The Murders of Richard III (original 1986; edition 2004)

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Thomas Carter is a member of a group dedicated to Richard III, and he invites Jacqueline Kirby to accompany him on a weekend expedition to a friend's country home for their meeting, which will include the unveiling of a recently found letter that proves Richard innocent of the murders of his nephews in the Tower. Everyone has a part to play, from Richard himself down to the princes.
Suddenly, the characters begin getting attacked, one at a time, in the order that they were ostensibly killed by Richard or his minions. Jacqueline takes it upon herself, as the outsider, to track down the culprit before it goes too far.

A good mystery story with a fair dose of history. Thoroughly enjoyed. ( )

Elizabeth Peters brings back librarian Jacqueline Kirby for an English manor mystery in this 1974 novel. Invited to a house party where all the participants are fanatic devotees of Richard III, Jacqueline finds herself in the midst of a bunch of eccentrics. However, someone is playing some nasty jokes and everyone is suspect. This is a fun read and full of Richard III trivia. The consensus of the devotees is that Richard did not kill the little princes and that he was not in fact hunch backed and that Thomas More wrote a very suspect biography of the king. ( )

It's not The Daughter of Time, but what is. The murders of Richard III mixed up in an English Country house party and with an American heroine. Pleasant read. ( )

I find this book tremendous fun for several reasons. First, it features Peters' detective Jacqueline Kirby--She of the Purse. While she's perhaps not as brilliant a creation as her Amelia Peabody, I'm very fond of this not so mild-mannered librarian amateur detective.

But then this book also caters to my interest in things Richard III, sending up "Ricardians" (defenders of the maligned king) with gentle affection. In that regard you can rather see this as a homage and sequel to Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time, also a contemporary mystery dealing with the two Princes in the Tower allegedly murdered by Richard the III of England. I'd read that book first, since I think it would be less fun afterward (since it deals with many of the same points) while this Peters' novel is all the more fun if you get the allusions.

The book also pokes gentle fun at the mystery genre in general. As Jacqueline notes enthusiastically, it's all set at an "English house party...straight out of all those British detective stories" she revels in, and there are allusions to Ellery Queen and Agatha Christie within as well and lots of delightfully quirky characters--in medieval costume and roles no less with medieval banquets. So, even if I don't think this quite matches Joesphine Tey's The Daughter of Time or Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody The Crocodile on the Sandbank I'm awfully fond of this one nevertheless. ( )