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The Curious Case of Prince Charming

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When Princess Leticia is kidnapped for the sixth time in two years, private investigator William Tenys is hired by her parents to solve the mystery of how sorcerer Kalen has managed to commit the dastardly deed so many times. It should have been a straightforward enough investigation, but William discovers that all is not what it seems. With a sorcerer who may, or may not, be evil; a princess who may, or may not, be kidnapped and a prince who William just cannot bring himself to like in spite of his heroic qualities, William has to untangle the mystery before he loses his contract and then his life

214 pages, Paperback

First published December 24, 2013

8 people are currently reading
17 people want to read

About the author

Charlene Mattson

18 books32 followers
I'm a freelance writer/instructor currently living in north-central British Columbia. I also enjoy playing video games (particularly RPGs and tactics games like Fire Emblem as well as the Mario/Kirby games), reading, hiking, taking care of animals, and shopping (on occasion). I would love to someday be able to make a full (or nearly full) living purely from writing fiction, but at least I'm fortunate enough to be able to work as a writer at all at this point.

Any questions? Feel free to ask!

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5 stars
18 (60%)
4 stars
5 (16%)
3 stars
5 (16%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
2 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Charlene Mattson.
Author 18 books32 followers
Read
March 1, 2016
No stars because I wrote this one, but I sincerely hope that, typos aside and I'm aware they are there :p, you will enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Profile Image for The Book.
519 reviews14 followers
February 21, 2023
The Curious Case of Prince Charming is a fascinating blend of fairy tale storytelling with a modern day feel as private investigator, William Tenys, is hired by a King and Queen to solve the mystery surrounding the kidnapping of their daughter. With an interesting plot twist, this novella is a great introduction to the character of William Tenys and his case files. The story moves along at a good pace, keeping the readers engaged and turning the pages. The characters are relatable bringing a variety of drama, and entertainment as William has to sift through what is fact and fiction, fulfil his contract, whilst trying not to get himself killed in the process.

I enjoyed reading the Curious Case of Prince Charming, and so I am looking forward to reading further books in this series. My only slight critique is that the text size in the book is small, so readers with poor eyesight may struggle to read this. I would recommend the author undertakes some additional formatting to address this, and also the cover blurb text. Other than this I did not identify any significant editorial issues that would detract from a reader’s enjoyment of this story.

We award 4 stars.
Profile Image for Rebecca Chesterman.
23 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2021
Just so you know, I hate writing reviews (I'm a reader, not a writer), but I wanted to be one of the first to spread the word about Charlene's fun series (and I promised her I would do it LOL).

The first time I started reading this, I just couldn't get into it, and set it aside. I don't usually read indie authors, but wanted to support my daughter's childhood friend.

The second time, I wondered what was wrong with me before, because this is a great first novel! The character of William Tenys is relatable as a pretty normal guy, not some super-everything hero. So many main characters are described as handsome AND witty AND whatever so it's nice to start with a regular guy. Since this is a take on a familiar fairy tale, there were certainly some familiar elements, but they were used in novel ways, keeping me guessing.

This was a fun ride and I jumped into the sequel right away!
Profile Image for Jude Srivalsan.
264 reviews6 followers
March 20, 2021
This was an interesting book and not the normal genre I would read. I enjoyed the concept and the characters and how they interlink with each other. A bit of a Sleeping Beauty theme going on without the sleeping in that Princess Leticia is constantly kidnapped and imprisoned and the Prince has to rescue her. It sounds straightforward but it is anything but, when William Tenys is hired to find her! When another girl is found dead it all gets a bit complicated! Very enjoyable and easy to read!
Profile Image for WRL Morris.
Author 15 books2 followers
April 9, 2021
I love story’s that take a traditional fairy tale story and put a spin on it.
While this book is set in a fairytale land the first half especially didn’t feel very magical. There isn’t much in terms of magic until the second half with most of it being towards the end.

That said the investigation aspect of the story was great. I liked William as our reluctant P.I.
Princess Leticia was a great character. I liked that she played an active role in things and had a much bigger speaking role than the actual sleeping beauty!

It was an quick, easy and enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Jinny Alexander.
Author 13 books85 followers
March 3, 2024
A fun romp of a read that takes a fairytale into the realm of cozy mystery. When the good guys might be bad guys and the bad guys might be good guys and the princess has been kidnapped yet again by the same evil sorcerer who's kidnapped her several times already, investigator William Tenys has his work cut out! A refreshing take on an old tale with a strong princess you'll be rooting for.
Profile Image for Tim Covell.
Author 3 books8 followers
August 23, 2023
Great start to this noir meets fairy tale series. The world-building is subtle, and there are touches of humour despite the body count.
Profile Image for Yvette van Niekerk.
16 reviews
March 25, 2015
Book Review: The Curious Case of Prince Charming

Author: Charlene Mattson

Personal Quality Rating: 3

Reviewer: Yvette van Niekerk (South Africa)

Summary:

The story is about the abduction of a beautiful Princess in Altria a fairy-tale country. Because the abductor is seen as a villain the palace decides on recruiting the services of a detective in the City – William Tenys.

It’s clear that William has been doing investigative work for some time and he really gets involved. A couple of murders take place and there is a twist in the story. Some evil villain is influenced by an even worse entity.

The story does lean more towards an investigation and not so much about a fantasy world but nevertheless it is quite interesting to see what happens.

Social / Historical Context:

As fiction I would say that the book is really lovely. The most striking of the story is the fact that the author was set on reminding each of us that good always prevails. There are many plots and I found that the characters depicted in her book were well thought out. The story was going in the direction of murders and abductions. One of the characters in this book looked so good and was so proper but in actual fact was rotten to the core, ‘a beautiful person with an ugly heart’ if I may use this phrase.

Writing Style:

The writing style to my mind is a mixture of evocation and common place. It was an easy read and I enjoyed the story flow. The writer definitely enjoyed her own story and I could feel her getting carried away. I believe the story was well written in the third person and there is a lot of telling before the characters actually do some speaking. The description of the places was interesting and I could actually see some of the characters in my mind’s eye.

I think the purpose of the story is to show in essence that good always prevails over evil, that even in difficult times things do get better.

Thinking about how the book has been written I believe it leans more toward being a narrative.

My Thoughts:

I fell in love with the main character Mister William Tenys, this detective was sharp and I enjoyed reading how he went about his business. The other characters in the book were interesting and they fitted into the story. I was sorry about one of the ladies in the story that had to die; I think they may have hit it off at some stage in the story. When drawing to a close I actually felt a little sad to see the story had come to an end.
Profile Image for Colin Duffy.
Author 2 books4 followers
July 24, 2015
William Tenys is a private detective, solving all manners of crimes in his working class neighborhood, when he receives a surprise job offer from the King and Queen of Altria: their daughter, Princess Leticia, has been kidnapped yet again by the dark sorcerer Kalen. The King and Queen are at their wits end, and simply rescuing Leticia is not enough this time, as they are determined to know how Kalen is always able to kidnap Leticia despite their best efforts to protect her. To find out, they hire William, who takes the job for the boost to his reputation it will provide. But this turns out to be no ordinary job, as he is thrust deeper and deeper into a world of deception, murder and dark magic that will push him to his absolute limits.
“The Curious Case of Prince Charming” is, simply put, a delightful read. Author Charlene Mattson keeps things moving and the story never drags. The main characters (both good and bad!) are well developed and feel real, and you truly care about what happens to them. There are no wasted moments; every character and every scene, no matter how seemingly small, is important and has a role to play, which makes the overall story very satisfying in the end. Mattson truly excels as a mystery writer, as clues, possible leads, and numerous red herrings constantly present themselves and build up the suspense. There is also a good amount of well-timed humor, and you will find yourself engrossed in the mystery one minute and laughing out loud the next!
In sum, “The Curious Case of Prince Charming” is an extremely well-written piece of mystery and fantasy blended into one, and anyone who enjoys reading these genres will find a lot to like here!

Profile Image for B. Mantler.
Author 35 books11 followers
February 24, 2014
If you are looking for an excellent investigator, call on William Tenys. He'll work at the problem until it is solved. In the Curious Case of Prince Charming, William is hired to look into how Princess Leticia was kidnapped for the sixth time in two years. When William starts looking into the situation it turns out that not is all as it seems and this case isn't going to be easy to solve.
The physical book doesn't look like something I'd pick up if I found it in a store and the interior formatting made me hesitate, but the story sucked me and took me for a wonderful ride. William is a great character with a compelling voice, the princess is a strong woman, and the story is great for someone who loves fairy tales. The story appears to follow the fairy tale format as the start, but it takes for turns and comes out a much more original work.
I would suggest it for any lovers of fairy tales, fantasy novels, and mystery stories. It is a good read and an enjoyable story.
Profile Image for Andrea Churchill.
Author 1 book33 followers
October 7, 2015
The Curious Case of Prince Charming 5 Stars I really enjoyed reading The Curious Case of Prince Charming. It was an easy read; I only read about a chapter a day, but if I binged-read this I could have gotten it done in a day or two. I liked the concept--the story is a fresh twist on a fairy tale that nobody has really done before, to my knowledge. A princess is kidnapped for the sixth time by a sorcerer. A PI is hired by the royals to look into why this keeps happening, and a crazy plot unravels in his findings. It combines mystery and private investigation with fantasy. I think Charlene did a great job setting the scene, and easily allowing me see the medieval, fairy tale world she created. I liked Lady Estelle pretty quickly. I thought she was a very enigmatic character. Soon I'll be reading the next installment in the series. Great job Charlene.
Profile Image for Alexandra.
Author 36 books17 followers
February 17, 2014
This was definitely worth the wait to get my own print copy. I read it cover to cover the first day I got it and didn't want to set it down. I love this story of a private detective in a fantasy fairy tale setting where things aren't what they first appear. I would definitely recommend this for any fan of fantasy, fairy tales and detective stories.
Profile Image for Jeanette Ford.
Author 25 books28 followers
July 8, 2024
I had to be persuaded by a friend to get this book, because I’m never overly-enamoured by ‘alternate’ fairy tales. I wasn’t overly sure for quite a long time which fairy tale inspired it (Because isn’t Prince Charming in more than one tale? Not sure) Anyway, ordinary guy, private eye William, has been persuaded by the King and Queen to look into the strange reasons why the princess is being kidnapped on a regular basis, about every four months, by the sorcerer, Kalen, and keeps being rescued and brought back by Prince Erik. William is not keen on Erik, and the more he learns about him, the more he dislikes him. However, he agrees to accompany Erik on his present princess-rescuing mission, which brings very surprising discoveries for William. He’s also commissioned by a ‘madam’ to discover who killed one of her girls. Having discovered his two commissions are connected, William has to find a way to reveal Erik for who he really is, and his real motives for wanting to marry the princess. Can he manage to let Erik affect the ‘cure’ to wake up the sleeping princess, but catch him out at the same time? It’s all very ‘touch and go’, not to mention extremely dangerous.
Couldn’t put it down, loved it. Glad I was convinced to give it a try, because it’s an excellent story and I’m looking forward to reading more of William’s adventures in his world of fairy tales.
334 reviews16 followers
May 3, 2023
it’s that well known fairy tale of the princess, her prince charming, the private detective and the demon. Hang on wait a minute…

Prince Letitia keeps getting kidnapped by Kalen an evil sorcerer. She gets rescued by her Prince Charming, Erik, each time but after she’s kidnapped for the 6th time in 2 years, The King and Queen decide to hire William a Private Detective to find out how she keeps going missing. After going on a quest with Prince Erik to rescue the beautiful princess, William quickly discovers that everything and everybody are not all they seem. And as a mysterious plague that puts the princess to sleep befalls the kingdom it’s up to William to save the day and get Princess Letitia to fall in love with right guy. This was very entertaining read and a unique take on well known fairy tales but told from a different angle creating an original story. The writing style breezed a long and I was enraptured until the end. I am looking forward to reading more of the Fairy Tale Case Files.
Profile Image for Lucas W Mayberry.
Author 3 books35 followers
August 17, 2023
it’s that well known fairy tale of the princess, her prince charming, the private detective and the demon. Hang on wait a minute…

Prince Letitia keeps getting kidnapped by Kalen an evil sorcerer. She gets rescued by her Prince Charming, Erik, each time but after she’s kidnapped for the 6th time in 2 years, The King and Queen decide to hire William a Private Detective to find out how she keeps going missing. After going on a quest with Prince Erik to rescue the beautiful princess, William quickly discovers that everything and everybody are not all they seem. And as a mysterious plague that puts the princess to sleep befalls the kingdom it’s up to William to save the day and get Princess Letitia to fall in love with right guy. This was very entertaining read and a unique take on well known fairy tales but told from a different angle creating an original story. The writing style breezed a long and I was enraptured until the end. I am looking forward to reading more of the Fairy Tale Case Files.
Profile Image for Chloe's Little Book Nook.
72 reviews3 followers
April 21, 2021
I love fairytale retellings, so I was really looking forward to reading this book.  The concept of the story is very original and it was easy to follow, written well in the third person. We follow the main character, Private Investigator William Tenys, as he throws himself deep into an investigation into Princess Leticia's repeated kidnappings.

Whilst I do enjoy a good crime story, I was expecting the story to be more fantasy than crime-based and couldn't help feeling disappointed when this wasn't the case for the majority of the book. However the author did a great job. Infused with a couple of laugh out loud moments the story was one big mystery made even more suspenseful by the twists and turns in Tenys' investigation. The characters were very well developed and relatable and I was left guessing until the end who the real villian actually was.

An enjoyable, original retelling where things are not as they seem to be.
Profile Image for Michaela in Bookish Wonderland .
114 reviews14 followers
April 5, 2021
I love fantasy books so I was really looking forward to reading this book. I enjoy a good crime story too so I was really excited to start. The idea that the princess goes missing, but in this case always returns, is definitely unique compared to your typical 'damsel in distress' story. It immediately grabbed my attention and I was curious to get some answers.

As I said, the idea is a really good one. However, as much as I love a crime investigation, for a while, it felt like just a crime novel. Yes, I knew it was a missing persons investigation but I was hoping for it to be in more of a fantasy setting which for the first half of the book, sadly I felt the story was lacking.

Having said that, the book definitely picks up as the investigation unravels where we learn there is much more to the story than we were lead to believe!
522 reviews27 followers
December 11, 2024
Unique twist!

Six times in two years, princess Leticia had been kidnapped by Kalen.
William Tenys, Private Investigator, was hired by the King and Queen of Altria to find her. Secrecy and sensitivity were both paramount, but as the detective gets to work, not everything is a clear cut as it seems.
A great twist to the usual fairytale that sees the galant prince conquer the villain, rescue the damsal in distress and live happily ever after.... Not this one! The characters are well rounded and have plenty of depth, the plot is engaging and unique and keeps you entertained and enthralled throughout. The modern twist works really well with the old fairytale so if you want to compare and read something a little different, give it a try.... And there are more! Great read!
Profile Image for S.S. Saywack.
Author 9 books36 followers
July 21, 2023
I got this book thinking I’d get a clever fairy tale, and what I got was a clever fairy tale with an edge! People die in this one, so no punches are pulled. It was a most enjoyable read, full of character and a satisfying twist at the end - or in the middle, depending on how you look at it. I liked the idea of an updated fairy tale, a private detective in a modern sense in an arcane setting, and the start of what could be an interesting series where our detective deals with other tropes in the fairy tale genre. Very enjoyable, and very recommended if you want to read something a little different.
Profile Image for Hayley Bernard-Ryan.
Author 3 books31 followers
December 21, 2024
I loved this dark fairytale! The writing is accomplished- the world-building, character development, the slow building suspense as William is trying to piece together the clues to solve what is REALLY going on…all excellent and a prime example of all things a great book should be. There was magic, intrigue, a dash of romance, adventure…and it was also very fun to read! I really enjoyed the characters and their individual personalities shone both through their dialogue and their actions. I’m ready to follow William Tenys on more adventures!
44 reviews6 followers
September 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The main character is a likeable detective with hints of a dark past, and we follow him as he attempts to solve the mystery of a kidnapped princess. There's plenty of colour and humour in this world, and plenty of fun characters. The main twist comes early on, but the author definitely wrong-footed me with some clever use of point-of-view. The first book in a series that promises lots, and I imagine can only get better.
Profile Image for Anthony Hulse.
Author 40 books131 followers
February 25, 2024
Not my normal reading genre, but was surprised at the unique twist of a fairy tale. With the kidnap of Princess Letitia yet again, private detective, William is hired to find her. A few twists as the case unwinds with the introduction of some evil characters. A dark tale, which was to my liking. An enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Lujira Cooper.
13 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2017
THE CURIOUS CASE OF PRINCE CHARMING is a dark fantasy with a cornucopia of surprising twist, turns and setbacks. Can the prince be trusted? Who is Kalen really?
"No Cinderella or Snow White in this tale of kidnapping, investigating and sorcery."

The first line begins the journey. In a kingdom known as Altria princess Leticia has been kidnapped again. How could this happen with all the safeguards put in place?
King Silas the wise and his wife, Queen Thalia hire Wiliam Tenys, a private investigator to answer that question and to end the kidnappings. Tenys learns Kalen, a sorcerer has taken the princess hostage. Since, Kalen asks for no ransom then why?
Tenys’ appearance agitates Prince Erik, the third son of a distant king. Once more, he vows to rescue the beautiful princess to whom he’s betrothed. Erik plans to storm Kalen’s castle to effect a rescue. He needs no help, so he says, to defeat the magician. Prince Erik should be called Erik the Arrogant.
While trying to find a way to rescue the Princess Leticia Tenys discovers two ritual murders: the death of one of Leticia’s maids, and a prostitute. Why are these two women killed? Are these crimes related? The ritual killing leads Tenys to believe so. He needs to track down the killer to ascertain their significance.
The arrogant prince and Tenys set out for the sorcerer’s castle. How to get in since Erik has done so in the past? Teny’s devises a scheme and sets out to gain entrance. Arriving, he is shocked at the lack of visual security.
Mattson created a magical world where most things are not as they seem. Will this turn out to be the prince riding in on a white horse to save Princess Leticia? Is Kalen the monster portrayed to be?
Not your ordinary fairy tale, however the road to the end titillates, teases and keeps one questioning who the real villain is. If you like fantasy with a touch of darkness then The Curious Case of Prince Charming is for you. Read and enjoy.

Profile Image for Kellan Publishing.
40 reviews6 followers
Read
January 29, 2016
This is the first book in the William Tenys series. This book is full of comedy, action and adventure, and of course, mystery.

When Princess Leticia is kidnapped for the sixth time in two years, private investigator William Tenys is hired by her parents to solve the mystery of how sorcerer Kalen has managed to commit the dastardly deed so many times. It should have been a straightforward enough investigation, but William discovers that all is not what it seems. With a sorcerer who may, or may not, be evil; a princess who may, or may not, be kidnapped and a prince who William just cannot bring himself to like in spite of his heroic qualities, William has to untangle the mystery before he loses his contract and then his life.

You can get this book cheaper in our bookstore at: https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/it...
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