Cozy Regency Mystery

Beau Brummell finds life a touch boring without a crime to solve. His new gentlemen’s club, Watier’s, soon provides him with an urgent new interest. Brummell’s young protégé Lieutenant Nevill, while gambling at Watier’s, accuses the highly respected government official Theobald Jacombe of cheating at cards, then challenges him to a duel. The Beau is incensed. Not only has Nevill just promised the Beau he wouldn’t gamble anymore, he has also beaten the Beau to challenging Jacombe, because Jacombe insulted Nevill’s fiancee Molly and the Beau’s good friend Miss Lavender in the same breath.

The night before the duel, Jacombe is murdered, and Nevill is found with the gun in his hand. Miss Lavender’s father, a Bow Street Runner, arrests Nevill on the spot. Nevill’s grandfather disowns him, while insulting Molly and Miss Lavender yet again. The Beau knows Nevill would never kill a man so dishonorably. Now madder than hornets, he must keep his cool as he tracks down the secret life of Theobald Jacombe, the seedy past of Nevill’s grandfather, and the reason for the mysterious change in the beautiful Miss Lavender.

The real reason this series is held in such love by readers is the Beau’s private life. Beau Brummell fights off challengers for his position as society’s Arbiter of Style, grieves over the chill in his formerly warm relationship with Frederica, the Duchess of York, and attends the summonses of the Prince of Wales. These things are historical. Fictionally, he lends behind-the-scenes support to Haven of Hope, a refuge for women run by the tempting Miss Lavender. He plays unwilling host to the mother of his twin footmen – and her pig. He placates his cook, quashes the pretensions of his valet, and obeys the commands of his Siamese cat. These private inventions of author Rosemary Stevens are the things that will make MURDER IN THE PLEASURE GARDENS most attractive to readers.

Rosemary Stevens’ first mystery, DEATH ON A SILVER TRAY, won the Agatha for Best First Mystery. SILVER TRAY and its sequel THE TAINTED SNUFFBOX kept me laughing out loud. It is my impression from reading THE BLOODIED CRAVAT and MURDER IN THE PLEASURE GARDENS, the third and fourth of the series, that Stevens’ feel for her main character has lost its rumbustious sparkle. I didn’t laugh out loud once while reading PLEASURE GARDENS. However, Stevens set a mighty high benchmark for herself with her first two books. MURDER IN THE PLEASURE GARDENS is still a heartwarming cozy to escape into, and the Beau is a fine friend to bear one company in one’s leisure.

July 2004 Review