THE BUTLER

When death strikes a posh house party, the consummate manservant turns amateur detective.

A brief prologue sets the scene for Mackintosh’s whodunit, describing a luxury villa on the outskirts of Cannes, where a corpse lies undiscovered on the bottom of the sparkling swimming pool (“right in the center, little more than a dark shadow against the sharp white tiles, lies a body, waiting for the dawn”). The story begins four days earlier, as butler-for-hire Baxter (his first name is never revealed) arrives at Villa Sérénité, finding it anything but serene after a wild shindig thrown by its ostensible caretakers. Unfazed, Baxter has the place in impeccable shape by early evening with the help of Miriam and Thierry, his hand-picked housekeeper and chef. Balding, middle-aged Alec Prescott, who’s renting the villa for the week to celebrate his son Carter’s 21st birthday, arrives first with his much younger girlfriend, Kaitlyn. Next comes Alec’s ex, Sylvie, then their friends Francesca and Damian, an actress and producer promoting their latest film at the festival. Carter and his attractive girlfriend, Jade, complete the party. In addition to the obvious tension between Sylvie and Kaitlyn, it’s soon clear that almost everyone in the house has reasons to resent Alec, who insults Francesca, refuses to invest in Damian’s next movie, threatens to stop funding Carter’s tech startup, and harasses Miriam. (And that’s just the first day.) While shopping in town, Baxter encounters Red, a young vagabond pickpocket who has connections to the villa, and perhaps to a notorious burglary gang. It seems everyone has designs on Alec’s money—money Baxter is beginning to suspect Alec doesn’t really have. As a first-rate, professional butler, Baxter is discreet, resourceful, unflappable, and perceptive—exactly the qualities he needs in his unexpected new role of unofficial detective. He’s also kind, with a touching backstory. The other characters are also deftly portrayed, though they’re somewhat one-dimensional. The story moves along swiftly, with snappy dialogue, colorful descriptions of the setting and food, and humorous moments. Mackintosh hits all the expected mystery genre beats, including plenty of surprising twists that keep the narrative feeling fresh and a satisfying ending that hints at further adventures in Baxter’s future.

The perfect butler headlines this entertaining mystery.