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Dread Murder
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Product Description
In the court of King George IV, Major Mearns---an old dog of war and veteran of Willington’s army---is the guardian of Windsor Castle. Some would call him a spy; he calls himself a “watcher.” Working with his close friend, the resourceful Sergeant Denny, the pair maintain a cool facade behind which they go about their duties quietly and unnoticed.
Unnoticed, that is, until the day Mearns receives a parcel containing a gruesome surprise: a pair of severed human legs. The legs belong to a fellow soldier. Casting aside official protocol, Mearns and Denny decide to investigate the murder themselves, also enrolling the help of a precocious young runaway, Charlie. But soon these maverick investigators find themselves up against all manner of obstacles and danger, not the least of which is the Crown Keepers of the Peace---a unit of former soldiers headed by Mearns’s nemesis, Felix Ferguson.
With more butchered body parts turning up in parcels and the number of deaths rising, our amateur investigators find themselves up to their necks in corruption and intrigue. Mearns struggles to keep Ferguson at bay, not only during the investigation, but also for the affections of the desirable Mindy, a maidservant in the castle. With the pressure on, can Mearns get to the bottom of the murders and win the heart of his ladylove?
With Dread Murder, Gwendoline Butler delivers a cleverly cunning and old-fashioned mystery that hides a gruesome murder behind its charming facade.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1713050 in Books
- Published on: 2007-04-17
- Released on: 2007-04-17
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 224 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Butler's improbable second Major Mearns historical whodunit (after 2000's The King Cried Murder) may disappoint fans of the British author's long-running John Coffin series. In the early 1820s, the British royal court is on pins and needles with the ascent to the throne of George IV, feared to have the same mental problems as his more notorious father, George III. Amid this uncertainty, Major Mearns and Sergeant Denny, who have a covert assignment to keep an eye on Windsor Castle, receive a ghoulish parcel containing body parts. Their pursuit of the identity of the victim, and his killer, leads them to further bodies, but the solution is rather anticlimactic. The book's contrived final revelation—concerning the real identity of a young runaway who helps the sleuths—may irk historically exacting readers. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Major Mearns, a retired army officer, has parlayed his experience into a job as a government informant. His mission: to report on the activities at Windsor castle and its occupant, mad King George IV. But there's more than just the mad king to concern Mearns. He's just received a very nasty delivery: the severed legs of a man. He and his loyal partner and fellow informant, Denny, are naturally keen to find out what happened to the rest of the body. Aided by Charlie, a young London runaway, and Charlotte Minden, a lady-in-waiting at the castle, Mearns and Denny soon have more problems: another body part is delivered, the pair discovers a long-buried secret, two women are murdered, and Charlotte is brutally attacked. Although the conclusion fits together a bit too neatly, the happy surprise at the end of the story is still satisfying. Winner of Britain's Silver Dagger Award, Butler is a gifted storyteller who knows just how to evoke murky period ambience, and her characters are as original as they are charismatic. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Gwendoline Butler writes under her own name and the pseudonym Jennie Melville. Educated at Haberdashers, she read history at Oxford, and later married Dr. Lionel Butler, Principal of Royal Holloway College. She has one daughter. She is a winner of the Crime Writers’ Association’s Silver Dagger Award. She was also selected as being one of the top two hundred crime writers in the world by The London Times. She lives in Surrey, England.
Customer Reviews
delightful early 1820s whodunit 
Having survived the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars, Major Mearns and his battle brother Denny work and live at Windsor Castle as Watchers who insure the safety of the royal residents especially the recently crowned King George IV. Living at the monarch's abode may seem regal, but for the likes of Mearns and Denny, it is the dreaded Ds: dirty, dusty, and drafty. Still it is a lot easier and safer an assignment than combat was.
Meanwhile ten year old former factory worker Charlie stows a ride on a coach leaving London for Windsor. During the ride, Charlie befriends actress Miss Fairface, who is traveling to the city to join the Theatre Royal. In town, Charlie makes some money when he delivers a couple of heavy packages to Mearns at Windsor Castle. However, inside the parcels are the ghastly remains of someone Mearns knew. Stunned, Major Mearns and Denny investigate with Charlie as their sidekick. Their efforts take them to Theatre Royal where a corpse is found and soon other homicidal attempts occur.
The second Major Mearns (see THE KING CRIED MURDER -not reviewed) historical mystery is a delightful early 1820s whodunit in which the intelligent street smart kid steals the story line from the two heroes especially with a delightful final twist. The investigation, enhanced by real persona and places such as the Theatre Royal, is fun to follow as the audience obtains a taste of Regency England especially the royal town of Windsor where for instance a professional police force is a new concept. As with her Coffin tales, Gwendoline Butler provides a fabulous investigative tale.
Harriet Klausner
a well crafted "cozy"
A follow-up to "The King Cried Murder," "Dread Murder" may play fast and loose with some historical facts but the book was an enjoyable and fun read nonetheless.
In 1820, George IV is King of England, but Major Mearns and Sergeant Denny are still on duty, keeping an eye on the royal household and seeing to it that as many potential scandals get swept under the rug as possible. The last thing either men expected was to receive a gruesome package containing a pair of severed legs. Realising that the murderer has issued them a personal challenge, Mearns and Denny decide to investigate the crime themselves. Soon the pair find themselves knee deep in intrigue and danger, uncovering more murders and coming up against their bitterest of rivals, the Crown Keeper of Peace, Felix Ferguson...
"Dread Murder" proved to be an easy and quick read. The book really was a story-driven one as character development was kept to the minimum -- what motivated characters, the reasons behind certain actions, these were all left to the imagination of the reader. So that it was really good thing that the storyline was a very interesting and intriguing one, and that the pacing was swift. However, the period details were fantastic, and added a nice ambiance to the book. All in all, "Dread Murder" proved to be an entertaining and enjoyable read.
Summer fun read
This is the second of Major Mearns mysteries, the first being The King Cried Murder published in 2000.
Major Mearns and Sergeant Denny are old soldiers, veterans of the Napoleonic Wars, who have served as "watchers" in Windsor Castle during the reign of Mad King George III and King George IV, originally reporting to Sir William Pitt.
Charlie, a young boy just off the coach from London, arrives at their rooms in Windsor Castle with two long and heavy packages--which prove to be the legs of an unsavory acquaintance (they recognize them due to a scar). They hide these packages, and keep an eye on further deaths of a prostitute found strangled in the theatre, and a young actress.
Charlie lives in the theatre, helping with scene changes and errands, and also shadows Major Mearns' investigation, uncovering a mystery of his own. Mearns and Denny recognize Charlie's skills and come to rely on his assistance. A boy kept prisoner and his pet dog, a buried baby, a malodorous privy, and a cupboard with a dress kept in a house with no women--all play a part in unraveling this complicated tale.
Some of the characters in this fast-paced mystery are based on actual historical persons. I love the Coffin series, but was disappointed that this was not the same level of writing--rather choppy, too short, and easy to figure out.
NOTE: Butler is the author of over 25 Coffin mysteries, police procedurals set in present day London. She also writes under the name of Jennie Melville.
Armchair Interviews says: Easy and fun read for mystery fans, especially if you love historical mysteries.
