Although Roger’s latest is far from the most exciting of his long series of adventures (The Midsummer Crown, 2011, etc.), it...
Doing a favor for his wife involves Roger the Chapman in yet another complicated and possibly treasonous mystery.
Now that he’s taken over the throne of England, Richard III faces opposition from several fronts. Because Roger has done some tasks for Richard, many people are convinced he is a spy for the king and treat him with more respect than most peddlers would command. But not Roger’s wife, who asks him to go check on an old friend in Hereford. He finds her well but, disconcerted by rumors that the town will be attacked by rebels, seeks refuge with his traveling companions at nearby Tintern Abbey. There Roger, his fellow peddler Yorkshireman, Oliver Tockney, lawyer Heathersett, wealthy goldsmith Gilbert Foliot and wine importer Henry Callowhill, all from Bristol, witness a robbery at the abbey. Many years before, a secret cavity had been found containing some pages and a book of little interest. Now it seems that the cavity was much larger than anyone thought, and the thief has stolen something of real importance. When his body is found in the river, it turns out that he was also from Bristol. Upon their return home, members of the group have their houses broken into—all except for unfortunate Tockney, who’s murdered in the street. Once the king’s real spy is unmasked, it’s up to Roger to discover what certain people are willing to kill to find.
Although Roger’s latest is far from the most exciting of his long series of adventures (The Midsummer Crown, 2011, etc.), it still provides the usual meticulous historical research along with a satisfying mystery.Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7278-8164-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Severn House
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
An anodyne visit with Tricia and her friends and enemies hung on a thin mystery.
Too much free time leads a New Hampshire bookseller into yet another case of murder.
Now that Tricia Miles has Pixie Poe and Mr. Everett practically running her bookstore, Haven’t Got a Clue, she finds herself at loose ends. Her wealthy sister, Angelica, who in the guise of Nigela Ricita has invested heavily in making Stoneham a bookish tourist attraction, is entering the amateur competition for the Great Booktown Bake-Off. So Tricia, who’s recently taken up baking as a hobby, decides to join her and spends a lot of time looking for the perfect cupcake recipe. A visit to another bookstore leaves Tricia witnessing a nasty argument between owner Joyce Widman and next-door neighbor Vera Olson over the trimming of tree branches that hang over Joyce’s yard—also overheard by new town police officer Cindy Pearson. After Tricia accepts Joyce’s offer of some produce from her garden, they find Vera skewered by a pitchfork, and when Police Chief Grant Baker arrives, Joyce is his obvious suspect. Ever since Tricia moved to Stoneham, the homicide rate has skyrocketed (Poisoned Pages, 2018, etc.), and her history with Baker is fraught. She’s also become suspicious about the activities at Pets-A-Plenty, the animal shelter where Vera was a dedicated volunteer. Tricia’s offered her expertise to the board, but president Toby Kingston has been less than welcoming. With nothing but baking on her calendar, Tricia has plenty of time to investigate both the murder and her vague suspicions about the shelter. Plenty of small-town friendships and rivalries emerge in her quest for the truth.
An anodyne visit with Tricia and her friends and enemies hung on a thin mystery.Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0272-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
A murder is committed in a stalled transcontinental train in the Balkans, and every passenger has a watertight alibi. But Hercule Poirot finds a way.
**Note: This classic Agatha Christie mystery was originally published in England as Murder on the Orient Express, but in the United States as Murder in the Calais Coach. Kirkus reviewed the book in 1934 under the original US title, but we changed the title in our database to the now recognizable title Murder on the Orient Express. This is the only name now known for the book. The reason the US publisher, Dodd Mead, did not use the UK title in 1934 was to avoid confusion with the 1932 Graham Greene novel, Orient Express.
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1934
ISBN: 978-0062073495
Page Count: -
Publisher: Dodd, Mead
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1934
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