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Lord Francis Powerscourt #11
Death at the Jesus Hospital
The first man murdered was Abel Meredith, a resident at the Jesus Hospital Almshouse near London.The second victim, Roderick Gill, was burser at the Allison's school in Norfolk.Victim number three, Sir Rufus Walcott, was slain in his own hall by the Thames.All had their throats cut.And all had strange markings on their chests, carved there by the murderer but which neither doctor nor coroner could identify.
Lord Francis Powerscourt, brought in to solve this case of triple murder, had no shortage of suspects or suspicions.Meredith had shadowy links with the civil service.Gill, a man who seduced women at church during Harvest Festival or the Christmas carol service, had been threatened by angry husbands and disinherited sons while Sir Rufus had wiped fifteen years out of his own past history.And all had ties to Sir Peregrine Fishbourne, Prime Warden of the Guild of Silkworkers, who had visited all three men shortly before their untimely deaths. Yet on one question Powerscourt never wavered, and he knew that only when he had solved the mystery of the strange markings on the victims' bodies would he then be able to solve the mystery of the death at the Jesus Hospital. Praise for David Dickinson: 'Splendid entertainment' Publishers Weekly 'A leisurely period whodunit with Dickinson's customary historical tidbits and patches of local color, swathed in an appealing Victorian narrative' Kirkus Reviews 'Detective fiction in the grand style' James Naughtie 'A cracking yarn, beguilingly real from start to finish' Peter Snow
Lord Francis Powerscourt, brought in to solve this case of triple murder, had no shortage of suspects or suspicions.Meredith had shadowy links with the civil service.Gill, a man who seduced women at church during Harvest Festival or the Christmas carol service, had been threatened by angry husbands and disinherited sons while Sir Rufus had wiped fifteen years out of his own past history.And all had ties to Sir Peregrine Fishbourne, Prime Warden of the Guild of Silkworkers, who had visited all three men shortly before their untimely deaths. Yet on one question Powerscourt never wavered, and he knew that only when he had solved the mystery of the strange markings on the victims' bodies would he then be able to solve the mystery of the death at the Jesus Hospital. Praise for David Dickinson: 'Splendid entertainment' Publishers Weekly 'A leisurely period whodunit with Dickinson's customary historical tidbits and patches of local color, swathed in an appealing Victorian narrative' Kirkus Reviews 'Detective fiction in the grand style' James Naughtie 'A cracking yarn, beguilingly real from start to finish' Peter Snow
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
David Dickinson
67 books51 followersDavid Dickinson was born in Dublin. With an honours degree in Classics from Cambridge, David Dickinson joined the BBC, where he became editor of Newsnight and Panorama, as well as series editor for Monarchy, a three-part programme on the British royal family.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 3, 2012
First Sentence: When there is no moon in January the dawn creeps in very slowly like the second hand on a clock that is running slow.
Three men appear to have been murder by their throats slit. What, then, is the odd thistle-like mark on each chest? Each man had a connection to The Silkworkers, an ancient livery company for the City of London. In each case, the victim was paid a visit by the same person shortly before their death. Lord Francis Powerscourt, an ex-intelligence officer, veteran of the Boar War and having conducted investigation on behalf of the Queen, Prime Minister and Foreign Office, is asked to work with the police to find the killer.
There is no question that Dickinson knows how to capture the reader from the first paragraph. Even better is that he knows how to keep the reader thoroughly intrigued to the very last word. That Dickinson knows the period and has done his research is quickly and abundantly clear. He establishes a very strong sense of time and place through both descriptions and the level of details to ordinary elements of life and historical events.
One thing particularly appealing is that Powerscourt is married and has a family that we’ve seen grow and develop through the series. This is no angst-ridden loner. He is surrounded by fascinating friends from Johnny Fitzgerald, who served with time in the army, as did his butler. Lady Lucy may not go tearing through the streets tracking down killers, but she does help Powerscourt in the way a well-connected wife can. There was even a lovely reference to characters from past books. Rather than this being confusing to new readers, it adds veracity to the lives of these characters now.
Dickinson knows how to plot a story. Although he plays fair with the reader, his plot twists keep both the reader and the protagonist off balance with plenty of action and good suspense along the way.
“Death at the Jesus Hospital” may not have been the most dynamic book of the series, but it doesn’t miss the mark by much. It was a very good read with tones of our current political culture, and part of an overall excellent series.
DEATH AT THE JESUS HOSPITAL (Hist Mys-Lord Francis Powerscourt-England-1910) - VG
Dickinson, David – 10th in series
Soho Constable, 2012
Three men appear to have been murder by their throats slit. What, then, is the odd thistle-like mark on each chest? Each man had a connection to The Silkworkers, an ancient livery company for the City of London. In each case, the victim was paid a visit by the same person shortly before their death. Lord Francis Powerscourt, an ex-intelligence officer, veteran of the Boar War and having conducted investigation on behalf of the Queen, Prime Minister and Foreign Office, is asked to work with the police to find the killer.
There is no question that Dickinson knows how to capture the reader from the first paragraph. Even better is that he knows how to keep the reader thoroughly intrigued to the very last word. That Dickinson knows the period and has done his research is quickly and abundantly clear. He establishes a very strong sense of time and place through both descriptions and the level of details to ordinary elements of life and historical events.
One thing particularly appealing is that Powerscourt is married and has a family that we’ve seen grow and develop through the series. This is no angst-ridden loner. He is surrounded by fascinating friends from Johnny Fitzgerald, who served with time in the army, as did his butler. Lady Lucy may not go tearing through the streets tracking down killers, but she does help Powerscourt in the way a well-connected wife can. There was even a lovely reference to characters from past books. Rather than this being confusing to new readers, it adds veracity to the lives of these characters now.
Dickinson knows how to plot a story. Although he plays fair with the reader, his plot twists keep both the reader and the protagonist off balance with plenty of action and good suspense along the way.
“Death at the Jesus Hospital” may not have been the most dynamic book of the series, but it doesn’t miss the mark by much. It was a very good read with tones of our current political culture, and part of an overall excellent series.
DEATH AT THE JESUS HOSPITAL (Hist Mys-Lord Francis Powerscourt-England-1910) - VG
Dickinson, David – 10th in series
Soho Constable, 2012
October 2, 2018
Basically, an enjoyable book but it spent too much time getting to the solution to the mystery. The author should have spent less time going over the numerous dead ends encountered by the investigators which made the middle of the book too long. I would have given this book four stars had the plot not been so drawn out.
November 26, 2017
This is an entertaining read. I enjoyed the setting, involving an archaic trade guild and the almhouses and schools endowed by the company. The plot was entertaining and the characters well formed. I look forward to more in the series.
August 3, 2019
Very different kind of book. Started out very slow, but got much more interesting. You have to remember this was 1910 and not modern times. Dogged police work, along with Lord Powerscourt, solved the crime and don't forget Lady Lucy's contribution.
March 22, 2018
Better than I expected it would be.
February 28, 2021
This series is always a delight to read!
July 13, 2021
You do not have to have read any of the other books in the series to pick this one up, which is nice. Otherwise the book takes quite a while to set up. Slow burn for sure.
March 27, 2012
David Dickinson, the Irish author of Lord Francis Powerscourt series. With a first-class degree in Classics from Cambridge, he worked in British television (BBC) for many years and was the editor of Newsnight and Panorama as well as Monarchy. He now divides his time between Somerset and France writing his notable historical mysteries. Death at the Jesus Hospital is his latest work released by Soho Press.
A Brief Summary:
Three men are found with their throats cut, and all are connected in some way to an ancient City of London livery company, the Silkworkers.
Victim Number One was Abel Meredith, resident in the Jesus Hospital Almshouse near London, controlled by the Silkworkers. Victim Number Two was Roderick Gill, Bursar of Allison's School in Norfolk, also controlled by the Silkworkers. Victim Number Three was a former Prime Warden of the Silkworkers, Sir Rufus Walcott, slain in his own Hall by the Thames.
Lord Powerscourt has no shortage of suspects or suspicions. The first victim had shadowy links with the Secret Service. The second had wiped fifteen years out of his own past. The third, a man who collected women at church during Christmas Carol services, had been threatened by angry husbands and disinherited sons.
All the victims had been opposed to the reorganization of the Silkworkers' finances and, interestingly, Sir Peregrine Fishborne, the head of the Silkworkers, was present just before each victim's death. Lord knows that the key to solving the mystery lies in the strange markings found on the bodies, which no coroners can identify.
Our Take:
This is as close as you can get to Agatha Christie. Dickinson's latest work was particularly appealing to us as he fully exploits the historical context of late 19th and early 20th century to bring a well-researched and absorbing storyline to the readers.
I appreciated the important, but concise, background information about the organization of the holding companies such as the Silkworkers and side stories on the British battles in South Africa.
The plot was very clever and there is a very good balance of anticipation, horror and the revelations along with several segments where the main characters hypothesize on the motives of murder. The ending was satisfactory and was done in the same fashion as the Golden Age mysteries of 1930s and 1940s.
Readers with an interest in British history will enjoy this new novel as well as other titles in this series.
Our Rating: 5.0
There is more at http://www.mysterytribune.com or @mysterytribune
A Brief Summary:
Three men are found with their throats cut, and all are connected in some way to an ancient City of London livery company, the Silkworkers.
Victim Number One was Abel Meredith, resident in the Jesus Hospital Almshouse near London, controlled by the Silkworkers. Victim Number Two was Roderick Gill, Bursar of Allison's School in Norfolk, also controlled by the Silkworkers. Victim Number Three was a former Prime Warden of the Silkworkers, Sir Rufus Walcott, slain in his own Hall by the Thames.
Lord Powerscourt has no shortage of suspects or suspicions. The first victim had shadowy links with the Secret Service. The second had wiped fifteen years out of his own past. The third, a man who collected women at church during Christmas Carol services, had been threatened by angry husbands and disinherited sons.
All the victims had been opposed to the reorganization of the Silkworkers' finances and, interestingly, Sir Peregrine Fishborne, the head of the Silkworkers, was present just before each victim's death. Lord knows that the key to solving the mystery lies in the strange markings found on the bodies, which no coroners can identify.
Our Take:
This is as close as you can get to Agatha Christie. Dickinson's latest work was particularly appealing to us as he fully exploits the historical context of late 19th and early 20th century to bring a well-researched and absorbing storyline to the readers.
I appreciated the important, but concise, background information about the organization of the holding companies such as the Silkworkers and side stories on the British battles in South Africa.
The plot was very clever and there is a very good balance of anticipation, horror and the revelations along with several segments where the main characters hypothesize on the motives of murder. The ending was satisfactory and was done in the same fashion as the Golden Age mysteries of 1930s and 1940s.
Readers with an interest in British history will enjoy this new novel as well as other titles in this series.
Our Rating: 5.0
There is more at http://www.mysterytribune.com or @mysterytribune
August 25, 2012
Lord Powerscourt is on the case when three murders occur within a few days of each other, one of an elderly man at an almshouse called the Jesus Hospital, one at a school for boys, and one at the Silkworker's house. All seem tied up with the Silkworker's livery--which, best as I can tell, being an american is a sort of insurance firm which also runs the hospital and the school for boys, or provides insurance for them, or some such thing. Not being up on British financial planning, I really never got that part. Nonetheless, Powerscourt does finally begin sniffing at the correct trail, and the end is rather a nailbiter (or would be, if you didn't know Powerscourt was likely to survive this mystery in order to get himself entangled in whatever the next book will be). This is quite well-written, good characterization. Interesting twists and turns. So, good for a bit of diversion, even if you don't understand british financial planning.
November 16, 2012
Got this book 'cause I thought it was in a hospital but it's actually a home for old men. Detective spends 200 pages on red herring before exploring what I thought he should have been exploring in the first place- and then the author just drops that part of the story line! Also repetitious as he has the detective and police explain the whole story each time to new people instead of just saying that the character explained the situation. Also bad editing/proofreading. Example, husband and wife are alone in room looking thru their mail and book says that "He checked that her husband wasn't looking as she pulled our a couple of sheets of paper..." Huh?
February 15, 2013
The mystery isn't bad but the plot is overwhelmed by the details and the endless delays that drag the pace. I'd call it poor writing, myself. A odor of snobbishness spoils the atmosphere, as if the author truly believes that pre-World War One society really had life figured out properly. Lord Francis' wife is slightly more interesting than the other women in the book but this is one story more oriented toward pleasing men than women, I'd say.
July 18, 2012
Meh - it was okay. The language was overly descriptive without telling you anything and the plot was only mildly interesting. The author took the easy way out on this "who-done-it" - I won't read any more of his books.
August 14, 2012
This didn't work as a crime story. We are given an obvious connection between the 3 murders and a lot of information in pursuit of that connection. Then we find that it's a different connection entirely which is the answer, and the first is dropped, unresolved. Not the best of this series.
November 18, 2012
A really well plotted mystery of revenge. Over the years I have always looked forward to reading a Francis Powerscourt mystery. He and his friends are always nice to visit. The other nice thing about this series is the details about the history.
January 14, 2015
These books took me by surprise since I usually read blood and guts type books! These are brilliant - Lord Francis and his lovely wife and family. Historical detail is great as well. Highly recommended.
Reading my way through the whole series.
Reading my way through the whole series.
April 2, 2013
Really good book Ist one I have read by this author , apparantly it's a series so I shall now have to find the first one !!!
August 15, 2016
Very procedural.
May 30, 2014
These books are always beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable!
November 3, 2014
A really good read. Will probably follow up with the author
January 26, 2015
Very English during the early 1900s. This made it a little hard to understand at first due to the difference in culture. But once I got into the story it was very entertaining.
June 1, 2015
This was an unusual story....interesting though.
February 24, 2018
I love historical mystery that requires I look up the words and concepts. Sometimes David gets a it long winded in his details or when Lord Powerscourt delves into his memories, but otherwise a good read. I was reading this series and also the Charles Finch Series, which is definitely more light hearted but also more true to the concept that the elite did not work in trades. I find this book is a great perspective on "trade" elderly homes, we have not come far. And as always there are bodies and murders to be solved.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews