An Embarrassment of Corpses

Oliver Swithin #1

by Alan Beechey

When Children's Book Author Oliver Swithin finds his friend's body floating in a Trafalgar Square fountain, he can't convince the police to treat the death as a murder. But then more corpses turn up daily - on a tube station platform, in a botanical gardens hothouse, even in the middle of Piccadilly Circus - each killed in a bizarre manner.
Oliver joins his uncle, Detective Superintendent Mallard, in a race to uncover the pattern behind the murders. But if they succeed, will the solution help them reach the next victim before the killer strikes again?
An Embarrassment of Corpses, by first-time author Alan Beechey, is a comic mystery with a cast of British eccentrics and an ingenious plot.

Genres: Mystery, Humor, Mystery Thriller

265 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1997

About the author

Alan Beechey was born in England and grew up in London. He moved to Manhattan in his twenties and now lives with his three sons and his rescue mutt, Leila, in Rye, New York. This Private Plot is Alan Beechey’s third mystery featuring children’s book author and amateur sleuth Oliver Swithin and his girlfriend, Scotland Yard detective Effie Strongitharm.

Reviews

[Susan]

Oliver Swithin is a self-effacing writer of children's books, but when he discovers a friend's body in Trafalgar Square's fountain, he is convinced that it is murder. Fortunately, his uncle is well-placed in the police and willing to consider that Oliver may be right. Actually, it takes another few murders to bring him around, but once the police decide they're looking for a serial killer, Oliver and his friends pitch in, in their variously eccentric ways. It's all fun and games, until Oliver takes drastic action when he himself is accused of the murders.

[Dogsandbooks]

Charming. Funny. Many literary jokes. Cool puzzle. DPL ebook via Freading

[Elizabeth]

Oliver Swithin is a children's author who writes about a fiendish ferret of a wandering nature while he whiles away his time at a do nothing job. After finding a friend dead in a fountain at Trafalgar Square he is first arrested and then asked by his uncle who is a Detective Chief Inspector to help solve a series of crimes that at first seemly are just accidents.

It appears that as more bodies are found patterns appear, one if which that the corpses are either marked or have a note set by them related to the signs of the zodiac. There is a race to discover the culprit before there are twelve bodies at hand.

The story is very interesting, fast paced with excellent characters. The best part of it all is the humor which lifted my spirits. I highly recommend this book, the first is a too short series of two. I can't wait to find the next one.

[Jazz]

"Our killer has a sense of humor.”
“They’re the worst kind,” mumbled Mallard.

What a fun read this was! Eccentric characters and a clever puzzle. Red herrings galore and all the trappings of the Golden Age. At one point it definitely reminded me of a classic Agatha Christie misdirection. A twist at the end brings the whole story together, leaving the reader with a satisfied and pleasant feeling. Will read more.

[Lisa]

Do you like a classic British mystery, with interesting and entertaining characters and a good amount of wordplay, clever language and amusing situations? Then by all means, head for this book! Oliver Swithin, children's author, maintainer of odd knowledge and favorite nephew of a Scotland Yard Detective Inspector, makes an engaging sleuth, one about whom I'd like to read more. Well executed plotting here, with enough twists to keep me guessing. I'm looking forward to reading the other two in the series, and hope there will be more!

[Dianne Landry]

Not a good book. Every time I turned the page there was another character with a ridiculous name. e.g. underwood Tooth. I was so annoyed with this as well as the lead character, who quit frankly is almost as stupid as Bertie Wooster but not nearly as entertaining. Yes, it was returned to the library unfinished.

[Sherry]

I rated it 5 because I needed a good laugh and got it. It was fun. I liked all the silly names and sharing the glee of the 3 witches who found their freedom should not to be missed. But don't read it on public transportation. One's uncontrolled snorting and laughing is embarrassing in front of strangers.

[Maureen]

Wit times ten. Could a murder be entertaining? If Alan Beechey writes it, yes. Best of both worlds: intriguing and funny. Highly recommend.

[Emg]

Fun, delightful word games, endearing characters, a plot that lets you think you have it all figured out then twists.

[Vallery Feldman]

This is a lot of fun. Some laugh out loud moments.

[Andréa]

Hoo boy. That twist got me.

[Mary]

I'm a fan of the "old fashioned" mysteries, and I found this author. Such a treat! This is the first in what has become a series of 3 books. I really enjoyed the characters and the wordplay. The main character (Oliver Swithin) writes a children's book series called 'The Railway Mice', but can't resist trying to help solve a mystery regarding the death of an individual in a fountain after a night of revelry.

The characters are very eccentric, and the dialogue is great fun. The literary references remind me a bit of the Thursday Next series, but this series is much lighter and doesn't involve any apocalyptic scenarios. Great fun for fans of 'cozy' mysteries.

[Gabi Coatsworth]

I enjoyed this book a lot. Being a lover of P.G. Wodehouse, I found the sense of humor familiar, and tied to an unusual plot, this made for a fun read. Our hero is a little hapless, but determined, and I think this will make a great series. I loved the London setting, and must confess that since I lived in the area most frequently mentioned, I had an extra bonus I wasn't expecting. Looking forward to the next one. :)

[Calathea]

That was a fun read with a lot of wonderfully stilted British English, wit, humor, beautiful writing style and fun characterisations. :-) Although the plot sagged a little in the second half the ending was a classic and managed to throw me of the trail of the murderer (again). The romance between Oliver and Effie didn't distract from the mystery and therefor was a nice addition.

[Josh]

An off-beat, charming, and clever murder mystery invoking the spirit of Wodehouse. Humor is tricky. The mix of murder and comedy even trickier, and here Beechey sacrifices genuine heart for cleverness, making for a more cerebral than riveting read. Still, very amusing overall.

[Pat]

Zodiac killer in London.
Nephew of detective helps to solve and falls in love with another detective.
Oliver Swithen writes children's books and works for a company that has no work to do.
Amusing and well written.

[Helen Fleischer]

Good char and plot, heck of a twist

[Regine]

Funny.