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138th out of 292 books
—
978 voters
Snobbery With Violence (Edwardian Murder Mystery #1)
Lady Rose Summer's debut into high society is a complete disaster. Rose's father suspects her fiancé Sir Geoffrey Blandon to be nothing more than a first-degree blackguard and calls on Captain Harry Cathcart, the impoverished younger son of a baron, to investigate. After Harry brings forth evidence of Blandon's dishonorable intentions, a scandalous public breakup follows....more
Paperback, 243 pages
Published
May 16th 2004
by St. Martin's Paperbacks
(first published 2003)
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A debutante's first season, a country house party and, perhaps not surprisingly, a murder or two!
Lady Rose Summer, one-time Suffragette, is the deb involved. The attempt by her parents to put her in the limelight for her first season is an unmitigated disaster as she gets involved in trying to sort out who killed who and why.
There are plenty of characters to consider, sometimes too many to keep in mind, but, with the help of Harry Cathcart, who at first is something of a leper, she eventually u...more
Lady Rose Summer, one-time Suffragette, is the deb involved. The attempt by her parents to put her in the limelight for her first season is an unmitigated disaster as she gets involved in trying to sort out who killed who and why.
There are plenty of characters to consider, sometimes too many to keep in mind, but, with the help of Harry Cathcart, who at first is something of a leper, she eventually u...more
I enjoyed this quite a bit and am looking forward to reading more in this "cozy mystery" series. I had the mystery figured out pretty early on, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the like-loathe relationship developing between Lady Rose and Captain Cathcart. Definite thumbs up for this one!
I love historical fiction but it usually has such a sad undertone to it. Thought this would more lighthearted and I was right. The mystery is a genre that I usually don't go for either although it isn't on purpose. The combination was good and it is a really fast read.
The beginning is slow though not completely boring. I think what the author is trying to do is let the reader get an idea of what the characters are like. I was surprised to find that I liked Harry more than Rose. You get the poin...more
The beginning is slow though not completely boring. I think what the author is trying to do is let the reader get an idea of what the characters are like. I was surprised to find that I liked Harry more than Rose. You get the poin...more
"Snobbery with Violence: An Edwardian Murder-Mystery"
The book's cover proclaims happily "M.C. Beaton writing as Marion Chesney" though I don't know the publisher's motivation in giving readers two authors when one will do, especially since both are unfamiliar names(to me, at least). Normally, I would not mention such a trifle in a review, but when a book is, really, not very good, it seems strange that the author went out of their way to assume two pseudonyms and then have the fact openly procla...more
The book's cover proclaims happily "M.C. Beaton writing as Marion Chesney" though I don't know the publisher's motivation in giving readers two authors when one will do, especially since both are unfamiliar names(to me, at least). Normally, I would not mention such a trifle in a review, but when a book is, really, not very good, it seems strange that the author went out of their way to assume two pseudonyms and then have the fact openly procla...more
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***** "Snobbery with Violence" (E1) is the first Edwardian London mystery by prolific Marion Chesney, expert at short books and pleasing extensive vocabulary to individualize place, time and person. After tiring of Victorian romances, she wrote murders, contemporary as M.C. Beaton, featuring not-nice Agatha Raisin, then after a Scotland fishing trip gawky Hamish Macbeth, and now, fast explosive action. A brave injured soldier and lovely just-out Lady of inquiring and intelligent natures have equ...more
This was just the kind of lighthearted, well-crafted, historical cozy I was looking for to pass the morning commute away. Sure, the heroine and the sleuth are a bit predictable but the whole Edwardian surround is just so funny you can't help but laugh out loud in places. Lady Rose is a "modern woman" struggling against the trappings of Edwardian society. Harry Cathcart is a titled yet poor bachelor with a penchant for solving some of the problems of the misguided aristocracy. Put the two togethe...more
The first and best of this Edwardian series. We are introduced to Lady Rose and her penchant for "Bolshie" causes like women's suffrage and improving the lot of villagers who have the bad luck of a penny-pinching noble landlord. Harry Cathcart makes a delightful first appearance as a dour unpopular veteran of the Boer wars who turns out to have a gift for ridiculous disguise and a talent for burglary with intent to recover blackmailing letters, as well as a love-hate relationship with the social...more
This is a really nice series. I had never read cozy mysteries before, and this was a good place to start.
The author used almost every cliche and every predictable twist she could possibly come up with, but she paid a lot of attention to building all her characters and so I felt their excitement or dismay at something that I knew was going to happen anyway just as sharply as they did.
The series starts with this book and ends with Our lady of Pain. The romance that starts here is kept unresolved...more
The author used almost every cliche and every predictable twist she could possibly come up with, but she paid a lot of attention to building all her characters and so I felt their excitement or dismay at something that I knew was going to happen anyway just as sharply as they did.
The series starts with this book and ends with Our lady of Pain. The romance that starts here is kept unresolved...more
Captain Harry Cathcart returns to England from the Boer wars as taciturn man. The younger son of a Baron, he used to be happy-go lucky, but the war changed him. Now he is home, aimless and poor. Until his name is given to the Earl of Hadshire as someone who could help him with a problem.
The results of the small bit of detective work the Earl asks Harry to undertake are so successful that Harry suddenly finds himself in demand. Discreet word of mouth has it that for a hefty fee, Harry can "fix"...more
The results of the small bit of detective work the Earl asks Harry to undertake are so successful that Harry suddenly finds himself in demand. Discreet word of mouth has it that for a hefty fee, Harry can "fix"...more
This is the third mystery series that I have read by this author. I have read both Hamish MacBeth, and Agatha Raisin by M. C. Beaton. This series she writes under the name Marion Chesney. I read quite a few Hamish MacBeth and enjoyed them.
This series is set in Edwardian England. The mysteries and their solution seem to be pretty standard fare. What I like in this series are the two main protagonists. Lady Rose Summer is a woman caught between two eras. She is intelligent and outspoken, poor cred...more
This series is set in Edwardian England. The mysteries and their solution seem to be pretty standard fare. What I like in this series are the two main protagonists. Lady Rose Summer is a woman caught between two eras. She is intelligent and outspoken, poor cred...more
Nov 06, 2011
Jennifer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical,
mystery
Actual rating: 3.75 stars.
I've decided for this short series of books to review them as a whole. I read them one after the other in about a 24 hour time period, so they all sort of seem like one really long book to me, and I am not at all sure that I could review them separately.
My plan is to copy and past the review to each of the four books, so I will post most all of the review under a spoiler cut, because I am sure that I will mention things that would be considered spoilerish.
My overall rat...more
I've decided for this short series of books to review them as a whole. I read them one after the other in about a 24 hour time period, so they all sort of seem like one really long book to me, and I am not at all sure that I could review them separately.
My plan is to copy and past the review to each of the four books, so I will post most all of the review under a spoiler cut, because I am sure that I will mention things that would be considered spoilerish.
My overall rat...more
Feb 03, 2010
The Flooze
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
vanquished_2010
Snobbery with Violence is a fast-paced little murder mystery. The kind involving a damp country castle, empty-headed gents and swooning ladies. Marion Chesney (AKA M.C. Beaton) is a master at setting the right tone and efficiently introducing the characters. Scene changes are brisk, but handled neatly and keep the story moving ever forward.
Each chapter begins with a quote that both sets up the coming action and pokes fun at the conventions of the age. They provide a delightful backdrop and often...more
Each chapter begins with a quote that both sets up the coming action and pokes fun at the conventions of the age. They provide a delightful backdrop and often...more
Set during Victorian times in England, Lady Rose Summer is a debutante in her first season. She is all set to give her heart to Blandon, but her father asks Captain Harry Cathcart to look into Blandon, and Cathcart discovers that Blandon's intentions are less than honorable.
Lady Rose, feeling very upset, announces to everyone at a party that Blandon has propositioned her. Combined with her small part in the suffragette movement and her tendency to speak her mind, this ruins Lady Rose's reputati...more
Lady Rose, feeling very upset, announces to everyone at a party that Blandon has propositioned her. Combined with her small part in the suffragette movement and her tendency to speak her mind, this ruins Lady Rose's reputati...more
It took me a little while to really get into this book. Once I did I enjoyed it. It is not the best by this author, but it was fun due to its satirical, cynical attitude toward the English upper class and to Edwardian customs and mores. Rose is a girl ahead of her time, impatient with a life consisting of changing her clothes at least six times a day, the requirement of hiding her intelligence in order to get a husband and the double standard of behavior for men and women. Daisy is a former vaud...more
Although this is the first book in Chesney's Victorian Murder Mystery series, I read it after book one, Hasty Death. I liked this one better probably because I got to know the characters better. Lady Rose is a Victorian era debutante being forced to live the proper life of a lady, when she really wants to toss the corset and multilayers of clothing and go to work as a typist. Her parents are beside themselves and are threatening to send her to India. Lady Rose is invited to Telby Castle along wi...more
This was a much better read than the Agatha Raisin story. (Although, it would seem that I was unlucky enough to pick the one Agatha Raisin that even the fans didn't like so much.) Beaton does a good job of displaying the ignorance and stupidity of all classes and that snobbery is not confined to the Upper classes.
She has some very good quotes, before each chapter. In fact, I think I enjoyed those more than the story, ha. It is not a long story, and without the detailed descriptions of clothing,...more
She has some very good quotes, before each chapter. In fact, I think I enjoyed those more than the story, ha. It is not a long story, and without the detailed descriptions of clothing,...more
"Snobbery with Violence" is an average, predictable cozy mystery. The author uses some very stereotypical characters and cliched plot lines. Nonetheless, a few of the characters, including our heroine and hero have their moments of being interesting and likable. There is nothing new or intriguing about this novel. Still, if you're looking for a historical cozy mystery, this is your book. (I would also note that I read this on the kindle, and there were a lot of typing errors. I sometimes found i...more
I picked up this book at the library when they didn't have the one I wanted, and I'm glad I did. It was very entertaining, with good characters. Lady Rose is a proto-feminist and Captain Cathcart is a male chauvinist pig, so naturally they are attracted to/repelled by each other. The secondary characters are good also - Daisy, Rose's ladies maid (formerly chorusgirl) and Cathcart's man Becket. Even Detective Superintendant Kerridge is interesting, and not a dunce. I look forward to reading the r...more
This was my first foray into Ms. Chesney's Edwardian mysteries. I have enjoyed all of her Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth books written under the name M.C. Beaton. It was a a decent mystery with decent characters, but I prefer the books written as M.C. Beaton. I did figure out the murderer before the end of the book. I thought it was pretty obvious. She went into detail about the rigamarole the poor women of that time had to go through to get dressed (thank goodness I was born when I was!). The...more
While nothing spectacular here, this was quite a nice cozy mystery with a dash of romance. Set close to the turn of the last century, it features Lady Rose Summer (a debutante with a disasterous first season), Daisy (her ladies maid), Captain Harry Cathcart (a young aristocratic detective), and Beckett (his valet). The plot is very nicely summed up in the product description, so I won't bother with one here.
If you're looking for a quaint mystery novel with a historical setting, this is the one...more
If you're looking for a quaint mystery novel with a historical setting, this is the one...more
I really do enjoy cosy mysteries and I prefer historical to contemporary so it was with great expectation that I started this Snobbery with Violence, an Edwardian murder mystery.
I must say that I enjoyed it very much and I almost laughed aloud at times. Lady Rose Summer was almost unbelievable at times, as she was much focused in the women's rights movement and the equality of rights between the lower and upper classes but at the same time, she seemed unaware of the proper behaviour to live in p...more
I must say that I enjoyed it very much and I almost laughed aloud at times. Lady Rose Summer was almost unbelievable at times, as she was much focused in the women's rights movement and the equality of rights between the lower and upper classes but at the same time, she seemed unaware of the proper behaviour to live in p...more
A bit of light reading after Christmas--I bought this series on audio for my mother. Ms. Chesney has always been a favorite writer of mine. I have a full shelf of slim Regency novels with her name on them. This is a return to the Edwardian time for Ms. Chesney. If you like country-house murder settings, this one is only a smidge rawer than Agatha Christie. Romance lurks in the background but doesn't materialize. There are three more books in the series at present.
SNOBBERY WITH VIOLENCE (Edwardian Cozy) – G
Marion Chesney (aka M.C. Beaton) – 2nd in series
St. Martin’s Minotaur Mysteries, 2004 - Paperback
Captain Harry Catheart is hired by the father of Lady Rose Summer to investigate the man courting his daughter. After it’s discovered the man is a complete bounder and Rose ends her first season in disgrace, she is sent off to attend a party at Telby Castle along with other young women of questionable marriage prospects. However, when a dislikable guest is f...more
Marion Chesney (aka M.C. Beaton) – 2nd in series
St. Martin’s Minotaur Mysteries, 2004 - Paperback
Captain Harry Catheart is hired by the father of Lady Rose Summer to investigate the man courting his daughter. After it’s discovered the man is a complete bounder and Rose ends her first season in disgrace, she is sent off to attend a party at Telby Castle along with other young women of questionable marriage prospects. However, when a dislikable guest is f...more
great fun while i was reading it. it's basically a fantasy of life in edwardian england, with a hero and heroine who feel almost completely anachronistic. they sound in the mold of the upstairs family in Downtown Abbey, tho i can't be sure as i've never seen it. It's good enough that i stayed up way too late to finish it, but pretty forgettable.
fyi, Marion Chesney also writes the Hamish Macbeth mysteries, under the name M. C. Beaton.
fyi, Marion Chesney also writes the Hamish Macbeth mysteries, under the name M. C. Beaton.
It took me a while to discover that this "new" author I was trying was actually one I had read many times before as another pen name, M.C. Beaton. This story was not like her Agatha Raisin stories but had a sense of humor here and there like the Raisin books as well as good character development. It was indeed snobby and I felt sorry for the main character having to live with all the frivolous, upper-class men and women. I'm not sure how much of it was typical or stereotypical but I look forward...more
I have read a few of the Agatha Raisin books and although not brilliant, they are nice light reads. I thought I would give this series a go. I wouldn't say I really enjoyed it, it was OK. the characters were alright, quite a few to keep track of but I feel like this book is maybe doing the setting up for the rest of the series. The thing I liked most was the highlighting of the differences in classes.
Much more satisfying than the third book in the series, a nice mystery involving an Edwardian woman frustrated with societal strictures on women's intelligence and a depressed back-from-the-Boer-War detective-type, and some murder. Chesney's telegraphic style makes some characters difficult to penetrate and makes some so clear you'd swear the text told you more about them. Reinterested me in the series.
It's a very light read. A murder mystery novel, but the appeal to me is the main character. I like a strong female lead who gets what she wants. She is pampered in the 1800's. She valiantly bucks against the traditions of being rich by being uncouth, but still enjoys all the perks of her parents money and good standing. Then she solves crimes and comes out smelling like her name, the rose.
Light, amusing and quick to read.
The adventures of an Edwardian debutante as she begins to venture further into the world than her class likes to allow.
Lady Rose Summer is a different kind of Edwardian lady. Befriending outcasts and going where no well bred lady would, she finds herself getting wrapped up in mystery after mystery.
Book 1 of a series by a well known and beloved author.
The adventures of an Edwardian debutante as she begins to venture further into the world than her class likes to allow.
Lady Rose Summer is a different kind of Edwardian lady. Befriending outcasts and going where no well bred lady would, she finds herself getting wrapped up in mystery after mystery.
Book 1 of a series by a well known and beloved author.
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Also writes as: M.C. Beaton, Jennie Tremaine, Sarah Chester, Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Marion Gibbons, Charlotte Ward.
Marion Chesney (Marion McChesney) (born 1936) is a popular and prolific author. She has written numerous successful historical romance novels under her own name, including the Travelling Matchmaker and Daughters of Mannerling series. Using the pseudonym M. C. Beaton, she h...more
More about Marion Chesney...
Marion Chesney (Marion McChesney) (born 1936) is a popular and prolific author. She has written numerous successful historical romance novels under her own name, including the Travelling Matchmaker and Daughters of Mannerling series. Using the pseudonym M. C. Beaton, she h...more
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May 31, 2012 03:00am
No, not one to search out in a hurry ... but it may be me wo was not in the mood for this type of book.
Pouring with rain here, shorts put awa...more
May 31, 2012 03:11am
Looking forward to those pictures. Curl up with a book or three until the nasty rain swans over to somewhere else.
May 31, 2012 03:17am