The Pigeon Pie Mystery

June 4, 2012
Near the outset of Stuart’s zany first mystery, a late Victorian historical, Princess Alexandrina of Prindur (aka Mink), the daughter of an Indian maharajah, faces eviction from her father’s London house after her debt-ridden parent’s death. Mink staves off the creditors for a year until getting a reprieve from the queen, who offers her a “grace-and-favour residence” on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Over the reservations of her maid, Pooki, who believes the palace to be haunted, Mink accepts, only to find herself in the midst of a murder inquiry in which she has a personal investment. During a picnic at the palace’s Pond Gardens, a guest expires after eating an arsenic-laced pigeon pie that Pooki prepared. Fans of Stuart’s novel The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise will find the same wit on display. A noblewoman, for example, praises H.G. Wells’s Martians for sparing Hampton Court “as any right-thinking monsters would.” Agent: Gráinne Fox, Fletcher & Company.

July 15, 2012
Her Highness Princess Alexandrina is forced by circumstances to make a new life for herself, and deal with new death, after the passing of her father, His Highness the Maharaja of Prindur. His kingdom stolen by the British, the Maharaja is taken to England where, as a favorite of Queen Victoria, he marries an Englishwoman and spends his life brooding on the loss of the family jewels. His scandalous death in the arms of another young woman makes life difficult for his daughter Alexandrina, known as Mink, who is lucky to be awarded a grace-and-favor apartment at Hampton Court Palace, which is reputed to be haunted by ghosts. Once Mink and her Indian servant Pooki move into the moldering apartment, they meet a diverse and zany group: the obnoxious Maj. Gen. Bagshot and his wife, several military relics, the Keeper of the Maze, the Keeper of the Great Vine and Dr. Henderson, who falls for Mink. When a picnic is proposed, Pooki is asked to make a pigeon pie, a favorite of Bagshot's. Soon after enjoying the treat, Bagshot dies--apparently from cholera, until an anonymous letter suggesting otherwise provokes a postmortem that turns up arsenic. Mink must unmask the real killer if she is to clear Pooki. As she questions her new acquaintances, Mink discovers many secrets. But are any of them a motive for murder? Stuart's third (The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise, 2010, etc.) continues her exploration of famous English historic sites. Quirky characters, a feisty protagonist, a clever mystery and the requisite historical tidbits combine for an amusing read.

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July 1, 2012
In 1897 England, Princess Alexandrina, Mink, is devastated by the death of her father, the maharaja, and also by the debts he left behind. She and her beloved remaining servant, Pooki, are offered a house near Hampton Court Palace and soon find themselves among diverse neighbors, including the obnoxious General-Major Bagshot. After Pooki cooks pigeon pies for a picnic, and the general dies of arsenic poisoning, Mink begins questioning everyone to clear her maid before Pooki is arrested and hung. It seems each resident of Hampton Court has secrets, including missing children, illicit marriages, and love affairs. Stuart combines vivid historical detail, layers of intrigue, and plenty of humor in this intelligent mystery that will appeal to Agatha Christie fans as well as those who enjoy G. M. Malliet and C. S. Challinor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)