The Problem of the Surly Servant

In 1886 Oxford, Charles Dodgson hosts Dr. Arthur Doyle and his wife Touie at the school. Charles feels he owes the Doyles who recently entertained him while Arthur hopes his "mentor" will look at his latest manuscript. Both hope to avoid a mystery as has happened on their previous meetings (see the three previous PROBLEM OF ... books). However, problems exist as someone has robbed sherry, watches, and tie-pins, etc. Charles accuses surly scout Ingram without any evidence. On top of that a coed Dianna Cahill informs Charles and his guests that she has received letters telling her to leave Oxford or else. The latest included a picture of her as a naked little girl taken by Charles years ago. When Charles finds Ingram murdered, the police and the university administration argue over jurisdiction. Everyone wonders whether Charles killed the servant he publicly fired. Arthur and Charles, with some help from Touie, investigate the homicide, the thefts, and the threat. As with the first three novels in this engaging series, the mystery of THE PROBLEM OF THE SURLY SERVANT takes a back seat to the historical fiction, especially the insight into the two famous authors. The story line is fun to follow as readers see the human sides of Dodgson and Doyle as well as a chance to glimpse at Oxford and understand Touie. The mystery is cleverly designed, but Roberta Rogow's latest pairing is first and foremost a brilliant historical novel.Harriet Klausner