Petty Treason : A Sarah Tolerance Mystery (Sarah Tolerance)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent look into Regency England and the role of women
Review: Fallen woman Sarah Tolerance makes her living as an investigator and it's no huge surprise when an anxious brother contacts her to investigate his brother-in-law's murder. Not that anyone really regrets the death of the French emigre who tortured his wife and others, spent more money than he made, and spent his time in dangerous company. Finding the killer soon takes second place to keeping the victim's widow, Anne d'Aubigny, from the pursuit of English Law--law that was especially vigilent against that most horrible of crimes--a wife's murder of her husband.

Sarah's investigation soon puts her in harm's way--she is attacked in the street, as is one of her witnesses. Undeterred by the attacks, she continues her search and finds a second mystery--the victim had recently found himself with some level of wealth--without any apparent source. The more Sarah looks, the more it appears that there are layers of complexity hidden, that the d'Aubigny murder is only a part of a plot that might threaten England itself--at a time when every resource is stretched to support the ongoing war against the French and Napoleon.

Author Madeleine E. Robins provides a fascinating look at Regency-era England, diving below the manners and misunderstandings of most Regency writings to examine how a woman might make her way in a time when sexism was viewed as natural and when a woman without a man's protection was seen as fair game. Robins' strong writing engages the reader and draws us into a mystery that continues to reveal new depths--leading from a simple murder to possible treason against the nation itself. The sharp twist at the end left me, at least, nodding with appreciation.

I look forward to reading more mysteries by Robins.

Rating:
Summary: "unputdownable" -- it was that good a read
Review: Fast paced, exciting and thrilling, this latest Sarah Tolerance (pre) Regency-era mystery novel was a treat to read from start to finish. Stuck on a 'plane for an uncomfortable 9 hours, having this wonderfully absorbing and unputdownable book to read was a godsend! Madeline E. Robbins has created a rather unique new series (only two books in the series so far) that every historical mystery lover should read. And her heroine is totally out of the ordinary too: intelligent, independent, intriguing and likable. SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE: THIS IS NOT A SERIES TO BE MISSED!

All of London is shocked and agog about the brutal murder of Chevalier d'Aubigny -- somehow a murderer had gained access to the Chevalier's London house and savagely beat the man to death in his own while his entire household. How was the murderer able to get in and out of a locked house without detection? And how was he able to commit so brutal a crime without awakening any in the house? Worried that the murderer may come after his sister, the Chevalier's wife, Mr. Colcannon hires Miss Sarah Tolerance, a private inquiry agent to discover who murdered the Chevalier and to protect his sister's interests. Soon, Miss Tolerance finds herself moving about both amongst both the high and low of society as she tries to discover more about the murdered man -- what kind of man he really was and who his friends and enemies were. And what she discovers (almost at once) dismays her: for while the Chevalier was not a well liked man, the person with the biggest motive for seeing him dead was his wife, her client. But Miss Tolerance instinctively knows that her client was incapable of so brutal a murder no matter the provocation. And determined to protect the helpless widow, goes after the truth with a vengeance.

From the very start I was hooked. "Petty Treason" was a swiftly paced and suspenseful read, full of interesting twists and turns, and with some truly fascinating red herring suspects. The storyline was an intriguing and captivating one, and was very well crafted indeed. Also well done was the manner in which the author allowed for the level of suspense and tension to gradually build. But what really hooked my interest was the character of Robins' heroine, Sarah Tolerance. Intelligent, frighteningly capable and compassionate, Miss Tolerance engages the reader's interest on every level -- in spite of the author's tendency to refer to her heroine as "Miss Tolerance," something that manages to distance the reader from the heroine, I thought. All in all though, if you're looking for a thrilling, exciting, action-packed novel, with a fascinating heroine, and that vividly (and accurately) portrays life in the early 19th century London, you'll want to read "Petty Treason." A truly unputdownable book.





Rating:
Summary: excellent Regency mystery
Review: In 1810, A flustered Mr. Colcannon on the advice of a friend visits the only female Agent of Inquiry Sarah Tolerance who chose that profession over her other choice of whoring. Colcannon hires Sarah to discreetly investigate the murder of his brother-in-law, French aristocratic émigré Chevalier d'Aubigny. The culprit beat the victim so brutally in his bed until he died and then some in a fancier part of London where homicides never occur.

Sarah wearing her male garb and carrying her sword learns quickly that d'Aubigny frequented brothels where he abused the Fallen as he also did his spouse. Sarah makes the rounds of the whorehouses, but quickly realizes that she stopped him from accosting a prostitute Anne the night he died. When Anne is arrested for homicide, as a POINT OF HONOR Sarah digs deeper because she is convinced the young woman is innocent. However, apparently half the city including his wife detested the French emigrant enough to want him dead.

This excellent Regency mystery brings to life the decadence of the aristocracy and the limited choices women have. The who-done-it is terrific as Sarah is a delightful lead protagonist. The number of suspects ranges the social classes of London so that the audience struggles as to whether the killer is family, upper class outside of his in-laws, or a whore he abused. Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy sleuthing the streets of London along side the intrepid Sarah.

Harriet Klausner