Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2019
384 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
It is 1851 and Mrs Rodd has received an unusual commission: wealthy businessman Jacob Welland is dying of consumption and implores our redoubtable detective to find his beloved brother, whom he has not seen for fifteen years.
Joshua Welland was an Oxford scholar; brilliant, eccentric and desperately poor. Nobody can say exactly when he disappeared from his college, but he took to wandering the countryside and one day simply failed to return. Since then, there have been several sightings of his lonely, ragged figure. Ten years ago a friend spotted him in a gypsy camp, where he was rumoured to be learning great secrets that would one day astound the world.
Mrs. Rodd uses her search as an opportunity to reconnect with a couple from her past, but then a violent murder is committed and Scotland Yard are called to investigate. Mrs. Rodd's old friend Inspector Blackbeard doesn't want to hear any nonsense about gypsies or secrets, but Mrs. Rodd is convinced that something very sinister is lurking in this peaceful landscape.
"Saunders's exquisite prose and patient storytelling build a convincing Victorian voice, while Mrs. Rodd's shrewd, energetic narration adds further appeal to the rich depiction of 19th-century landscapes and attitudes. Mainstream readers who appreciate Victorian fiction will be rewarded." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[A] totally beguiling read." - Connie Fletcher, Booklist (starred review)
"Secrets! Scandal! Murder! ...Charmingly written, combining nods to manners of the time with a bit of modern sass." - Kirkus Reviews
"With a well-crafted plot, an engaging protagonist, and astute nods to the literature and theological squabbles of the period, this is a perfect novel for a summer afternoon." - The Guardian (UK)
This information about Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kate Saunders was an author and journalist who wrote numerous books for adults and children. Her books for children won awards and received rave reviews, and include future classics such as Beswitched and The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop. Kate was a true storyteller and her magical, wickedly hilarious novels allow young readers to escape their everyday lives into wonderful worlds where children are empowered to explore and enjoy themselves. Kate lived in London until her death in April 2023 aged 62,
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