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Colin Pendragon Mysteries #2
The Bellingham Bloodbath
Colin Pendragon's reputation as a brilliant detective is undisputed in Victorian London. But when murder strikes inside the closed ranks of Her Majesty's Guard, he must penetrate a wall of silence and secrecy to discover the dark truth. . .
After a captain in Her Majesty's Guard and his young wife are brutally murdered in their flat, master sleuth Colin Pendragon and his partner Ethan Pruitt are summoned to Buckingham Palace. Major Hampstead demands discretion at all costs to preserve the reputation of the Guard and insists Pendragon participate in a cover-up by misleading the press.
In response, Pendragon makes the bold claim that he will solve the case in no more than three days' time or he will oblige the major and compromise himself. Racing against the clock--and thwarted at every turn by their Scotland Yard nemesis, Inspector Varcoe--Pendragon and Pruitt begin to assemble the clues around the grisly homicide, probing into private lives and uncovering closely guarded secrets. As the minutes tick away, the pressure--and the danger--mounts as Pendragon's integrity is on the line and a cold-blooded killer remains on the streets. . .
After a captain in Her Majesty's Guard and his young wife are brutally murdered in their flat, master sleuth Colin Pendragon and his partner Ethan Pruitt are summoned to Buckingham Palace. Major Hampstead demands discretion at all costs to preserve the reputation of the Guard and insists Pendragon participate in a cover-up by misleading the press.
In response, Pendragon makes the bold claim that he will solve the case in no more than three days' time or he will oblige the major and compromise himself. Racing against the clock--and thwarted at every turn by their Scotland Yard nemesis, Inspector Varcoe--Pendragon and Pruitt begin to assemble the clues around the grisly homicide, probing into private lives and uncovering closely guarded secrets. As the minutes tick away, the pressure--and the danger--mounts as Pendragon's integrity is on the line and a cold-blooded killer remains on the streets. . .
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
65 people are currently reading
461 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Harris
6 books46 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Gregory Harris was born and raised outside of Chicago where he first developed a love of storytelling with the encouragement of a sister and cousin both blessed with fertile imaginations. He moved to Los Angeles where he attended and graduated from the University of Southern California.
He began his post collegiate career working at several talent agencies before moving into television and motion picture production, starting out on the landmark ABC television series, MOONLIGHTING, with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd.
From there he worked on several motion pictures including - CLEAN AND SOBER, LOVE AFFAIR and PICTURE PERFECT. He next moved to CBS Television where he worked on many notable on-air series among which were TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, CHICAGO HOPE, NOW AND AGAIN and PROMISED LAND.
After twenty years in the entertainment industry, Gregory decided it was time to begin writing on his own, and switched careers to give himself the freedom to do so. He entered the financial services industry and wrote a series of short stories before trying his hand at both a work of fiction and non-fiction. Just as the financial services business began to face harsh challenges, he finally turned his attentions to novel writing, specifically historical mysteries featuring Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruitt. They would keep him focused through some rough times.
Gregory still resides in Southern California where he is able to indulge his passion for motorcycle riding. His other passion is travel - most notably prowling about the fog-shrouded byways of London once traversed by Colin and Ethan.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Gregory Harris was born and raised outside of Chicago where he first developed a love of storytelling with the encouragement of a sister and cousin both blessed with fertile imaginations. He moved to Los Angeles where he attended and graduated from the University of Southern California.
He began his post collegiate career working at several talent agencies before moving into television and motion picture production, starting out on the landmark ABC television series, MOONLIGHTING, with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd.
From there he worked on several motion pictures including - CLEAN AND SOBER, LOVE AFFAIR and PICTURE PERFECT. He next moved to CBS Television where he worked on many notable on-air series among which were TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, CHICAGO HOPE, NOW AND AGAIN and PROMISED LAND.
After twenty years in the entertainment industry, Gregory decided it was time to begin writing on his own, and switched careers to give himself the freedom to do so. He entered the financial services industry and wrote a series of short stories before trying his hand at both a work of fiction and non-fiction. Just as the financial services business began to face harsh challenges, he finally turned his attentions to novel writing, specifically historical mysteries featuring Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruitt. They would keep him focused through some rough times.
Gregory still resides in Southern California where he is able to indulge his passion for motorcycle riding. His other passion is travel - most notably prowling about the fog-shrouded byways of London once traversed by Colin and Ethan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 22, 2014
I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
Master sleuth Colin Pendragon and his significant other, Ethan Pruitt, work to solve the murders of a captain in Queen Victoria's Guard, and his wife. Dealing with Her Majesty's Guard requires discretion for it is a closed and secretive group who are accustomed to settling their own matters without public scrutiny. Pendragon promises to disclose the murderer within three days. If he fails to do so, he agrees to serve as the Guard's mouthpiece to the press.
Written in the spirit of Sherlock Holmes, Harris explores a partnership where the master sleuth and his sidekick cohabitate and are lovers. Their romantic relationship is low profile and G-Rated. Pruitt mainly admires Pendragon, tries to make him happy, corrects him, protects him, suffers jealousy and insecurity, and participates in a little cuddling. I'm not an expert on Victorian London, but I saw little difference in the challenges a gay relationship might have endured then, as compared to those found today. Maybe that is the case--some things never change.
The theme develops slowly and eventually centers on the dark side of social intolerance.
My unfulfilled expectation for the novel included a richer Victorian atmosphere, and adult characters with dialogue and thought patterns accurate for the time,and that offer some intriguing character insight or struggle. (I adore the British Sherlock series.) This novel, however, is not evocative, despite the 'gruesome' murders. It is suitable for a YA audience. My personal rating is somewhere between 'It was ok' and 'I liked it', in that I was drawn to finish the story, but the writing, while functional, did not provide enough relish to wow me.
Master sleuth Colin Pendragon and his significant other, Ethan Pruitt, work to solve the murders of a captain in Queen Victoria's Guard, and his wife. Dealing with Her Majesty's Guard requires discretion for it is a closed and secretive group who are accustomed to settling their own matters without public scrutiny. Pendragon promises to disclose the murderer within three days. If he fails to do so, he agrees to serve as the Guard's mouthpiece to the press.
Written in the spirit of Sherlock Holmes, Harris explores a partnership where the master sleuth and his sidekick cohabitate and are lovers. Their romantic relationship is low profile and G-Rated. Pruitt mainly admires Pendragon, tries to make him happy, corrects him, protects him, suffers jealousy and insecurity, and participates in a little cuddling. I'm not an expert on Victorian London, but I saw little difference in the challenges a gay relationship might have endured then, as compared to those found today. Maybe that is the case--some things never change.
The theme develops slowly and eventually centers on the dark side of social intolerance.
My unfulfilled expectation for the novel included a richer Victorian atmosphere, and adult characters with dialogue and thought patterns accurate for the time,and that offer some intriguing character insight or struggle. (I adore the British Sherlock series.) This novel, however, is not evocative, despite the 'gruesome' murders. It is suitable for a YA audience. My personal rating is somewhere between 'It was ok' and 'I liked it', in that I was drawn to finish the story, but the writing, while functional, did not provide enough relish to wow me.
November 13, 2017
The Bellingham Bloodbath
By Gregory Harris
Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2014
298 pages
Four stars
This was the first of the Colin Pendragon mysteries that I’ve read, alerted by a fellow traveler on Facebook. I liked it enough to give it four stars, and enough to buy the first book in the alphabetically titled series, “The Arnivour Affair.” I am also interested in the fact that this series has been produced by a mainstream press.
So, what we have is a historical setting, more or less the London of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I’ve no doubt that Harris purposefully decided to create a gay parallel to the famous duo of Baker Street, and I confess that this is probably the main reason it kept me hooked.
Colin Pendragon is the high-born but (apparently) socially marginal son of a titled Englishman. His amanuensis is Ethan Pruitt, low-born Whitechapel boy, orphaned as a child and rescued from the slums by Colin as a teenager. Pendragon is the nemesis of the bloviating Scotland Yard inspector, and the recipient of much genteel side-eye as he moves about London solving mysteries.
Pendragon, with Pruitt faithfully by his side, is called to the Queens Life Guards, housed in a wing of Buckingham Palace, to help solve a brutal murder. The pace of the narrative is ratcheted up by an arbitrary deadline that Colin allows to be set for him, and complicated by a light-hearted and slightly absurd sidebar plot involving pugs.
Colin is full of quirks. He can’t remember names properly. He does random athletics (in the flat he and Pruitt share, overseen by the terrifying Mrs. Behmoth) to dissipate excess energy, and is always playing with a silver pound coin. Ethan, on the other hand, seems almost a cipher. Yes, this is rather in the Dr. Watson mode, but he felt even more shadowy to me, his presence only affirmed in that he is the narrator.
The murder mystery and the silly side-mystery were handled well and kept my interest. I am not sure I followed Colin’s mental leaps to correct conclusions—I yearned for a little more explication of how he’d figured out the facts, and would have expected those in conversations with Ethan as they raced hither and yon through London at all times of day and night. But I was never bored, always anxious to get to the next step closer to the solution.
My qualm about the Pendragon story is in the bloodlessness of Colin and Ethan’s relationship. Of course it is sexless (on page) because mainstream publishers would all but require that. Also, of course, because we’re in Victorian London where sodomy is still illegal and the gay subculture is still reeling from the imprisonment of Oscar Wilde. But one really must pay close attention to understand that Colin and Ethan are a couple. Over the course of the novel we are given enough bits and pieces of Ethan’s history to understand where and how their relationship started. Period-appropriate discretion aside, the tiny snippets of emotion that the men display with each other suggest an emotional life not much more involved that Holmes and Watson themselves shared.
There is a late scene in the book, about which I cannot say much without spoiling things, that struck me. It is so full of unspoken truth and veiled emotional pain that—for an older gay man used to a world in which invisibility was the only real safety—it was tremendously poignant. Mainstream (i.e. straight) readers may not appreciate the finely tuned nuances of Harris’s storytelling. Even in the twenty-first century, echoes of the bad old days are very much present in gay men’s lives, especially gay men who have lived a while. Ultimately, this undercurrent of tension is what gripped me as I read about Pendragon and Pruitt. Their life as a couple was all but miraculous in the waning days of Victoria’s reign, and if you don’t understand why, you’ll miss some of the essence of what makes these books worth reading.
By Gregory Harris
Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2014
298 pages
Four stars
This was the first of the Colin Pendragon mysteries that I’ve read, alerted by a fellow traveler on Facebook. I liked it enough to give it four stars, and enough to buy the first book in the alphabetically titled series, “The Arnivour Affair.” I am also interested in the fact that this series has been produced by a mainstream press.
So, what we have is a historical setting, more or less the London of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I’ve no doubt that Harris purposefully decided to create a gay parallel to the famous duo of Baker Street, and I confess that this is probably the main reason it kept me hooked.
Colin Pendragon is the high-born but (apparently) socially marginal son of a titled Englishman. His amanuensis is Ethan Pruitt, low-born Whitechapel boy, orphaned as a child and rescued from the slums by Colin as a teenager. Pendragon is the nemesis of the bloviating Scotland Yard inspector, and the recipient of much genteel side-eye as he moves about London solving mysteries.
Pendragon, with Pruitt faithfully by his side, is called to the Queens Life Guards, housed in a wing of Buckingham Palace, to help solve a brutal murder. The pace of the narrative is ratcheted up by an arbitrary deadline that Colin allows to be set for him, and complicated by a light-hearted and slightly absurd sidebar plot involving pugs.
Colin is full of quirks. He can’t remember names properly. He does random athletics (in the flat he and Pruitt share, overseen by the terrifying Mrs. Behmoth) to dissipate excess energy, and is always playing with a silver pound coin. Ethan, on the other hand, seems almost a cipher. Yes, this is rather in the Dr. Watson mode, but he felt even more shadowy to me, his presence only affirmed in that he is the narrator.
The murder mystery and the silly side-mystery were handled well and kept my interest. I am not sure I followed Colin’s mental leaps to correct conclusions—I yearned for a little more explication of how he’d figured out the facts, and would have expected those in conversations with Ethan as they raced hither and yon through London at all times of day and night. But I was never bored, always anxious to get to the next step closer to the solution.
My qualm about the Pendragon story is in the bloodlessness of Colin and Ethan’s relationship. Of course it is sexless (on page) because mainstream publishers would all but require that. Also, of course, because we’re in Victorian London where sodomy is still illegal and the gay subculture is still reeling from the imprisonment of Oscar Wilde. But one really must pay close attention to understand that Colin and Ethan are a couple. Over the course of the novel we are given enough bits and pieces of Ethan’s history to understand where and how their relationship started. Period-appropriate discretion aside, the tiny snippets of emotion that the men display with each other suggest an emotional life not much more involved that Holmes and Watson themselves shared.
There is a late scene in the book, about which I cannot say much without spoiling things, that struck me. It is so full of unspoken truth and veiled emotional pain that—for an older gay man used to a world in which invisibility was the only real safety—it was tremendously poignant. Mainstream (i.e. straight) readers may not appreciate the finely tuned nuances of Harris’s storytelling. Even in the twenty-first century, echoes of the bad old days are very much present in gay men’s lives, especially gay men who have lived a while. Ultimately, this undercurrent of tension is what gripped me as I read about Pendragon and Pruitt. Their life as a couple was all but miraculous in the waning days of Victoria’s reign, and if you don’t understand why, you’ll miss some of the essence of what makes these books worth reading.
August 28, 2014
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My Review: I really enjoyed reading The Arnifour Affair, the first book in this series back in December 2013. So when I saw that Gregory Harris had a second book in this series out I jumped at the chance to read it. I do love me a Victorian mystery with unique characters.
Unfortunately, I felt that this book suffered a little from the sophomoric blues and I didn't find it nearly as riveting. Even though there is a definite time crunch for the duo to solve the crimes, it lacked suspense and I really missed the humour between the men and Mrs Behmoth. She was a breath of fresh air in the first book as she put the men in their place. And while she was in The Bellingham Bloodbath she was a very tertiary character and I missed her.
By this second book in the series I was hoping to get a deeper look into the characters, their relationships and how they solve the crimes. I still like how Colin and Ethan's relationship is written in a very casual way since the novelty of the relationship has worn off by the second book. That said, I was hoping for a better look into their relationship and their pasts. The reader gets a glimpse into Ethan's past but Colin is still very much a mystery.
What I do know about Colin Pendragon is that he continues to have a very strong Sherlock Holmes vibe to him. He is moody, brooding, self-centred, brilliant and yes, very arrogant. Without getting a chance to see more of Colin's inner workings I fear that he will begin to be (if not already) just a Sherlock cliché. I continue to have a weak understanding about how Colin deduces whodunit or even how he feels about situations and people. Instead his thought processes were replaced with scenes where he was either off pumping iron or doing push-ups while he figured out the mystery. As a reader, I prefer to see how the sleuth comes to his or her predictions and ultimately solves the case. In this book the reader is supposed to just assume that Colin knows what he's doing and that didn't sit well with me.
Ethan's character came off as much more of a petty doormat not wanting to disrupt the brilliance that is Colin even though he came up with some great tips on his own. And their 'spat' seemed petty and didn't endear either of them to me or give me insight into their relationship (if that's what Harris was going for).
As in the first book there are two mysteries that Colin and Ethan are trying to solve. While there was enough momentum to keep me reading I can't help but feel that the mysteries weren't as dynamic this time around. And while I did find the overall theme of tolerance to be a good message the character development and suspense weren't as gripping or enlightening as I was hoping.
With this review it sounds like I didn't like this book but I did. I guess I was just hoping for more. In the end I thought that this was a quick and easy read and while I didn't love it as much as The Arnifour Affair it is still a decent follow up. I'm hoping that in the future books of the series the author will take the time to help the reader understand the enigma that is Colin Pendragon.
My Rating: 3/5 stars
** This book review, as well as many more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca).
My Review: I really enjoyed reading The Arnifour Affair, the first book in this series back in December 2013. So when I saw that Gregory Harris had a second book in this series out I jumped at the chance to read it. I do love me a Victorian mystery with unique characters.
Unfortunately, I felt that this book suffered a little from the sophomoric blues and I didn't find it nearly as riveting. Even though there is a definite time crunch for the duo to solve the crimes, it lacked suspense and I really missed the humour between the men and Mrs Behmoth. She was a breath of fresh air in the first book as she put the men in their place. And while she was in The Bellingham Bloodbath she was a very tertiary character and I missed her.
By this second book in the series I was hoping to get a deeper look into the characters, their relationships and how they solve the crimes. I still like how Colin and Ethan's relationship is written in a very casual way since the novelty of the relationship has worn off by the second book. That said, I was hoping for a better look into their relationship and their pasts. The reader gets a glimpse into Ethan's past but Colin is still very much a mystery.
What I do know about Colin Pendragon is that he continues to have a very strong Sherlock Holmes vibe to him. He is moody, brooding, self-centred, brilliant and yes, very arrogant. Without getting a chance to see more of Colin's inner workings I fear that he will begin to be (if not already) just a Sherlock cliché. I continue to have a weak understanding about how Colin deduces whodunit or even how he feels about situations and people. Instead his thought processes were replaced with scenes where he was either off pumping iron or doing push-ups while he figured out the mystery. As a reader, I prefer to see how the sleuth comes to his or her predictions and ultimately solves the case. In this book the reader is supposed to just assume that Colin knows what he's doing and that didn't sit well with me.
Ethan's character came off as much more of a petty doormat not wanting to disrupt the brilliance that is Colin even though he came up with some great tips on his own. And their 'spat' seemed petty and didn't endear either of them to me or give me insight into their relationship (if that's what Harris was going for).
As in the first book there are two mysteries that Colin and Ethan are trying to solve. While there was enough momentum to keep me reading I can't help but feel that the mysteries weren't as dynamic this time around. And while I did find the overall theme of tolerance to be a good message the character development and suspense weren't as gripping or enlightening as I was hoping.
With this review it sounds like I didn't like this book but I did. I guess I was just hoping for more. In the end I thought that this was a quick and easy read and while I didn't love it as much as The Arnifour Affair it is still a decent follow up. I'm hoping that in the future books of the series the author will take the time to help the reader understand the enigma that is Colin Pendragon.
My Rating: 3/5 stars
** This book review, as well as many more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca).
June 12, 2020
I am truly enjoying this series. Colin Pendragon & Elliott Pruitt are professionally more skillful and personally less subtle than most detectives. The mysteries are well developed and solved only in the last pages.
Looking for my next one!!!
Looking for my next one!!!
April 12, 2025
Wish we had gotten more of the relationship between Ethan and Collin, but it was still a good read.
October 31, 2016
This is the second Colin Pendragon mystery and I'm wondering if maybe I should have found the first before before I embarked on this story. There are one or two things that may have been introduced which would help me to have enjoyed the story more such as the backstory of Pendragon and his aide/partner Pruitt and the bloody annoying twiddling of a coin and the reasons behind it. I did wonder why there was mention of the relationship between the two men as it was downplayed so much but it does play a part of the ending and big reveal where certain thing suddenly make a lot more sense.
I surprised myself today by blasting through the last 50% of the book as it's taken me since August 2015 to get this far. I think that's one of the main problems. It's not a book you need to keep reading. When you put it down to do something else it's easy to forget about it and start reading something else.
It's also a bit long. There's a bit at the end where Mrs Behmoth, the landlady says 'Yer always use too many words'... and that's my other gripe. The books was too long. There's a subplot involving dog-napping that would better suit a separate short story and I would have been happy not to have read.
That aside it's not a bad book, the characters are all well rounded and any bits that I may not have understood were all tied up at the end quite satisfactorily. I really should try and get the first book as I liked the bits of history of Pruitt and would like to know more (I have the 3rd book so may get my wish)
All in all a thumbs in the middle.
I received a free ARC of this book from netgalley in return for an honest review
I surprised myself today by blasting through the last 50% of the book as it's taken me since August 2015 to get this far. I think that's one of the main problems. It's not a book you need to keep reading. When you put it down to do something else it's easy to forget about it and start reading something else.
It's also a bit long. There's a bit at the end where Mrs Behmoth, the landlady says 'Yer always use too many words'... and that's my other gripe. The books was too long. There's a subplot involving dog-napping that would better suit a separate short story and I would have been happy not to have read.
That aside it's not a bad book, the characters are all well rounded and any bits that I may not have understood were all tied up at the end quite satisfactorily. I really should try and get the first book as I liked the bits of history of Pruitt and would like to know more (I have the 3rd book so may get my wish)
All in all a thumbs in the middle.
I received a free ARC of this book from netgalley in return for an honest review
September 3, 2014
this was given to me to read free by netgalley.. fast paced book but the title is slightly misleading as its only based around a couple of murders as a captain of the light guard and his wife have been found murdered and colin pendragon is called in to investigate through misinformation and red herrings he works through the case. in parts the book was interesting but in others the plot became abit blogged down but overall the book was okay but this is my first introduction to this author
November 20, 2014
Billed as a Sherlock Holmes "homage" it is more of a rip-off, or a pale copy. Sort of a disappointment and too many anachronisms that jarred me out of enjoyment of a good read. I won't buy any more of this series. The gay characters did not bother me. The sloppy writing offended me greatly.
April 9, 2018
Colin and Ethan, partners in detective work and life, work on solving two cases in this book. The first is a horrific murder of a military man and his wife. Even though the military hires them, Colin and Ethan get no help from them in their investigation as they work against a three-day deadline. The second case is dog-napping which they solve in short order.
This is light reading despite the gory murder, although at the end of the story, there is some serious ruminating about being gay in Victorian England. The storytelling is excellent, with plot being the driver.
The characterization is a bit thin but the slightly saucy narration overcomes any weakness with character development. The coroner Denton Ross, who seems to have the hots for Ethan, is a standout for me. The pompous Scotland Yard detective Emmett Varcoe is there for Colin to annoy and put in his place. I expect these two will re-appear in subsequent novels in this series and it will be interesting to see what their roles will be.
This is the second of a series and can be read as a standalone without difficulty.
A good fun read.
This is light reading despite the gory murder, although at the end of the story, there is some serious ruminating about being gay in Victorian England. The storytelling is excellent, with plot being the driver.
The characterization is a bit thin but the slightly saucy narration overcomes any weakness with character development. The coroner Denton Ross, who seems to have the hots for Ethan, is a standout for me. The pompous Scotland Yard detective Emmett Varcoe is there for Colin to annoy and put in his place. I expect these two will re-appear in subsequent novels in this series and it will be interesting to see what their roles will be.
This is the second of a series and can be read as a standalone without difficulty.
A good fun read.
April 13, 2019
Think Sherlock Holmes meets Brideshead Revisited.
A serviceable mystery, but flawed. Then again, I am not it's target audience.
The book blurb implies this is a mystery set in Victorian London. However, those wishing to feel the cool night fog on their cheek as they hear the muffled clopping of horse-drawn carriages across the cobblestones while searching the gas-lit streets for murderers lurking in the shadows will be disappointed. The entire novel seems a little off. An occasional American euphemism mars the mood. There is also an indifference to the stiff-upper lip, muscular swagger of the Victorians, not to mention some weird understanding of the British class system. This is almost more of an alternative history.
There is also a bit too much foreshadowing of the "had I but known" variety. And the innumerable incidents of "snickering", "smirking", and "eye-rolling" could have been toned down.
At times it seemed the author was more interested in the relationship between the detective and his partner than in the mystery.
Like I said, serviceable, but flawed.
February 23, 2021
I heart Ethan Pruitt! He's a marvelous narrator and a delightful foil for his cocky lover and the genius private investigator of the stories, Colin Pendragon. Their understated but obvious love underpins everything, and the way Colin insists that Ethan is an equal partner in every way in their relationship is just beautiful. They have their issues, of course, but the resolution of those issues is so satisfying. Also, there's a murder mystery in this book. Lol! (It's very well-done. I'm just totally enamored of our loving leads.)
May 24, 2022
This second in the series might have been a bit better read than the first. The pacing is fast, the mystery good with not only murderer but motive unknown. When the murderer and motive are revealed, it hits close to home as Pendragon and Pruitt investigate the murder of a Captain of the Queen's Guard and his wife. As in the first book, they investigate another crime at the same time. While I said in my review of the first book that this isn't quite a Sherlock Holmes pastiche due to more differences than similarities, it does give you that Holmes feeling.
May 21, 2020
I enjoyed this book because it was a great tale reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes/Watson mystery. The atmosphere depicted evoked the setting of Victorian times in England and entailed the murder of one of the Queen's Royal guards and his wife as well as a pug who had been kidnapped as a second tale. The dialogue was right on and very well developed characters Colin Pendragon and his partner, Ethan Pruitt (a la Oscar Wilde).
February 1, 2018
Continuing the Sherlock flavour of The Arnifour Affair, Colin Pendragon and partner Ethan Pruitt embark on another readable mystery.
If you put aside the annoying number of times we hear about Pendragon's tossing off a few pushups or flinging around dumbbells, the mystery moves along well and will satisfy many Sherlock-Watson shippers.
If you put aside the annoying number of times we hear about Pendragon's tossing off a few pushups or flinging around dumbbells, the mystery moves along well and will satisfy many Sherlock-Watson shippers.
July 10, 2018
The characters are a take off of the Sherlock Holmes and Watson pair but updated a bit. (Hint: they are gay!!)
Set in London in current times, Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruitt are hired to find out who killed a captain in Her Majesty's Guard and his wife. They pledge to solve it in 3 days.
Also, they are hired to find a valuable pedigree dog!
Set in London in current times, Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruitt are hired to find out who killed a captain in Her Majesty's Guard and his wife. They pledge to solve it in 3 days.
Also, they are hired to find a valuable pedigree dog!
November 20, 2018
Colin Pendragon and his partner Ethan Pruitt are summoned to Buckingham Palace to solve the gruesome murders of a captain in Queen Victoria's Guard and his wife. The Queen's guards are used to solving their own problems and want Colin's help to mislead the press. Colin challenges that he will solve the case in 3 days. The entire book was a race against time and I really enjoyed it.
February 21, 2024
4.5 easy. Even better than the first! I love getting to know Colin and Ethan better, and i loved the complication of the two cases at once. I love the author's use of language, and the writing is so descriptive, i feel like i'm there (when i'm really curled up in my bed in my jammies wishing the book would not end!).
February 27, 2018
Since I am not an avid mystery reader, I am not able to appropriately judge the quality of this book. It was a "fun" read -- one that would be good for beach or poolside. For those who care one way or the other, there are gay characters -- though no sex.
March 26, 2018
Highly entertaining
Charming and witty, the characters are well executed and the storyline is clever and never bogs down. I quite enjoy the combination of a gay Victorian detective and witty banter.
Charming and witty, the characters are well executed and the storyline is clever and never bogs down. I quite enjoy the combination of a gay Victorian detective and witty banter.
September 15, 2020
This is an okay read and it did keep me interested through the story. The plot was good but it seemed to compete with the poutiness of the protagonist. The other characters were okay but not outstanding. The history of the period is interesting.
August 30, 2017
I really enjoyed the book as I did the first one in the series. Very well written and the author's attention to detail was good as well.
Anyone who likes mysteries will enjoy this book.
Anyone who likes mysteries will enjoy this book.
February 8, 2019
Two storylines at once to hopfully keep reader enthralled. However, the book comes up a little short. Easy read.
December 30, 2023
I enjoyed this mystery. The story and characters were quite representative of the times. England’s class war and standards are on play with the storyline.
September 21, 2014
Gregory Harris quickly became one of my favourite authors when I read the first book in this series. This book reinforced why I love his work, although I did find the lack of his dealings with the apparition of Sherlock in this book mildly disappointing. I thought the connections he made to the famous sleuth in the first one gave it a special quality that this one did not possess. Also, I missed Oscar.
Still, that being said, this was another witty, engaging romp through a dual mystery that kept me smiling and curious as I read. I love that he used pugs as the central stars of one mystery--my favourite dog breed.
The murder mystery (and the crime itself) was more detailed this time than the first go and I felt like the author was more comfortable in his skin. The homosexual angle of the book is still mild, although more prominent in this book and I think his two main characters work really well together and have the type of dynamic you want in a long term partnership--both professional and personal.
The thing that makes me love these books so much is the wit and charm of the characters. Ethan is full of wry observations and often makes me laugh out loud. Colin, seen mostly through Ethan's eyes, is daring and crass, and often seems to pull clues out of thin air and make them work, and together they are an unstoppable force.
The mysteries are always intriguing and have lots of possible culprits at the heart of them, so it take a while to draw a conclusion. Overall, I just really like these books.
If you like mysteries that follow the Victorian England rules of proper gentleman and high society mischief, you can't go wrong with these novels.
Recommended.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Still, that being said, this was another witty, engaging romp through a dual mystery that kept me smiling and curious as I read. I love that he used pugs as the central stars of one mystery--my favourite dog breed.
The murder mystery (and the crime itself) was more detailed this time than the first go and I felt like the author was more comfortable in his skin. The homosexual angle of the book is still mild, although more prominent in this book and I think his two main characters work really well together and have the type of dynamic you want in a long term partnership--both professional and personal.
The thing that makes me love these books so much is the wit and charm of the characters. Ethan is full of wry observations and often makes me laugh out loud. Colin, seen mostly through Ethan's eyes, is daring and crass, and often seems to pull clues out of thin air and make them work, and together they are an unstoppable force.
The mysteries are always intriguing and have lots of possible culprits at the heart of them, so it take a while to draw a conclusion. Overall, I just really like these books.
If you like mysteries that follow the Victorian England rules of proper gentleman and high society mischief, you can't go wrong with these novels.
Recommended.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
August 20, 2014
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic advance copy of this book.
I'm not a big fan of period mystery, but this one was quite good. To title the story as a "bloodbath" might be a little far-fetched (it was only two murders, both by gunshot, and some bits of gruesome torture thrown in), but it certainly was nasty. Luckily, the famed (?) sleuth Colin Pendragon is on the case, determined to solve it within 3 days, with his sidekick (and lover/flatmate) Ethan Pruitt AND while also taking on a dog-napping mystery.
Mr. Harris is skilled at drawing the reader into the characters' stories without causing them to become Captain Exposition. Especially valuable to me was the fact that background was given on the characters without my feeling I had missed something (this is the 2nd book in the series and I have yet to read the first). Colin Pendragon is suitably arrogant and clever, as one wishes an expert English detective to be. His and Ethan's homosexuality is not the main thread of the story; in fact, I had to reread certain passages to be sure if what I read was what I thought I'd read: it's presented in a very matter-of-fact, no big deal kind of way and almost completely ancillary. With that in mind, it's not the sort of thing that will upset your grandma unless she's batting on the Orson Scott Card team. There is some very vague allusion to the pair's physical relationship, but it is in no way graphic.
The book was rather enjoyable, if not terribly dynamic, and although the wrap-up of the mystery was a bit too close to the investigators' proclivity, it's a forgivable sin when the writing is as sound as this.
I'm not a big fan of period mystery, but this one was quite good. To title the story as a "bloodbath" might be a little far-fetched (it was only two murders, both by gunshot, and some bits of gruesome torture thrown in), but it certainly was nasty. Luckily, the famed (?) sleuth Colin Pendragon is on the case, determined to solve it within 3 days, with his sidekick (and lover/flatmate) Ethan Pruitt AND while also taking on a dog-napping mystery.
Mr. Harris is skilled at drawing the reader into the characters' stories without causing them to become Captain Exposition. Especially valuable to me was the fact that background was given on the characters without my feeling I had missed something (this is the 2nd book in the series and I have yet to read the first). Colin Pendragon is suitably arrogant and clever, as one wishes an expert English detective to be. His and Ethan's homosexuality is not the main thread of the story; in fact, I had to reread certain passages to be sure if what I read was what I thought I'd read: it's presented in a very matter-of-fact, no big deal kind of way and almost completely ancillary. With that in mind, it's not the sort of thing that will upset your grandma unless she's batting on the Orson Scott Card team. There is some very vague allusion to the pair's physical relationship, but it is in no way graphic.
The book was rather enjoyable, if not terribly dynamic, and although the wrap-up of the mystery was a bit too close to the investigators' proclivity, it's a forgivable sin when the writing is as sound as this.
September 16, 2014
I received THE BELLINGHAM BLOODBATH as an ARC through netgalley.com.
3.5 STARS
When a member of Her Majesty's Guard and his wife are brutally murdered, Colin Pendragon and his partner (in crime solving and in life) Ethan Pruitt are called to Buckingham Palace. The Major in charge of the Guard immediately butts heads with Pendragon, and it becomes a race against time for the sleuths to solve the crime and get the truth out before Pendragon is forced to take part in a cover-up that goes against his moral code and will damage his integrity.
The story itself kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate in mystery fiction, and while I was sure of the general gist of the answer, I didn't get the specifics until only pages before the reveal.
I also love Pendragon and Pruitt's G-rated Victorian romance, even though I kind of wanted to punch Pendragon for some of his attitudes. (I'm not sure if that's because they're actually infuriating, or if it's because there's something I don't know--I haven't read the first book in this series, though I did buy it as soon as I finished this one.) I wonder how much research went into attitudes toward homosexual relationships in Victorian England; I'm (somewhat surprisingly, if you know me) not an expert on the topic, so I'm not sure how realistically this book portrays it.
Anyway, for fans of mysteries, stories set in Victorian England, and anyone who ever wished Holmes would just give in and kiss Watson already, I recommend checking out The Bellingham Bloodbath.
3.5 STARS
When a member of Her Majesty's Guard and his wife are brutally murdered, Colin Pendragon and his partner (in crime solving and in life) Ethan Pruitt are called to Buckingham Palace. The Major in charge of the Guard immediately butts heads with Pendragon, and it becomes a race against time for the sleuths to solve the crime and get the truth out before Pendragon is forced to take part in a cover-up that goes against his moral code and will damage his integrity.
The story itself kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate in mystery fiction, and while I was sure of the general gist of the answer, I didn't get the specifics until only pages before the reveal.
I also love Pendragon and Pruitt's G-rated Victorian romance, even though I kind of wanted to punch Pendragon for some of his attitudes. (I'm not sure if that's because they're actually infuriating, or if it's because there's something I don't know--I haven't read the first book in this series, though I did buy it as soon as I finished this one.) I wonder how much research went into attitudes toward homosexual relationships in Victorian England; I'm (somewhat surprisingly, if you know me) not an expert on the topic, so I'm not sure how realistically this book portrays it.
Anyway, for fans of mysteries, stories set in Victorian England, and anyone who ever wished Holmes would just give in and kiss Watson already, I recommend checking out The Bellingham Bloodbath.
August 29, 2014
Gregory Harris returns with book two in his Colin Pendragon mystery series, Bellingham Bloodbath. Colin Pendragon, self appointed and very successful independent investigator is summoned by a sergeant of the Queen's Life Guard to the scene of a grisly murder committed at the home of one of the Guards captains. Major Hampstead, head of Her Majesty's Life Guard resents the need for Colin's presence leading Colin to fear cover up. The added insinuation of Colin's nemesis, Inspector Emmett Varcoe into the case, who vocally captures the press' attention ensuring the Yard has all in hand is fuel enough to set Colin on a mission to out best him once again. However, determined to discover the perpetrator Colin finds himself committing to a deadline in which to bring the guilty person to light or face humiliation in front of the press at the hand of the much chagrined Major Hampstead. Ethan Pruitt, ever loyal to his partner's investigative skills fears Colin may have finally placed them in a situation bound to fail. Colin and Ethan must race against time sorting through the deception which abounds at every turn. The ever present and crotchety housekeeper (who continues her humorous rantings), Mrs. Behmoth, adds to the mix while undercurrents of unrest among the inhabitants of her home reek havoc that have nothing to do with the impending deadline.
February 15, 2015
While the mystery was interesting (though the only purpose of the secondary one seemed to be to humanize the "great detective"), and there was some compelling social commentary, especially toward the end, I just can't seem to warm up to this series. Too much smirking and snickering, for one thing. And surely someone must have told the author in his writing classes that he should give his character a mannerism or two in order to define him, or something of the sort. The playing with coins, though, is beyond annoying - it happens over and over and over again ad nauseam - I counted four times in the first fifty pages, and just rolled my eyes every one of the zillion times after that. (Conan Doyle established several unforgettable mannerisms for Sherlock Holmes without repeating them every ten pages.) There was also Pendragon's mangling of names - which either makes him look incompetent (if he really doesn't get them right) or affected (if he does and is just doing it in a - failed - attempt to be witty). These may seem like little things, but they really affect my enjoyment of this series.
June 22, 2016
What if Sherlock Holmes were a fitness obsessed sociopath and Dr. Watson was his lover and a (former) opium addict? And Mrs Hudson was a cantankerous former scullery maid??
I read the first book in this series and this one in quick succession. Although I liked the premise of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with-a-twist, the sloppy writing and historical mistakes started bugging me more and more by book 2. I'm not British, but I'm pretty sure you can't refer to Buckingham Palace as 'Buckingham'. It's 'Buckingham' Palace or 'the palace'. Buckingham sounds like a title or a place. Also: dahlias do not look like roses (at all) and, if you are going to use some lines of dialogue in German, um Gotteswillen do not use Google translate! I'm not German, but I'm (again) pretty sure the phrases used in the book were not correct German for "Go f*ck yourself" and "Rot in Hell". Sorry. Better editing (and proofreading, at the start of the book Queen Victoria is at Sandringham, several chapters later, she suddenly is reported to be at Balmoral) are needed. I might hang in there and read the next book in the series, to see if it is any better, but that's the writer's last chance.
I read the first book in this series and this one in quick succession. Although I liked the premise of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with-a-twist, the sloppy writing and historical mistakes started bugging me more and more by book 2. I'm not British, but I'm pretty sure you can't refer to Buckingham Palace as 'Buckingham'. It's 'Buckingham' Palace or 'the palace'. Buckingham sounds like a title or a place. Also: dahlias do not look like roses (at all) and, if you are going to use some lines of dialogue in German, um Gotteswillen do not use Google translate! I'm not German, but I'm (again) pretty sure the phrases used in the book were not correct German for "Go f*ck yourself" and "Rot in Hell". Sorry. Better editing (and proofreading, at the start of the book Queen Victoria is at Sandringham, several chapters later, she suddenly is reported to be at Balmoral) are needed. I might hang in there and read the next book in the series, to see if it is any better, but that's the writer's last chance.
September 5, 2014
The Bellingham Bloodbath reunites us with Colin Pendragon, that Victorian PI who is as arrogant, proud and sure of himself as ever.
Lady Nesbitt has lost her princess Priscilla and she beseeches Colin to find her. Her offer to pay several times what the Life Guard is paying doesn’y hurt either. Colin multitasks and is working on both the cases at breakneck speed. Ethan Pruitt has to face some old demons and meets Maw, who is almost docile in her old age. Colin and Ethan fight and make up, and the clock is still ticking.
The investigation takes Colin Pendragon to a retired officers’ home, the Irish guard, the home of a dubious lady and the canine championship circuit. In the end, the solution seems almost too prosaic.
Read the full review at
A Million Kindle Books.
Lady Nesbitt has lost her princess Priscilla and she beseeches Colin to find her. Her offer to pay several times what the Life Guard is paying doesn’y hurt either. Colin multitasks and is working on both the cases at breakneck speed. Ethan Pruitt has to face some old demons and meets Maw, who is almost docile in her old age. Colin and Ethan fight and make up, and the clock is still ticking.
The investigation takes Colin Pendragon to a retired officers’ home, the Irish guard, the home of a dubious lady and the canine championship circuit. In the end, the solution seems almost too prosaic.
Read the full review at
A Million Kindle Books.
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