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Robert Amiss #8
Publish and Be Murdered
British satirist Edwards continues to skewer the Establishment with the misadventures of civil servant Robert Amiss and the keen deductions of his sleuthing partner, the irrepressible, irreverent Baroness "Jack" Troutbeck. Edwards, who's filleted the Foreign Office, clobbered a Cambridge college, jeered at gentlemen in their clubs, and defrocked the clergy in past books, now pulverizes the world of magazine publishing where to uphold traditions runs fatal risks.Fictionalizing some of her own experiences as a journalist, Edwards creates the revered political rag The Wrangler, then sends in Amiss to sort out a hemorraghing cash flow, the succession plans of its most noble patron, a takeover bid from a strong-minded Australian woman (who has her eye on Jack), antiquated procedures that will have you rolling on the floor, preservation of a beautiful and historic London town house as company headquarters, and the inevitable little murder....Amiss, long mired in inertia, is encouraged to break out of the civil service mentality, sort out his own emotional life, and Get On With It.Truly a lovely, very funny, and provocative book that asks how we can balance what's worth keeping from our past with where we need to go to survive the future?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Ruth Dudley Edwards
38 books41 followersAfter being a Cambridge postgraduate, a teacher, a marketing executive and a civil servant, Ruth Dudley Edwards became a full-time writer. A journalist, broadcaster, historian and prize-winning biographer who lives in London, her recent non-fiction includes books about The Economist, the Foreign Office, the Orange Order and Fleet Street. The first of her ten satirical mysteries, Corridors of Death, was short-listed for the CWA John Creasey Memorial Dagger; two others were nominated for the CWA Last Laugh Award. Her two short stories appeared respectively in The Economist and the Oxford Book of Detective Stories.
Series:
* Robert Amiss Mystery
Series:
* Robert Amiss Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 30, 2017
The characters were interesting, but there were too many of them. They all didn't add to the story, and then it got hard to keep track of them all. The murder happened well into the book, and there wasn't really an effort to solve it. The killer just confessed and that was it. This had promise as a beach read, but I'm not sure I'll try any of the others.
December 28, 2023
Another good diversion as I recuperate / rest.
A huge jump forward in the series (by seven books) but not worse for it. Oddly enjoyable British-styled snarky observations of a political journal.
I am hooked. Will continue, but will go backwards in the chronology.
A huge jump forward in the series (by seven books) but not worse for it. Oddly enjoyable British-styled snarky observations of a political journal.
I am hooked. Will continue, but will go backwards in the chronology.
August 28, 2017
Funny characters, enjoyable to listen to. AudioGO version ably narrated by Bill Wallis.
February 4, 2021
A light silly story but very enjoyable I found the parody of both right and left really good and thought stirring
February 26, 2021
Good easy gripping and hilarious
April 2, 2026
Some over-the-top characters keep things interesting with tongue-in-cheek.
March 6, 2011
Ruth Dudley Edwards is another British mystery wit bent on the satiric skewering of all and sundry. Her adventures, starring former civil servant Robert Amiss and the irrepressible Baroness "Jack" Troutbeck, have managed to skewer the Foreign Office, a Cambridge college, gentlemen's clubs, and clergy. In this outing Edwards sets her sights on the magazine (ahem, "journal") publishing world.
Robert Amiss, often at loose ends and between jobs, finds himself offered the "manager" position at The Wrangler, a journal that has been sponsored by the illustrious Papworth family for generations. The current Lord Papworth is a bit appalled at the amount of money which has been flowing into and immediately out of the Wrangler coffers and hires Amiss to stem the tide. When Amiss walks into the offices of the revered political rag, he finds it hard to believe that he has not stepped into a time machine and come out into a publishing firm of the 1930s. Spending money to save money, he gently leads the inhabitants caught in the "dark ages" of journalism into the more modern light. Computers and fax machines and a little order goes a long way to producing the savings looked for. But just as financial matters begin to come right, there are rumblings of a take-over bid from a tough, rich Austrailan woman, shake-ups in the board of trustees, and the idea that Lord Papworth's son and heir wouldn't mind if dear old dad would get out the way so he can cash in on the take-over. Two deaths quickly make things even more interesting--particularly because we have one victim from each side of the fray. Who could have reason to murder them both? Or do we have two murderers?
The entire book is worth it just for the send up of old-fashioned noblisse oblige, epitomized by Lord Papworth, and old-fashioned snobbery and self-preservation, epitomized by....wait for it....Mr. Lambie Crump, editor of The Wrangler. Dear old Lambie spends the all of his life (which is much shorter than anticipated) speaking of himself in the third person and making sure that all the best goodies come his way. But is that truly a reason for someone to show him a quick exit? The entire staff of the journal is a hoot and not to be missed. Stereotypes, to be sure, but, oh what fun they are! Mix that with a very decent mystery and you have the makings of a very good read, indeed.
One little quibble. After introducing us to such marvelous characters on staff at the journal...very distinct and recognizable types from the dragon lady at the front desk to the loyal clerk who's been there for donkey's years to the inevitable young and eager office boy, Edwards, for some inexplicable reason, takes the dragon lady and makes her a sudden and complete convert to Islam. This move in no way furthers the story and doesn't even add to the humor involved. I really can't see a point. If anyone else reads this and can come up with a solution to that mystery, I'd love to hear it. Three and a half stars.
Robert Amiss, often at loose ends and between jobs, finds himself offered the "manager" position at The Wrangler, a journal that has been sponsored by the illustrious Papworth family for generations. The current Lord Papworth is a bit appalled at the amount of money which has been flowing into and immediately out of the Wrangler coffers and hires Amiss to stem the tide. When Amiss walks into the offices of the revered political rag, he finds it hard to believe that he has not stepped into a time machine and come out into a publishing firm of the 1930s. Spending money to save money, he gently leads the inhabitants caught in the "dark ages" of journalism into the more modern light. Computers and fax machines and a little order goes a long way to producing the savings looked for. But just as financial matters begin to come right, there are rumblings of a take-over bid from a tough, rich Austrailan woman, shake-ups in the board of trustees, and the idea that Lord Papworth's son and heir wouldn't mind if dear old dad would get out the way so he can cash in on the take-over. Two deaths quickly make things even more interesting--particularly because we have one victim from each side of the fray. Who could have reason to murder them both? Or do we have two murderers?
The entire book is worth it just for the send up of old-fashioned noblisse oblige, epitomized by Lord Papworth, and old-fashioned snobbery and self-preservation, epitomized by....wait for it....Mr. Lambie Crump, editor of The Wrangler. Dear old Lambie spends the all of his life (which is much shorter than anticipated) speaking of himself in the third person and making sure that all the best goodies come his way. But is that truly a reason for someone to show him a quick exit? The entire staff of the journal is a hoot and not to be missed. Stereotypes, to be sure, but, oh what fun they are! Mix that with a very decent mystery and you have the makings of a very good read, indeed.
One little quibble. After introducing us to such marvelous characters on staff at the journal...very distinct and recognizable types from the dragon lady at the front desk to the loyal clerk who's been there for donkey's years to the inevitable young and eager office boy, Edwards, for some inexplicable reason, takes the dragon lady and makes her a sudden and complete convert to Islam. This move in no way furthers the story and doesn't even add to the humor involved. I really can't see a point. If anyone else reads this and can come up with a solution to that mystery, I'd love to hear it. Three and a half stars.
January 14, 2013
Robert Amiss is asked by Lord Papworth to manage the journal The Wrangler in order to try and streamline things and cut costs. Currently the journal is losing Papworth a great deal of money but he feels a duty to keep it going. Robert soon finds there are savings to be made without upsetting any of the staff who all appear to think they are living in a more gentlemanly age.
When a member of staff is found dead with his head in a bowl of punch following one of The Wrangler’s regular parties Roberts wonders whether he was murdered. Shortly afterwards the editor, Willie Lambie Crump is found dead too and Robert finds himself sitting in the editor’s chair with Baroness Jack Troutbeck at her outspoken best providing him with copy.
I loved this satirical portrait of a political magazine with its many eccentric characters with their posturing and their strongly held views. My favourite were the two warring fact checkers and the receptionist who converts to Islam and insists on being addressed as Fatima. I enjoyed reading about the minefields of political correctness which Robert had to negotiate.
This book is part of a well written series of murder mysteries which each satirise a particular aspect of The Establishment with amusing results. There are deeper aspects to all the books and this one is no exception. Matters of conscience and the difficulty of living up to ones principles present problems for the characters even while hilarious incidents are keeping the reader entertained. This is the second time I have read this book and it stands up very well to a second reading.
When a member of staff is found dead with his head in a bowl of punch following one of The Wrangler’s regular parties Roberts wonders whether he was murdered. Shortly afterwards the editor, Willie Lambie Crump is found dead too and Robert finds himself sitting in the editor’s chair with Baroness Jack Troutbeck at her outspoken best providing him with copy.
I loved this satirical portrait of a political magazine with its many eccentric characters with their posturing and their strongly held views. My favourite were the two warring fact checkers and the receptionist who converts to Islam and insists on being addressed as Fatima. I enjoyed reading about the minefields of political correctness which Robert had to negotiate.
This book is part of a well written series of murder mysteries which each satirise a particular aspect of The Establishment with amusing results. There are deeper aspects to all the books and this one is no exception. Matters of conscience and the difficulty of living up to ones principles present problems for the characters even while hilarious incidents are keeping the reader entertained. This is the second time I have read this book and it stands up very well to a second reading.
December 14, 2016
This is a great entry in the Robert Amiss series by Edwards. Robert goes to work as a sort of cost-analysis person at a very Tory publication, and of course a couple of murders ensue. Baroness Troutbeck has a smaller role in this than in some of the other entries, and I think that improves the book. She is such a huge character that she overwhelms the reader very quickly. We get to know Robert a bit better, and he doesn't seem quite the fatuous but likeable buffoon he has sometimes seemed before. Those flashes of intelligence seen in other entries are brought to the fore here. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to all fans of Sayers. One scene in this book is screamingly funny. By the way, does anyone know what "pseud" means in current British slang? I'm presuming it means pseudo-intellectual, but I could be completely off-base.
January 27, 2013
Fun but somewhat dated this outing for the Baroness & Robert Amiss is centred on two murders that occur amongst the staff of a right-wing (Spectatoresque) magazine. There are some potshots at New Labour but all those do is make me nostalgic for even the unpleasant Tony Blair in comparison with our current cretins. I think Carnage on the Committee and Murdering Americans are better introductions to the outrageous baroness Jack Troutbeck but it skipped past my eyes quickly and entertainingly.
December 21, 2011
Tedious. What kind of murder mystery doesn't kill anyone until more than a third of the way in? To make matters worse, the first third is filled solely with smug political posturing. Apparently Ms. Edwards is a renowned satirist - I'm glad for those who have the patience to wade through this boring drivel, but then, I'm American...
April 20, 2009
Description says British satirist Edwards but I think she's Irish. There is a difference. The whole series have been very entertaining. I have mostly listened to them on audio and have laughed out loud at times.
July 9, 2011
Robert Amiss finally gets a job on his own at a conservative journal where he is hired as a manager charged with trying to cut costs without upsetting the staff too much. As with all the books in this series, the mystery plot takes a back seat to the over the top characters, situations, and humor.
October 25, 2013
There is something very wodehousian about the characters in this book. I think the modern Baroness Troutbeck owes a lot to Bertie Wooster's Aunt Dahila (that's his favourite one) This was lots of fun.
December 27, 2008
Obvious, juvenile and--worst of all--not funny.
August 14, 2016
If you can get a copy of the audiobook, read by the excellent Bill Wallis, your enjoyment will be enhanced very much.
September 29, 2016
Boring, author tries to be far too clever, the murder doesnt happen until halfway through the book, and even then, you don't really care whodunit
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews