The Problem of the Surly Servant

Charles Dodgson & Arthur Conan Doyle #4

by Roberta Rogow

It is May 1886 and all is not well at Christ Church, Oxford. The curator of Christ Church, the Reverend Mr. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (better known as the author Lewis Carroll), is expecting a visit from Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle - an acquaintance and would-be writer - and his wife when he learns of a series of troubling events. The wine cellar seems to have mysteriously become depleted, while some of the students and faculty have begun complaining that many small personal items - items of value - have begun disappearing from their rooms. Over at Lady Margaret Hall, one of the female students finds herself the subject of blackmail, with a photo taken of her as a child by Mr. Dodgson the object. And Lord Nevil Farlow, pressed by gambling debts and in financial difficulty, finds himself contemplating a desperate maneuver to come about. In the midst of all of this is Ingram, an insolent scout, whom Dodgson believes has been going through his things in his room and fires after a public disagreement witnessed by half the college. So that evening, when Dr. Dodgson discovers the murdered body of Ingram on the grounds, the only suspect for miles around is Dodgson himself. Now it is up to Doyle, with Dodgson's help, to find out how these various disturbances are related and uncover the truth about Ingram's murder before disgrace, or worse, lands at Dodgson's feet.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction

235 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Roberta Rogow is the author of the four "Dodgson/Doyle" mysteries. She is currently working on a new series set in Gilded Age New York City. She also reviews juvenile mysteries for Mystery Scene Magazine, and is a writer and performer of Science Fiction "filk" songs. She recently retired from a 37-year career as a Children's Librarian in New Jersey public libraries. "

Reviews

[Russ Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting detective duo. Fascinating.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the fourth of a series, but you don't have to have read the earlier ones to understand this one.

There isn't really much mystery to it; you pretty much know the villains from the start; so the interest is more in how Dodgson and Conan Doyle go about solving it and the depiction of life in Victorian Oxford. The editing got a bit sloppy toward the end, with big chunks of dialogue essentially repeated from prior chapters. There weren't too many typos, though.

I was bothered somewhat by the continual references to "Doyle", knowing that all Quiz Bowl contestants are trained to call him "Conan Doyle", but during the denouement, he decides to follow the example of some of the Oxonians and use both names.

There is a nice little section of historical notes at the end, explaining which characters were real and a little bit about them.