The Rival Queens: A Novel of Artifice, Gunpowder and Murder in Eighteenth-Century London [Hardcover]

It is a fine line between presenting dialogue that is authentic from the 18th Century, and writing so faithfully to every bit of slang then in use so as to make reading a work frustrating to impossible. When I read historical fiction, one of the last burdens I want to have is the constant interruption of language that has become arcane, or footnotes that interrupt the narrative flow. Another failing of some writers is that they take great liberty with the historical figures they place within their fiction. Fidelis Morgan uses Samuel Pepys as a player in her tale, and nothing she portrayed was inconsistent with what I have read of the man.

Her two heroines who are the sleuths are both wonderful, and are a good team while often being the perfect odd couple. This piece has all the drama of hands drenched in blood, blood spouting from public fountains, and bodies that either appear or actually seem to have misplaced some of their parts. The book is fun and entertaining with the author adding enough levity to keep her work from becoming another bloodletting ripper tale. I definitely will be going back to her first work, and I look forward to reading many more.

While chasing down what they hope will be the latest society scandal involving the only daughter of a rich City alderman, the Countess and Alpiew, (the 'scandal' column reporters for the "London Trumpet"), make the acquittance of Colley Cibber (a playwright and actor currently working at Drury Lane). Always on the lookout for publicity for himself, Cibber invites the Countess and Alpiew to a lecture on the Passions. And because the Countess is (again) trying to evade the bailiffs for nonpayment of the Poor Rate (and because Alpiew is truly interested in attending the lecture) the ladies accept Cribber's invitation with some alacrity. The lecture, however, turns out to be instructional in a manner in that neither the Countess nor Alpiew anticipated as they are treated to a very public and bitter squabble between two of Drury Lane's leading actresses: the even tempered and universally adored Anne Lucas and the fiery tempered Rebecca Montagu.

But it is the morning following the lecture that turns out to be the really momentous one for both the Countess and Alpiew. First, they are greeted with the grim news that Anne Lucas has been murdered. Secondly, the Countess gets arrested by the bailiffs for nonpayment of the Poor Rate. And finally, Rebecca Montagu turns up at the Countess's doorstep, intent on hiring both the Countess and Alpiew to discover who Anne Lucas's murderer is and to protect her from her more ardent fans (the 'phanatiques'). Desperate for the money so that she can spring the Countess, Alpiew accepts the case with some reluctance, for she cannot rid herself of the feeling that Rebecca Montagu is not to be trusted. Soon, with the Countess at her side, the duo begins what could be their most frustrating of cases as the most obvious suspect in Anne Lucas's murder seems to be their client (Rebecca Montagu), who seems to be playing a deep game of her own, and who seems intent on making a may game of them. The more they dig, the more evidence they come up with that seems to imply Rebecca's guilt. What are they to do? And more importantly, what will it say of their reputations as private inquiry agents if they come up with the evidence that will send their own client to jail for murder?

"The Rival Queens" proved to be a rollicking fun read. The action never let up, and the plot unfolded at a brisk and smooth pace that had me fairly devouring the bok until I reached the last page! The storyline was a totally engrossing one, and there were enough cunning plot twists and red herring suspects to keep most mystery buffs happy. Best of all was Fidelis Morgan's prose style, which turned out to be witty, hilarious (I esp liked the bits where the Countess would purposely misremember Cibber's name, and address him by a fishy name instead) and very graceful. I really enjoy mystery novels that allows me to appreciate the history and the culture of the period, and "The Rival Queens" fulfilled this requirement admirably. Here's to future Countess Ashby de la Zouch & Alpiew mystery novels!