Death And The Princess by Robert Barnard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Robert Barnard's "Death and the Princess", my tenth book of this author, is quite unremarkable. I will make up for it by writing a remarkably short review, compared to my usual overlong and tedious writings. I keep reading Barnard because I love his sardonic writing style, occasional snide remarks, frequent use of high-quality humor, and the fun he has with the English language. Nice examples of all of these qualities can be found in the novel, yet this time I find the plot quite weak.

Princess Helena is a distant cousin of the British royal family. There are indications that she might be in harm's way, and Superintendent Perry Trethowan is chosen to be her personal bodyguard because of his "couthness". When people with whom the Princess has had connections begin to die, the plot gets quite complicated.

The denouement is surprising, but it is revealed during a conversation between the detective and his sidekick - so very cliché. Some funny bits about royal lifestyles and about Mrs. Thatcher are high points of the novel.

Two and a quarter stars.


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