but it does allow us a rich glance into a totally different social norm.
The characters are well written and three-dimensional. I particularly loved Pooki, her superstitious practicality, her devotion to Mink even as she talks back and disagrees more than the average maid would, and the genuine humanity of her certainty and fear that she will be hanged for the murder. The everyday issues of palace life are authentic and fun to read, from the woes of the Keeper of the Maze, whose job it is to shout directions down to people lost in the palace's hedge maze, to Dr. Henderson's experiences being measured at the tailor.
This does, however, lead to something I found a bit irritating, the tendency to tell all of this background in the narration, rather than letting it come out through dialogue, in the characters' own words and voices. As a shortcut every so often, I don't mind this, but as a consistently used device I found it distracting.
The titular mystery is far more a reason to let us spend time with these characters in this setting than necessarily to figure out who done it. There's no real fear that justice won't win the day, and the mystery often takes a back seat to all of the goings-on. How you react to this will greatly impact how much you enjoy the book. If you're looking for more traditional detective fiction, with a lot of suspense and page-turning twists and turns, this might not be the read for you. If you want to spend time in 1898 and enjoy the ladies' horror that American women wear their diamonds in the morning, then you'll be right at home. The slower pacing and careful attention to weaving historical detail into an authentic story rules the day here. And I genuinely didn't know until the very end the solution to the puzzle, both the who and the how.
The Pigeon Pie Mystery is rather like the maze at Hampton Court Palace. It's a slow stroll along wending pathways, a thoroughly charming, funny, and affecting set of interweaving stories and fascinating settings. If the very sequel-ready ending does indeed lead to a series of Mink & Pooki books, I will happily read them all.
January 24, 2024
This book isn’t even worth a review, but I promised myself I would try to write one for every book this year, so here we are.
I got a few laughs out of this one, but often even the humor was repetitive or overdone. The main character was stuffy even though we were supposed to think of her as “worldly” and given that the mystery and the huge amount of suspects were the main focus of the novel, I don’t feel like I even got to know her on a deeper level than what she presented to others. Most of the book consisted of the author dumping people’s life stories every few pages because they all seemed to confide in Mink their deepest secrets for some unfathomable reason, and the mystery itself was rather predictable and utterly lacking. This is definitely a case of wrong person for the book because I know there is definitely an audience for fluffy Victorian mysteries, but I am unfortunately not it.
(Also, one thing that annoyed me perhaps too much was the constant use of the term teenager, even though it wasn’t put into use until the 1900s, in America!)
2.5 for the laughs alone
I got a few laughs out of this one, but often even the humor was repetitive or overdone. The main character was stuffy even though we were supposed to think of her as “worldly” and given that the mystery and the huge amount of suspects were the main focus of the novel, I don’t feel like I even got to know her on a deeper level than what she presented to others. Most of the book consisted of the author dumping people’s life stories every few pages because they all seemed to confide in Mink their deepest secrets for some unfathomable reason, and the mystery itself was rather predictable and utterly lacking. This is definitely a case of wrong person for the book because I know there is definitely an audience for fluffy Victorian mysteries, but I am unfortunately not it.
(Also, one thing that annoyed me perhaps too much was the constant use of the term teenager, even though it wasn’t put into use until the 1900s, in America!)
2.5 for the laughs alone
August 25, 2018
Actually 3 1/2 stars, but I rounded down rather than up. I found the mystery lacking but I loved the characters - so I hope that there is a follow-up to this one. The book made me smile all the way through - the sarcasm and snarky humor was something I didn't expect. You've got to love it when a character asks, "How mad SHOULD your hatter be?" And there is actually an ANSWER for that.
I couldn't quite keep all the titled folks separate, and had to keep referring back - oh, SHE'S the one with the ferns......etc. More distinguishable names would have helped.
But overall, quite enjoyable. And I know a person who will just LOVE this one, so I will definitely recommend it.
I couldn't quite keep all the titled folks separate, and had to keep referring back - oh, SHE'S the one with the ferns......etc. More distinguishable names would have helped.
But overall, quite enjoyable. And I know a person who will just LOVE this one, so I will definitely recommend it.
December 21, 2023
This book was very very hard to get through. I started it a few times and put it down a few times, I just could not get into it. Once the murder happened, I thought the book would pick up with the mystery of it all, but it just continued to drag. There was so much unnecessary content and really made no sense to the story, on top of all of that, the reveal of the murderer was a serious let down, like really? That's how the victim was killed. There was absolutely too many characters and no development from any of them. Plus I found it very hard to believe that everyone just spilled all of thier secrets to the Princess.
December 22, 2023
A very generous 3 stars
Tedious cozy mystery that spent far too much time (1/3 of the book) to lay the foundation for the murder. An extra half star for having an interesting solution to the whodunit.
The setting of grace-and-favor residents at the royal court was intriguing, but it just took too long to make its point. Could do with some good editing to tighten up descriptions (which sometimes went on for several pages and could have been done in a paragraph or two). Ultimately it was trying too hard to be cute or clever. Some funny stuff, but not consistent.
Tedious cozy mystery that spent far too much time (1/3 of the book) to lay the foundation for the murder. An extra half star for having an interesting solution to the whodunit.
The setting of grace-and-favor residents at the royal court was intriguing, but it just took too long to make its point. Could do with some good editing to tighten up descriptions (which sometimes went on for several pages and could have been done in a paragraph or two). Ultimately it was trying too hard to be cute or clever. Some funny stuff, but not consistent.
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