Death on the Romney Marsh

John Rawlings #4

by Deryn Lake

John Rawlings finds a mysterious scarecrow on Romney Marsh, which he discovers is a skeleton. When he finds out that the "scarecrow" was a French spymaster, come to England to awaken two sleeping spies, he must work out who, out of a motley bunch of characters, these two spies are.

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

277 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Deryn Lake is a well-known historical novelist who joined the popular ranks of historical detective writers with her gripping John Rawlings Mysteries, Death in the Dark Walk, Death at the Devil's Tavern, Death on the Romney Marsh, Death in the Peerless Pool and Death at Apothecaries' Hall.

Deryn also writes popular historical romances including the acclaimed The King's Women, Sutton Place and Pour the Dark Wine.

Deryn Lake lives near Hastings, East Sussex

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction. The pace of the action, the descriptions of people from varying levels of society, the interactions between Fielding, "the blind beak," and Rawlings were believable and gave solid foundation to the important role Rawlings must play, yet he was free to follow his heart now and then adding a bit of spice to the mix. A lot is going on in this book and it is a very good story that is engaging and fun to read in trying to determine who among them was a pretender working for the French cause.
And then LeBron James breaks a record making it a very good evening indeed!

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[Heatherinblack · Rating 3 out of 5]

john just isn’t that great at espionage. he missed a key player entirely. and his investigations are, flat. sure, adding the mystery of codes and thieves makes it more exciting, but isn’t enough to entertain as a good mystery. hope the next is better.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romney Marsh and its superstitions and mysteries is brought to life with skill and gusto after John Rawlings, Apothecary, receives a summons to Winchelsea from a mysterious woman. When he spots a scarecrow near an isolated church on the Marsh it launches him into one of his most daring and fast-paced investigations.
An authentically Georgian richness of character and incident is enhanced by Deryn Lake's compassion and refreshing wit.
Anyone who has read 'Moonfleet' by J. Meade Falkner, 'Frenchman's Creek' by Daphne du Maurier or the 'Doctor Syn' novels by Russell Thorndike will appreciate this rip-roaring tale of spies, smuggling, jealousy and murder. In many ways this is a novel far superior to any of the above and is an absolute joy to read as the author displays her expertise with sharp, witty dialogue, and an impressive knowledge of the time and place.
John Rawlings is as dashing as ever and this is a darkly satisfying mystery written with Deryn Lake's trademark verve and expertise.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Rawlings was answering a Voice from the Past and traveling towards it when he saw on a moonlit field a scarecrow that seemed so real in a grotesquely bizarre way specially when he later on recalled that there were no crops on that frequently flooded field. Here is Rawlings brush with sleepers and spies. Once again The Apothecary was drawn to a beautiful and slightly soiled vicar's daughter who is again wrong for him because she has not totally let go of her first love and former betrothed just like Coralie Clive and her theater career. Rawlings' adventures are so engaging and captivating that I just had to read the next 4 books following this one before I post my reviews.

[Voirrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

John finds himself summoned to the aid of an unnamed 'old friend' - whose identity it is a pleasure for both him and this reader to discover. He begins to fall in love with someone who could replace Coralie Clive in his affections, and gets caught up in the smuggling trade and a ring of French spies, as the UK is now at war with France..

Again Ms Lake's ability to conjure up the time and place, and the realities of travel, are what make the book a 5* read as John uncovers the mystery poisoner, and more than one French spy. my favourite character, though, is the good looking curate!

[Mbsuther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spies on Romney Marsh

This book was a bit of a departure from the previous ones. It let the character, John Rawlings, work mostly independently from Bow Street. It also wove together many storylines, but creatively pieced together. The author used a bit of a red herring (the poisoning) to get me hooked as it was not the main focal point. I very much enjoyed the book and all the sub-characters that were introduced. I thought I knew all the villains, but was surprised I did not figure out the last one. A 4.4 out of 5 rating.

[Ken Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This effort lagged a little more than the previous efforts. I found that most of the action occurred outside of the hustle and bustle of London and took something away from the story. Otherwise it was a good mystery set within the reality of war between England and France. Again, I enjoy how the main character is learning and growing in his ability to solve mysteries while also dealing with being a young man in the world. Worthy of a read, but not quite up to the previous standard.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a copy of this novel from Back-in-Print Books, a company that prints books that are no longer in print. Number 4 in the John Rawlings Series, it takes place in 18th. century England and is a mystery novel. The main character, John Rawlings, is an apothecary who spends time investigating crimes. This novel is full of mysteries, suspicious characters and unexpected events that keep the reader wanting more. I enjoyed this book immensely and will definitely read more in the series.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying this Georgian series as the Apothecary slowly matures and embraces his role as The Beak's aide. With a keen fashion (of the times) sense and a penchant for falling in love with a pretty face, John Rawlings solves mysteries that present almost no clues on the onset.
The character of his adopted father, another snazzy dresser, and his goldsmith friend add to the cast.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but I didn't think it was as good as the previous books in the series mostly because John was a blabber mouth. For someone looking for spies he was telling people left and right what he was doing. It felt like he told half the town what he was doing, or at least enough for them to figure out what he was doing. That is not how you go about a secret mission.

[Robert Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the John Rawlings mysteries are quite good in evoking the life of 18 century London. Without being an expert in the period, I would say that there are relatively few anachronistic usages. On the whole, the series reminds me a great deal of the French mysteries of Nicholas le Floch set in 18th century Paris

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two years have passed and it is now 1757. John Rawlings has received a letter requesting his presence in Winchelsea. While there he becomes embroiled in spies and smugglers and in the discovery of a body.
An entertaining well-written historical mystery

[L doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fascinating light read.

Kept my interest throughout the book! I reccomend it for an interesting read. Deryn researched this book and I learned more about the secret service to my surprise. I enjoyed this book and hope you do to!

[Anna Massengill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I heard about Dr. Syn, the scarecrow, and the smugglers on the Romney Marsh, I have followed adventures that took place in that location. I enjoyed the book and the amusing descriptions of the characters as voiced by John Rawlings.

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m hooked on this series - from the historical detail and world building, to the characters and the mystery to be solved. Together they serve to bring a time and place alive that you can safely enjoy from the comfort of your modern conveniences.

[Tammy Tkach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books!

John Rawlings is my new favorite Apothecary/detective! I'm gobbling them up as fast as I can. The stories are clever, the characters are fascinating and the writing is great.

[Paula R C R. C. Readman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow book. Classic in style and writing. Of its age.

[Sylvia Dinnage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death OrKney Marsh

I chose this rating as I find the JohnRawlings book s fascinating and have read quite a few and they never diapoint.

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un giallo classico ambientato nel XVIII secolo. Protagonista un simpatico speziale piuttosto sfortunato con le donne. Godibile.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable series!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in this series.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another terrific book by Deryn Lake.

[S Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodish

Way too long, and very obvious. Sort of amusing. The author is one of those who can’t stop,even when they should, yesterday!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so cool. Descriptive of the areas, the times and the characters

[Kurry Swigert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good character development. I enjoyed the twist of bringing the war into the plot. This plot is a little more "deep" than books 1, 2, 3, and 6.

[Misha Herwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another intriguing mystery to be solved by John Rawlings. Thoroughly enjoying this series.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining, but having read a few in the series that I got for free, I'm ready to leave the rest be.

[Kim Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I really enjoyed this. These books just get better and better and I am enjoying the challenge of trying to solve them. So far I'm not doing too well in that aspect, but that just makes me read quicker and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Sentence: As soon as the Magistrate had taken his seat, those who crowded the public benches did likewise.

John Rawlings is an apothecary and occasionally assists magistrate Sir John Fielding in the investigation of crimes. John is summoned by the seaside town of Winchelsea by a woman with whom he had become acquainted on a previous investigation. Mrs. Elizabeth Rose, formerly Harcross, believes someone is trying to poison her and asks for John’s help.

With the onset of the Seven Years War in Europe, John is warned by Fielding to keep an eye out for spies. On the coach ride to Winchelsea, John sees an oddly-shaped church and a well-dressed scarecrow standing in the midst of Romney Marsh. Upon investigation, he discovers the scarecrow is a murdered man; revealed to be a French spy.

Reading Deryn Lake always sends me searching on Google. Her historical information is always so well incorporated into the story. Before this, I was unfamiliar with the churches of St. Thomas à Becket at Fairfield and St. Augustine at Brookland. I also did not know the artist William Hogarth was an early advocate against cruelty towards animals. None of that, however, overshadows what is simply a very good read.

I love the character of Rowling. He’s young, a touch naïve, has a wonderful relationship with his father and Fielding and is always on the side of good and justice. By his being an apothecary allows Lake to also include information on period medicine.

Lake’s sense of time and place is wonderful. Her descriptions of travel, clothing and settings bring the story to live. Her dialogue has a flavour of the period without being overblown.

The story was very well plotted. There were several threads, which kept it interesting but not confusing. I did not quite anticipate the resolution of any of the three threads.

I am delighted to know there are many more books in the series and a new one coming out soon.

DEATH ON THE ROMNEY MARSH (Hist Mys-John Rawlings-England-1757/Georgian) - VG
Lake, Deryn – 4th in series
Hodder & Stoughton, 1998, UK Hardcover- ISBN: 0340674288

[Elin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have yet to read a duff story by Deryn Lake. I love these books - the best way to learn a bit about Georgian history in my opinion.