Bude, John – The Bell Bookshop

A telegram from Le Touquet

Emma — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

For Nigel Derry, Easter celebrations at the country house of his charming though unpredictable aunt Gwenny Marrable were a highlight of the calendar. This year, the knife fight between the guests somewhat tarnished the experience. Disgruntled following the fracas, Gwenny departs for France, telegramming her nephew from Le Touquet asking him to join her in the South at the beautiful Villa Paradou. When he arrives at the CÃ´te d'Azur, it is too late - Gwenny Marrable has been found murdered.

Death in White Pyjamas: & Death Knows No Calendar

Emma — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

'Death in White Pyjamas': At the country home of Sam Richardson, a group of actors have gathered along with their somewhat sinister producer Basil Barnes, and a playwright whose star is rising in the drama scene. With competitive tension in the air between the three actresses, Clara, Angela and Deirdre, the spell is broken when Deirdre is found murdered in the grounds wearing, for some unknown reason, white pyjamas. 'Death Knows no Calendar': A shooting in a locked artist's studio. Four suspects; at least two of whom are engaged in an affair. An exuberant and energetic case for Major Boddy.

Death On The Riviera

Emma — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards - out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean. Along with Inspector Blampignon - an amiable policeman from Nice - Meredith must trace the whereabouts of Chalky Cobbett, crook and forger. Soon their interest centres on the Villa Paloma, the residence of Nesta Hedderwick, an eccentric Englishwoman, and her bohemian house guest - among them her niece, an artist, and a playboy. Before long, it becomes evident that more than one of the occupants of the Villa Palmona has something to hide, and the stage is set for murder.

Sussex Downs Murder

Emma — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Two brothers, John and William Rother, live together at Chalklands Farm in the beautiful Sussex Downs. Their peaceful rural life is shattered when John Rother disappears and his abandoned car is found. Has he been kidnapped? Or is his disappearance more sinister - connected, perhaps, to his growing rather too friendly with his brother's wife?

Lake District Murder

Emma — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The Lake District Murder opens with the discovery of a faceless body in an isolated garage, then follows Inspector Meredith through a complex investigation where every clue seems to lead only to another puzzle. Was this a bizarre suicide, or something more sinister? Why was the dead man apparently making plans to flee the country? And what does all this have to do with the newly discovered shady business dealings of the garage? All becomes clear in time, but not before John Bude has led readers through a rousing investigation, full of unexpected twists and turns, set against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District.

This newest installment in the British Library Crime Classics series takes readers to the Lake District for a perfect example of the cozy mystery, sure to charm all fans of the genre.

Cornish Coast Murder

Emma — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

?Never, even in his most optimistic moments, had he visualised a scene of this nature ? himself in one arm-chair, a police officer in another, and between them? a mystery.'
The Reverend Dodd, vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen, spends his evenings reading detective stories by the fireside ? but heaven forbid that the shadow of any real crime should ever fall across his seaside parish. But the vicar's peace is shattered one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, a secretive and ill-tempered magistrate, is found at his house in Boscawen with a bullet through his head. The local police inspector is baffled by the complete absence of clues. Suspicion seems to fall on Tregarthan's niece, Ruth ? but surely that young woman lacks the motive to shoot her uncle dead in cold blood? Luckily for Inspector Bigswell, the Reverend Dodd is on hand, and ready to put his keen understanding of the criminal mind to the test.