Scotland Yard Detective Joe Sandilands is caught off guard one night in 1933 by a phone call from a distressed boy named Jackie Drummond, who just might be the illegitimate son Joe never knew he had. Jackie is in trouble at his Sussex boarding school, where a teacher has been murdered. When Joe gets himself assigned to the investigation, he learns the boarding school case is more complicated than it appears: A frightening number of boys, all from wealthy families, have gone missing over the school’s history, and by some coincidence none of the families have followed up on their sons’ whereabouts.
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"I like the Joe Sandiland mysteries mostly becuase Joe is such a laid-back character with so many experiences under his belt in his early 30s. In the British army, he spent much time in India (the earlier novels) and fought in Europe in World War II. This latest episode starts very slowly... after the first 50 pages I was extremely disappointed with how little interest Cleverly developed in the reader about the death of a boy's school professor. However, the real plot, once it got going, was clever and unique-I could not put the last half of the book down. Let's just say it dealt with the Nazi idea (they had developed a foothold in Germany by the novel's date of 1933) of only letting the superior of the species procreate. I'll leave the rest to you to find out."
— Brenda (4 out of 5 stars)
“One of Cleverly’s very cleverest puzzles…Clevery is a terrific writer, and she’s also wonderful at setting a scene…She supplies the glamour as well as the grime, and she’s one of the most adept puzzle-plot-makers now working. The clues are all there. But you won’t guess who it is until she gives you the final word.”
— Globe and Mail (Toronto)“Intricate, erudite, and witty…Cleverly is a terrific plotter, and her prose highlights a keen sense of place, character, and dialogue…Fans of P. D. James, take note: Here’s a worthy colleague.”
— Seattle Times“Cleverly has perfect pitch for period and place, whether the hero is unearthing evil in India, England, or France.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch“In this puzzling, haunting mystery…narrator Simon Prebble is charming yet stern. His British accent is perfect for this brooding tale. Prebble’s character interpretations are subtle, yet accurate and believable; his acting chops and colorful pallet of tones and voices are on display from the get-go.”
— Publishers Weekly (audio review)“Suspenseful…makes the most of its intriguing setup…The surprisingly horrific truth behind the murder helps to make this one of the better recent installments.”
— Publishers Weekly“Cleverly neatly captures the style and feeling of the period between the world wars and provides plenty of mystery, suspense, and danger.”
— Kirkus Reviews" This is my first Joe Sandilands mystery, although it's the tenth in the series. I bought The Last Kashmiri Rose 10 years ago and have just now started it. Probably would have enjoyed this book more if I had started at the beginning. The author certainly knows Britain and the time period, 1933, well and the characters are very well drawn. "
— Connie, 2/18/2014" I have enjoyed every one of the 'Joe Sandilands' mysteries, and this latest is even better than the rest. It's 1933, and the story connects up with some of the people and events from 10 years ago in India (but if you haven't read the earlier books, you'll be okay, just enough backstory tidbits are supplied to explain). The usual superb plotting and character development. Anyone who appreciates period mysteries will like this book. "
— Rita, 2/13/2014" a little disappointed. I love her earlier books in the series. "
— Johanna, 2/8/2014" Interesting spin as the book progresses. A bit of history that we sometimes forget happened. "
— Elizabeth, 2/8/2014" Very interesting especially in this years delving into eugenics. Very 'British' in a fun way. "
— Jackie, 1/15/2014" Firstreads book.This was a well-written, thought-provoking book. I did not rate it higher than a three because I felt there were some details not well explained (loose threads). This was the first book in the series I have read and will be on the lookout for more in thrift stores. "
— Jill, 1/9/2014" Another good one in a dependable series "
— Mary, 12/18/2013" So boring... I stopped reading :-( "
— Rachel, 12/11/2013" I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I've liked all of the Sandilands books and this one most of all. A very interesting and fast moving plot. I particularly liked the young girl, she was a piece of work. "
— Harriet, 11/30/2013" Very good period novel/mystery. The denouement was a bit muddled but I enjoyed the story, the characters were well-drawn and the plot interesting. I will go back and read some of this author's earlier books in this series... "
— Kate, 6/26/2013" Excellent. Well-drawn characters, believable plot. "
— Jane, 4/8/2013" Sandilands in England is interesting, but abroad was more so. I get a little tired of vast conspiracies (like Anne Perry) but Cleverly makes it look good. "
— Lynn, 3/20/2013" The plot is pretty feeble, but I like Joe Sandilands, the protagonist. A bit Boys'Own Annual in tone. "
— Lynn, 3/4/2013" Sandilands gets into the 1930s and uncovers some really weird stuff. "
— Greg, 2/13/2013" Got this on a whim looking at the New shelf at the Library. The mystery itself wasn't bad, but the writing style was a little too British for me and was hard to follow at times. Not inspired to read any more from this series. "
— Jon, 2/7/2013" Good start but rather confusing and not believable. Not easy to read. "
— Al, 2/2/2013" This is a good series. This time it investigates the close ties of England with Nazi Germany and the creation of the "right" kind of people "
— Charlene, 9/16/2012Barbara Cleverly is a former teacher and a graduate of Durham University who now lives in Cambridge. Her debut, The Last Kashmiri Rose, was a New York Times Notable Book of 2002.
Simon Prebble, a British-born performer, is a stage and television actor and veteran narrator of some three hundred audiobooks. As one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices, he has received thirty-seven Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie in 2010. He lives in New York.