The Problem of the Surly Servant

Charles Dodgson & Arthur Conan Doyle #4

by Roberta Rogow

At Oxford, a rash of crime puts Dodgson under suspicion of murder

The world of academia is hardly a hotbed of crime. And although scholars at the University of Oxford may debate the assassination of Caesar or the execution of Socrates, a modern criminal has no place within the school's walls. And yet, as the reverend Charles Dodgson is horrified to learn, there is a thief within the college of Christ Church. The wine cellar has been ransacked, the faculty has been robbed, and a female student is being threatened by a blackmailer. It falls to Dodgson--better known as Lewis Carroll--to unmask the thief with the help of his dear friend Arthur Conan Doyle.

The campus crimes quickly escalate until the university's hallowed halls are stained with blood. When suspicion of murder falls at Dodgson's feet, it is up to Doyle to clear his friend's name--with the brilliance and style befitting the man who created Sherlock Holmes.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Roberta Rogow is the author of the four "Dodgson/Doyle" mysteries. She is currently working on a new series set in Gilded Age New York City. She also reviews juvenile mysteries for Mystery Scene Magazine, and is a writer and performer of Science Fiction "filk" songs. She recently retired from a 37-year career as a Children's Librarian in New Jersey public libraries. "

Reviews

[Russ Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting detective duo. Fascinating.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the fourth of a series, but you don't have to have read the earlier ones to understand this one.

There isn't really much mystery to it; you pretty much know the villains from the start; so the interest is more in how Dodgson and Conan Doyle go about solving it and the depiction of life in Victorian Oxford. The editing got a bit sloppy toward the end, with big chunks of dialogue essentially repeated from prior chapters. There weren't too many typos, though.

I was bothered somewhat by the continual references to "Doyle", knowing that all Quiz Bowl contestants are trained to call him "Conan Doyle", but during the denouement, he decides to follow the example of some of the Oxonians and use both names.

There is a nice little section of historical notes at the end, explaining which characters were real and a little bit about them.