The Sudbury School Murders (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries, #4) by Ashley Gardner

The Sudbury School Murders (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries, #4) Reviews

• 
  Ingie

  Review written January 8, 2016
  
  3.7 Stars - Another good installment in a audiobook mystery series I truly enjoy
  
  Book #4
  
  I'm a
  Captain Lacey fan by now and it was great to once again listening to a new adventure with these characters stumbling over a new murder case.
  
  ★★★★☆
  
  Perfect audiobook some snowy winter days for a "historical mystery" fan as this lady. — 7:40 hrs nicely narrated by
  James Gillies as every time.
  
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  England March 1817, in the countryside near to a canal...
  

  
  
  ‘I looked at him in surprise. I had not thought discovering pranksters would be in the sphere of the secretary's duties, but Rutledge glared at me as though waiting for me to produce the name of the culprit then and there.’

  
  Our hero, the limping, often moody but always very brave, former cavalry officer Captain Gabriel Lacey, nowadays a Amateur Sleuth, ...
  
  « ... takes a post as a secretary at the Sudbury School in Berkshire, a school for sons of the wealthiest merchants and bankers in England. (...) ...puts a new strain on his friendship with Lucius Grenville. Meanwhile the intrigue surrounding the murder becomes as murky as the waters of the canal itself and puts Lacey and Grenville into deadly danger. »
  

  
  

  
  This fourth book, The Sudbury School Murders starts with the discovery of a murdered man in an canal lock. The dead man in the stable groom in the boy school where Lacey now has a secretary job. (The dead man is as well an former employer and 'old friend' to the dangerous Mr Denis as we already know.) — Intriguing with a variety of characters to suspect as always.
  
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  The series, author / pen-name, my reviews:
  
  • There are 10 novels with
  Captain Lacey, the dashing goodlooking hero, so far. Historical crime investigations whodunnit books.
  
  •
  Ashley Gardner is a pseudonym (or the opposite) for
  Jennifer Ashley. I seems to like most books and series by her pen - romances or not.
  
  • My reviews (all 4 stars) so far:
  ★★★★☆ -
  #1-The Hanover Square Affair
  ★★★★☆ -
  #2-A Regimental Murder
  ★★★★☆ -
  #3-The Glass House
  
  Narrator, the series as audiobooks
  I truly like
  James Gillies narration style, it fit perfect to male voiced mysteries in a bit light and old-fashioned historical genre. Gillies sounds grumpy like our bighearted gorgeous, but often angry or depressed, hero. Gillies' women voices are maybe a bit silly and cheesy but all in all feels he as good enough narrator.
  
  *********************************************
  
  Once again a good mystery solving story. Some of Marianne's secrets were at last told (as I guessed too). Lacey's and Grenville's friendship grow and developed even more. Finally we got a few more facts about Lacey's, since long, lost wife and daughter. — Will it be a trip to France in the next installment? (Or maybe Egypt?)
  

  ‘I closed my eyes. I remembered Gabriella as a tiny mite with hair as golden as the Spanish sunshine. Carlotta had taken her away from me. I'd tried to go after them both, tried to find them, ready to drag my wife home so that I would not lose my daughter.’
  
  

  
  Will soonish grab the fifth, now also published as audiobook, #5-
  A Body in Berkeley Square as well as the short novella, #4.5-
  The Necklace Affair.
  
  *********************************************
  
  I LIKE - (as you already knew) to visit old friends
• 
  Zain

  Captain Lacey is asked to solve a problem at a school for boys. His inspection leads to murder.
• 
  Joan

  I found this book, The Sudbury School Murders, to be a nice change of venue wherein Captain Lacey, via his friend Lucius Grenville, has found work in the country at a school for sons of the richest, albeit merchant-class, men in London. It would seem a good choice for the destitute yet proud Lacey to get out is his grimy rooms in and even grimier London to find a way to make some money to supplement his half-pay from the military and find a modicum of peace in the fresh air of the countryside.
  
  Yet, where Captain Lacey goes, there will be mystery, intrigue, and murder. The headmaster of the school is a former classmate of Grenville (Lacey's friend and wealthy dandy) and is seeking additional assistance regarding a series of not so harmless pranks happening at the school. One day a body is found floating in a canal, throat cut, and the man turns out to be one of James Denis' men. When a young Romany/gypsy stable hand is arrested for the murder Lacey is certain of the man's innocence and set out to investigate this case when another murder occurs and Grenville is nearly stabbed to death.
  
  It was an interesting plotline to delve into the topics such as racism and the plight of the Romany people during this time in England's history. Lacey once again demonstrates that he is a man of honor who will work tirelessly to bring about justice for those who are marginalized. I really enjoyed this part of the story, seeing Gabriel in his element as a warrior for justice to the wrongly accused.
  
  However, the author had to throw in the typical secret baby trope to derail the mystery with the revealing of Marianne's big ole seekrit...a half-wit by-blow who she's been hiding away in the country. Of course she swears Lacey to secrecy while continuing to lie to Grenville and taking advantage of him and his money. This tired plotline was so trite and predictable in revealing Marianne's "mysterious" disappearances for long periods of time. To keep the conflict going, Grenville gets his tailfeathers all aflutter that his paramour, (who has made a life of sleeping with wealthy protectors) might be seeing another man. Why can't authors create smart, intelligent women who compliment decent men rather women who are deceitful parasites? At least Lady Breckinridge is independently wealthy and can make Captain Lacey's existence better.
  
  Nevertheless, there is something about Captain Lacey that I can admire and root for. It was good to see him diligently work out the mystery and bring it to a conclusion.
• 
  D.A. Bale

  By far this is my favorite of the Captain Lacey mysteries. As the events were wrapping up at the end of the previous book, Lacey has accepted a position as assistant to the headmaster of an exclusive boys school in the country. But the city life continues to follow him in the form of that beloved dandy, Grenville. We also have opportunity to get to know more about the character of Marianne, the young actress who once lived above Lacey. Marianne has entrusted Lacey with the gift of her secret, as long as she keeps it from their mutual friend, Grenville. Grenville is beside himself since he elevated Marianne's circumstances, but she won't stay in the gilded cage he's built for her. Now Lacey finds himself caught in the middle between two dear friends.
  
  He's also caught in the circumstances surrounding another mystery to solve. The pranks and hijinks of the schoolboys take a rather nasty turn as fires, murders and attempted murders escalate. The headmaster is breathing down Lacey's neck to solve the crimes before someone else gets in the way.
  
  And someone dear to Lacey does.
  
  The mystery here is a little more complex than some of the previous (I like that), though it still isn't too difficult to follow. The accused is obviously innocent, but there are so many underlying and intricate mysteries here it seems almost anyone could be a suspect for one reason or another. The layers to the story added several nice elements to complicate Lacey's life and make the mystery that much more intriguing in trying to unwind the web.
  
  Five rare stars for this one.
• 
  Lori

  Captain Lacey moves away from London and into the country... His pal, Grenville, recommended him to an old Eton school pal who is the head schoolmaster at a boy's school. The headaster, Rutledge, is in need of a secretary, and Lacey thinks that this will give him the opportunity to add to his half-pay packet from the army - a chance to, perhaps, get ahead of his gentleman's poverty and breathe some fresh air.
  
  But, alas, mystery and murder seem to follow Lacey wherever he goes. Upon arriving at the school, Lacey discovers the primary reason the crusty curmudgeon Rutledge agreed to hire him was because Lacey has a reputation for solving mysteries. And someone or someones at the school have been playing viscous and escalating pranks - setting a fire in the maids quarters, putting some sort of poison in the port wine, and writing threatening letters in blood. And in the next day or so, the school's groom, whom Lacey recognizes as Middleton - one of Denis' former thugs, is found in the canal lock with his throat cut. Rutledge immediately accuses Sebastian, a Roma (gypsy) that Middleton hired; Romas are known for all manner of ills, so why not murder?
  
  Lacey sends to London for Grenville to join him, since Grenville is always keen for adventure. Lacey learns that Marianne, his former upstairs neighbor and gal who is "provided for" by gentlemen, is now under Grenville's care. But Marianne constantly runs away or hides; she doesn't like being kept in a gilded cage - she prefers to do her business her way. And besides, Grenville hasn't requested her "services"; he's given her money in the past, which has quickly vanished. Grenville suspects Marianne is giving the money to a man who ill-treats her. Lacey knows that regardless of the supplies that Marianne pilfers from him (candles, food, etc.), she seems to have little to nothing. When Grenville arrives at the school, he tells Lacey that Marianne has run away.
  
  Lacey is convinced that Sebastian has nothing to do with the murder. But Sebastian is trying to get away from his Romany heritage (thus the job as a groom) and has started a harmless love affair with Rutledge's daughter. On the night in question, Sebastian argued with Middleton and met Rutledge's daughter... and didn't arrive back to the barn before sunrise.
  
  Then there's Ramsey, a boy who admits to putting a snake in Lacey's bed, but no more. The boys school is home to boys whose fathers are not gentlemen by birth, but who make insane amounts of money in their "Cit" jobs as bankers, merchants, and so on. Ramsey's father is among the wealthiest, with the exception of Sutcliff, an obnoxious 17-year old who is Head Boy at the school. Sutcliff tells anyone who will listen about his coming wealth. And Sutcliff has a 19-year old French mistress hidden away in a nearby village; supposedly Sutcliff snuck out of the house (as witnessed by Ramsey) and spent the evening in question with his mistress, Jeanne. When Lacey encounters Marianne in that same village - in fact, the same house as Jeanne - Marianne says that Sutcliff does, indeed, visit often and was there that entire night.
  
  Lacey convinces Marianne to share her secret with him. She's afraid he'll tell Grenville, but Marianne does show Lacey her secret - where most (if not all) of the money she gets goes to. Lacey does not tell Grenville, even when Grenville discovers Marianne is nearby and that Lacey knows her secret. It's the only time, so far, that the two men have almost come to blows. But while Lacey knows that Grenville is very angry at him, their friendship seems to continue.
  
  Then there's the tutor, Fletcher, who keeps saying that he's about to come into money and will get far away from the school and teaching. But when Fletcher's books are burned, is it part of the viscous pranks or something else? Lacey goes to London to check out some theories of his, and even consults James Denis, who once again tries to lure Lacey into his ever-tightening web. Denis "procures" things for the right price, and he knows that Lacey's sense of honor is dangerous to him (Denis); so Denis has set about trying to put Lacey deep enough into his debt that Lacey will no longer be a threat. Since Middleton had worked for Denis at one time, Denis feels some obligation for him and his murder. Besides, Middleton was about to confide something in Denis - something that might be profitable. By the time Lacey starts to put the pieces together, he realizes that Grenville is in immediate danger, but Lacey falls ill for three days.
  
  By the time Lacey is able to return to the school, it's the middle of the night. Lacey and his valet stumble upon Grenville, who has been stabbed. Will Grenville survive the stab wound? Can Lacey stop the real murderer in time and not only reveal, but prove, who the murderer is and what his or her motives are?
  ------------------
  
  I'm pleased that the "main" characters continue to grow and evolve as real people do. The friendship between Lacey and Grenville deepens, but also hits a bit of turbulence over Marianne. Lacey keeps Marianne's secret, which irks Grenville, but it means that Lacey's sense of honor is in tact -- and honor and "right" are among Lacey's most valuable and most dangerous character traits. To reveal Marianne's secret to Grenville would mean that Lacey isn't true to his own code.
  
  The mystery and murders are... almost secondary at times. The events and details unravel at an alarmingly slow rate, it seems. And while it's not tough to finger the murderer, the events are wrapped up in the pranks at the school - are they perpetrated by one and the same to cover up the other things happening behind closed doors?
  
  The book shows how money and power corrupt, making the perpetrator certain that no one can touch or stop his or her schemes. And the issue that the age of the gentleman is coming to an end -- that birth will soon step aside for those with money, and those with money (new money) will be honored and fawned upon, while the impoverished gentry will fade into nothing. While this doesn't happen historically until after World War I (at least not in England), it's clear that even in the early 1800s, the start of this revolution has begun.
  
  Good read!
• 
  Bob

  Another new author for me, and I am glad that someone left a dozen books in the series at our library.
  I will be putting them all on the shelf and reading them as well. Captain Lacy is an ex military man, has a bad leg but a bent for investigating and a straight moral but sometimes troubled code with good friends and one not so good in particular. He has landed a job as secretary to the headmaster of a boys school with the inference that he will also be looking to find the source of some dangerous pranks that have been carried out. The Head is a cantankerous character and hard to get along with. He has a young daughter who he keeps tight rein on, but who has become enamored with a gypsy stable boy. When the head of the stable is found murdered, the gypsy is the "obvious culprit", but Capt. Lacey is not convinced. What follows is his search for the actual killer, several more murders and the uncovering of a scheme to acquire money by selling shares in a imaginary canal to be built.
  Well written and greatly enjoyed. Oh yes, the time period is England in the 1800s.
• 
  Jeannine

  I continue to marvel at how much is packed into these books, most of which are under 300 pages. They are like potato chips in that you can’t read just one.
  
  Grenville gets Gabriel a job at a boys’ school in the country, but of course the somewhat quiet existence is marred by murder. This is a pretty complicated mystery and there’s the added side plot of Gabriel learning Marianne’s big secret.
  
  We seem to get confirmation that Grenville is sleeping with Marianne (it wasn’t totally clear before). Denis even figures into this one, as one of the murder victims is a former employee of his.
  
  I’m guessing the next book takes us to France, but I find I never know what is going to happen in this series.
• 
  Nidofito

  Even though it took me a damn long time to finish the book (not that it was long), the straight-forwardness of the plot with the interesting characters involved makes each murder mystery of this series a wonderful read.
• 
  Lorena

  Out of London and into the country for this one, with more character back stories and further entanglements aplenty.
• 
  Jayne

  This went fairly rapidly but it was a nice, full feeling story. I have enjoyed this intriguing story so far.
• 
  Barb

  This is the fourth in the Captain Lacy Mystery Series written by Ashley Gardner. I read the third one earlier this week and was a little bit disappointed by the story and the interactions between the characters. This installment is right on par with the first two books in the series. I thought everything was very well done; the writing, the mystery, the period details, I thoroughly enjoyed it all.
  
  Captain Gabriel Lacy has taken a position as a secretary to a head master at a country school for boys. His good friend Lucius Grenville went to school with the headmaster and recommended Lacy to the position. There have been some disturbing pranks at the school and the headmaster would like Lacy to uncover who the perpetrators are. Lacy is ready to enjoy the clean air and quiet peacefulness of the country. But the pranks become deadly serious when a body is found in a nearby canal and Lacy finds himself investigating another murder.
  
  I enjoyed returning to these characters, I like the way their relationships develop in this book and I found the mystery to be taut and well paced. I'm looking forward to reading the next two mysteries in the series but I'm disappointed that they are the last two. I hope Ashley Gardner will come back to create more adventures for Captain Lacy. I will certainly read them if she does.
  August 9, 2009
  
  I just listened to the audiobook version of this and enjoyed it again.
  June 16, 2016
• 
  Brunhilde

  I often think of books in terms of food. Some are filling, some are satisfying, some you just can't stop eating, some you eat because they are there, some are just junk food, some you eat because there is just nothing else and you are starving, and some are thanksgiving. I have felt very discouraged lately thinking all I am able to find to read is Thanksgiving or junk food. And you can't eat Thanksgiving Dinner every day, and you can't live on junk food.
  
  Enter Ashley Gardner. These books are wonderful. They are a hearty soup and salad at a lovely cafe with a friend. You can eat them and spend the rest of your day shopping never running out of energy.
  
  They are always twisty and delightful. I started reading them because I was getting interested in Murder Mysteries. And they are great murder mysteries, but I am loving the sub plot of all the characters that is being woven from book to book. It almost feels now like the murders are the subplot. And that is such a lovely twist!
  
  I do view them really has a whole work and not just a series of books. I am not sure if that is what the author intended but I also find that a wonderful bit of writing skill. They are fast paced and interesting. I rarely completely figure out things before I am supposed to.
• 
  Avid Series Reader

  The Sudbury School Murders by Ashley Gardner is book 4 of the Captain Lacey mystery series set in Regency England. Captain Lacey is ready for a change from his melancholic life in London, barely getting by on a meager ex-soldier's stipend. When Grenville suggested he work as a boys school secretary in Berkshire, and recommended him to the headmaster, Lacey gratefully accepted, expecting to enjoy a peaceful country existence for a change. He didn't realize that Grenville sent him to solve a mystery: to find the perpetrator of a series of malicious pranks at the school. Grenville also did not reveal the headmaster was cruel and harsh, especially to students. When a murder occurs and an innocent man is accused due to bigotry, Lacey feels compelled to stay, find the killer, and ensure justice is done. The headmaster and students at the school are unlikable, and provide an example of wealth taking precedence over intelligence and honor. In the course of his investigation, Lacey learns the reason for Marianne's absences from London, which she refuses to reveal to Grenville. A satisfying tale, not as much for the mystery solution (because the headmaster/students are repellent) as for the welcome positive growth in Lacey's personal relationships.
• 
  Sophie ARGINTARU

  Quel dommage que ce soit le quatrième et dernier tome traduit alors que Lacey poursuit ses enquêtes, le quatorzième volume paraîtra prochainement aux Etats-Unis. Notre héros handicapé, pauvre et désabusé, est obligé de s’infiltrer dans une école pour garçons nantis… Cela change donc du Londres de la Régence ! L’intrigue est toute aussi passionnante que les précédentes, et le décor est intéressant : l’éducation comme on la pratiquait au début du XIXème siècle, châtiments corporels et privilèges pour les riches… Lacey, qui ne supporte pas l’injustice, va prendre une fois de plus cette enquête à bras le corps. Il est aidé, bien entendu, par Grenville qui ne se laissera pas oublier longtemps.
  
  L’intrigue policière est nettement plus complexe qu’on pouvait le présager. les autres personnages évoluent. Ainsi, nous allons en savoir beaucoup plus sur Marianne, qui continue de fuir Grenville… Et le « méchant » Denis ne se fera pas oublier ! En toile de fond, on retrouve la critique sociale, et le contexte soit un internat de garçons permet, comme souvent dans les romans anglais, de mettre en exergue un microcosme de la société de l’époque. Alors, oui, il est dommage que je doive enchaîner avec le cinquième tome en anglais…
• 
  A.M.

  I was missing this one in my Captain Lacey collection, and then I saw it in the Library new acquisitions list. Yes!
  
  Grenville suggests Lacey take off out of London for a quiet job in the countryside. All he has to do is be the secretary to a school principal and work out who is doing the practical jokes that are getting increasingly dangerous.
  
  It ends in murder, of course it does, there are reputations at stake here. The children of the new merchant class, aspiring to the heights of gentlemen of the Ton.
  And is that Marianne darting about in the shadows?
  
  And the first victim is an old boxer recently retired from working for Mr Denis. uh oh.
  
  4 stars
  
  So far this year, my library saved me A$3687.63
• 
  Laurla2

  "it is a common thing among mortals, i had observed, that when placed even arbitrarily into this or that group, they immediately begin to defend themselves against all other groups. if someone were to come along and paint a red or blue spot on each of our foreheads, we who had the blue spots would congregate to other blue-spotters and come up with reasons why we were infinitely better than the red-spotters."
  
  "you cannot argue that he was simultaneously crafty, and a fool."
  
  "he's dead and gone, Lacey. he cannot hurt you any longer." but he could still hurt me. things could crawl at you out of the dark and hurt you again and again. the past did not always stay dead.
• 
  Kat Green

  The Sudbury School Murders is book 4 in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries. I love the way Ashley draws the characters from book to book adding a few new, unknown characters each time. Her attention to detail is astounding and makes for an amazing adventurous murder mystery! I personally adore the Captain Lacey Mystery Series! It’s probably one of my top 3 mystery series! It’s great for any age is read, no inappropriate scenes that would limit the audience. Anyone can listen to these books in audiobook form as well and narrated by James Gillis, one of the top 5 narrators. Either choice provides an amazing experience! ❤️
• 
  M

  Go to the country, take a vacation from murders--Ha. Thank goodness we finally figure out Marianne's secret!! Lucius Grenville makes me smile because he can't resist being in the thick of mystery and murder with Captain Lacy. Gabriel seems to have a sixth sense about "wrongness" of a situation that puts him and now Grenville is mortal danger.
• 
  Jeanne

  The "Captain Lacey" series by Ashley Gardener is a lot of fun to read. I recommend that you read them in order to appreciate the storyline that spans the various books. (Actually they are more like novellas.) Captain Lacey is a character worth getting to know. I enjoy books from this era which adds to the enjoyment.
• 
  kathie

  I am really getting hooked on this series. I love Captain Lacey, handsome, decent, clever man that he is. James Gillies does an awesome job with the narration...he IS Captain Lacey. For me, this is a somewhat older (early 40s), poorer (but still considered a "gentleman" on the fringes of society) Sebastian St. Cyr. Both series are great and I totally enjoy.
• 
  Brit (Circus_of_Damed)

  Really like seeing the English country side, and Lacey first love of hourses. And then seeing a female character getting some depth and emotion which was a nice change. And the school was cool. Bur Grenville almost miss was gut renching. It a shame I waited this long to read the forth book.
• 
  Shawna Mitchell

  You would think he might rest and enjoy the country air right? Nope, not for our favorite Captain. This was scary and thrilling. I could not put it down and reading the next one cannot come soon enough!
• 
  Cindie

  This tale is more about the working class becoming the wealthy class and the bitterness of being new money instead of old money. Captain Lacey is less angry in this story but shows a warm humanness we have yet to see. Great sick bed read!!!
  
• 
  Suzette Kunz

  Lacey takes a position at boy's school outside of London and immediately stumbles upon a murder he needs to solve. Grenville and Marianne also arrive on the scene. I'm enjoying these characters more and more.
• 
  Katherine Scott

  Another solid Captain Lacey mystery. I love reading a book with an older, wiser hero, who has some flaws and is living life, warts and all. Decent plot and good advancement of the overall series arc. Becoming my comfort read.