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A review by kbranfield
Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen
4.0
Set in the English countryside during the early 1900s, Tessa Arlen's Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is a very intriguing mystery. This debut novel offers a unique pairing of detectives when Clementine Talbot (Lady Montford) asks her trusted housekeeper Mrs. Edith Jackson to help her investigate the troubling murder of her nephew, Teddy Mallory.
Clementine's annual house party coincides with Teddy's latest troubles at school and when his body is discovered the morning after the event, her guests and their servants fall under suspicion of the local constable. Clementine's concern over her son's altercation with Teddy the day before prompts her to ask Mrs. Jackson for her help in learning what the servants might have seen or heard during the party. Mrs. Jackson is uneasy about becoming too familiar with Lady Montford and she is equally appalled to report on her fellow servants' conversations. But when she learns that a new maid mysteriously vanished at some point during the festivities, she puts aside her dismay and begins her investigation. At the same time, Clementine is gently probing her guests for information and the two women regularly meet to compare notes. They uncover startling revelations about Teddy's rather nefarious activities and Mrs. Jackson follows very promising leads.
Despite the somber occasion, Clementine's guests enjoy lavish dinners and games while the overburdened servants continue their numerous chores. The pampered and privileged upper crust frequently argue about the politics of the day and the suffrage movement is hotly debated. The differences between the classes are also brought into sharp focus as Mrs. Jackson delicately balances the unexpected blurring of class lines during her meetings with Clementine. Mrs. Jackson also must respect the hierarchy that exists between the servants and she remains very uncomfortable listening in as they gossip about their employers.
Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is a brilliantly crafted mystery and Tess Arlen successfully conceals the perpetrator's identity right up until the novel's conclusion. All in all, it is a very entertaining novel with an interesting mystery and fascinating peek into life during the Edwardian era and I am very eager to read the next novel in the Lady Montford Mystery series.
Clementine's annual house party coincides with Teddy's latest troubles at school and when his body is discovered the morning after the event, her guests and their servants fall under suspicion of the local constable. Clementine's concern over her son's altercation with Teddy the day before prompts her to ask Mrs. Jackson for her help in learning what the servants might have seen or heard during the party. Mrs. Jackson is uneasy about becoming too familiar with Lady Montford and she is equally appalled to report on her fellow servants' conversations. But when she learns that a new maid mysteriously vanished at some point during the festivities, she puts aside her dismay and begins her investigation. At the same time, Clementine is gently probing her guests for information and the two women regularly meet to compare notes. They uncover startling revelations about Teddy's rather nefarious activities and Mrs. Jackson follows very promising leads.
Despite the somber occasion, Clementine's guests enjoy lavish dinners and games while the overburdened servants continue their numerous chores. The pampered and privileged upper crust frequently argue about the politics of the day and the suffrage movement is hotly debated. The differences between the classes are also brought into sharp focus as Mrs. Jackson delicately balances the unexpected blurring of class lines during her meetings with Clementine. Mrs. Jackson also must respect the hierarchy that exists between the servants and she remains very uncomfortable listening in as they gossip about their employers.
Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is a brilliantly crafted mystery and Tess Arlen successfully conceals the perpetrator's identity right up until the novel's conclusion. All in all, it is a very entertaining novel with an interesting mystery and fascinating peek into life during the Edwardian era and I am very eager to read the next novel in the Lady Montford Mystery series.