Death in Print

St. Just Mystery #5

by G.M. Malliet

A celebration in Oxford for university tutor and bestselling author Jason Verdoot, attended by DCI St. Just and his fiancée Portia, is a night to remember . . . for all the wrong reasons.

University of Oxford tutor and bestselling author Jason Verdoodt has it acclaim, women, money . . . and an enemy or two. When he's found dead at the bottom of the stairs during a celebratory reception at St Rumwold's College, many wonder if seething jealousy of his literary success has turned someone's mind to murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just becomes inescapably drawn into an investigation that takes him down the historic streets of Oxford and into the hallowed halls of its university. Alongside his fiancée, crime fiction writer Portia De'Ath, he uncovers several motives for murdering the celebrated but insufferable Jason - whose next novel may be a threat to many in his orbit - and no shortage of suspects who are nursing a grudge from the first novel. Has someone decided to write revenge into the plot?

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Detective, Cozy Mystery, British Literature, Cozy

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

G.M. Malliet is the author of three mystery series; a dozen or more short stories published in The Strand, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine; and WEYCOMBE, a standalone suspense novel.
 
Her Agatha Award-winning Death of a Cozy Writer (2008), the first installment of the DCI St. Just mysteries, was named one of the ten best novels of the year by Kirkus Reviews. Subsequent Max Tudor novels were Agatha finalists.

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read of the St. Just mystery series and I must admit that I really enjoyed it. It's very well written with very good characters and a plot that keeps you moving along and guessing where all the moving pieces are going to be ending up. It's a story about an author, a person who comes out of nowhere, to create a literary masterpiece and his publisher decides to throw a gala on his behalf. Well, prior to that gala the author is found dead and now St. Just is part of the team thqr must track down the killer. Very well plotted, and there are many people who you are sure to guess is the killer. I like the fact that the killer is one of the regular characters mentioned in the book and not someone who is just brought in out of nowhere to fit the plot. I did have a little bit of difficulty because there's no way I could even come close to figuring am out who was the killer and the reasons and motivation behind the killing. That was all put together for me after the suspect had been arrested. I've already gotten book 6 of the series and am looking forward to reading that because this book held my attention and was a fast and fascinating read. There are many twists and turns, there are many red herrings in the end. I was entirely satisfied. This was a definite 3.5 star rating on my scale.

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

G.M. Malliet writes three different mystery series. This is the fifth in the St. Just series; it is the first I have read and it worked well as a standalone. DCI St. Just of Cambridge is visiting Oxford with his fiancee, Portia, a crime fiction writer, to celebrate the success of author Jason Verdoot. The evening is spoiled when Verdoot is murdered. St. Just offers his assistance to Thames Valley police to investigate the many suspects.

This was a solid somewhat cozy mystery/police procedural with an interesting cast of characters. The author listed those characters with short descriptors at the beginning of the book which was much appreciated. There was some dry British humor interspersed throughout the book, as well as insight into the world of publishing. I enjoyed the references to the fictional Inspector Morse and the real actors who played in the two series about him; they are so much a part of Oxford popular culture.

Thanks to #netgalley and #severn for the ARC.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

G.M. Malliet took an 11-year hiatus from the Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just series, so having to wait just two years for No 5 in the series didn’t seem untoward.

This time, St. Just and his mystery-writer fiancée Portia De’Ath (yes, yes, it’s super twee) attend a publisher’s party for his one golden writer, Jason Verdoot, an Oxford college tutor turned million-selling author for Castle Publishing. Verdoot never makes it to his fancy party because he’s killed just before. So who done it? St. Just assists the Oxford police (his reputation having preceded him) for a very enjoyable cozy, indeed. Highly recommended, even more so if you can get the audiobook edition, where narrator Lorna Bennett does a fabulous job.

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

The St. Just series features a very likable detective and usually his staff. This time St. Just is off duty as a guest at a party for a rising literary star when the star of the event is found murdered. The cast of characters is large and interesting, and the plot is good. The hallmark of these St. Just books is that in the last few pages St. Just reveals all and ties up all the messy parts. It can be a bit annoying if it weren't so clever.

[Jeanette Lukens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was kind of a random murder mystery, but it was fun because it took place in Oxford

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
What a great, fun book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good characterizations, sly humor and a close look at the publishing business ... who knew it could be so nasty?
Jason Verdoodt has become an overnight success with his first book, making him even more unpleasant. At the party feting him someone took revenge and he is dead.
DCI St. Just and his fiancee Portia De'ath, crime fiction writer, are at the party and get drawn into the case and a twisty one it is!
Loved it and recommend it highly!

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perils of publishing!

Detective Chief Inspector St. Just is attending a literary event in Oxford with his fiancé crime writer and Cambridge don, Portia De’Ath.
A reasonably new publishing house, Castle Publishing, the brainchild of Sir Boniface Castle, has burst on the scene poaching exceptional writers and editors and having now published a literary masterpiece by Jason Verdoodt, The White Owl.
Unfortunately the drinks and dinner for the bright new star of the literary world turns into a murder scene. Of course St. Just ends up pursuing the case along with the local constabulary.
The murdered man was a right manipulative piece. His modus operandi included sexual harassment, denigrating everyone, a sense of entitlement, a faked biography, and it now appears, plagiarism.
Sparse writing with delightful observations on St. Just’s part presents an engaging cosy murder mystery.
I did wonder about the prologue and what happened.
All was revealed later.
Get set for a fascinating read.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been up and down on GM Malliet’s books over the years, and this one (and this series as a whole) definitely skews more toward the better end of her literary output.

This is far better than the Max Tudor books both in terms of quality of plot as well as embodiment of charm without devolving into hokiness.

For an “elevated cozy,” the structure and quality of mystery and solve is pretty good, and it’s got some decent atmosphere and better than average sense of place. I actually wish the whole series was set in Oxford, because that added a lot to the feel of the book and paired well with both its tone and style.

There’s not much to set this apart from others in its subgenre in terms of uniqueness and there are better historical cozies out there by almost any criteria, but it’s a good enough read if you’re a fan of this type of story, and the Oxford setting adds a lot to this installment in the series specifically.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Cambridge detective St. Just accompanies his fiancee, a writer of mysteries, to Oxford (of all places!) for an event honoring a scholar there whose first book made a meteoric impact on the publishing industry, he doesn't expect to find the guest of honor dead at the foot of a staircase. As he helps his Oxford counterpart investigate, though, he finds almost as many motives as there are party guests. I enjoyed this more than most of the others in this series.

[Bells Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number 5 in the series has DCI Just and his fiancée perfect Portia in Oxford after a lecturer has been pushed down the stairs. Why is of course central to discovering who did it. Turns out the lecturer is not the best person and motives for murdering him abound.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

How have I missed this author/series?
DCI Arthur St Just of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary and crime writer/Cambridge criminologist fiancée Portia De’Ath were attendant at the celebratory reception of best selling author Jason Verdoodt at St. Rumwold College when Verdoodt was found dead at the base of a major set of stairs. Not exactly an accident as the victim had had a combination of sedatives plus a very good wine and was not particularly well liked. Thank goodness that there is a cast of characters at the beginning! There are more than enough suspects, including the odd family running the publishing house that Verdoot was about to dump. All the characters are clearly represented, the plot twists are inventive, and the humor is somewhat sneaky. Loved it!

I requested and received an EARC copy from Severn House via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a while since I have read anything by G M Malliet. I enjoyed the Max Tudor series a great deal and quite liked the first of the St Just books. However I found this, the fifth instalment, somewhat disappointing.

The writing is mundane and I detected no evidence of humour or satirising of the academic or publishing worlds in which the novel is set. References to Colin Dexter’s Morse were bolted on and a few real locations such as the Randolph do feature,but there was little Oxford atmosphere. The characters are a bit predictable.

The culprit was obvious at an early stage and the motive not difficult to guess, although there was a huge background information dump towards the end in order to create a red herring and another to explain the core murder. The second murder came late on and added nothing to the investigation.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Severn House for the digital review copy.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I remember reading the first in this series quite a while ago. I liked it a lot, but I don't seem to have read any more in the series until now. I'm definitely going to go back and read the ones I missed!

Well-written with good characterization and a strong mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh it was okay. Not super remarkable. The answer wasn’t particularly discoverable, so I didn’t super appreciate it.

[Larraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first introduced to G.M. Malliet when I read the first Max Tudor book. Max is a former MI5 agent (and VERY good looking) who is now an Anglican priest in a small town. However he seems to be drawn into murder and sometimes by his former fellow MI5 agents who refuse to believe that he prefers the life of an Anglican priest in a small town. Reading these books lead me to the Detective St Just series. Having read all of them I tried her newest character, August Hawke, who didn't appeal to me at all.

Happily Malliet hasn't given up on her other characters and I got to read this latest book and am looking forward to the next Max Tudor which comes out soon.

In the meantime, I can happily recommend this book. It's a fun read, not long but with plenty of red herrings - not quite as many as tiny alleyways in Oxford - but still plenty.

Although St Just is located in Cambridge, he's in Oxford to go to a book event with Portia, his mystery writing fiance. Unfortunately, the writer being celebrated never makes it to the party. He's found dead at the bottom of some stairs outside the library at the St Rumwold's College library. The writer in question, Jason Verdoot, was being celebrated for his success in writing The White Owl, a crime novel. Jason was a lecturer in anthropology among other things and is quite the handsome ladies' man. More than one woman lays claim to his affections including his college girlfriend, Minette, whom he has spurned in favor of the matronly but wealthy Imogen, marketing director and family member of Castle Publishing which has published his book.

The book opens with a broad hint, but I failed to see where that hint was going and, as is often the case, it fades from the mind.

This was a fun book to read - a more or less closed room mystery with a twist. You don't have to read the series in order, but it's more fun if you do.

[BOOKLOVER EB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirty-two-year-old Jason Verdoodt is a tutor at Oxford University and the author of a bestselling work of fiction that has propelled him to literary stardom. However, he is also an arrogant, selfish, and devious womanizer who discards his paramours when they no longer serve his purposes. In "Death and Print," by G. M. Malliet, Jason is scheduled to attend a gala reception in his honor, but when he fails to show up, his lifeless body is found at the bottom of a staircase. Was his death an accident or was he pushed? Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just and DCI Ampleforth of the Thames Valley Police join forces to investigate what turns out to be a case of homicide. Since Jason had alienated so many people, the police have quite a few of suspects in their sights.

G. M. Malliet has a smooth and literate writing style, and she manages her large and lively cast skillfully. Sir Boniface Castle and his family rely on Jason's success to keep their faltering publishing company afloat; Minnie Miniver, a doctor and longtime girlfriend of Jason, was under the mistaken impression that she and Jason were soulmates; and Gina Patel, a savvy employee of Castle Publishing, has provocative information to share with St. Just.

The brisk dialogue, tightly constructed plot, and colorful characters enhance our reading pleasure. The novel's chief flaw is its illogical and muddled conclusion. Although the finale is disappointing, there is still much to enjoy in "Death in Print," including its passages of wry humor, the entertaining banter between St. Just and his fiancée, Portia, and Malliet's satirical look at the dog-eat-dog business of publishing.

[Julie Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

G. M. Malliet has mastered the cozy police procedural in the St. Just mysteries. Death in Print is the fifth book in the series. Jason Verdoodt is the darling of the publishing world; a debut author of an international bestseller. Jason also is an Oxford professor and a horrible person. Castle Publishing, which owes its prestige to Jason, hosts a party for him at Oxford. Detective Chief Inspector St. Just of the Cambridge police and his fiancée, Portia, a mystery novelist and Cambridge don, are among the guests. When Jason is found dead, St. Just is thrown into the murder investigation.

The book is easy to read and provides some interesting commentary on the publishing world. I did have to suspend some belief that St. Just could be a major force in the investigation when the Oxford police are right there. I was slightly disappointed in the ending -- it felt rushed, as though Malliet was on a deadline and just had to finish the book. In my opinion, the series needs to be read in order. If you enjoy the St. Just series then check out the author's Max Tudor series (there is even a reference to Max in this book, which was fun).

[Beatrice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of this series; it has a historical vibe, but then you read words like 'computer' and 'download', and you're reminded that this is in fact set at a present time. This installment of the St. Just Mystery series is set post-pandemic, as the book somehow refers to how gatherings were before the pandemic happened. This time, St. Just finds himself in the middle of a mystery when he and his fiancé attends a book reading party of sorts at a college in Oxford. The unfolding of the mystery itself is gradual; it goes on and on and you're not really sure who the murderer is until the last pages of the book reveals it all...and you go 'huh'. In hindsight, maybe the clues are all there when you do a close reading, but the ending was a letdown. I felt robbed from the intense of reveals like this, even if this isn't exactly a thriller kind. It felt like this whole exposition going to the climax of story, then it suddenly skips the climax in favor of explaining how things got there and ending things right there. I wish the explanation was more of 'show, not tell', as parts of the explanation itself didn't make sense. If it did, it wasn't really giving a satisfactory ending.

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

After an all action book as my last read, I thought it time for a 'cozy' to get my blood pressure back down. Looking through my shelf, I came to this one and vaguely remembered reading other St. Just series novels.

Well my blood pressure settled and I suppose the story was all right but I felt as if I'd wanted something more.

The story is set in Oxford and away from St Just's home patch of Cambridge and in a college for one important reason (other than the regular references to Morse).
At a dinner to celebrate the soaring success of the first novel of one of it's lecturers, his body is discovered at the bottom of the main staircase.

Being at the scene, as the 'plus one' of his fiance author, St Just involves himself in the case albeit in a bit of a peripherical way.

Plenty of red herrings and I didn't beat the police to be culprit although I did think that the explanation as descibed by St Just to his fiance at the end, seemed rather overcomplicated.

OK but nothing special.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love St Just mysteries and this one is the best I read so far. There's even the mention of a former spy turned vicar that could be Max Tudor and I would very happy to read a new mystery featuring him.
G.M. Malliet delivers a complex, twisty and multilayered mystery that kept me turning pages and guessing till the last page. It's a page turner full of surprises but also full of sharp remarks about the life of a writer, publishing world and life in historical college in Oxford.
I loved every moment and and thoroughly enjoyed it even if Portia if more of a side characters.
Very entertaining and compelling I strongly recommend it

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given Death in Print by G.M. Mallet in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley. Oxford is a lovely location for a murder mystery. This book reminds me of the Morse, Lewis, and Endeavour television shows because it has a theatrical element to the writing style and plot. I enjoyed the mystery, although it did feel a little drawn out. Overall, St. Just is a likable detective you would want on your side.

[zoe Hitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

DCI Arthur St. Just and his fiancee Portia De’ath are invited to a reception for a bestselling author Jason Verdoot but are drawn into a murder investigation when Jason is found dead at the bottom of the stairs.
The book is easy to read and moves at a fair pace and has plenty of twists and turns.
Jason has many enemies and anyone of them could have been the murderer will St. Just get his man?
A great cosy mystery that kept me guessing !
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

St. Just and Portia are headed for a gala evening with a celebrated author, but things go south when said author is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. St. Just lends his assistance as the investigation begins, and eventually the team uncovers a very odd twist to the victim's story, as well as a killer hiding in plain sight. Not as substantive or exciting as previous installments but still a satisfyingly British read.

[Gea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy to read a new entry in the St. Just mystery series since it has been a few years. DCI Arthur St. Just and fiancée Portia are attending an Oxford reception for celebrated author Jason Verdoodt. When the author is found dead, St. Just discovers there are no lack of motives for someone to kill the author. A great read!

[Bea Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was incredibly abrupt, and of all the pathways that had been hinted at and explored, was the most boring possible solution. I was deeply disappointed as the rest of the book had been quite interesting, and there were at least two other solutions that could’ve been books in their own right.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series that I have read. DI St. Just and his fiance are at a party at Oxford University. The guest of honor is found dead at the bottom of the stairs - accident or murder? St. Just works with the local police to figure out what happened and why.

Good characters, a little snarky which I like, and a good mystery.

[Micebyliz]

Just picked this up and did not know it was a series of mysteries until i got home. Totally enjoyed it. Not having read any others, i can say categorically :) :) that it can be read without reading any others.
I loved all the references to everything referenced (I won't say!!) and the allusions and the snark!!
It was fun fun fun.

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Another enjoyable British mystery featuring DCI St. Just and his fiancee/mystery writer Portia. They are in Oxford attending a publishing event when the guest of honor is discovered dead, apparently murdered. He was widely disliked, promiscuous, and had written an incredibly popular book. Suspects abound.

This is a witty series with a lot of dry British humor. St. Just and Portia don't spend much time together in this one as he is detecting and she is stuck in the hotel room writing and I did miss their interaction. Both the world of publishing and academe get agreeably skewered in this one.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this latest installment in this series. I’ve read them all—was disappointed in the last one, but thought this latest was back on track. Solid mystery, good characterizations, a touch of British humor throughout.

[Janet Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

So very average--not bad, just pedantic and predictable, despite a very nice performance by narrator Lorna Bennett. No redeeming charm or humor in this mystery that succeeds in making itself all too serious,