Goodnight Sweet Prince

Lord Francis Powerscourt #1

by David Dickinson

The debut of aristocrat-investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt, who takes on investigations too delicate for the police.

Prince Eddy is a notorious wastrel. But when he is found in his bedroom at Sandringham with his throat cut, his father, King George V, decides that the crime must be concealed. The prince is said to have died of influenza. Lord Francis Powerscourt is secretly commissioned to find the killer, but there are so many who have reason to hate the debauched and vicious prince that the task is a hard one. It leads him across Europe, to Venice, where amidst scandal and suicide, Powerscourt finally unravels the mystery.

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

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2001

About the author

David 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.

Reviews

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Goodnight Sweet Prince features a very likeable protagonist whose mind sometimes wanders to unexpected places, some of which not connected to whatever he is working on at that moment. All part of the charm of Lord Francis Powerscourt.

He gets entangled in a web of lies when he gets a task of finding a person blackmailing Prince of Wales. He doesn't expect to find them fast since even those blackmailed don't want to talk about it. To make things even worse, someone murdered Prince Eddy and his father wants it covered up. Lord Powerscourt's investigation opens old wounds, uncovers secrets kept hidden for years and reveals things more sinister than Lord Powerscourt expected.

At times the story drags a bit, but as a début it gets a pass. I liked it. There's humour too. This is one of those stories where you root for the protagonist to solve the mystery, and yet at the same time you feel sorry for the guilty party. Or, at least I did.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Victoria is on the throne. The Prince of Wales is being blackmailed via threats sent to him in notes with letters cut from two different newspapers. Lord Francis Powerscourt, investigator extraordinaire, is called in to solve the case. He and his small circle decide that since the only thing the Prince of Wales has on him that could possibly be of use to a blackmailer is already widely known, the blackmailer is targeting the behavior of his son, Prince Eddy. So they set to work looking for something in Eddy's past that might be of interest to a blackmailer. Boy, do they ever find it. Just as they are investigating, Prince Eddy is murdered and the family is urged by the highest councillors in the land to put out a story that he had succumbed to pneumonia so that they might avoid scandal & at the same time do discreet investigations into the motivations for killing the prince.

Powerscourt finds himself involved in a scandal that if released, would rock the monarchy itself. Nothing to do with Jack the Ripper, but a very satisfying mystery indeed.

This is the first in a series about Powerscourt; the writing is good but a bit tedious -- I think the author could have come to the core(s) of the mystery a lot sooner than he did. I did like how he made the characters very real to the reader; I liked how he set up the suspense aspect, but I think he is overly wordy and that is not a good point in a novel of mystery & suspense.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOODNIGHT SWEET PRINCE (Professional Investigator-UK-1892) – VG
Dickinson, David – 1st in series
Constable, 2002- UK Hardcover
Queen Victoria is on the throne when Irish investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt is informed by his friend, Lord Rosebery, that someone is sending blackmail letters to the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII. The case takes a much darker turn when Edward’s son, Albert, who is second in line for the throne after his father, is found brutally murdered in his bed. While it is publicly released that the prince died from influenza, Powerscourt hunts for the killer.
*** Dickinson has created a wonderful, and quite believable, mystery imbued with humanity and sympathy. The sense of period, time and place are excellent; the characters and story are realistic and interesting. There is a quiet humor to Powerscourt, along with his relationship with Lady Lucy, the provide balance to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am happy knowing I have the rest of the series ahead of me.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I didn't know what to make of this book in all honesty. I felt that the pace of the story kept changing dramatically. The lead character seemed to zip around Europe with ease which was impossible to believe as travel during Victorian times would have been slow and laborious. There were parts of the book I thought were ok and at other times the story dragged.

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 4 out of 5]

1892 metais nuo gripo komplikacijų pasimirė princas Albertas Viktoras, būsimojo Eduardo VII sūnus. Alberto Viktoro gyvenimą nuolat lydėjo vieši ir nelabai vieši skandalai, savo laiku netgi sklandė gandai, neva jis ir yra Džekas Skerdikas. Tai nenuostabu, kad ir jo mirtis netruko apaugti įvairiausiomis sąmokslo teorijomis.
Davidas Dickinsonas, rašydamas savo pirmąjį romaną apie lordą Powerscourtą, seklį-aristokratą, tuo ir pasinaudojo. Tiesa, pirmasis knygos ketvirtadalis judėjo vangiai, mat Powerscourtui pavedė išsiaiškinti, kas bando šantažuoti Velso princą. Bet nei kokiu pagrindu šantažuojamas, nei kitų detalių pranešti jam neskubėjo, tai tyrimas nelabai ir judėjo iš vietos, nes užsikabinti nelabai liko už ko.
Ir jau svarsčiau apie tai, kad gal Dickinsonas „ne mano“ autorius, kai veiksmas netikėtai pajudėjo. Princas Albertas Viktoras randamas nužudytas savo kambaryje. Powerscourtas ne visai savo noru įtraukiamas į sąmokslą, kuriuo siekiama nuslėpti tikrąją mirties priežastį – skandalas karališkajai šeimai visai nereikalingas. Bet žudiką surasti reikia. Tiesa, neoficialiai, o tai labai apsunkina lordo Powerscourto užduotį, mat tiesiogiai apklausinėti liudininkų negali, tenka griebtis įvairiausių gudrybių.
Galiausiai, žinoma, Powerscourtas viską išsiaiškina, o pakeliui dar ir susirandą sau žmoną. Ir čia gal tas retas atvejis, kai romantinė linija negadina detektyvo. Pats tyrimas gal ir ne itin painus, bet atperka kruopščiai tapomas istorinis fonas. Ir neerzinantys charakteriai.
Visai sau keturi iš penkių. Ir pasižiūrėsiu, kas ir kaip ten toliau lordo Powerscourto serijoje.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery set in upper crust society of late Victorian England, involving some of the less pleasant aspects of the Royal Family? Frankly I wasn't that interested, since snooty powerful Brits twitting around doesn't usually attract me. But I gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised.

Well-written and interesting, this book is more than just a mystery, as it examines ideas of the soul, meaning, and human nature along side romance, boating, and the history of English royalty.

Prince Edward dies, murdered horribly and the coverup begings. But at the same time, Lord Powerscourt (a name a bit too on-the-nose) has to find out who killed the heir presumptive without actually letting anyone know what he's doing.

What he uncovers is an unsavory, unflinching look at royal debauchery and sleaze that the Duke of Clarence was involved in, with an unwaveringly accurate period attitude among the characters. A well done book, if a bit tough to read at parts due to the content.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery was really well done and I enjoyed the introduction to Lord Powerscourt as an investigator. The mystery revolved around the death of Prince Eddy, Duke of Clarence- a death that history showed was the result of influenza but, in this story, the influenza was a cover-up for his brutal murder based on the historical rumors of his patronage of a homosexual brothel. I loved the blossoming relationship between Powerscourt and Lady Lucy. This is a series that I could read more of.

[Pamela Mingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, the first entry in a series featuring Lord Francis Powerscourt, his friends, and soon-to-be wife, Lady Lucy Hamilton.

It centers on the investigation of the murder of "Prince Eddy," grandson of Queen Victoria and son of the Prince of Wales. The latter decides the murder must be covered up by announcing Prince Edward died of influenza. However, he wants Powerscourt to find out who killed his son.

The story involves the many debauched activities of both the Prince of Wales and his son (the murder victim), and the more Powerscourt investigates, the sicker at heart he becomes. He's a fascinating man with a keen intelligence and a tender heart. Good humored and urbane and completely likable.

I was puzzled by one thing, however. There was no author's note explaining that the official cause of Prince Eddy's death WAS influenza. Sorting out fact from fiction is completely left to the reader.

I will definitely return for more of Lord Powerscourt's investigations.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful historical mystery

I found the beginning of the novel to be a bit slow at first, with main and secondary characters who seemed as though they must have appeared in a previous novel (even though I knew this was the first in the series). It was a bit hard keeping the names straight, especially as many of them had official titles as well as their given name along with nicknames.

However, I very much enjoyed the plot, as well as the believable motives of the characters. Powerscourt's mental flights of fancy were amusing, especially when thinking of his three sisters. (He referred to them as the three witches in Macbeth).

All in all a fun read, and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but sometimes is droned on and on. The author uses too many long rabbit trails. It makes the main character seem like he is daydreaming all the time.

[Andrew Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good writing, sometimes excellent, but overall a little slow.

I'm not a regular consumer of murder mysteries (in books or on screen) but the stories, while entertaining in the moment, rarely benefit from subsequent reflection. Most such stories layer on the complexity to entertain the reader, rather than to tell a believeable story.

This book is no different. It has the added interest of involving characters from history - senior royals whose lives are very much in the public domain.

I enjoy a solid chunk of history in my fiction, and David Dickinson does a good job of making it believeable. I'm not so much a fan of giving historical characters attributes and motives that, as far as we can tell, they didn't have.

I'm not a student of the late Victorian royals, but the characterisation in the book takes some liberties with the truth. Perhaps 20 years ago it might have been considered a possible secret history, but in the 2020s the royals are used to having their skeletons paraded.

I enjoyed much of Dickinson's writing, but the style seemed to change as the book progressed. Increasing levels of introspection and meandering observation led to entire chapters that were redundant.

I've given this book 4 stars because it was well-written and I enjoyed much of it. But I skimmed the final ten chapters or so, as it was becoming ponderously slow. The final twist was half-expected and not entirely convincing.

I'm not tempted to read the sequel.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up my Mother and I read several "royal" books about members of the House of Windsor (as it became) and she certainly fostered the idea that Prince Albert Victor "Eddie" was not a strong personality, that there were suggestions of lack of intellect and emotional instability, that it was perhaps not the worst tragedy from a public perspective that he died so young, but that since he did die none of it mattered.
This book is total fiction with just enough truth to carry the plot along. Princes Albert Victor and George certainly sailed on the Britannia but there is absolutely no suggestion that anything untoward happened aboard. They also were abroad on board HMS Bacchante and I agree that is an odd name for a naval ship, but then so is pansy and primrose, both of which existed. The author could just as easily created a plot involving the prince with music hall dancers so that's as broad as it is long. When you start mucking around with the personal life and death of public figures you have to take a firm stance, as if there is no doubt at all as to the events, and Mr. Davidson does that. He moves his characters firmly and describes events clearly and in a way that drives the person with a little knowledge straight to research. It was a very good read and certainly an inspiration to read the others in the series.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When someone is blackmailing the Prince of Wales, only an aristocratic detective will do. Enter Lord Francis Powerscourt, who expects that the Prince’s amorous adventures lie behind the crime. But then Prince Eddy, next in line to the throne, is found dead, and Powerscourt’s investigations take a much more serious turn...

I very much liked the central character, heir (in order of writing) and predecessor (in order of chronology) to Lord Peter Wimsey as a thoughtful aristocratic detective capable of occasional dramatic action, and his budding relationship with Lady Lucy Hamilton was charming. The crime takes a great historical what-if - what if the untimely death of George V’s elder brother was a covered-up murder? - and draws on the rumours around the less savoury aspects of Prince Eddy’s behaviour to suggest possible motives. In one way I would have preferred a story focusing on Edward VII-to-be, because the book never undercuts the characters’ in-period attitude to those rumours: some of the things alleged of Prince Eddy would not be regarded as at all immoral today.

In all a pleasant read, apart from those period attitudes. I’d be interested to see another in the series though I wouldn’t go out of my way to seek one out.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is very well written, one of the best I've read in recent years. The characters are well drawn, the author has done his historic research and places all of the events in the context of the social, political, and cultural changes of the times. All of his books, at least the 8 I've read so far, are quite evocative of the period and highlights events that breath life into his characters. While the books do not have to be read in order, there are continuing themes and relationships across books.

Sadly there isn't much I can say about this book that doesn't immediately lead to spoilers. It DOES have a range of elements that include blackmail, the flu, a rather special club for men in London, and the British Royal Family. Enjoy!

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started out as, what seemed to be, a nice drawing room mystery. It seemed a bit slow but never judge a book by the first chapter. All of a sudden - bang - a dead body, then another and then everything started to change. By the middle of the story the pace became almost a thriller with lots of suspects, an interesting back-story about a member of the royal family (circa 1892) and a nerve-wracking search for the killer. I loved our detective, Francis Powerscourt, and his friends and family as well. But the twists and turns were the very best part. Dickinson definitely has my vote and I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!

[Susan Chapek]

Readers who enjoy alternate history will be intrigued by this whodunnit, but it's definitely helpful to know more about the actual Victorian royal family history than this American reader did.

I agree with other reviewers here that the pace of this debut varies and may aggravate. And is it cheating if the author introduces an incidental character whose sole reason for existing is his eidetic memory of British and European train routes and timetables? I'll leave that for the reader to judge.

It would be pleasant to add another historical cozy mystery series to my TBR shelf, so I will try the second book.

[Alexia Athanassiadou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ ωραία και πρωτότυπη ιστορία. Ενώ το πήγαινε προς μια κατεύθυνση προς το τέλος άλλαξε τελείως. Υπήρχε μια φλυαρία σε κάποια σημεία περιγράφονται κάποια τοπία ή προσευχές αλλά στο σύνολο ενδιαφέρον. Θα ήθελα πολύ να διάβαζα και την συνέχεια των ιστοριών του λόρδος Παουερσκορτ αλλά δυστυχώς δεν κυκλοφορει καμία άλλη στα ελληνικα. Κρίμα γιατί δεν υπάρχουν πολλές ιστορίες μυστηρίου για την Βικτόριανη εποχή στην Αγγλία. Και μάλιστα γραμμένες από έναν Ιρλανδο.

[Denise Mullins · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1892 Victorian England, the queen's grandson is horribly murdered, leaving the government the formidable task of not only solving the crime, but providing a plausible cover up. And while the premise of David Dickinson's mystery is beautifully developed, he misses the opportunity to explore suspects and their histories more fully as he wastes time on pointless encounters with insignificant characters. However, the end does have a very clever and all too realistic twist that reveals to what extent government spin doctors will go to conceal the truth.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord Francis Powerscourt is called in by the household of the Prince of Wales when in 1891 Prince Eddy his eldest son is found murdered.
At times there was a bit too much description which for me slowed the pace of the story but still an enjoyable mystery.

[Jay Cardam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on the death of Prince Eddy, Victoria's Grandson, based on the rumors that have surrounded his death and life. Interesting main character who wanders here and there a bit taking tangents that are often amusing or interesting in themselves. I would definitely read another.

[Sara G · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 9%. This book is all over the place and I don't understand why it's plotted so strangely. It keeps going back and forth with different events without any transition and it's confusing to follow. Moving on.

[Volha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 A sweet historical mystery, but very uneven. Really hilarious moments are followed by rather mundane descriptions, friendships are formed too easily and the treatment of truly grim and serious issues was too lighthearted to my taste.

[Patrick C Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start of a great series!

I have read later books in this series and already knew that I love the adventures of Lady Lucy and Lord Francis Powerscourt. Excellent historical detail and well-plotted mysteries.

[Kat Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in a series. A bit of a drag to read, but I’m hoping for improvement in the next ones. Characters are interesting, but not much depth. Storyline quite predictable. A flat read, which found me falling asleep more than once.

[Sheila Lofthouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and well written.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting storyline which involves royal protocols. It was an interesting book with a marriage at the end. Nice ending to the book. Will finish the series as it is interesting.

[Aylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the finest novels in the English language, but unputdownable.

[Jane Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and well-written.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging yarn with an uppercrust investigator exploring the untimely death of a scandal ridden member of the royal family. Took a while to get going hence the 4 stars.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So mediocre...quite boring.