Spinsters in Jeopardy


Book Description

A British police detective looks into sinister doings in the South of France in a crime thriller with “more than a little excitement” (Kirkus Reviews). Inspector Roderick Alleyn has decamped for the South of France on a family vacation—though for him, the vacation will involve some official poking around. Unfortunately, the object of his poking—the cultish denizens of a sinister and luxurious chateau—are not fond of being poked, and they have a particularly unpleasant way of getting their point across . . . “Charming, cultivated, witty—and none the less terrifying . . .a pure thriller . . .you’re not apt to find a better evening’s entertainment.” —The New York Times




Spinsters in Jeopardy


Book Description




Death in a White Tie


Book Description

A high-society homicide is the talk of the London season . . .“Marsh’s writing is a pleasure.” —The Seattle Times It’s debutante season in London, and that means giggles and tea-dances, white dresses and inappropriate romances . . ..and much too much champagne. And, apparently, a blackmailer, which is where Inspector Roderick Alleyn comes in. The social whirl is decidedly not Alleyn’s environment, so he brings in an assistant in the form of Lord “Bunchy” Gospell, everybody’s favorite uncle. Bunchy is more than lovable; he’s also got some serious sleuthing skills. But before he can unmask the blackmailer, a murder is announced. And everyone suddenly stops giggling . . . “It’s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around.” —New York Magazine “[Her] writing style and vivid characters and settings made her a mystery novelist of world renown.” —The New York Times




Christianity and the Detective Story


Book Description

Christianity and the Detective Story is the first book to gather together academic criticism on this particular connection between religion and popular culture. The articles cover the origin of this relationship in the works of G. K. Chesterton, examine its development through the “Golden Age” of mystery writers such as Dorothy L. Sayers, and include discussions of recent and contemporary television crime dramas. The volume makes a strong case for viewing mystery writing as a valid means of providing both entertainment and religious insight.




Died in the Wool


Book Description

A murdered body is discovered on a farm, packed in a bale of wool--and Roderick Alleyn must find a wild, woolly killer.




Ngaio Marsh


Book Description

 Considered one of the "Queens of Crime"--along with such greats as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham--Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982) was a gifted writer and a celebrated author of classic British detective fiction, as well as a successful theater director. Best known for the 32 detective novels she published between 1934 and 1982, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in 1966. Based on years of original research by the curator of the Ngaio Marsh House in Christchurch, New Zealand, this book explores the fascinating literary world of Dame Ngaio.




Railways and Culture in Britain


Book Description

The 19th-century steam railway epitomized modernity's relentlessly onrushing advance. Ian Carter delves into the cultural impact of the train. Why, for example, did Britain possess no great railway novel? He compares fiction and images by canonical British figures (Turner, Dickens, Arnold Bennett) with selected French and Russian competitors: Tolstoy, Zola, Monet, Manet. He argues that while high cultural work on the British steam railway is thin, British popular culture did not ignore it. Detailed discussions of comic fiction, crime fiction, and cartoons reveal a popular fascination with railways tumbling from vast (and hitherto unexplored) stores of critically overlooked genres.




Twice in a Blue Moon


Book Description

Mr. and Mrs. Tibbetts pop into a pub for lunch but get served a murder case in this novel with “all the proper ingredients for a cozy whodunit” (The New York Times). What could be more delightful than a long-forgotten relative who dies and leaves you a tidbit in his will? How about if that tidbit is in fact a charming country pub, and that pub is now yours—lock, stock, and barrels of beer? Susan Gardiner is delighted, even when it becomes clear that the establishment has a lineup of regulars, not all of them as endearing as one might prefer. No, she doesn’t love all her new customers, but she certainly didn’t intend for one of them to be poisoned by a bad batch of mushrooms. The outlook is dire for both Susan and the Blue Moon . . . until Inspector Henry Tibbett steps in. He and Emmy just want a spot of lunch, but they are, as ever, willing to take on more than they had bargained for, in this compelling British mystery by the Agatha Award-winning “new queen of crime” (Daily Herald) . “Intricate plots, ingenious murders, and skillfully drawn, often hilarious, characters distinguish Patricia Moyes’ writing.” —Mystery Scene




Murder Most Poetic


Book Description

Dr. Weinkauf provides a complete overview of Ngaio Marsh's crime novels, from her beginnings in 1934 to her final book, "Light Thickens," published posthumously in 1982.




Essays on Detective Fiction


Book Description