Death on a Silver Tray

Beau Brummell decided what and who was fashionable in Regency England. Most Regencies describe him as a rather one dimensional character. Ms. Stevens has quite rightly made him the center of a mystery series, much as he was the center of the fashionable world of his time. He is asked by his dear friend, the Duchess of York, to clear a protegee of hers of the murder of her employer. The woman was exceedingly unpleasant, and was even rumored to have beaten her servants. The night before her death, Lady Wrayburn was incensed with Miss Ashton for inadvertantly telling her that her ladies' maid was pregnant. Now all of London thinks that Miss Ashton is the murderer. To save the Duchess' reputation and to assist the young women, the Beau agrees to help. He even loses a painting at auction, having been distracted by the problem. The winner of the auction, a representative of the King of Siam, presents him with the first Siamese cat in England. The famous valet, Robinson, is not happy about cat hairs, but Brummell can not return him. The cat seems to be an ancestor of Lillian Jackson Braun's KoKo, an able assistant in solving a difficult murder.This was an excellent mystery. The characters are familiar ones for those who have read regencies, and very well developed. The mystery was engrossing and difficult to solve. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

What a wonderful start to what I hope is a long series of Brummell mysteries! This book reminds me very much of Peter's Amelia Peabody series - (although admittedly without the satisfaction of a Peabody/Emerson style romance). I say this because not only is the detail in it impeccably researched, but because Brummell is a wonderfully wry witty personality and makes a perfect character to use to solve these mysteries. He is the essential good companion you need to laugh with and also discover the clues (he is very observant of everything) as he finds his way through the confusion to reveal a killer in their midst!I think Steven's has got Brummell's essential character down very well. It is clear from biographies of Brummell that he was an amusing, entertaining person and a very loyal friend - clearly she has done a lot of research on him and his times. She has also peopled the book with a variety of real and imagined characters mostly who are very likeable or very droll or a mixture of both. This book provides a very nice way to while away an afternoon or two.

This is a wonderfully light yet engaging story about George "Beau" Brummell, the Regency arbiter of fashionable society. This book reads like a personal letter from "Beau" to the reader, including personal asides to the reader. The book is quite witty and a very fast read. There are a multitude of interesting characters, including the detective, Mr. Lavender, and his altruistic daughter (who seems to have her own, personal mystery). The best part of the book is that I did not know who the guilty party really was until the very last pages of the book! This book is a must-read for Regency fans and/or for mystery fans alike!

And the cleverest! Rosemary Stevens has gotten Beau Brummell's "voice" down beautifully---just as I'd imagined he would sound and just as I'd imagined he would behave. The Beau, arbiter of Regency fashion and things social, admirer of beauty in all forms (from women to Sevres porcelain), is drawn into a murder investigation by his dear, treasured friend Freddie, the Duchess of York. He comes through admirably, and the identity of the murderer is a real surprise, nicely done. Stevens has other good characters with Robinson, Brummell's valet, his crony Petersham, and the Lavenders, father and daughter, respectively a Bow Street investigator and the founder of a home for fallen women. And Chakkri, the Siamese cat, is beyond description: the feline equivalent of George Bryan "Beau" Brummell. A delicious book! I will be looking forward eagerly for the next installment. Fans of the Jane Austen mysteries will, I predict, flock to this new Regency sleuth. Brummell as detective is just a fabulous idea.

Tired of the same old thing? Looking for an investigator you can't get enough of, a scintillating plot and incredible atmosphere? Pick up this book. It's got it all. I admit I've become jaded with conventional mysteries. Puzzling out the answer isn't enough. I've longed for a really good book set in an interesting time period-- one I can just sit back and immerse myself in without looking at the clock every fifteen minutes and wondering if the author will ever get around to actually having something happen. Well, folks, this is the book. Stevens' portrayal of Beau Brummell as Regency Detective is magnificent. Her presentation of the time in which he lived deftly and accurately done. And there's not one character in here that you don't come to know intimately. No cardboard cutouts for Ms. Stevens. Not a one! I will admit that I solved the mystery-- but only at the exact same time that Brummell did. A terrific read. I'm in love Beau, the incomparable, Brummell just as I always have been with Sherlock, the audacious, Holmes. Three cheers, Ms. Stevens! You've made my day.