Death of a Wine Merchant

January 25, 2010
Dorothy Sayers fans may enjoy seeing how closely Dickinson follows the plot of a well-known Lord Peter Wimsey novel in his ninth early 20th-century historical featuring aristocratic English sleuth Lord Francis Powerscourt (after 2009’s Death of a Pilgrim
), not one of the better entries in an uneven series. A wedding-day tragedy in Norfolk results in Powerscourt’s being retained by the defense attorney representing a man arrested for murder. The prosecution case appears clear-cut—Cosmo Colville was found sitting in a chair, holding a gun, a few feet away from the bleeding body of his older brother, Randolph, the father of the groom. Cosmo’s refusal to speak about what happened leads to speculation he’s shielding another family member. The uphill investigation plunges Powerscourt into the world of wine selling, the Colville family business. At the resolution, some readers may feel the author has unfairly withheld an important clue to the killer’s identity.

February 1, 2010
A member of the Covilles, wealthy wine merchants, is about to marry the daughter of a landowner and solicitor when the groom's father is murdered and the father's brother is arrested. Gentleman detective Lord Francis Powerscourt ("Death of a Pilgrim") is hired by the defense to prove the accused's innocence. VERDICT This fine historical has one of the best trial scenes in recent memory, rivaled only by Anne Perry's "Execution Dock".

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