Death at Rottingdean

Dualities abound in Paige's (aka Bill and Susan Alberts) mix of real and fictional characters in this mystery set in the former smugglers' haven of Rottingdean, England, during the 1890s. The coastal village, with its picturesque clay caves, seems the perfect place for a relaxing holiday, or so the Sheridans, Lord Charles and Lady Katherine (herself a mystery writer under the pseudonym Beryl Bardwell), think as they motor toward it for a respite from hectic London. But when a coast guard's body washes up on the beach, the couple begins digging for the truth with their neighbors: the Rudyard Kiplings, Mrs. Edward Burne-Jones and Patrick, a redheaded, freckle-faced village boy who seems to know much more than he's telling. Their sleuthing picks up when the Prince of Wales asks Charles to investigate the death for the Crown. The authors (Death at Gallows Green; Death at Devil's Bridge) set the tone in each chapter of this fifth entry in the series with a quotation from Kipling or another Victorian. This adventure is just as much fun as the other four have been. (Mar.)