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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
A Death by Any Other Name by Tessa Arlen is the third book in the Lady Montfort Mystery series. Mrs. Edith Jackson has just returned to Iyntwood (the house where she is the housekeeper) after a ten-day vacation. Mrs. Jackson loves her job except for Lady Montfort’s new habit of involving herself in other’s problems (and she always manages to drag Mrs. Jackson in with her). Mrs. Jackson is told there is a woman at the backdoor requesting to speak with her. It is Beryl Armitage, the sister of Walter, the dairyman on the estate. Beryl needs Lady Montfort assistance with a problem. Five months prior Beryl had been let go from her position as cook at Hyde Castle. A guest, Mr. Bartholomew, had died unexpectedly, and it was blamed on tainted dish of kedgeree. Beryl knows the dish was fine when she sent it up to the dining room. She had sampled the dish herself. Beryl would like Lady Montfort to look into the case and clear her name. She has been unable to get a job since she was fired because she has no reference. Mrs. Jackson feels compelled to take the case to Lady Montfort. Clementine (Lady Montfort) wants to help Mrs. Armitage and quickly arranges a visit to Hyde Castle. She has the perfect reason to visit with renowned flower expert, Miss Jekyll. Mrs. Maud Haldane has created the Hyde Rose Society and the members are currently staying at Hyde Castle. The group welcomes a chance to speak with the renowned Miss Jekyll. Clementine, Miss Jekyll, and Mrs. Jackson head off to Hyde Castle. Lady Montfort hopes to get the bottom of Mr. Bartholomew’s death with the help of Mrs. Jackson. Can this duo clear Beryl Armitage’s name and bring Mr. Bartholomew’s killer to justice?
A Death by Any Other Name is the third book in the series, but can easily be read alone. The author provides readers with the necessary details to understand and read the story. Lady Montfort is a delightful character. I like her spirit, intelligence, and desire to help others. It is wonderful that her husband endorses her pursuits. The story is set in August of 1914 just as war is about to break out in Europe. A time of great change for England. I appreciated the setting and time period. The author did a good job at capturing the history and how people behaved in the big houses of England. I give A Death by Any Other Name 3 out of 5 stars. I did feel that the pace of the novel was lethargic and the novel was too long in length (it really needed to be shortened). I found information about the case to be repeated throughout the story as well as a few other details. The mystery was complex and the author provides several suspects (any one of them could have done the deed). I liked the method of murder and how the killer achieved it. The writing style was a little formal which made the book hard to get into and enjoy. I believe the idea and characters have potential. The book just needs a less stilted/stuffy writing style.
A Death by Any Other Name is the third book in the series, but can easily be read alone. The author provides readers with the necessary details to understand and read the story. Lady Montfort is a delightful character. I like her spirit, intelligence, and desire to help others. It is wonderful that her husband endorses her pursuits. The story is set in August of 1914 just as war is about to break out in Europe. A time of great change for England. I appreciated the setting and time period. The author did a good job at capturing the history and how people behaved in the big houses of England. I give A Death by Any Other Name 3 out of 5 stars. I did feel that the pace of the novel was lethargic and the novel was too long in length (it really needed to be shortened). I found information about the case to be repeated throughout the story as well as a few other details. The mystery was complex and the author provides several suspects (any one of them could have done the deed). I liked the method of murder and how the killer achieved it. The writing style was a little formal which made the book hard to get into and enjoy. I believe the idea and characters have potential. The book just needs a less stilted/stuffy writing style.
tracey_stewart's review
2.0
Wow, I made a lot of notes and highlights on this book – over 100. As I say all the time, this is either a sign of a good book or a terrible one.
They always warn not to quote from an ARC without checking against the published work – so I did. I was horrified by the comma abuse in the book, so I checked. And unfortunately, it's still there. "Clementine smiled at the thought of her grandsons, it had been nearly six months since she had last seen them." Run-on sentences, comma splices, all the usual things that make my eyes burn – it all appears to be unchanged from the Netgalley proof. It's a little shocking that no one at what I thought was a pretty solid publisher got a handle on this nonsense. It ranges from the annoying ("he ate an entire dish of lampreys or what we would call eels" or "Good afternoon, I am Mrs. Jackson, you asked for me?") to the unreadable ("Clementine blessed her husband's unruffled and farsighted view, and his ability to put a firm foot down where Althea's gadding-about was concerned and only prayed that her cousin Clarendon had the strength of character not to be persuaded otherwise by their strong-minded daughter." Wut?)
A good editor taking some time to make this more readable would have rebuilt sentences like "Etienne is a generous man about how much time his wife spends with us." Or, oh Lord, like "She relaxed, he was onboard then, but there would be a stipulation, of this she was quite sure." Or "Clementine was not only too happy to answer his every question but with as much detail as she could provide." Or "She felt quite uncomfortable by this outward expression of emotion." (Felt uncomfortable by - ?) Or " I know the kedgeree was not spoiled it could not possibly have been…" Or … so many more. The writing was demanding only in that it took some unraveling now and then to figure out not what was being said but what the author was trying – and failing to say.
When it didn't border on gibberish, it could be awfully laborious. In one paragraph, someone was startled by a man's sudden appearance, and jumped. Done well, this moment could be as startling to the reader as to the character – but not the way this was written, where it took three sentences.
It feels very broken-record-ish to add that there are also moments where the language felt wrong for this period mystery. "I don’t want you to get steamed-up" – why is there a hyphen, and why not find a solidly non-anachronistic way of saying "don't get angry" (like "don't get angry")?
"…Rum cove."
"I have never quite understood what that meant," she said.
"It means that he is a bit of a rogue…"
- No, it doesn't.
I wonder how one is supposed to pronounce the name of the home of Lady Montfort, Iyntwood. It's so awkward in print – it made for a stutter every time I hit the word in my reading.
Unsurprisingly, there are other problems. There are two main characters, "Lady Montfort and her redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson", and the author thinks nothing of head-hopping between them. Actually, one note I made was on what I called a head LEAP. Reading good writers, I never had a problem with this habit so many writing guides warn against; a good writer can, will, and does give you enough information to know whose thoughts you're supposed to be reading at any given time. Tessa Arlen does not have that skill, and I lost count of how many times I had to reread a paragraph or a page because the point of view switched without warning from Lady to housekeeper. (This might - might - be at least partly down to Kindle formatting issues – but I don't think so.) Even within the same point of view there were inconsistencies that were annoying – one moment it was "Lady Montfort", and then in the next paragraph she was referred to as "Clementine" (it took me some time to figure out who the hell Clementine was the first couple of times it happened). This might have been a good way to differentiate the points of view – when it was with her, she could be called by name, in the housekeeper's POV sections called by her title – but no.
And of course it was repetitious. When someone was attacked midway through, the story was told over and over, ad nauseam. I think I know why – there was a detail that the intrepid sleuths, and the determined reader, was supposed to pick up on. In fact, I did pick up on the detail – but I thought it was yet another poor choice of words by the author. Another aspect of this was over-use of words; "lovely" was used thirty-two times, usually in the same context.
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to like Clementine/Lady M or not. I think I am. But I don't. She's a bully. "Did [Mrs. Jackson] mind being involved in her inquiries? She had fleetingly pondered this before." Only fleetingly, of course – what possible difference would it make if Mrs. Jackson objected? She was the help.
Since the book was largely about the breeding of roses, I would have rather expected to come away with a bit more knowledge about the subject than I had going in. This didn't happen.
I'm genuinely surprised I didn't rage-quit when I came across "a small flair of anger". (I just checked – it's in the final text.)
Or when the outbreak of WWI was referred to as "what a tempest in a teapot".
Or when "chaffing" dishes were mentioned. (That's still in as well.)
All this complaining accounts for maybe half my notes – and makes me wonder why on earth I gave this thing two stars. Reading over the run-on sentences I saved has been awful – how on earth did I finish this thing, and why? I'm knocking a star off, and will be avoiding this author like the plaguiest plague.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
They always warn not to quote from an ARC without checking against the published work – so I did. I was horrified by the comma abuse in the book, so I checked. And unfortunately, it's still there. "Clementine smiled at the thought of her grandsons, it had been nearly six months since she had last seen them." Run-on sentences, comma splices, all the usual things that make my eyes burn – it all appears to be unchanged from the Netgalley proof. It's a little shocking that no one at what I thought was a pretty solid publisher got a handle on this nonsense. It ranges from the annoying ("he ate an entire dish of lampreys or what we would call eels" or "Good afternoon, I am Mrs. Jackson, you asked for me?") to the unreadable ("Clementine blessed her husband's unruffled and farsighted view, and his ability to put a firm foot down where Althea's gadding-about was concerned and only prayed that her cousin Clarendon had the strength of character not to be persuaded otherwise by their strong-minded daughter." Wut?)
A good editor taking some time to make this more readable would have rebuilt sentences like "Etienne is a generous man about how much time his wife spends with us." Or, oh Lord, like "She relaxed, he was onboard then, but there would be a stipulation, of this she was quite sure." Or "Clementine was not only too happy to answer his every question but with as much detail as she could provide." Or "She felt quite uncomfortable by this outward expression of emotion." (Felt uncomfortable by - ?) Or " I know the kedgeree was not spoiled it could not possibly have been…" Or … so many more. The writing was demanding only in that it took some unraveling now and then to figure out not what was being said but what the author was trying – and failing to say.
When it didn't border on gibberish, it could be awfully laborious. In one paragraph, someone was startled by a man's sudden appearance, and jumped. Done well, this moment could be as startling to the reader as to the character – but not the way this was written, where it took three sentences.
It feels very broken-record-ish to add that there are also moments where the language felt wrong for this period mystery. "I don’t want you to get steamed-up" – why is there a hyphen, and why not find a solidly non-anachronistic way of saying "don't get angry" (like "don't get angry")?
"…Rum cove."
"I have never quite understood what that meant," she said.
"It means that he is a bit of a rogue…"
- No, it doesn't.
I wonder how one is supposed to pronounce the name of the home of Lady Montfort, Iyntwood. It's so awkward in print – it made for a stutter every time I hit the word in my reading.
Unsurprisingly, there are other problems. There are two main characters, "Lady Montfort and her redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson", and the author thinks nothing of head-hopping between them. Actually, one note I made was on what I called a head LEAP. Reading good writers, I never had a problem with this habit so many writing guides warn against; a good writer can, will, and does give you enough information to know whose thoughts you're supposed to be reading at any given time. Tessa Arlen does not have that skill, and I lost count of how many times I had to reread a paragraph or a page because the point of view switched without warning from Lady to housekeeper. (This might - might - be at least partly down to Kindle formatting issues – but I don't think so.) Even within the same point of view there were inconsistencies that were annoying – one moment it was "Lady Montfort", and then in the next paragraph she was referred to as "Clementine" (it took me some time to figure out who the hell Clementine was the first couple of times it happened). This might have been a good way to differentiate the points of view – when it was with her, she could be called by name, in the housekeeper's POV sections called by her title – but no.
And of course it was repetitious. When someone was attacked midway through, the story was told over and over, ad nauseam. I think I know why – there was a detail that the intrepid sleuths, and the determined reader, was supposed to pick up on. In fact, I did pick up on the detail – but I thought it was yet another poor choice of words by the author. Another aspect of this was over-use of words; "lovely" was used thirty-two times, usually in the same context.
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to like Clementine/Lady M or not. I think I am. But I don't. She's a bully. "Did [Mrs. Jackson] mind being involved in her inquiries? She had fleetingly pondered this before." Only fleetingly, of course – what possible difference would it make if Mrs. Jackson objected? She was the help.
Since the book was largely about the breeding of roses, I would have rather expected to come away with a bit more knowledge about the subject than I had going in. This didn't happen.
I'm genuinely surprised I didn't rage-quit when I came across "a small flair of anger". (I just checked – it's in the final text.)
Or when the outbreak of WWI was referred to as "what a tempest in a teapot".
Or when "chaffing" dishes were mentioned. (That's still in as well.)
All this complaining accounts for maybe half my notes – and makes me wonder why on earth I gave this thing two stars. Reading over the run-on sentences I saved has been awful – how on earth did I finish this thing, and why? I'm knocking a star off, and will be avoiding this author like the plaguiest plague.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
literaryfeline's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally published on my blog, Musings of a Bookish Kitty:
http://www.literaryfeline.com/2017/03/bookish-thoughts-death-by-any-other.html
A Death by Any Other Name (Lady Montfort, #3) by Tessa Arlen
Minotaur Books, 2017
Crime Fiction (Cozy); 336 pgs
Source: E-copy provided by the publisher for review.
While the last two murder investigations Countess Clementine Talbot, better known as Lady Montfort, and her housekeeper Mrs. Jackson got involved in were closer to home--and easy to excuse their involvement in--this time around the two women step way out of the usual circles--right into the middle class. When a former cook from a well to do middle class family approaches Mrs. Jackson about her circumstances, Mrs. Jackson has mixed feelings. The cook claims she was let go because of a death in the household, allegedly the result of accidental food poisoning. Only, the cook isn't so sure it was an accident, and she is hoping Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson can find a way to clear her name. Mrs. Jackson is as reluctant as ever to get involved, but the same cannot be said for Lady Montfort who seems to like sticking her nose into these most serious matters.
As always, it was a joy to spend time with Mrs. Jackson and Lady Monfort. I love how proper Mrs. Jackson is. She takes her role as head housekeeper very seriously and does not like to meddle where she doesn't belong. And yet the always curious and determined Lady Montfort manages to talk her into it every time.
Using a well-known guest visiting the Montfort estate to gain an invite to the Hyde Rose Society, Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson find themselves among an interesting group of people, all aspiring hybrid rose breeders. They all feel very passionately about their roses, the two learn rather quickly. Among the group, is the widow of the dead man. The group arrange for a competition with their well known guest, Ms. Jekyll, as the judge. She's not altogether happy about the idea, not being a fan of hybrid roses, but she goes along with it just the same. Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson do there best to get to know everyone and learn the facts of surrounding the popular member's death. The reader gets a definite flavor of the class differences between the characters, most often through Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson's observations as they talk with the guests, the hostess and the staff.
I admit to not especially caring for many of those in the Hyde Rose Society. They each have their own possible motives for the possible murder. And the man of the house, especially, is a despicable character. He treats his wife very poorly.
In the background of events at Hyde Castle is the possibility of war. Germany has invaded Poland and set its sights on France. Lady Montfort is worried about all her children, one who is traveling by sea to the Baltics and another who is living in France with her young children and husband. Lady Montfort's son is a pilot, flying for Churchill. All their lives are about to irrevocably change and the tension is high. In each one of her novels, I have appreciated how well Tessa Arlen captures the time period, both in historical detail but also in the more social and psychological aspect.
I wasn't quite as taken with this third addition to the series as the first two, although it was still a very enjoyable read. I felt as if there were some loose ends not tied up in regards to events at Hyde Castle. It was definitely interesting to see Lady Montfort and even Mrs. Jackson out of their elements a bit. They certainly had their work cut out for them! I loved the literary references added into the novel. This continues to be one of my favorite cozy historical mystery series, and I am eager to see what Tessa Arlen has in store for us next!
http://www.literaryfeline.com/2017/03/bookish-thoughts-death-by-any-other.html
A Death by Any Other Name (Lady Montfort, #3) by Tessa Arlen
Minotaur Books, 2017
Crime Fiction (Cozy); 336 pgs
Source: E-copy provided by the publisher for review.
While the last two murder investigations Countess Clementine Talbot, better known as Lady Montfort, and her housekeeper Mrs. Jackson got involved in were closer to home--and easy to excuse their involvement in--this time around the two women step way out of the usual circles--right into the middle class. When a former cook from a well to do middle class family approaches Mrs. Jackson about her circumstances, Mrs. Jackson has mixed feelings. The cook claims she was let go because of a death in the household, allegedly the result of accidental food poisoning. Only, the cook isn't so sure it was an accident, and she is hoping Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson can find a way to clear her name. Mrs. Jackson is as reluctant as ever to get involved, but the same cannot be said for Lady Montfort who seems to like sticking her nose into these most serious matters.
As always, it was a joy to spend time with Mrs. Jackson and Lady Monfort. I love how proper Mrs. Jackson is. She takes her role as head housekeeper very seriously and does not like to meddle where she doesn't belong. And yet the always curious and determined Lady Montfort manages to talk her into it every time.
Using a well-known guest visiting the Montfort estate to gain an invite to the Hyde Rose Society, Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson find themselves among an interesting group of people, all aspiring hybrid rose breeders. They all feel very passionately about their roses, the two learn rather quickly. Among the group, is the widow of the dead man. The group arrange for a competition with their well known guest, Ms. Jekyll, as the judge. She's not altogether happy about the idea, not being a fan of hybrid roses, but she goes along with it just the same. Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson do there best to get to know everyone and learn the facts of surrounding the popular member's death. The reader gets a definite flavor of the class differences between the characters, most often through Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson's observations as they talk with the guests, the hostess and the staff.
I admit to not especially caring for many of those in the Hyde Rose Society. They each have their own possible motives for the possible murder. And the man of the house, especially, is a despicable character. He treats his wife very poorly.
In the background of events at Hyde Castle is the possibility of war. Germany has invaded Poland and set its sights on France. Lady Montfort is worried about all her children, one who is traveling by sea to the Baltics and another who is living in France with her young children and husband. Lady Montfort's son is a pilot, flying for Churchill. All their lives are about to irrevocably change and the tension is high. In each one of her novels, I have appreciated how well Tessa Arlen captures the time period, both in historical detail but also in the more social and psychological aspect.
I wasn't quite as taken with this third addition to the series as the first two, although it was still a very enjoyable read. I felt as if there were some loose ends not tied up in regards to events at Hyde Castle. It was definitely interesting to see Lady Montfort and even Mrs. Jackson out of their elements a bit. They certainly had their work cut out for them! I loved the literary references added into the novel. This continues to be one of my favorite cozy historical mystery series, and I am eager to see what Tessa Arlen has in store for us next!
rubenstein's review against another edition
3.0
Although I had hoped for more of a scandalous or shocking reveal (like the secret romance that blossoms between the upstairs and downstairs!!) I found that, by the end, I wasn't disappointed. I was captivated the entire time and I loved how, as the story progressed, the war loomed ever closer. By the end, it's announced that England is definitely going to enter, while Germany marches into France (Lady Montfort's daughter and her family live in Paris). I imagine the next book will be even more gloom and doom - and I'll be first in line to read all about it!
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
kimmerp's review against another edition
4.0
More like 4.25 or so. I have read all three in the series and this one gets back to the deft writing and introspection of the first and away from the almost catty introspection of the second. Really enjoyed.
julieputty's review
3.0
The rampant head-hopping is pretty distracting, but it was in the first two books as well and I kept going, so I have no excuse. And I'll read the next one and complain about it again because I am incapable of learning.
I didn't find the mystery very compelling, but I enjoyed the character interactions and the setting.
I didn't find the mystery very compelling, but I enjoyed the character interactions and the setting.
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