The Devil's Game: An Unlikely Mystery

by David Holland

It is 1834, and the town of Bellminster is thrown into the turmoil of a by-election for Parliament. Reverend Tuckworth tries to stay away from it all, but when a political rally turns deadly, the town... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031234077X
• ISBN13: 9780312340773
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 277 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A very humane protagonist in increasingly troubled times . . .

This is the third early Victorian mystery featuring the Rev. Tuckworth, dean of Bellminster Cathedral in the English midlands. Only this time it's not so much a whodunit -- we know who the culprit is almost from the beginning -- as an examination of what Tuckworth is going to do about it. The setting is a by-election, caused by the fact that the local Member of Parliament has gone up in flames with Westminster itself. All's fair in politics, especially in those days when the suffrage was extremely limited and the Tories (who largely control Bellminster's establishment) are determined to beat down the reform movement generally, and the Whigs in particular. The latter have sent an agent to town in the dwarfish person of Jo Smalley, a thoroughly amoral provocateur. But there are other elements in contention, including several factions among the Tories, and none of them balk at organizing riots and vandalism to advance themselves. Tuckworth is disgusted with the whole thing and wants no part of anything political, but the death by a savage beating of an innocent bystander draws him in whether he likes it or not. Holland is very good at character development, not only of Tuckworth but of his daughter, the young artist, Rafael, Chief Constable Hopgood, the aging Lord Granby, and Jo Smalley himself. A first-rate series with a very believable take on the place and the times.

terrific historical mystery

In 1834, Simon Curdle, MP for Bellminster dies in the Westminster Palace fire. No one in Parliament, which has its own problems, takes notice. Simon's constituency reacts by battling to replace him in Parliament because it means great power to run the borough. The Dean of Bellminster Cathedral Revered Tuckworth observes the power struggle as it begins to take shape. He plans to remain on the sidelines and not get involved as Mayor Winston Padgett, nudged by his ambitious wife and his assistant vs. Lord Granby's clandestinely pushing forward another aide. Also watching from the sidelines with a different agenda is lawyer Wilfred Cade who plans to be the last man standing in Parliament once the two opponents destroy each other with assistance from him. However, staying neutral proves impossible for the Reverend when a deadly riot explodes on Guy Fawkes Day with the powerful wannabes demanding that he as a impartial party investigate. The latest Devil's historical mystery is a delightful thriller that uses real events to provide the audience with insight into England during a tumultuous period when reform was in the air. The investigation actually takes a back seat to the historical perspective in a small town outside of London as mostly seen through the viewpoint of the Reverend. Fans of the series or those who appreciate a window into the past will enjoy this strong entry though the mystery is not as gripping as the previous tales (see THE DEVIL IN BELLMINSTER and THE DEVIL'S ACRE). Harriet Klausner