Gregory Harris (1)Reseñas

This historical crime fiction is set in 1893, and has a genius private detective supported by his affable and admiring friend, who writes the accounts of their investigations. They live together in a London apartment, with a housekeeper.

Sound familiar?

The twist that Harris inserts into this obvious pastiche is that Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruitt are gay lovers who have been together for fourteen years without being discovered, at a time when sodomy was punishable by death. OK, then; if you can accept that, then you should find this book a diverting read. I just found it ludicrous.

Pendragon and Pruitt are asked to investigate the murder of an abbot in his monastic cell in Dalwich, with his tongue cut out. While there, they get involved in a second murder, that of a local girl. The story grinds on with not much in the way of plot twists, and very little action. I thought it was OK, that's all. I was not impressed that the last few pages are essentially a trailer for the next book in the series; I could have done without that being tacked on to this story's resolution.

3 1/4 stars

Light weight mystery romance. Mr. Harris could do with a lesson on the differences between knitting and crocheting and he misuses the word "progeny" at one point, but not bad otherwise.

83 year old Adelaide Endicott does not survive a fall from her bedroom window at Layton Manor. Her sister Adelaide believes it is not suicide as Scotland Yard persist in stating. So Pendragon and Pruitt are employed to determine what happened and why.
I enjoyed the story and the introduction to the characters, and I suspect I would like to read more of this series - this was the first of the series that I have read.

But I am not sure that I can recommend it as a stand-alone read as unfortunately there was a story line continued from Book Three which at times was an annoyance as I didn't know the background to the story and it has to some extent spoiled the reading of Book Three.
(N.B In Britain baseboards are called skirting boards).
A NetGalley Book

Several years after the Ripper has disappeared, a body of a prostitute is discovered, brutally killed. Is the Ripper back. Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruit are asked by Scotland Yard for their help.
I enjoyed this mystery, better than the previous book as this is more of a standalone story. Well-written with interesting characters.
A NetGalley Book

This is an excellent whodunit mystery novel set in Victorian London, circa 1895. Detectives Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruitt join forces with Scotland Yard Inspector Evans to solve a series of grisly murders. These murders resemble the ones attributed to Jack the Ripper, and there is a suspicion that there's a copycat killer at work. Narrated by Ethan, the story is told through his observations and moves at a brisk pace to a satisfying conclusion. There's a secondary story involving the brutal murder of a young nobleman that leads to a continuation of a story from previous books in this series. This is the sixth in a series and can be read as a standalone although there are numerous references to other books in the series. At the end the reader will know there's more to come.

The relationship between Colin and Ethan is interesting and noteworthy. They are a gay couple in a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain. (This is not a "gay" mystery though and there is no explicit sex). Their relationship is kept under wraps wth only Colin's father and their housekeeper/cook knowing their true relationship. The rest of the world has their gaydar turned off. In this story, at one point Colin falls victim to a sepsis infection and Ethan faces the prospect of losing him to it. Of course, since the true nature of their relationship is hidden and of no legal standing, Ethan is essentially kept out of the formal medical decision loop. fortunately, Colin recovers and their partnership continues. This interval caused by Colin's illness however provides the opportunity for Ethan to move from a "loyal assistant" to a full partner in the detection business. This promotion will likely bode well in sequels. This pair of detectives shares some similarities with the Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson and Hercule Poirot/Captain Hastings combinations, except the personal relationships in these pairs does not factor into their mysteries to the extent that it does here. Colin and Ethan are well-connected in British society, they even get to meet Queen Victoria: one can only wonder how sensitive her gaydar is!

It's a good whodunit mystery with an intelligent plot and good pacing, some interesting characters (e.g. the coroner), and lots of local colour about Victorian London.

Recommended.

NB: Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eBook edition of this book. The views expressed are my own.½

Colin and Ethan, partners in detective work and life, work on solving two cases in this book. The first is a horrific murder of a military man and his wife. Even though the military hires them, Colin and Ethan get no help from them in their investigation as they work against a three-day deadline. The second case is dog-napping which they solve in short order.
This is light reading despite the gory murder, although at the end of the story, there is some serious ruminating about being gay in Victorian England. The storytelling is excellent, with plot being the driver.
The characterization is a bit thin but the slightly saucy narration overcomes any weakness with character development. The coroner Denton Ross, who seems to have the hots for Ethan, is a standout for me. The pompous Scotland Yard detective Emmett Varcoe is there for Colin to annoy and put in his place. I expect these two will re-appear in subsequent novels in this series and it will be interesting to see what their roles will be.
This is the second of a series and can be read as a standalone without difficulty.
A good fun read.

A Royal Guardsman and his wife have been killed and a prize dog has been kidnapped. Both cases for Colin Pendragon and his trusty sidekick Ethan Pruitt in Victorian London.

I could give more detail but I don't think there's much point as this is one of those books that I felt was a real chore getting to the end of. The plot is actually quite good but the writing is poor and the use of a quite modern idiom in a Victorian setting just jars. The homosexual subplot is used to awkwardly make a point and the female characters are caracatures.

As a piece of homosexual Sherlock Holmes fan fiction this probably has a place but I'm glad a got a review copy as I wouldn't waste my money.

Well I quit because ths writing was just terrible. There was no back story, no background on the setting or people or anything. Also, the writing did not flow well together and i did not care for the dialogue. Also, I got to page 47 I believe it was, to the part about taking a bath and I quit. I have no problem with what people choose to do in their own house but there are some things I dont want to read about and two guys taking a bath together is one of them.

Tailor-made for Sherlock Holmes fans; this is one for those who've powered through all of Conan Doyle's detective's outings and are bemoaning the fact that there's no more to read. The detective here, Colin Pendragon, is clearly Holmes, and his sidekick/lover (the relationship is tastefully and obliquely referenced) is clearly Watson.

I think a lot of fans will enjoy it, although some purists will, of course, have objections.

Myself, I found it to be an enjoyable but fairly standard murder mystery. A renowned investigator is hired to look into the death of a wealthy woman's husband. Lady Arnifour's main concern seems to be clearing the name of the chief suspect, her groundskeeper. However, she seriously underestimates the investigator's abilities, and soon all manner of family dirty laundry is brought into view. Add in a subplot, a few quirky characters, and a hefty dose of 19th-century London atmosphere, and there we go. None of the revelations are anything we haven't heard before (scandal, drugs, exploitation of children), and the story succumbs to the temptation to have the detective deliver an overly long revelatory monologue at the denouement.

I received my copy through the Goodreads First Reads program. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book!

This book has voodoo, a dead wealthy financier found dead in a horrible way and a wife who is crazy. Colin Pendragon and Ethan Pruitt investigate the death and other murders linked to the first death. Well written story line, good characters and a stimulating read.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

...mysterious 'til the end!

Voodoo, a wealthy financier dead in a most heinous fashion. A wife teetering constantly on the edge of madness. Are the neighbours involved or not? Certainly a conundrum that will take all of Colin Pendragon's powers of investigative thought and action to unravel.
Ethan Pruitt is as always mixed up in the trail and Scotland Yard's Inspector Varcoe is not far behind.
It seems that this case is so convoluted that two just might form an uneasy alliance, the detective and Scotland Yard's finest.
A tightly woven plot with the culprit hidden right until the very end.

A NetGalley ARC

The murder of a captain in Her Majesty’s Guard has prompted Major Hampstead to enlist the services of Colin Pendragon and his assistant/companion Ethan Pruitt. Colin, in answer to the Major’s request to pacify the press while the Guard deals with their own, vows to solve the murder of Capt. Bellingham and his wife Gwendolyn in three days. If he fails, he will read the prepared statement.
Of course Colin has no intention of failing or being puppeted by the Major.

This was my first and last adventure with Colin and Ethan. My expectations for THE BELLINGHAM BLOODBATH and this series were high, much too high as it turns out. I didn’t like the characters at all.
Colin has no finesse. He’s not brilliant, subtle, or impressive. His quirks, the dumbbells and push ups, came across as affections. The coin manipulation and name mispronunciations were the exceptions. They were believable. There was nothing to distinguish his investigative or questioning techniques, no intuitive leaps. With no evidence presented to justify Colin’s reputation and renown, as a reader I was unable to believe in his “abilities”.

As for Colin’s assistant/companion/partner Ethan, his petty jealousies and insecurities were irritating at best. His childish fit of pique leading to his stay at the Devonshire was ridiculous. The only characters even remotely appealing to me were Lady Dahlia Stuart and Lady Priscilla.
The mysteries were unable to overcome my dislike of the characters. My overall impression was childish pettiness with an occasional swipe of spite.

If not obligated to read THE BELLINGHAM BLOODBATH it would have been a D(id) N(ot) F(inish) for me.

Pendragon and Pruitt, detecting extraordinaire!

A mystery set in the latter part of Victorian times à la Sherlock Holmes with Dicksonian overtones.
Colin Pendragon is a talented detective channeling the shade of Sherlock Holmes' arrogance and abilities. His companion Ethan Pruitt plays Watson to Pendragon's Sherlock persona.
It took me some time to realized that their relationship was discretely different to that of Holmes and Watson. And then there's the strange landlady, Mrs Behmoth who is both alarming and endearing. Certainly a far cry from Mrs Hudson. (A strange household indeed. In fact, I was quite enamoured of this quirky little group. Future novels I hope will divulge the story of how they came together. There are hints along the way.)
Disgruntled by Scotland Yards enquiries, Lady Anifour comes demanding that Pendragon take her on as a client. Her husband has been murdered, her niece beaten and left in a coma. She demands that Pendragon find the culprit.
The Anifour household is a hot bed of dissatisfaction, a dissolute son, an up-tight, pinched lip housekeeper, a distant daughter, a gardener whose more than a gardener and the gardener's son. (one can sense D.H.Lawrence looming in the background)
Then we have the appearance of an interesting young ragamuffin from the bowels of the London stews asking for help to find his younger disappeared sister.
That search takes Pendragon and Ethan deep into the underbelly of criminal activity, the opium dens and brothels, and for Ethan, into a tragic past he has fought to conquer.
These visit's are poignantly dark moments for him. The reader has hints of Ethan's former life without Pendragon. We witness his very personal struggle against the seduction of opium and the hints of what his old life might have entailed. His coming realization of the thin line between succumbing or not to the lure of the poppy is heartfelt. These scenes elicit our sympathy and understanding as he fights the temptation.
The murder trail, like that of Hansel and Gretel's, is littered with breadcrumbs. It leads to places unexpected and I for one was left wondering right until the end.
I'm looking forward to the next adventure in the series!

A NetGalley ARC