A Place of Confinement: The irresistible historical whodunnit (Dido Kent Mysteries) Paperback – 27 May 2013

I've now come to the end of this series and wish so much there was more! One likes the characters, becomes totaly engaged in the storyline and altogether come away fully satified. Amusing and ingenious - good quality stuff

The last in a series of four excellent detective stories set in Regency England with a spinster called Dido Kent as the detective. Anna Dean is far and away the best at capturing the delicacy and pattern of speech used by Jane Austen herself, without in any way over-doing it - there is not a jarring word in the entire series.I would recommend starting with the first in the series; A Moment of Silence and then read, A Gentleman of Fortune, A Woman of Consequence and finish with this one - although I will add my plea to another reviewer who asks for another in this series - Dido's personal story is far from over and I'm sure Anna Dean can update us on how she has got on since the end of this novel.To fill in a new reader - Dido Kent and her sister Eliza are in a similar position to Jane Austen and her sister, Cassandra - they are unmarried women dependent on the goodwill of their brothers to house and feed them. At the start of the series, they are living together in a small cottage funded by their brothers and Dido is called in to help her niece whose fiancé has unaccountably disappeared. Dido is able to solve the mystery, which is very convoluted indeed, and forms an attachment of her own to Mr Lomax, who unfortunately has a wastrel son, so deep in debt that Mr Lomax is unable to do more than hint of his affection for Dido.In the second and third books Dido again solves mysteries and fences with Mr Lomax, who is unhappy about her mystery-solving abilities as they are (a) not suitable for a woman and (b) dangerous to her physically on occasion.In this last book, Dido is being punished by her family for refusing to marry an eligible widower and is sent off to look after an elderly and irascible aunt who is in a position to enrich or beggar any branch of her large family she chooses on her demise. There is a mystery to solve here too and Mr Lomax and his son are also very prominently featured ....******* SPOILER ALERT *********By the end of this novel, Dido and Mr Lomax are definitely on the point of becoming engaged, but it's still left in a cliff-hanger - will they find true happiness? Will Dido find another mystery to solve near their married home? Will Mr Lomax support or hinder her? Will they offer a home to Eliza? Anna Dean, if you read these reviews - we need to know!!******* END OF SPOILER ALERT ********The mysteries that Dido solves are perfectly in keeping with our understanding of Regency society as portrayed in the novels of Jane Austen and others who were writing at the time - there is nothing supernatural or magical in them (as I have seen in other attempts!) and all the characters speak and behave exactly as they would had Austen written them.I am very impressed with Anna Dean's grasp not only of Regency manners and mores but also of their diction and sentence structure - she really is the best at this and does it so effortlessly. I really hope there will be another Investigation by Miss Dido Kent coming soon.

This was a pleasant read- the last in the series, which is a pity. I like Dido and her letters and her lively character. However, I did find some descriptions a bit long and her anxieties about her future a bit tedious.

At last, Dido has said yes! The last quarter of the book was so exciting - will she work out the truth in time - I read until 3 am to find out. The whole series has been excellent; beautifully written and completely in line with the manners and mores of the time, with much witty observation, particularly of the catty, supercilious married/older ladies whose constant belittling of poor, dependant spinsters would have crushed a less spirited heroine. I do hope the author writes many more novels, and we see more of Dido, and Mr Lomax, too. These books deserve a wider readership and recognition of the author’s skill. Highly recommended.

The last in the series so far but I'm hoping Ms Dean can be persuaded to write another...Loads of clues, suspects galore and all achieved within the confines of being a woman in the early 19th century. A delightful read - this is highly recommended for Austen, Heyer and Christie fans.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this series of books, I love the author's descriptive manor and I feel totally absorbed into the era. The twists and turns keep you on your toes to work out who did the dastardly deed and why!

.... but all in all I still enjoyed my read. I have tried to understand what aspects of this book grated a little. It seems to me that the plot is more contrived than it usually is. I don't particularly enjoy the clumsy way authors have to delay their hero/heroine discovering a vital piece of information, when informer and hero are simply interrupted by a third party and can't continue their conversation. Anna Dean used that feeble ploy more than once here and I cannot quite forgive her as she has been better inspired before. I also found Dido a little vapid at times and losing her self control, which is both unlike her and quite an unwelcome development of her character. I much prefered her self- assured, composed self. I even found her a little silly at times, I must admit. The fact that Tom Lomax found himself in jail, accused of murder and that his father would become a social pariah if his son hanged is no excuse for Dido to become so much unlike her old self. However, it needs not follow that I didn't like what I read. Anna Dean hasn't lost her ability to write a story that is gripping and you often rush along the page to see what is coming next. Far from disliking her effort here I wish miss Dean to write more of these and hope that Dido's engagement will not deter her from her detective work. After all we were always told that an engagement to Mr Lomax would have to be a long one and I do hope that she has time to unravel more plots before she is wed to the delightful Mr Lomax.

Like her previous Dido books, Anna Dean has written an entertaining mystery with subtle allusions to Jane Austen. Dido Kent is witty and wise and it will be interesting to find out how her romantic life develops. I look forward to further Dido Kent novels.

I had to send to GB for this book as it was not available in the US. It was worth it to me as our heroine finally begins to question herself. The solution of the mystery became evident to me about half-way through the story, but the details were not clear. I found some of the details to be a bit of a surprise, and the ending very satisfactory. I said to myself, "Finally!"I would catagorize this series (which begins with Bellfield Hall) as mysteries set in the Regency era, although they are romantic, I dont consider them romances, per se.I love these books because they are the "sit by the fire in the evening"-type cozy as opposed to the "OH MY GOODNESS WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?-type of cozy. Yes, I read both kinds and like both kinds and romances also. If you're ready for a slower pace, give this series a try. You just might enjoy it.

In this book, we learn the further investigations of Dido Kent. The mysteries are themselves interesting because they grow out of the social and economic realities of the time and how they deform and inform the people enmeshed in them. There is more than one sort of confinement described in this storyDido and William continue their personal debate over their romantic relationship but is there truly a happy resolution for them now?Fran in NYC

Enjoyed this latest addition to the Dido Kent series. I recommend you begin with the first book and work your way through the series. If you enjoy a leisurely well written plot, several red herrings, and some character and romance development, this mystery is for you.

Good read!

This is what I expect of Dido Kent--a cozy with an twists, It'd s great read for those ewo appreciate the genre.