What do you think?
Rate this book
Inspector Sam Blackstone #3
Blackstone and the Golden Egg
Rivalling Anne Perry, the third in the Victorian series by the author of the much-loved Sally Spencer DCI Woodend books
The theft of the fabulous Fabergi golden egg from a Russian country estate goes far beyond the bounds of mere robbery. The victim is the Prince of Wales, the egg itself a gift from the Russian Tsar and if the Tsar takes offence at the Prince's carelessness in losing it, the delicate balance of power in Europe could be destroyed for ever.
Yet if Blackstone is investigating a simple robbery, why is there an attempt on his life the moment he sets foot in Russia an attempt which would have succeeded but for the intervention of mysterious masked figure? Why will no one talk about the closed coach which fled the scene after the theft? And what is the motive behind the murder of a young British officer staying at the house?
The more Blackstone learns, the less he knows but the surer he is that the robbery is merely masking a much deeper, darker, secret!
The theft of the fabulous Fabergi golden egg from a Russian country estate goes far beyond the bounds of mere robbery. The victim is the Prince of Wales, the egg itself a gift from the Russian Tsar and if the Tsar takes offence at the Prince's carelessness in losing it, the delicate balance of power in Europe could be destroyed for ever.
Yet if Blackstone is investigating a simple robbery, why is there an attempt on his life the moment he sets foot in Russia an attempt which would have succeeded but for the intervention of mysterious masked figure? Why will no one talk about the closed coach which fled the scene after the theft? And what is the motive behind the murder of a young British officer staying at the house?
The more Blackstone learns, the less he knows but the surer he is that the robbery is merely masking a much deeper, darker, secret!
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2005
102 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Sally Spencer
82 books152 followersA pseudonym used by Alan Rustage.
Sally Spencer is a pen name, first adopted when the author (actually called Alan Rustage) was writing sagas and it was almost obligatory that a woman's name appeared on the cover (other authors like Emma Blair and Mary Jane Staples are also men).
Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a teacher. In 1978-79 he was working in Iran and witnessed the fall of the Shah (see the Blog for what it was like to live through a revolution). He got used to having rifles - and, one occasion, a rocket launcher - pointed at him by both soldiers and revolutionaries, but he was never entirely comfortable with it.
He lived in Madrid for over twenty years, and still considers it the most interesting and exciting city he has ever visited, but for the last few years he has opted for a quieter life in the seaside town of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca.
His first series of books were historical sagas set in Cheshire (where he grew up) and London. They were very popular with his English readers, but his American readers find the dialect something of a strain.
He has written twenty books featuring DCI Woodend (a character based partly on a furniture dealer he used to play dominoes with) and ten (so far!) about Woodend's protegé Monika Paniatowski.
His DI Sam Blackstone books are set in Victorian/Edwardian London, New York and Russia, and the Inspector Paco Ruiz books have as their backdrop the Spanish Civil War.
Alan is a competitive games player who likes bridge and pub quizzes. It is only by enforcing iron discipline that he doesn't play video games all the time.
He now lives on Spain's Costa Blanca.
Sally Spencer is a pen name, first adopted when the author (actually called Alan Rustage) was writing sagas and it was almost obligatory that a woman's name appeared on the cover (other authors like Emma Blair and Mary Jane Staples are also men).
Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a teacher. In 1978-79 he was working in Iran and witnessed the fall of the Shah (see the Blog for what it was like to live through a revolution). He got used to having rifles - and, one occasion, a rocket launcher - pointed at him by both soldiers and revolutionaries, but he was never entirely comfortable with it.
He lived in Madrid for over twenty years, and still considers it the most interesting and exciting city he has ever visited, but for the last few years he has opted for a quieter life in the seaside town of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca.
His first series of books were historical sagas set in Cheshire (where he grew up) and London. They were very popular with his English readers, but his American readers find the dialect something of a strain.
He has written twenty books featuring DCI Woodend (a character based partly on a furniture dealer he used to play dominoes with) and ten (so far!) about Woodend's protegé Monika Paniatowski.
His DI Sam Blackstone books are set in Victorian/Edwardian London, New York and Russia, and the Inspector Paco Ruiz books have as their backdrop the Spanish Civil War.
Alan is a competitive games player who likes bridge and pub quizzes. It is only by enforcing iron discipline that he doesn't play video games all the time.
He now lives on Spain's Costa Blanca.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 21, 2022
This one started fairly slow, and Blackstone is a gigantic ass through most of it. he spends every possible moment angry and contemptuous toward anyone richer and higher status than him socially.
And of course all the lower class people are fine and honest and trustworthy and good, while the wealthy aristos are awful, vain, shallow, empty people who treat everyone like trash.
Look, a lot of high class elites are terrible and condescending. And a lot of poorer people are salt of the earth. But not ALL and not even a majority. Most people are decent or awful in equal amounts, its not divided by wealth.
Blackstone flails around pointlessly learning nothing as an endless number of characters are briefly introduced, the bad guy is obvious, and the pointless romantic character shows up out of nowhere (literally).
However, the last third of the book picks up pretty well and starts to get interesting when Blackstone finally begins to get some traction -- only because he's handed the information he needs -- and eventually it works out, more or less.
I enjoyed the first two in this three book set but this one, I cannot recommend.
And of course all the lower class people are fine and honest and trustworthy and good, while the wealthy aristos are awful, vain, shallow, empty people who treat everyone like trash.
Look, a lot of high class elites are terrible and condescending. And a lot of poorer people are salt of the earth. But not ALL and not even a majority. Most people are decent or awful in equal amounts, its not divided by wealth.
Blackstone flails around pointlessly learning nothing as an endless number of characters are briefly introduced, the bad guy is obvious, and the pointless romantic character shows up out of nowhere (literally).
However, the last third of the book picks up pretty well and starts to get interesting when Blackstone finally begins to get some traction -- only because he's handed the information he needs -- and eventually it works out, more or less.
I enjoyed the first two in this three book set but this one, I cannot recommend.
March 24, 2019
1899 and Blackstone with the Assistant Commissioner of the Police, Sir Roderick Todd, are sent to Russia. Unfortunately while visiting Count Rachinsky, the Prince of Wales had a Faberge egg stolen, a gift from the Tsar. But is all what it seems.
An enjoyable mystery with very likeable characters.
An enjoyable mystery with very likeable characters.
Read
January 5, 2022Found it difficult to push through...not up to previous efforts
July 19, 2019
At a house party given by Count Rachinsky in Central Russia, an item had been stolen from the Prince of Wales' room... his Russian guard's throat slit and his person manhandled being that he was gagged and drugged. Because of said incident a plausible story was peddled and swallowed by the unsuspicious and the gullible that a Fabergé egg was stolen from his Royal Highness' room and that Sir Roderick Todd, a Baron playing at being a policeman (Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to be exact and to add to his pompous arrogance and entitlement) and not very bright... his addiction to opium would be of no help except to dull his already insufficient intellect, and Inspector Sam Blackstone allergic to dealing with aristocrats... (clueless about anything that excites them like a Fabergé egg, what in the bloody hell is that?... not giving them the proper obeisance due to their rank) and very bright when dealing with the criminal mind as well as being a true detective, were both sent to the broad expanse of the Russian countryside to look into the theft. Sam Blackstone could only wonder as to WHY was he even chosen to accompany a peer into yet another peer's, albeit a Russian one's, country estate? As to the extent of WHO had been in the shadows playing the Puppet Master with Sam dancing on the strings, Blackstone had already began to surmise and not without seeing some action and not without pain and blood~letting on his part. For the Puppet Master was indeed sinister and an uncanny expert in playing to Blackstone's personality, character and behavior. This is a really, really Good read.
May 3, 2022
The theft of the fabulous Faberge golden egg from a Russian country estate goes far beyond the bounds of mere robbery, Blackstone is warned in London.
The victim is the Prince of Wales, the egg itself a gift from the Russian Tsar — and if the Tsar takes offence at the Prince's carelessness in losing it, the delicate balance of power in Europe could be destroyed for ever.
Yet if Blackstone is investigating a simple robbery, why is there an attempt on his life the moment he sets foot in Russia — an attempt which would have succeeded but for the intervention of mysterious masked figures?
Why will no one talk about the closed coach which fled the scene after the theft?
And what is the motive behind the murder of a young British officer staying at the house?
The more Blackstone learns, the less he knows …
Who can he really trust?
And is this priceless Golden Egg masking a deeper, darker secret?
The victim is the Prince of Wales, the egg itself a gift from the Russian Tsar — and if the Tsar takes offence at the Prince's carelessness in losing it, the delicate balance of power in Europe could be destroyed for ever.
Yet if Blackstone is investigating a simple robbery, why is there an attempt on his life the moment he sets foot in Russia — an attempt which would have succeeded but for the intervention of mysterious masked figures?
Why will no one talk about the closed coach which fled the scene after the theft?
And what is the motive behind the murder of a young British officer staying at the house?
The more Blackstone learns, the less he knows …
Who can he really trust?
And is this priceless Golden Egg masking a deeper, darker secret?
August 26, 2022
Part of the Casebook of Inspector Blackstone vol I collection.
Set in Russia on the trail of a stolen Fabergé egg from the Prince of Wales. Inspector Blackstone is teamed up with the Assistant Commissioner due to the high stakes and political intricacies of this case.
Good story but the writing wasn't sharp enough to maintain interest. 6/10
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.
Set in Russia on the trail of a stolen Fabergé egg from the Prince of Wales. Inspector Blackstone is teamed up with the Assistant Commissioner due to the high stakes and political intricacies of this case.
Good story but the writing wasn't sharp enough to maintain interest. 6/10
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.
September 4, 2024
This is the third book I have read in this series. As with the first two it was very good. It was very well written and interesting. I would not call it a cozy mystery, it was a step above most of those. I look forward to reading other books by Sally Spencer.
December 8, 2019
Still confused
I need to re-read this. The characters are well described and Russian events seem possible but I lost the plot about half way through. Hope a second run through helps
I need to re-read this. The characters are well described and Russian events seem possible but I lost the plot about half way through. Hope a second run through helps
February 20, 2021
I'm not really impressed with this series by Sally Spencer. Hard to believe that she also writes the Inspector Wooden series.
May 18, 2021
Blackstone goes to Russia. Another great adventure. I'm loving this series.
February 26, 2016
I do love the way Inspector Blackstone disrespects his "betters." The dialogue is quite funny. This novel brings back a villain from an earlier book in the series but you don't have to have read that book to enjoy this one.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews