The Quality of Mercy

Lord Edward Corinth & Verity Browne #7

by David Roberts

When the Nazis seize Austria in March 1938, Verity Browne is deported as a well-known anti-Fascist. Before she leaves she is able to arrange for a young Jewish man to escape, but where he expects safety, he finds danger and sudden death. Meanwhile, Lord Edward Corinth also finds death where he least expects it when his nephew stumbles on a corpse. The police say no crime was committed, but Edward realizes nothing is as it seems.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical

Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
David Roberts is an English editor and novelist.
Roberts worked for several years as a book editor at Chatto and Windus, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, and Michael O'Mara Books. Since 2000 he has been a full-time writer, best known for a series of crime novels set during the late 1930s, and featuring the joint adventures of Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne. The novels use actual historical events as a backdrop and there is an Author's Note at the back of the books briefly outlining what happened to the historical characters subsequently.
Publishers Weekly has described his novels as "well-researched" and "first-rate fun".

Reviews

[Paul Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Quality of Mercy - The 7th in the Corinth and Browne series is brilliant a Great Golden Age Murder Mystery written in modern Times, my only Criticism was the the hact it was 1 Chapter too long, I look forward to reading the 8th.

[Cherop · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written, well researched novel. It's part of a series but I didn't know that when I started reading it. It's okay as a stand alone book. It just wasn't really my 'cup of tea' as it was a bit dull in the telling of the story.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins in Vienna just before Hitler and his gang seize Austria. Verity is a journalist and has been in Vienna trying to report on the state of the country as the Nazis advance. As a well-known anti-Fascist and Communist, she is one of the first to be deported when Hitler takes over. Before her enforced departure she arranges for a young Jew, Georg Dreiser, to escape certain death and flee to England. But it is in England, where he least expects it, that danger and sudden death catch up with him.

Corinth has an encounter with death as well. He is at the home of Lord Louis Mountbatten to meet his friend the Maharaja of Batiala. Edward's nephew Frank stumbles upon the corpse of Peter Gray, a painter of some repute. The police are satisfied that he died of natural causes but his niece, Vera, has reason to believe this is not the case. So, between them, Edward and Verity set about the investigation of two murders. Overshadowing the mysteries is the ever-present threat of war. And the two sleuths also find a way to do their part in saving those that they can from the clutches of the Nazis in Austria.

The Quality of Mercy (like the previous six books in the Lord Corinth and Verity Browne series) is a very nice historical recreation of the Golden Age mysteries I love so well. Roberts has done his research and serves up a terrific offering of the class-conscious England of the 1930s. It is also obvious that he knows his Dorothy L Sayers. There are so many parallels between his books and the Lord Peter Wimsey books (particularly the four with Harriet Vane) that I have considered doing a more in-depth post on the two series. [Keep your eyes peeled--it may be in the works.] I can find no fault with his 1930s window dressing or his characterization. And he manages to weave actual historical figures into the narrative quite seamlessly. The one point that is a bit lacking is the mystery itself. It's a decent enough story, but the grand finale falls a bit short. And in one respect was down-right disappointing.

But, overall, a lovely bit of historical story-telling. Quite enjoyable and if I hadn't had to work I would have read it straight through. Three and a half stars.

[Jill H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of books is interesting, not so much for the mystery but for the interweaving of fictional and real characters. In this entry, Lord Edward, second son of a Duke, and Verity, a committed Communist, an on-again, off- again couple, get involved in a series of incidents, including two probable murders, in the era just preceding WWII. Major players of the time appear......Winston Churchill, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Unity Mitford, etc. A thinly disguised Hedy Lamar also plays a major part as the actress attempting to flee from her possessive husband. The tying up of all the loose ends is less that satisfying but the book is still a fun read. This is the second book in the series that I have read and will read more......light reading but worthwhile.

[Jemera Rone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting of thus detective is in a grand English country home of Lord Mountbatten on the eve of WWII. It also features cameos by such luminaries as Winston Churchill and flashbacks to the Spanish Civil War where our heroine, a convinced Communist and British journalist, lost the love of her life. Of course the novel opens in Vienna from which our heroine is being expelled on account of its recent Nazi occupation. She undertakes to rescue a young Jewish man from Vienna and escort him to England, where he unexpectedly meets his death on the estate of Lord Mountbatten, at the same time as a local painter. But our heroine and her devoted English lover solve the crimes....

[Jan Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series of books. The historical research is very good as is pulling real characters into the fictional mix. I happen to have been reading some biographies of the historical characters and the details of events are accurate. Always a good contorted plot and a complicated relationship between the two main characters.

[Cece · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy these for what they are. A well- plotted mystery in well-researched historical context. Is the hero a little too fortunate in his enemies' poor marksmanship and judgement? Of course-but that is all part of a series.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of a decent mystery series set in 1930s England and Europe. There's a lot of historic detail and the author, David Roberts, puts in plenty of nods to Dorothy L. Sayers.

[Annie Oosterwyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters are quite good, but the history/setting of this book was excellent. I will definitely read another.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's see, we have murder set in 1930s England, a dollop of politics, the rise of Hitler, and historical figures scattered throughout. Should be right up my alley. But oddly, this didn't grab me.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading historical fiction is important - it humanizes the stark historical facts. In this case, it's the blinders the UK put on as the Holocaust began.