“In this excellent novel, Dickinson weaves a tale of blackmail and murder among the royals late in Victoria's reign. . . . [His] knowledge of the arts, history and literature is nothing if not exhaustive, and adds enormously to the overall background. . . . One hopes to see more of Lord Powerscourt and his friends in the near future.”—Publishers Weekly

“This is detective fiction in the grand style. Powerscourt's debut in this intoxicating book is the start of a gilded life in the archives of crime fiction. He’s going to be a star.”—James Naughtie

The debut of aristocrat-investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt, who takes on investigations too delicate for the police.

Prince Eddy is a notorious wastrel. But when he is found in his bedroom at Sandringham with his throat cut, his father, King George V, decides that the crime must be concealed. The prince is said to have died of influenza. Lord Francis Powerscourt is secretly commissioned to find the killer, but there are so many who have reason to hate the debauched and vicious prince that the task is a hard one. It leads him across Europe, to Venice, where amidst scandal and suicide, Powerscourt finally unravels the mystery.

David Dickinson was born in Dublin. After reading classics at Cambridge, he joined the BBC. Goodnight Sweet Prince is the first in the Lord Powerscourt series.