The Daughters of Gentlemen

Frances Doughty #2

by Linda Stratmann

The second book in the series of Victorian murder mysteries set in London, with a clever and determined female sleuth

Frances Doughty is a young sleuth on her first professional case, trying to discover who distributed dangerously feminist pamphlets to the girls of the Bayswater Academy for the Education of Young Ladies. Armed with only her wits, courage, and determination, she finds that even the most respectable denizens of Bayswater have something to hide, and what begins as a simple task soon becomes a case of murder. As election fever erupts and the formidable ladies of the Bayswater Women's Suffrage Society swing into action, Frances’ enquiries expose lies, more murders, and a long-concealed scandal—and she makes a powerful new friend.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Detective, Cozy Mystery

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Linda Stratmann is a British writer of historical true crime, biography and crime fiction.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.
Frances Doughty is asked to investigate who distributed subversive feminist pamphlets to the girls of Bayswater Academy for the Education of Young Ladies. While investigating this case Frances finds a lot pf people, including well respected citizens have secrets they are hiding. What stares as a simple case turns into an investigation of murder. Along the way, as election looms the Bayswater Women’s Suffrage Society swings into action. Meanwhile Frances exposes lies, cover ups, more murder and a long concealed scandal. With help from Sarah her maid, turned faithful friend and companion, and a couple of other willing helpers, Frances finally mages to uncover the truth.
This is the second book in a series featuring Frances Doughty, no longer working in her late father’s pharmacy but now a detective. She is just starting to acquire clients in this novel. I had read the first book in the series and it was interesting enough to give this second book a go. For those of us in this day and age it may be hard to imagine the pamphlets were so scandalous as to cause concern, but given the times and structures of society back then, they certainly did. Just when Frances thinks she might have things figured out, other complications arise. While this is not a gripping page turner this tale or murder, blackmail and secrets was enough to keep this reader interested enough to want to find out more, though there are quite a lot of characters to keep track of.
Frances is an interesting character, determined in her pursuit of the truth. I liked the loyal support she received from Sarah and her other friends. The pace is measured and steady, and pays a lot of attention to detail which means it is not a quick read. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first book in the series. Perhaps because I came to understand more about Frances. Also the plot takes several twists and turns that are not expected.
Victorian mysteries are not often my genre of choice, but I was desperate for something to read. I became interested enough in this one. Anyone who likes historical mysteries set back in this Victorian era with a determined female detective should enjoy it. Of course, no surprise that she is far smarter than the police and particularly the annoying Inspector Sharrock. An entertaining read that kept my interest.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where I got the book: review copy provided by the Historical Novel Society. This review first appeared on the HNS website.

The strength, and possibly also the weakness, of this Victorian mystery lies in its intricate plotting. From the unpromising start of a minor puzzle involving the distribution of anti-marriage pamphlets in a private girls’ school, The Daughters of Gentlemen evolves into a complex tale of murder, blackmail, adultery and deception.

This second novel in the Frances Doughty mystery series sees Frances beginning a new life as a private detective in Bayswater, where preparations for the 1880 General Election are underway. The atmosphere of middle- and upper-class life in a genteel London district is well evoked, with less success when it comes to the servants and underclasses, and the plot blends nicely into the atmosphere of electioneering and demands for women’s suffrage.

I had difficulty working my way into this novel because of the low-stakes nature of the initial mystery and some artificial-sounding dialogue near the beginning. The story improves with the first murder (although I was disappointed by the throwaway solution to this particular mystery) and becomes considerably more intriguing as it progresses. Encountering many scenes where the dialogue is lively and natural, I regret the author’s decision to summarize certain key dramas—a suffrage meeting, an inquest and a confession in particular—rather than using dialogue to expand them into a more exciting spectacle.

As often with plot-driven novels, I craved more development of the main characters’ inner lives and relationships. This was particularly true with regard to the large cast of helpers, antagonists and informers whose purpose seems primarily that of providing information.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of mysteries set in the 19th century, I enjoyed rejoining chemist's assistant turned private detective Frances Doughty for the second in this series. The book follows straight on from the first story, so I was glad to have read it recently.

The intriguing plot centres on a small private school for the "daughters of gentlemen". Frances is called in to investigate who delivered a leaflet to the school urging the girls not to marry. But the apparently minor inquiry soon leads her into a deadly morass of secrets and lies.

The author has a great knowledge of Victorian London and her novel is very atmospheric, with lots of interesting and quirky little details. Frances in particular is a great character, and there is quite a bit of humour, which I enjoyed. It's also refreshing that she covers the whole social mix rather than just concentrating on the upper classes.

Several characters from the first book return and I'm hoping they will be back in future mysteries too. However, I'll admit I found it quite hard at times to keep track of the increasingly convoluted plot and remember who everyone was.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In Bayswater, London in 1880, the board members of the Bayswater Academy for the Education of Young Ladies are quite distressed. Someone has placed scandalous leaflets in their daughters' desks! These leaflets, titled, "Why Marry?" or some such thing are utterly unsuitable for the daughters of gentlemen. While they could go to the police, that could cause a scandal and no one wants that. Mrs. Venn, the headmistress would prefer just to forget about the whole thing. One of the governors has the idea to engage the services of that young girl, Frances Doughty, who solved a murder that had eluded the police. Nineteen-year-old Frances, a chemist's daughter, is about to lose her home and her job since her father is no longer living. With no other options on the horizon, Frances agrees to discover who placed the leaflets in the school, why and make them promise never to do such a thing again. At first it seems a simple task, surely someone within the school did it, but the more Frances investigates, the more she believes people are not telling her the full truth. Then a maid from the school turns up dead and Frances feels compelled to find out who killed the girl and why, feeling the maid's death must have something to do with the mysterious affair of the leaflets. The investigation leads Frances to discover another dead body and a huge web of lies and deceit hidden behind the facade of proper manners. Can she ever put the clues together and solve this case? In addition to the case of the mysterious leaflets, she seems to find herself in business as a private detective for gentlemen and ladies trying to solve any manner of minor crimes. The more Frances moves around in the world, the more merit she sees in the subject matter of the pamphlets and the cause of women's suffrage.

This story got off to a REALLY slow start. I was very confused by all the names thrown out at once. Not much happens and I had the feeling the matter of the leaflets could be solved in only a few chapters. The murder occurs a little late in the story but once it does, I could not put the book down. The plot is very, very complicated. The Victorians were really weird. All that prudery and maintaining appearances was not healthy. It caused some people to do some very bad things to save their reputations. At first I kept rolling my eyes at the thing the Victorians found scandalous but I began to see why they felt that way as the story went on. It disgusts me, as well as Frances, that young girls were brought up to know nothing they really needed to know and everything they didn't need to know. Men held all the power and women were taken advantage of time and time again. It's despicable that a young girl could be married off to someone of rank and fortune who is actually a cad. That girl's money became the property of her husband and he can gamble it or drink it away or spend it as he sees fit and she has no say in the matter. This is the world in which the story is set and the crux of the matter of everything that happens. Reputations are on the line and appearances matter more than morals.

I really like Frances. She's a bit boring and timid at first but once she gets to know the school and those involved, she becomes dogged in her pursuit of justice. I was confused by her backstory because I didn't read the first book in the series. That seems to be a must. I have to go back and see how Frances became so clever. She is smart and more worldly than most of her contemporaries. She really should have been at the Academy not learning anything useful but her father seems not to have thought much about her at all or had the money to spend her. Her family life sounds like it was very sad but she has the support of her companion, Sarah and streetwise friends Bigsie and Chas. Sarah is large and formidable. Her no-nonsense approach to life helps Frances out a lot. I think if Frances is going to continue her investigations she'll need Sarah as a bodyguard. Frances's friends provide a bit of light relief . I like their cheerful attitudes but not their mooching off her.

At first I disliked Mrs. Venn, the headmistress, and her attitude towards the leaflets. Once Frances got to the bottom of things, I had more sympathy for Mrs. Venn. She has every reason to be upset. The past is coming back to haunt her. The only other person in the school I liked was Matilda. While her morals were a bit shady, she was doing what she had to do to survive in this cruel world that favors men. She was a loving daughter, sister and fiance. I was so upset by what happened to her. It's so tragic and should not have happened.

I should like the governor's wife Mrs. Fiske for her belief in telling it like it is. She is good at getting things done. Yet I did not like her and suspected her of being a murderer because she is one of those protect the innocent types. Her older daughter, Charlotte, is a drippy sort who I can not stand. Charlotte is a good Victorian daughter. Sophia, on the other hand, is a massive brat. She's the queen bee of the younger girls and sometimes the older. She needs more discipline and a better outlet for her active mind and lively imagination. Mrs. Fiske is the type to do anything to protect her family. Ironically, her husband is a boring businessman with no gumption. She is the dominant partner. I also did not like Flora and her mother even though I support the cause of women's suffrage. I think Mrs. G went about things in the wrong manner and Flora knows all about it. Some of the other ladies are downright awful. I agree with what Lydia has to say a lot of the time but not the way she says it. She's seen as a harpy with a nasty tongue who will never find a husband. In short, she's the stereotypical spinster. Her sister Selina is vapid and dull.

The men in this story are mostly really, really awful. The ones I liked were Matilda's brother and fiance. Davey is super sweet and kind. He's so supportive and if he knew what she was doing, he'd be upset and urge her to stop. They'd find a way to manage together. Her brother also seems like he loved his sister and was devastated by her death. Jonathan Quayle is a silly poet and I found him tedious. He isn't a bad person though, he just made me roll my eyes. At least he's devoted to Flora and would do anything for her. None of these men are elite. I also did not like the policeman, Inspector Sharrack. I don't know why he has to have a cold and be coughing all the time. That was a weird, pointless character trait. He isn't used to dealing with gentlemen and ladies and he isn't smart enough to solve the tangled knot on his own. He needs Frances and her determination.

I liked this story once it got going and will go back and read the first. I may go and read the sequels too. Probably, since the library is closed for the foreseeable future and e-books are all I have.

[Sharon Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You are the daughters of gentlemen, and this is not the kind of behavior your parents expect of you.”

If Jane Austen had lived a few decades longer, and spent her twilight years writing detective stories, they might have read something like this one. From the opening chapter of Linda Stratmann’s second Frances Doughty mystery, there is something very Austenesque about the quiet, clever writing, the subtle humour and the measured pace in which what appears to be a comedy of manners, sparked by an apparently trivial incident, becomes an increasingly disturbing tale of intrigue, deceit and wickedness.

The Daughters of Gentlemen sees nineteen-year-old former chemist’s-assistant turned amateur sleuth, Francis Doughty, (whom we first met in the equally good The Poisonous Seed) embarking upon her first professional case. Hired by the governors of a Bayswater girls’ school to look into an untoward and disturbing incident, Frances immerses herself in school-life, even becoming, for a short while, a chemistry teacher.

The ‘hideous attack’ that sparks Frances’s investigation is the distribution of an anonymous pamphlet advising young women that they need not marry. Cue lots of opportunities for ironic humour in the minds of women reading the story over a hundred years after the events would have taken place and Stratmann exploits them all. At the same time, there is the subtle but ongoing social commentary about how lives of women have changed, made more poignant by the backdrop of the early suffragette movement.

Stratmann writes exceptionally well. Her research, both thorough and rigorous, is flawlessly woven into the narrative, and she adopts the language of the Victorian age effortlessly, never falling into the trap of forced phrasing or Cartland-style banalities. In the field of historical crime writing, she is bound to make her mark.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the second Victorian mystery by Linda Stratmann featuring Miss Frances Doughty, a nineteen-year-old gentlewoman with no pretensions of beauty, no family and limited means. Frances is employed to discover who and why disturbing pamphlets appeared in the desks of twelve schoolgirls. A disappointed bride? A strategy to instil scandal for a political appointee whose daughters attend the school? Or simply a malicious prank?

At first Frances' enquiries take her nowhere- until someone who worked at the school is found dead in the Serpentine in Hyde Park.

The narrative is beautifully written, in a flowing, easy style with some pithy observations. As a young, unmarried woman Frances is aware she will have to handle prejudice and bigotry, as well as employ considerable charm and persuasion to get people to reveal the intimate and important facts she will need to solve discover the culprit.

The plot is very complicated, with many twists turns and a blind alley or two, but the writer's style is so eloquent and polished I was glued throughout. Frances Doughty reminds me of a Victorian, and much younger Miss Marple, with her exemplary people skills and refusal to accept insults from `males who think they know better'. I loved the way she handles them, with firmness and polite insistence to get them to answer her questions - so to refuse makes them seem churlish and impolite.

Frances also has to walk a tightrope between the fledgling Women's Suffragette Movement and while keeping on side with the rigid views of her clients who regard marriage as the ultimate, and only aim for any respectable female.

This story has given me an incentive to read the first book, `The Poisonous Seed' and I eagerly await the next one.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read. I particularly like how the author gives a real feel for what life was in 1880 in London, weaving real events such as the election and suffragette movement with her fiction. Her heroine, Frances, is particularly great and believable as a character.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had no idea what was going on most of the time. So many interchangeable characters - and it turns out one was living under an assumed name, which made it even more confusing. But still a decent mystery when all was revealed ... maybe I shouldn't read these books while falling asleep.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Angela Moore Garden Tea Cakes and Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book of the Frances Doughty crime thrillers set during the victorian period, and I much stronger book than the first, A Poisonous Seed.

The story continues on from the end of the last book, so it is worth reading the first book. Frances needs to find an income and a new home or she will have to move from Bayswater and live with her uncle, and her maid Sarah will be without a home and a job. A lifeline is found when Frances is approached by the board of Bayswater Academy for Young Ladies, and is asked to investigate who is distributing feminist pamphlets.

Frances takes on her first case as a private detective, this sees her maid Sarah now become her companion and apprentice detective. This complex mystery set in 1880's invites you into Frances's world of solving a crime not something a lady of the day should be doing - follow her steps as she investigates. Frances explores the worlds of ladies of society, servants, police, politicians and journalists. But this simple investigation soon turns into something far more sinister, with lives at risk. I loved that there was so much going on in the storyline, not just the main crime to be solved but some mini ones that Sarah has to solve too.

This story also touches on important aspects of history, it was very apt to be reading about the Women's Suffrage Society when this very month 100 years ago women were given the vote in the UK.

These books have many characters and weaving storylines, you have to pay attention so no late night reading and dozing off. Can not wait to read the next book.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike the first book in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Her writing style reminds me of Jane Austin. Was surprised at the ending.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frances Doughty's probings in the first book led to the bankruptcy of the Bayswater Bank with its ripple effect still being felt by those involved. Some moved on and others more depraved schemed to recoup their losses by marrying money. This is about such a scam that centered on The Bayswater Academy for the Education of Young Ladies... its governors and its students, with its attendant layers of personal dark secrets (some insidious) and take the reader into the personalities of some of this book's more duplicitous villainous characters. On a lighter note, the reader will also be with Frances' metamorphosis into a detective by chance and dire circumstance into by choice for survival as well as for intelligent independence with the more pragmatic Sarah to anchor her. In the first book, we met Tom, Sarah's young relative and the then Doughtys' messenger boy. He is still a messenger for the new owner as well as for Chas and Barstie... two of the more colorful characters whose dubious tidal fortunes ebb and flow mirrored by their sartorial splendor and the fading of the same. These three form Frances' network of information and spies but let us not forget Gillan, an admirer and a news reporter (a rather more dangerous combination) but Frances learned to deal with men of authority and substance with her innate dignity and honesty. Another breath~taking read.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the first in this series (The Poisonous Seed) I was eager to read on. This book carries straight on from the first. Frances Doughty, has become a private detective, which was quite something at the time. She is employed to find out about a private girl's school for the daughters of the wealthy gentlemen. It would seem some leaflets were delivered to the school, advising the young girls not to marry and this had upset the girls and obviously the teaching staff. Francis is to find out who was responsible for this. This seemed a straightforward task at first, but then it takes a turn, when a member of the lower staff is found missing and then murdered. The case then becomes pretty complicated including the politics of the time and the recognition of the Women's Suffrage Society, along with other murders.
I thought at first that the book was seeming to be not as good as the first, but then it picked up, holding my attention, and it did take quite a lot of attention as the plot became more and more complicated. I like Frances and her now companion, Sarah and various other characters from the first book, and look forward to reading more in the future.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in a series featuring the indomitable Frances Doughty. Since her fathers death and the loss of her position in his chemist shop Frances has decided to turn to detective work to help her income. She is approached by a concerned parent when he discovers that his daughter has found a scurrilous pamphlet at her exclusive school for the daughters of gentlemen. He tasks Frances with discovering the author. Events escalate throughout resulting in mystery and murder with Frances and her companion Sarah trying to unravel the baffling mysteries that pile up.
Set in 1880's Bayswater this is a enjoyable Victorian mystery with finely drawn characters - it is well written getting the atmosphere and language of the period just right. Frances Doughty is an engaging character and there is some humour along the way. If I had a criticism at all it is that there are rather too many characters and at times it was difficult to remember just who everyone was and their position in the story.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Frances Doughty series. Another well written mystery. Frances is a female private detective in the late 1800’s. She is requested to investigate a pamphlet that was inserted into school desks at a girls private school entitled “don’t Marry”. Frances finds that there’s much more going on than who put the pamphlets into the desks. A servant that was suspected of placing the pamphlets is found murdered. Add to that a lot of scheming going on, blackmail, another murder, and people grappling for positions of power. Good story.

[nick dyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my fav characters

I can't think of a better representation of the emergence of modern womanhood. The settings feel authentic, Frances is just great and the developing warmth of Sharrock over the series deserved and funny. I read the complete series every few years. Pity only the 1st is on Audible

[Deanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a while to get into, mainly because I can't seem to connect with Frances. The plot is complicated, and the mystery is unusual and I will persevere in the hopes that Frances grows on me.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frances Doughty has been asked to look into the distribution of a pamphlet at a school for girls encouraging young women not to marry. Such literature is not considered to be a good influence on the daughters of gentlemen who attend the school.

When the maidservant, who has a somewhat shady past, goes missing Frances finds herself involved in what turns out to be a murder enquiry. She is also finding her fame is spreading and she is being asked to undertake more work that she can possibly manage. Sarah, her companion is keen to try her hand at detection and soon proves to be an able and willing assistant.

This is a well written mystery novel set against the background of Victorian Bayswater. It really brings to life how women at that time were treated as possessions rather than individuals in their own right.

The suffragist and other political meetings are well done and I really got a flavour of them while I was reading this book. I liked the way Frances’ spiky relationship with the police inspector is growing as well. I’m looking forward to reading more about Frances Doughty

[Dianne]

In the London of 1880, Frances Doughty is a young sleuth on her first professional case, trying to discover who distributed dangerously feminist pamphlets to the girls of the Bayswater Academy for the Education of Young Ladies. Armed with only her wits, courage and determination, she finds that even the most respectable denizens of Bayswater have something to hide, and what begins as a simple task soon becomes a case of murder.

As election fever erupts and the formidable ladies of the Bayswater Women’s Suffrage Society swing into action, Frances’ enquiries expose lies, more murders and a long concealed scandal, and she makes a powerful new friend.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the series but there is something about the author's writing style that makes it difficulty to get through quickly. The premise, inflammatory pamphlets marriage being passed around a girls' school, is unique. Once again, there is a story within a story element. Yet there is something stilted about the flow of the story. Perhaps too many characters that are not distinct from one another. The author gives limited description, which is helpful in a mystery in order to create a visual. Still a good series.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this historical mystery to be very slow and overly detailed. Frances Doughty and her maid Sarah are called in to investigate the finding of anti-marriage material at a prestigious school for girls. A very large cast of characters float in and out along with several other mysteries that are eventually tied to her original investigation. It wasn't until the last part of the book that the plot began to gel, the pacing increased, and my interest picked up. A tighter hand at editing some of the extraneous material would have greatly improved the book.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A female detective in Victorian England. A girls' school, a suffragette meeting.
There was so much potential but I found it rather slow-going. Perhaps it's the formal language used to give it an archaic feel. Here's an example; "Her fingers, slim as a spider's legs, moved nimbly as she worked a delicate blue and white scalloped edging around a dainty handkerchief."
The last third of the book is much better with the plot moving quickly and the loose ends coming together. All of the details do come together in the complex plot, but it takes a long time to get there.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Victorian psychological crime novel, with a great female protagonist and a cast of brilliantly drawn characters. Have never read a novel with quite so many parallel threads as this one & at one point my head was spinning with them, but all credit to Linda Stratmann for keeping all the plates balanced in the air beautifully and pulling all the threads together at the end. Couldn't put it down.

[Merle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good effort. I enjoy the sly, somewhat understated humor the author employs. She also shows a good plot sense. Her heroine, Miss Frances, continues to grow, asserting her independence more each day. She has every right to be botter, but she has chosen to grow and use her talents regardless. I like her.

[Johanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. Historically accurate, packed with interesting details and good page turning mystery. As ever a little slow to start establishing place and characters ( but I like that it gives me a handle on who's who) but from about 1/3 in it starts to race away.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I did enjoy it, I preferred the first in the series. An interesting plot and good historical detail but I found the number of characters confusing especially as, due to marriages, several of them were known by multiple names.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a while, I thought this was going to be one of those books where the 'detective' stumbles around blindly for 300 pages until they stumble across the solution. Fortunately it got better.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable historical mystery I shall enjoy the series.

[Teddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good entry although there was so much going on in terms of murder and mayhem, it was difficult to keep it all straight

[Suzie Grogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the clever and well maintained plot, the feisty and interesting heroine and the Bayswater detail. Bravo!