Fun - a view of Victorian skulduggery with a view of the period as irreverent as Harry Flashman. The author had me captured when she described Queen Victoria as having "the expression of a dedicated eater who has just been informed that dinner will be late". Still managed to give a picture of Victoria's sense of fun with her description of the ghillie's ball. Enjoyable romp, derring do, detection, atmosphere, very enjoyable if not taken as serious history which one reviewer here has. ( )

When Queen Victoria suddenly decides to spend her Christmas in Scotland, the prime minister gets worried that nationalists try to assassinate the queen. He enlists the help of India and French to prevent that from happening. India will play the part of housemaid to an old marchioness who spends most of her waking hours snuffing anything possible.

Finally I got to read the second book! And it didn’t disappoint me! Can’t believe it took me so long.

It was fun seeing India trying play the servant part. She’s surely no servant material. The old marchioness was so much fun! I loved the interaction between India and the marchioness.

We see more flirting between India and French which started in the previous book. I’m curious to see how this will turn out but I hope we get to see them together at some point. I also want to know more about their past. There was some hints but I hope we will learn more at some point.

I think this was little tamer book than the first one and less snarky but not too much. But we don’t see India as a madam here so that may explain the tamer aspect. ( )

To read my review, please go to http://www.myshelf.com/mystery/12/indiablackandthewidowofwindsor.htm ( )

I do think I liked this even better than book 1. It might have been the downstairs/upstairs things ;)

Right, so our favorite brothel owner has been sent to Scotland. There she will play the part of a servant. Being a former whore, India does know how to act and get information. Sure she is not the best all the time, but who would be that when put in a situation like this without any schooling. So I like her.

French is there too playing the bored aristocrat who does what he wants. And there was something almost said that the beginning that sure had me wondering. Will we never learn more about him?

Amusing situations, danger, spying and one strange old lady. India sure has her hands full in this book. I also wonder if the almost flirting between her and French will lead somewhere...oh yes the questions. I guess I just need to read book 3.

A Christmas gathering turned deadly. Two spies, a lusty nobleman to avoid and the question of who is trying to kill the queen. A fun book that had me guessing. ( )

Picked this up because I saw it described as a fun, light read. I wasn't feeling well, and thought it might be nice to read while lying in bed. Unfortunately, I found reading it to be a tedious chore, interspersed with moments of serious aggravation.
Our heroine, India Black is supposed to be the proprietress of a brothel. It's nothing more than a gimmick, because we never see her acting as such. She makes a few callous remarks regarding her "sluts," but that's it. The problem is that India isn't a sympathetic character (you can't really have sympathy for a person who truly doesn't care whether her "girls" are murdered in her whorehouse), but neither is she the sort of character whose amorality the reader can revel in (she's no 'Talented Mr. Ripley,' and Carr is no Patricia Highsmith.) She's just sort of annoying and unappealing, a shallow, self-centered bigot whom the book treats as a light-hearted heroine. I got sick of her company quickly.
I also got sick of hearing about how Queen Victoria (and others) were fat and ugly every three pages. It's not just India's perspective, everyone in the book harps on the Queen's gluttony nonstop. It's her only character trait. I was left with the impression that Carr may have some body-image issues.
The Queen's Indian servants appear only as window-dressing, and, apparently, for other characters to make disparaging comments about. None even have a speaking role to stick up for themselves.
The historical setting was unconvincing, and I felt it was poorly researched, as far as the general goings-on of life at court. The characters were flat, and the 'mystery,' (who is planning to assassinate the queen?) didn't have enough detail to catch my interest. (You can't try to figure out whodunnit, or, more accurately, 'who-wanna-do-it' when there aren't any clues to unravel.) India doesn't show any particular talent as a spy, and I was unconvinced that she would have been recruited as one.
Yes, I may be feeling crankier than usual due to being sick while reading this, but this is really just not a very good book. ( )