Death on the Holy Mountain

by David Dickinson

Book Overview

Praise for the Powerscourt series: "Fine prose, high society, and [a] complex plot recommend this series."-- Library Journal "One hopes to see more of Lord Powerscourt and his friends in the near... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1569475032
• ISBN13: 9781569475034
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Soho Constable
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Powerscourt in Ireland

First Sentence: The box was brown and tightly bund with string. Someone is stealing ancestral portraits, and a few old masters, from the homes of the landed Protestant gentry in Ireland. Being of that descent, yet having given up his Irish family home, Lord Francis Powerscourt is asked to find the culprit. The question is whether it is a case of traditional theft, or an attempt to force the land-owner Protestant's out of Ireland. When theft turns to murder, the stakes are raised. I always enjoy Dickinson's writing but this was dryer and more focused on history than murder than his books I've read so far. Dickinson's wonderful wry humor is still there, as is his perceptiveness. There is a wonderful comparison of two clergymen; the Catholic priest and the Protestant minister. His introspection is there as well; Powercourt's dilemma as to whether he is for or against the Irish struggle. The descriptiveness of his writing always appeals to me. He involves all the senses and allows you to see, hear, smell and taste the elements of the story. I particularly liked that he included songs of the period. His characters are well defined and alive. Powerscourt, Lady Lucy and, particularly Johnny Fitzgerald are always a pleasure to rediscover. The plot, in this particular book, was a bit heavy-handed with Irish history. It was fascinating and I did learn a lot, but it also rather overshadowed the suspense of the story. It was a shame as Dickinson can do suspense very well. Even so, this was a pleasure to read, kept me involved and certainly anxious to read the next book in the series. DEATH ON THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (Hist/Enq. Agent (PI)-Lord Francis Powerscourt-Ireland-1905) - G+ Dickinson, David - 7th in series Constable, 2008, UK Hardcover - ISBN: 9781845296032

Mysterious, Entertaining & Captures the Imagination

It's just been in the last couple of years that I found David Dickinson's "Lord Frances Powerscourt" mystery series. With every book there is more things to learn about Great Britain and with this book, Ireland. That's the "Easter Egg" of his books - learning historical facts about Great Britain as a back drop to a wonderfully written mystery. No wasting your money here!

Excellent historical thriller

In 1905, though semi retired, English private investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt accompanied by his wife Lucy travel to Ireland to look into some odd art thefts. Someone is stealing low valued familial portraits from the mansions of Protestant Lords, but ignoring highly valuable masterpieces from some of the Masters. Francis struggles with the motive as money is obviously not the objective; so he assumes a political statement is being made. However, when the portraits with altered faces begin to reappear on the walls they were stolen from, Francis ponders even more the motive behind the crime. Soon after that the bewildered sleuth rescues kidnapped Protestant noblewomen from Irish nationalists but not before someone is murdered inside the chapel at Croagh Patrick while the pilgrimage has begun. Moving deeper into the Edwardian Era from the Victorian Age of much of the previous Powerscourt historical mysteries; David Dickinson provides a deep period piece. The story line obviously contains a strong investigative whodunit, but also much more as the audience obtains a feel for Ireland's struggle to become a modern nation. Powerscourt personally feels the tugs, but it is the larger scale of early twentieth century pragmatism warring with rich ancient tradition that makes this book incredible. Harriet Klausner