It is October 1936. Lord Edward Corinth is invited by his friend Joe Weaver, the press lord and close friend of the British royal family, to recover certain letters stolen from the king's intimate friend Wallis Simpson. There is no mystery about who has taken these letters - a woman called Mrs Raymond Harkness, a former mistress of the king and a close friend of Edward's. When Edward goes down to Haling, the country house of conservative MP Leo Scannon where Mrs Harkness is also a house guest, he is far from easy in his mind at the task before him, but he cannot guess that retrieving stolen goods is to be complicated by murder.
Hollow Crown
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About the Author
David Roberts worked in publishing for over thirty years, most recently as a director, before devoting his energies to writing full time. He is married and divides his time between London and Wiltshire.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
David Roberts' indomitable mismatched couple, Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne, are plunged into an adventure surrounding some letters stolen from the notorious Wallis Simpson, mistress of King Edward VIII. Taken as a light-hearted romp, this plays well, with the requisite country houses, hot and cold running butlers, jolly jaunts on motorbikes through the countryside, cozy artists' flats in darkest bohemian Chelsea, shopping sprees at Harrods, and the like.
Where the author goes slightly astray is in the insistent polemics about Fascism and Communism inserted throughout. It's true that these were important political questions of the day, and serve as background to the story. The Jarrow March is an interesting backdrop, not strictly relevant to the story but a dimension seemingly brought in to highlight the differences in character between the two leads. But the class-and-politics verbal battles between Verity and Lord Edward are starting to ring false - it's obvious to all that these characters are simply filling space by fighting their mutual attraction, and the political points of their differences seem at best irrelevant. I found myself growing impatient with Lord Edward's constant kowtowing and apologizing to the self-important Verity. She is insistently impolite to him, berating him for things he cannot help, like the class he was born into, she belittles him at every turn, and her wildly inflated ego makes her appear to think she is running the press for the entire Spanish Civil War at the age of 26.
There's also a bit of fast and loose played with history. How likely is it that King Edward VIII, deeply in love with Mrs Simpson, in the last weeks before the Abdication, should have taken an additional mistress, made her pregnant, and written passionate love letters to her? Not very.
Readers of this period in British social history will recognize Lord Edward Corinth's nephew Frank, who is clearly modelled on Esmond Romilly, husband of Decca Mitford. Romilly, a schoolboy Communist agitator at Wellington and the nephew of Winston Churchill, wrote a very popular "underground" newssheet called Out Of Bounds before running away to the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. Here in Hollow Crown, Frank the Communist agitator at Eton and the son of a duke, prints the underground newssheet Beyond Bounds, before running away to the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. Hmmmmmmm...
Of course, if you don't mind any of this or think it adds to the fun, then do read and enjoy this book. But note to the author -- please, less shrill polemic from Verity, who is an almost entirely unsympathetic heroine, and more steel in the spine of Lord Edward, who is worth twenty of her.
By Crux Roesia
Format:Paperback
This being my first foray into the adventures of Lord Edward Corinth and his plucky heroine sidekick Verity Brown, I didn't quite know what to expect but was drawn to the book by the plot, which centres around the impending abdication of King Edward for his then mistress Wallis Simpson. I wasn't disappointed! Roberts has a way, without any discernible use of phrase, of hooking the reader into the story and making them see the main characters. That, and the adventure/mystery that follows, keeps you turning pages.
In this adventure, the loveable if somewhat 'stiff-lipped' gentleman Lord Edward is sent to retrieve some potentially embarrassing letters written by the king to his American divorcee lover, that have been stolen from her boudoir by a former scorned mistress of the king, whom Lord Edward Corinth happens to know. We step into the world of the 1930s country house for the next part of the tale, where Edward succumbs to the sinister beauty of a fellow guest, and then murder occurs. So now he has two problems on his hands. Enter Verity, the indomitable Communist Party journalist and past partner in Edward's mysteries. Can they solve the murder and return Wallace Simpson's lost property before the government is compromised, or England's enemies get their hands on our secrets?
A great story, well-recommended, particularly as I read it just before seeing 'The King's Speech' at the cinema, which gave both stories a greater appeal!
In this adventure, the loveable if somewhat 'stiff-lipped' gentleman Lord Edward is sent to retrieve some potentially embarrassing letters written by the king to his American divorcee lover, that have been stolen from her boudoir by a former scorned mistress of the king, whom Lord Edward Corinth happens to know. We step into the world of the 1930s country house for the next part of the tale, where Edward succumbs to the sinister beauty of a fellow guest, and then murder occurs. So now he has two problems on his hands. Enter Verity, the indomitable Communist Party journalist and past partner in Edward's mysteries. Can they solve the murder and return Wallace Simpson's lost property before the government is compromised, or England's enemies get their hands on our secrets?
A great story, well-recommended, particularly as I read it just before seeing 'The King's Speech' at the cinema, which gave both stories a greater appeal!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars
3 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfying and very British
17 Mar 2003
By booksforabuck
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
In 1936, Hitler is marching the Germans toward war, Franco is beating back the Republicans in Spain, and the English upper class is trying to hold onto a terrible secret--the new King, Edward, has fallen in love with a divorced woman, Wallis Simpson and is talking about marrying her. Lord Edward Corinth is called in to help with a vital task. The King's former mistress has stolen letters the King wrote to Wallis--letters that go beyond matters of the heart to discuss his sympathies toward the Nazi cause. If they fall into the wrong hands, not only the King, but the entire English monarchy may fall.
Edward agrees to help, but before he can persuade his friend to return the letters, she is killed and the letters vanish. Edward is the leadins suspect. Together with his friend, communist and newspaper reporter Verity Browne, Edward tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. But, can he trust even his friend Verity or will she, when she learns the truth, tell the Communist Party the truth about the letters and lead to the very overthrow that Edward has tried to prevent?
Author David Roberts writes convincingly about the fascinating period between the first and second world wars. The depression has radicalized all of Europe and both fascists and communists march and clash in the streets. With its message of power and elitism, fascism is popular with the upper class, even the King. Verity's struggles with her loyalties to country and party ring true. Edward is charmingly elite, yet cannot avoid the attraction toward the energetic Verity.
HOLLOW CROWN combines a critical period of history with convincing and detailed characters and a solid mystery to deliver a satisfying and compelling read.
4.0 out of 5 stars
England, 1936
23 Aug 2009
By Lyn Reese
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This is the third book in the Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne murder mystery series; all ten are set in England in the 1930s. The narrative is mostly told from Edward's view point, but his fellow sleuth Verity is an intelligent, adventuresome woman whose insights and boldness often solve the case.
Verity is a card-carrying member of the Communist Party who writes for the Daily Worker and the New Gazette, a more middle of the road paper. In Hollow Crown she has just returned from Spain after the fall of Toledo. After having witnessed horrific acts of savagery on both sides, she has begun to question her idealism even while recognizing the threat of Fascism to all of Europe. In London, she reconnects with Lord Edward to help him recover the king's letters to his secret mistress, Mrs. Simpson, which were stolen by one of Edward's friends. She also begins to write a book about what is happening in Spain.
As a female war correspondent, Verity is faced with the jealousy and resentment of her male colleagues. She has freely taken lovers, like other women in the story in spite of societal disapproval of their "loose living." New female freedoms, however, create tensions between the lord, Edward, and the communist, Verity, adding spice to their growing attachment to each other.
This series beautifully documents Britain's social and political unrest as it lurches toward World War II. There is the admiration of some, including the king, of the "new Germany" and Hitler. Some have even joined Sir Oswald Mosley and his band of thugs. Verity represents other views. She is involved in political protest at home, including the Cable Street riots and Jarrow March, protesting the poverty and unemployment of the North. The desolate life of the British colonials in Africa also is described.
Verity is a card-carrying member of the Communist Party who writes for the Daily Worker and the New Gazette, a more middle of the road paper. In Hollow Crown she has just returned from Spain after the fall of Toledo. After having witnessed horrific acts of savagery on both sides, she has begun to question her idealism even while recognizing the threat of Fascism to all of Europe. In London, she reconnects with Lord Edward to help him recover the king's letters to his secret mistress, Mrs. Simpson, which were stolen by one of Edward's friends. She also begins to write a book about what is happening in Spain.
As a female war correspondent, Verity is faced with the jealousy and resentment of her male colleagues. She has freely taken lovers, like other women in the story in spite of societal disapproval of their "loose living." New female freedoms, however, create tensions between the lord, Edward, and the communist, Verity, adding spice to their growing attachment to each other.
This series beautifully documents Britain's social and political unrest as it lurches toward World War II. There is the admiration of some, including the king, of the "new Germany" and Hitler. Some have even joined Sir Oswald Mosley and his band of thugs. Verity represents other views. She is involved in political protest at home, including the Cable Street riots and Jarrow March, protesting the poverty and unemployment of the North. The desolate life of the British colonials in Africa also is described.
5.0 out of 5 stars
New Mystery Titans
10 Oct 2005
By Mystery Maven
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Enjoyed this immensely. The characters are well developed and each book has you waiting for the next installment. The period is detailed and like "Poirot" you feel as if you're there. Well developed plot and for a mystery afficionado, twists that make the ending worth the read.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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