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Max Tudor #6
Devil's Breath
Praise for G.M. Malliet:
'Rarely have I read descriptions that have left me gasping, in both their hilarity and their painful truth.' Louise Penny
'G.M. Malliet has brought the village cosy into the twenty first century... Wicked Autumn is a refreshing read for everyone who loves a really good murder.' Charles Todd
'There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth... Malliet delivers all that.' New York Times Book Review
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2017
171 people are currently reading
1614 people want to read
About the author
G.M. Malliet
48 books693 followersG.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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
June 3, 2017
DEVIL'S BREATH is the first book I have read by G.M. Malliet. And, thus is this the first book I have read in the Max Tudor series. However, despite being the sixth book was it was no problem for me to get the gist of the story and its characters. I must say that G.M. Malliet did a splendid job of getting new readers to get to know Max Tudor in this book, both his past with MI5 and his new life as a cleric.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
January 16, 2022
easy going detective novel
May 4, 2017
Anglican priest Max Tudor returns in the sixth entry in this series. Kind, clever Father Max left MI5 to become a vicar, but it appears that MI5 hasn’t left him. His old MI5 boss calls on Father Max to look into the death of an aging movie star who was hoping to claw one last good role from director Romero Farnier. Farnier, about to film a Gladiator-style epic spectacle, had no intention of casting the fading film star Margot Browne, and thinks that a free vacation on his yacht (with the amusing name of Calypso Facto) will pacify her. He should have known better.
When 58-year-old Margot Browne — “now more famous for having once been famous than for actually being famous” (think Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) — turns up floating in the harbor just off Monkslip-super-Mare, Father Max is tapped to sleuth. Author G.M. Malliet fills Devil’s Breath with selfish, if amusing, suspects, very funny situations, and a tightly paced mystery with some good twists. However, Malliet does not play fair: When the murderer is revealed in the very last few pages, there is no way a reader could have known who it was. Absolutely no clues pointed to the murderer. If that kind of cheating puts you off, this is not the book for you. I enjoyed the book, but I still feel peeved enough to knock off a star.
In a departure, Devil’s Breath doesn’t include Father Max’s wife Awena Owen and baby and the delightful denizens of Tudor’s village of Nether Monkslip — a very idyllic village except for those periodic murders. Next time, I hope to see them — and more fair play from Malliet — in the next Max Tudor novel.
When 58-year-old Margot Browne — “now more famous for having once been famous than for actually being famous” (think Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) — turns up floating in the harbor just off Monkslip-super-Mare, Father Max is tapped to sleuth. Author G.M. Malliet fills Devil’s Breath with selfish, if amusing, suspects, very funny situations, and a tightly paced mystery with some good twists. However, Malliet does not play fair: When the murderer is revealed in the very last few pages, there is no way a reader could have known who it was. Absolutely no clues pointed to the murderer. If that kind of cheating puts you off, this is not the book for you. I enjoyed the book, but I still feel peeved enough to knock off a star.
In a departure, Devil’s Breath doesn’t include Father Max’s wife Awena Owen and baby and the delightful denizens of Tudor’s village of Nether Monkslip — a very idyllic village except for those periodic murders. Next time, I hope to see them — and more fair play from Malliet — in the next Max Tudor novel.
February 22, 2017
What a pity. I bought the first book of this series from Audible a while back, and enjoyed it quite a bit, so I was happy to grab this sixth book on Netgalley. And it was a slog.
Over and above almost everything else, the book drove me crazy with constant "accidental" puns. "The kitchen of a high-end restaurant is a pressure cooker—no pun intended." "[The chef] would throw him in the soup, if you’ll pardon the expression". "The chef will spill the beans soon enough—sorry, what an appalling play on words." And so on. And on. I seem to keep using the comparison to salt a lot lately: some is usually good, but more is never better. There is so much more in this book that I wanted to smack someone. It might not have been so bad if, every single time, whoever used the pun didn't also apologize for it.
Something else that annoyed me, perhaps more than it should have, was the effortless-seeming massive success of the main character's wife. I seem to remember not being overly fond of Awena, the pagan expert in just about everything who ends up marrying the priest… I think it was largely disbelief in and discomfort with the concept of the pairing; again, I read the first book some time ago, but I vaguely recall some derision or mockery of Christianity from the pagan community, which is apparently more acceptable than derision or mockery of other belief systems in much the same way that it's okay to make fun of white men and no other group.
So the "opposites attract" situation with the two of them seemed very much off, but what irked me more was that Awena seems to have become England's Martha Stewart. (Nigella Lawson without the charm?) She has a tv show, for which she dictated all the terms to suit her and her schedule so that she could continue to be the same domestic goddess. The chef at Buckingham Palace is using her recipes. Yay. Towards the end of the book Max thinks complacently that, as usual, Awena had been right about the solution to the case – when in fact she had said something very specific about the killer which was the opposite of true. For a character who didn't even make a firsthand appearance in the book, she bugged me deeply.
Even apart from these quibbles, I just didn't enjoy the writing this go-round. There were echoes – the exact same wording used at least a couple of times within a short period. The idea that our priest Max's police partner was making notes on their cases to do a Watson later was meta, but not in a good way – it brought up the same old question of confidentiality, of propriety, and about the author's point of view of her own writing when Max muses that their cases would "qualify … only as potboilers". Hmf. The drug aspect of the case struck me as simply absurd. After a certain point my patience had dried up, to the point that a slight to Marilyn Monroe pushed several of my buttons.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
Over and above almost everything else, the book drove me crazy with constant "accidental" puns. "The kitchen of a high-end restaurant is a pressure cooker—no pun intended." "[The chef] would throw him in the soup, if you’ll pardon the expression". "The chef will spill the beans soon enough—sorry, what an appalling play on words." And so on. And on. I seem to keep using the comparison to salt a lot lately: some is usually good, but more is never better. There is so much more in this book that I wanted to smack someone. It might not have been so bad if, every single time, whoever used the pun didn't also apologize for it.
Something else that annoyed me, perhaps more than it should have, was the effortless-seeming massive success of the main character's wife. I seem to remember not being overly fond of Awena, the pagan expert in just about everything who ends up marrying the priest… I think it was largely disbelief in and discomfort with the concept of the pairing; again, I read the first book some time ago, but I vaguely recall some derision or mockery of Christianity from the pagan community, which is apparently more acceptable than derision or mockery of other belief systems in much the same way that it's okay to make fun of white men and no other group.
So the "opposites attract" situation with the two of them seemed very much off, but what irked me more was that Awena seems to have become England's Martha Stewart. (Nigella Lawson without the charm?) She has a tv show, for which she dictated all the terms to suit her and her schedule so that she could continue to be the same domestic goddess. The chef at Buckingham Palace is using her recipes. Yay. Towards the end of the book Max thinks complacently that, as usual, Awena had been right about the solution to the case – when in fact she had said something very specific about the killer which was the opposite of true. For a character who didn't even make a firsthand appearance in the book, she bugged me deeply.
Even apart from these quibbles, I just didn't enjoy the writing this go-round. There were echoes – the exact same wording used at least a couple of times within a short period. The idea that our priest Max's police partner was making notes on their cases to do a Watson later was meta, but not in a good way – it brought up the same old question of confidentiality, of propriety, and about the author's point of view of her own writing when Max muses that their cases would "qualify … only as potboilers". Hmf. The drug aspect of the case struck me as simply absurd. After a certain point my patience had dried up, to the point that a slight to Marilyn Monroe pushed several of my buttons.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
February 10, 2017
This was a quick and fun book to read! I started reading the Max Tudor mysteries in the fall of 2014, and I was hooked. I have been itching for a new installment in this series for a long time, and in this one - book #6 - Malliet definitely delivers. I love her unique, no-nonsense writing style, her references to pop culture and celebrities, and, of course, her characters. Max is in his element, trying to solve the death of actress Margot Browne, alongside DCI Cotton (whose first name is finally revealed), and Max encounters a blast from the past.
I loved this book -- I couldn't put it down!
I loved this book -- I couldn't put it down!
May 9, 2017
This installment of G. M. Malliet's Father Max Tudor's (6)cozy series is different than her others, and I did not like it as much as I liked the others. I think the reason is the entire mystery introduces new characters who are on a luxury yacht cruise. The yacht is owned by a director who is known for his 'spectacular' movies, and the people on the cruise are in show business except for two people who are minor nobility. The village and all the characters from the village except for Max's wife and baby son do not make any kind of an appearance, and I missed them. Max, of course, 'played' a starring role. Please forgive the pun, but Father Max is excellent at solving murders. Thus, when DCI Cotton needed him, he goes to help solve the murder with the Church's permission. After all Father Max used to be a member of MI5 or is it MI6? I hope the author returns to the village mystery in her next book.
August 8, 2017
Is this the last Max Tudor tale? I sincerely hope not. GM Malliet does tend to suddenly stop writing about her heroes though - Arthur St Just anyone???
I enjoyed this wee cosy. I read it in an afternoon and it made me want more of Max, Cotton and co.
A very nice little twist at the end with some rather vile characters made this a lovely book to read.
I enjoyed this wee cosy. I read it in an afternoon and it made me want more of Max, Cotton and co.
A very nice little twist at the end with some rather vile characters made this a lovely book to read.
April 4, 2017
After the shattering events of The Haunted Season, Anglican Priest and ex-MI5 star agent Max Tudor has come to the conclusion that one can never really leave FIVE and has agreed to step in on investigations on an "as needed" basis. When aging movie star Margot Browne is found floating in the bay near Monkslip-super-Mare on the coast of England, they ask Max to aid his friend and colleague DCI Cotton. Margot Browne was sailing on a yacht owned by a famous director of Hollywood action films. If the tides had cooperated with the murderer, the body might never have been found. It was found, however, and her death was clearly murder and no accident. But who among the yacht's passengers; the famous director, his self-involved girlfriend, an aging but still well-respected stylist, a screenwriter, Margot's young male companion, the hanger-on Baron and Baroness? Or could it be the chef or yoga instructor on the crew? Also on the ship is a female MI5 female agent with whom Max has a history. She has an entirely different investigation ongoing.
The characters are introduced to us in the beginning extensively, as is usual in Malliet's books. It's a helpful device when there are so many characters to consider and as the various connections to Margot are revealed, absolutely necessary in keeping them sorted. I really admire Malliet's deft parody of the Agatha Christie novels and others published during the "Golden Age'. The Max Tudor novels require a definite "suspension of disbelief" however. The notion that Max's bishop would approve of his marriage to a well-known Pagan and that MI5 could call on him at will is a bit hard to swallow. But if you can do that, the Max Tudor novels are a treat to read with great characterization and plotting. Malliet has a witty and engaging style; one that has brought her many awards and legions of fans. I did miss Max's village of Nether Monkslip and the presence of his wife, Awena, and hope he will return there in the next book. An added plus for Devil's Breath is more background on the dashing DCI Cotton and the revelation of his first name!
I highly recommend the Max Tudor series and Devil's Breath. Thanks to St. Martin's Minotaur and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.
RATING-4 Stars
The characters are introduced to us in the beginning extensively, as is usual in Malliet's books. It's a helpful device when there are so many characters to consider and as the various connections to Margot are revealed, absolutely necessary in keeping them sorted. I really admire Malliet's deft parody of the Agatha Christie novels and others published during the "Golden Age'. The Max Tudor novels require a definite "suspension of disbelief" however. The notion that Max's bishop would approve of his marriage to a well-known Pagan and that MI5 could call on him at will is a bit hard to swallow. But if you can do that, the Max Tudor novels are a treat to read with great characterization and plotting. Malliet has a witty and engaging style; one that has brought her many awards and legions of fans. I did miss Max's village of Nether Monkslip and the presence of his wife, Awena, and hope he will return there in the next book. An added plus for Devil's Breath is more background on the dashing DCI Cotton and the revelation of his first name!
I highly recommend the Max Tudor series and Devil's Breath. Thanks to St. Martin's Minotaur and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.
RATING-4 Stars
February 20, 2024
I don’t know why I bothered returning to this book. I guess I just can’t resist Max Tudor and I wanted to see it to the end.
June 27, 2022
Audible version: This is a super light cozy series that I enjoy for its little village of Nether Monkslip and Father Max. As before, the women are SO beautiful and Max remains incredibly handsome, but most of the rest of the book isn't that ridiculous (well, every time Awena is mentioned it is ridiculous). This one doesn't bring in the other characters from Nether Monkslip, but we do get an update on Awena and the baby. The mystery takes place on a boat and could not have been solved just by listening to clues. For me that works, as I don't always listen with full attention. Maybe I should go down to 2 stars, but I really do enjoy these and love the narrator, so I'm sticking with 3.
April 25, 2017
Max Tudor - former MI5 agent and now Anglican priest - receives a request from his old boss to take over an investigation from another agent - Patrice Logan. It is suspected that a playboy film director is using his yacht to smuggle something - probably drugs - from one country to another.
Then one of the film stars on the yacht is found dead and a police investigation is launched to investigate the murder. It seems it can only have been committed by someone on board the yacht but did anyone really hate Margot Browne enough to have killed her? Or was she killed to keep someone else's secret?
This is an intriguing mystery and I certainly didn't work out what was going on. My main criticism of the book is that it was full of Americanisms even though it is set in England. I have no problem with such things if the book is set in the US or when American characters are speaking but in this books the creep into the speech of the English characters and the descriptions. I do wish that authors and publishers would realise that the Coroner in England does not carry out the post mortem.
I did find this very jarring in this particular book and it spoiled my enjoyment of it. I did enjoy reading about Max Tudor as he is a likeable character. This is book six in the series and if you're looking for something a bit different in crime and mystery fiction then this book and this series is worth reading.
Then one of the film stars on the yacht is found dead and a police investigation is launched to investigate the murder. It seems it can only have been committed by someone on board the yacht but did anyone really hate Margot Browne enough to have killed her? Or was she killed to keep someone else's secret?
This is an intriguing mystery and I certainly didn't work out what was going on. My main criticism of the book is that it was full of Americanisms even though it is set in England. I have no problem with such things if the book is set in the US or when American characters are speaking but in this books the creep into the speech of the English characters and the descriptions. I do wish that authors and publishers would realise that the Coroner in England does not carry out the post mortem.
I did find this very jarring in this particular book and it spoiled my enjoyment of it. I did enjoy reading about Max Tudor as he is a likeable character. This is book six in the series and if you're looking for something a bit different in crime and mystery fiction then this book and this series is worth reading.
March 19, 2017
This is my first G. M. Malliet book and I'm sorry to say it will probably be my last. Now, I'm sure this isn't the fault of the author or the book, it just failed to resonate with me. Perhaps if I'd started with the first book of the series I might have a different feel for it, but I sincerely doubt it. I doubt it because I frequently start series several books in and that never bothers me and usually just makes me want to go back and read the others. I was really looking forward to finding a new mystery series to love, but I'm afraid this one won't be it.
It isn't badly written nor is the story bad -- it just wasn't my cup of tea. You, however, may absolutely love it!
One thing I really did like was the 'Cast of Characters' section at the beginning. Stephanie Laurens does that in her books and it really serves well to refresh your memory, especially for those characters who appear less frequently.
What didn't I like? Well, it was just much to busy. Too many characters, too many suspects, to many offshoot stories,etc. -- just too too much.
"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
It isn't badly written nor is the story bad -- it just wasn't my cup of tea. You, however, may absolutely love it!
One thing I really did like was the 'Cast of Characters' section at the beginning. Stephanie Laurens does that in her books and it really serves well to refresh your memory, especially for those characters who appear less frequently.
What didn't I like? Well, it was just much to busy. Too many characters, too many suspects, to many offshoot stories,etc. -- just too too much.
"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
June 22, 2017
I anticipated this Max Tudor mystery would be as exciting and charming as its predecessors---and it did not disappoint, with one minor exception. Handsome cleric and former secret agent Max Tudor is recalled by MI5 to help ascertain the murderer of a famous, though faded movie star whose body was thrown from the luxury yacht on which she had been cruising. With the help of the local police and a former MI5 colleague, Max manages to do just that, but not before the tragic murder of a second passenger takes place.
My disappointment with this book stems from the fact that the entire story takes place in a seaside hotel and on the yacht itself...the absence of the delightful village of Nether Monkslip was like that of a favourite character in the series. I hope the next novel returns to that lovely setting.
My disappointment with this book stems from the fact that the entire story takes place in a seaside hotel and on the yacht itself...the absence of the delightful village of Nether Monkslip was like that of a favourite character in the series. I hope the next novel returns to that lovely setting.
May 18, 2017
Sixth in series, this is another fine offering of author G.M. Malliet in her Father Max Tudor Mystery series. However, this one does stray from the charming village of Nether Monkslip and Father Max's dear family.
On the beach of nearby Monkslip-super-Mare, a body washes ashore. Turns out, the deceased is a former Hollywood starlet who ended up overboard from her producers magnificent yacht, anchored just off the shoreline. There's a cast of many characters, all of whom have motive enough to do in the Diva. Can Father Max and his team figure it all out before the yacht sails with the outgoing tide?
On the beach of nearby Monkslip-super-Mare, a body washes ashore. Turns out, the deceased is a former Hollywood starlet who ended up overboard from her producers magnificent yacht, anchored just off the shoreline. There's a cast of many characters, all of whom have motive enough to do in the Diva. Can Father Max and his team figure it all out before the yacht sails with the outgoing tide?
October 12, 2022
I like these characters, although when Max has to leave the village to solve a murder, I miss the various villagers. Awena is available via phone & gives Max insight into various celebrities he's investigating. Of course, DCI Cotton is here & together they make a formidable team. Max is called by MI5 to help investigate the murder of an aging actress on a private yacht full of movie people. There are lots of fun characters to meet & the investigation turned in a completely different way than I imagined, making for a fun ending. Entertaining reading.
March 13, 2020
Max Tudor becomes embroiled in another murder mystery, this one taking place on a ship at sea. Most of the suspects come from a movie or theater background and Max must research their backgrounds to discover the complicated relationships that resulted in murder. While the mystery was interesting, I missed the usual development of Max's character especially with his wife and new son.
April 9, 2022
I enjoyed this Chirp audio recording much more than the last one. A murder aboard a private yacht filled with Hollywood people, directors, fading stars, up and coming stars, stylists, minor royalty, difficult chefs, out of wedlock children and young yoga 🧘♀️ teachers. Max Tudor and DCI Cotton are again committed to finding the murderer.
October 30, 2019
Brilliant
August 8, 2020
Best book in the series so far!
October 5, 2024
It was fine, but doesn't take place in Nevermonk slip, so 3 stars.
June 5, 2021
The plotting in this series gets better and better. I also think they are better when they are set away from the village because the village setting and villagers can sometimes be a bit too twee. The ending was a bit of surprise and rather out of left field, but enjoyable, none the less. Another quibble: everyone in these books is unusually good looking, starting with Max.
June 30, 2025
In this crime, Max has returned to his roots with the MI5 and has taken on an actual assignment. He learns that he’s replacing, and will be working with, a former partner and lover Patrice Logan from MI5 on smugglers...ouch especially when his memories of her body next to his pops into his now cleric and married mind, will there be temptation in the future, but that is instantly resolved when she turns out to be about nine months pregnant.
Margot Browne's body is found washed up on the shores of Monkslip-Super-Mare and now a murder is added to the smuggling since she was on the yacht that the smugglers are suspected of using. With the two cases merged Max takes on the job of not only looking into the drug smuggling, but into trying to discover more about the dead woman, Margot Browne, in hopes that will lead him and the police to her killer. At his side, as usual, is the Shakespeare quoting DCI Cotton, the subsequent investigation focuses on the people who were on the yacht, as it's a "closed circle" murder scenario. Thank heavens there's always a cast of characters at the beginning of the books.
Everyone on the yacht has a story and alibi to tell until Max finally saves the day and then can return to Nether Monkslip to his beloved Awena and son Owen. An looks like DCI Cotton has found a love interest in pregnant Patrice....that would seem like an odd time ahead for Max and Cotton
Margot Browne's body is found washed up on the shores of Monkslip-Super-Mare and now a murder is added to the smuggling since she was on the yacht that the smugglers are suspected of using. With the two cases merged Max takes on the job of not only looking into the drug smuggling, but into trying to discover more about the dead woman, Margot Browne, in hopes that will lead him and the police to her killer. At his side, as usual, is the Shakespeare quoting DCI Cotton, the subsequent investigation focuses on the people who were on the yacht, as it's a "closed circle" murder scenario. Thank heavens there's always a cast of characters at the beginning of the books.
Everyone on the yacht has a story and alibi to tell until Max finally saves the day and then can return to Nether Monkslip to his beloved Awena and son Owen. An looks like DCI Cotton has found a love interest in pregnant Patrice....that would seem like an odd time ahead for Max and Cotton
May 7, 2017
Another case for Father Max the former MI5 undercover specialist. His friend Inspector Cotton asks him for help and MI5 need a hand with a death and smuggling. So taking off the collar he heads to the shore to investigate the murder of a fading movie star thrown from a yacht and her possible involvement in drugs. A varied cast of characters are aboard and many early clues point to several likely killers/smugglers. As we progress there are more murders or attempted ones and the field is narrowed. But again it is only at the end that the criminal is uncovered with info we are barely provided. This is the part of this series I dislike. There are always bit and pieces of information provided by research, background checks or interviews which we are never fully provided or as in this case are presented after the bad guy is shown to us and the forces of law and order reveal that eureka we now know why so-n-so is on the run. Let's get him/her/it.
February 15, 2017
Devil's Breath ,with Max Tudor as the ex-MI5 and now a Anglican Priest as the detective, started out reading as an old style murder mystery (Nero Wolfe, etc.) which I thought would be interesting. I was mistaken. I had such a hard time getting into it. There were a lot of characters, a lot of potential murderers..too much detail for me. I got lost. If you Like detail, you might enjoy this book.
The ending was a surprise, but it felt thrown in there. Disappointed.
The ending was a surprise, but it felt thrown in there. Disappointed.
July 6, 2017
Take a smidgen of the best elements from the most popular British mystery series on PBS. Add a drop of the trademark condescending suspects from the old Columbo television series and shake it all up with variations on the modern-day obsession with fame and celebrity to get Devil's Breath. It evokes an entertaining breeziness despite the first victim's heart-breaking backstory.
It's nice to know that there are five other Max Tudor titles to read while waiting for #7.
It's nice to know that there are five other Max Tudor titles to read while waiting for #7.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2017
Devil's Breath: Max Tudor 6
In A Nutshell:Max Tudor, former MI5 Spy now Priest, investigates the death of a former starlet and then her stylist. An interesting but predictable cast of characters. As writing goes this book was grammatically fine but the story mediocre.
The Plot: Margot Browne 'now more famous for having once been famous than for actually being famous' is found drowned. Max is asked to investigate the death. It is a murder of course. Then her stylist is also murdered!
The Protagonist: Max Tudor is an interesting and complicated character. From Spy to Priest (well Father) and married to Awena a pagan. If the level-headed Max were not a Father, he would be Bond. James Bond.
The series always starts with an introduction of the cast of characters. It adds to the excitement of the story and sets the scene. In this story, we are mixing with a Hollywood set and minor nobles.
Six books in and G A Malliet's Max Tudor is well developed. So it is interesting to meet a love from his past and to have the mystery set outside of the idyllic village of Nether Monkslip. The world building is strong; I saw myself on the yacht even if the showbiz types and chef were predictable stereotypes.
The story, however, does not live up to the other five in the series. The writing is good but a little too punny. It is not clear why Max is investigating when DCI Cotton seems to have the measure of the case. It is good that Cotton does because there are no clues for us readers to follow. Give it your best guess; you are likely to get the murderer wrong. The ending is certainly unpredictable and stretching belief.
The middle of the book is not compelling although at one point the story did pull me in. It was sad and had a ring of truth. But that high point is not repeated.
Murder is a big ask, and there did not seem to be any real reasons why the celebs would kill Margot.
It was not worth me jumping my reading list to get to it.
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Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language:U
Violent: U
Would I read the next oneor reread ?: Yes
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
Two* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or plot.
5* A great read. A prominent example of the genre.
In A Nutshell:Max Tudor, former MI5 Spy now Priest, investigates the death of a former starlet and then her stylist. An interesting but predictable cast of characters. As writing goes this book was grammatically fine but the story mediocre.
The Plot: Margot Browne 'now more famous for having once been famous than for actually being famous' is found drowned. Max is asked to investigate the death. It is a murder of course. Then her stylist is also murdered!
The Protagonist: Max Tudor is an interesting and complicated character. From Spy to Priest (well Father) and married to Awena a pagan. If the level-headed Max were not a Father, he would be Bond. James Bond.
The series always starts with an introduction of the cast of characters. It adds to the excitement of the story and sets the scene. In this story, we are mixing with a Hollywood set and minor nobles.
Six books in and G A Malliet's Max Tudor is well developed. So it is interesting to meet a love from his past and to have the mystery set outside of the idyllic village of Nether Monkslip. The world building is strong; I saw myself on the yacht even if the showbiz types and chef were predictable stereotypes.
The story, however, does not live up to the other five in the series. The writing is good but a little too punny. It is not clear why Max is investigating when DCI Cotton seems to have the measure of the case. It is good that Cotton does because there are no clues for us readers to follow. Give it your best guess; you are likely to get the murderer wrong. The ending is certainly unpredictable and stretching belief.
The middle of the book is not compelling although at one point the story did pull me in. It was sad and had a ring of truth. But that high point is not repeated.
Murder is a big ask, and there did not seem to be any real reasons why the celebs would kill Margot.
It was not worth me jumping my reading list to get to it.
Connect with me on Twitter
Follow my blog on Bloglovin’
Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language:U
Violent: U
Would I read the next one
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
Two* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or plot.
5* A great read. A prominent example of the genre.
January 20, 2019
G.M. Malliet's crime novels have something of an old fashioned feeling about them even though they are grounded in the present. There's Max a Vicar, but he's VERY handsome -movie star handsome!- AND a former MI6 agent who has agreed to go back to work when needed. Max is married to the beautiful Awena, something of a Pantheist who hosts a cooking show using ONLY local ingredients. They have an 8 month old son, Owen, who is, Max knows, a certified genius.
However, in this book MI6 calls and Max, per agreement, goes dutifully forward to help solve the case of a movie star - Margot- who has been found floating in the sea near the dock where the yacht in which she was a guest has recently sailed in. The yacht is owned by Romero, a director of bad movies that make money. He is in the process of casting a film, one in which Margot wants a part, but NOT the kind of part that Romero has in mind: mother of one of the gladiators. (Yes, it's THAT kind of movie.)
There is a cast of characters including a 30 something handsome young Baron and his Baroness who, because of the Barton's lack of funds, spend their days sponging off various wealthy and titled friends. There is a temperamental chef and his assistant. There is a yoga instructor as well as the current girlfriend of Romero's who is already apparently getting the bum's rush. Max, an old friend, of Margot's a a well known makeup artist is also on the trip. Plus there is a getting close to middle aged actor who is with Margot almost in a buddy role and a young screenwriter who is trying to write a biography of Margot.
One of the characters is Patrice, a woman with whom Max had a fairly long affair. She is pregnant with no intention of marrying the father. Meanwhile, Cotten, Max's friend and the DI in charge of the case is smitten.
Well, all's well that ends well. There is a final chapter called "It's A Wrap" which tells us about the fate of the different characters. There are a few surprises there. We also learn about the next mystery which I happen to have waiting in the wings: In Prior's Wood.
However, in this book MI6 calls and Max, per agreement, goes dutifully forward to help solve the case of a movie star - Margot- who has been found floating in the sea near the dock where the yacht in which she was a guest has recently sailed in. The yacht is owned by Romero, a director of bad movies that make money. He is in the process of casting a film, one in which Margot wants a part, but NOT the kind of part that Romero has in mind: mother of one of the gladiators. (Yes, it's THAT kind of movie.)
There is a cast of characters including a 30 something handsome young Baron and his Baroness who, because of the Barton's lack of funds, spend their days sponging off various wealthy and titled friends. There is a temperamental chef and his assistant. There is a yoga instructor as well as the current girlfriend of Romero's who is already apparently getting the bum's rush. Max, an old friend, of Margot's a a well known makeup artist is also on the trip. Plus there is a getting close to middle aged actor who is with Margot almost in a buddy role and a young screenwriter who is trying to write a biography of Margot.
One of the characters is Patrice, a woman with whom Max had a fairly long affair. She is pregnant with no intention of marrying the father. Meanwhile, Cotten, Max's friend and the DI in charge of the case is smitten.
Well, all's well that ends well. There is a final chapter called "It's A Wrap" which tells us about the fate of the different characters. There are a few surprises there. We also learn about the next mystery which I happen to have waiting in the wings: In Prior's Wood.
July 27, 2017
GM Malliet is one of the authors for whom I have set alerts with my public library. I loved the four installments of this series. The village setting and characters, if a bit contrived, were pleasant and fun, and the mysteries were engaging. Max and Awena were particularly attractive as characters, both well developed with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. I wasn't particularly thrilled by the fifth novel, but figured every series has an off book. When the library announced they were going to receive the sixth, I made sure to get on the reading list and was excited to finally get my chance to read it. Only 69 pages in, and I'm wondering if I'm going to finish.
I don't mind the murder shipped in by yacht, although I do miss the village characters. The new characters, whose introductions take up the entire first five chapters, are notable mostly for being painfully trite and 2-dimensional. What I mind are the author's blatant attempts to take a perfectly sound main character and turn him into some kind of paragon or superhero. Or maybe a parody.
Suddenly Max Tudor has gone from being a reasonably competent former MI5 agent and slightly bemused new priest to being "uniquely intelligent, brave, and stalwart...(MI5's) undercover superstar" (59). And modest, to boot. Oh, and DCI Cotton "never seemed to mind Max's butting in on any of his investigations" (66). That's not quite what I remember from the first couple of novels; in the last few it was more like resignation to the inevitable - Max was there, he might as well use him. Much less this: "Cotton's view of Max bordered on hero worship, and he had never yet been disappointed" (69).
I have to say, so far I am disappointed. I can only hope it improves from here and I'm able to update this review with a higher rating.
I don't mind the murder shipped in by yacht, although I do miss the village characters. The new characters, whose introductions take up the entire first five chapters, are notable mostly for being painfully trite and 2-dimensional. What I mind are the author's blatant attempts to take a perfectly sound main character and turn him into some kind of paragon or superhero. Or maybe a parody.
Suddenly Max Tudor has gone from being a reasonably competent former MI5 agent and slightly bemused new priest to being "uniquely intelligent, brave, and stalwart...(MI5's) undercover superstar" (59). And modest, to boot. Oh, and DCI Cotton "never seemed to mind Max's butting in on any of his investigations" (66). That's not quite what I remember from the first couple of novels; in the last few it was more like resignation to the inevitable - Max was there, he might as well use him. Much less this: "Cotton's view of Max bordered on hero worship, and he had never yet been disappointed" (69).
I have to say, so far I am disappointed. I can only hope it improves from here and I'm able to update this review with a higher rating.
August 5, 2018
I am reading this series slightly out of order because I missed two books for some inexplicable reason, but that gives me the chance to do a bit of Max Tudor-binge reading. Max is an Anglican priest serving the small villages surrounding Nether Monkslip. Formerly a member of MI5, he has partnered with local DI Cotton to solve the unusually high number of murders in the area, something that doesn't faze Max's bishop or his parishioners. This book offers a closer look at the bond between the two men, their growing friendship and admiration, and Cotton's background and personality.
The novel begins with fifty pages of back story about the passengers and crew aboard an over-the-top-luxury yacht before the body of Margot Browne, an older actress, not very talented but once, very much in the public's eye, washes ashore. That is unusual for author G.M.Malliet who often uses the opening for the details of Max Tudor happily attending his family and parish responsibilities before introducing a dead body or two.
The reader learns a great deal about Max and his work with MI5 when he is called by his former boss, George Greenhouse, to headquarters and asked to assist with a possible drug smuggling case involving the yacht. Patrice Logan, a former colleague and lover, has requested Max's help; that proves not to be a complication but a surprising ending.
The yacht is filled with any number of people who could have murdered Margot; their backgrounds and motivation are mostly suspect, some selfish and mean-spirited, some, just oblivious..."...a triumph of hope over reality. That seems to be a theme of all the people on board." The plot becomes complicated; the relationships among some of the passengers, convoluted; and the murderer's identity and motivation, a bit of a reach. Perhaps all murder is as difficult to trace the dots.
The novel begins with fifty pages of back story about the passengers and crew aboard an over-the-top-luxury yacht before the body of Margot Browne, an older actress, not very talented but once, very much in the public's eye, washes ashore. That is unusual for author G.M.Malliet who often uses the opening for the details of Max Tudor happily attending his family and parish responsibilities before introducing a dead body or two.
The reader learns a great deal about Max and his work with MI5 when he is called by his former boss, George Greenhouse, to headquarters and asked to assist with a possible drug smuggling case involving the yacht. Patrice Logan, a former colleague and lover, has requested Max's help; that proves not to be a complication but a surprising ending.
The yacht is filled with any number of people who could have murdered Margot; their backgrounds and motivation are mostly suspect, some selfish and mean-spirited, some, just oblivious..."...a triumph of hope over reality. That seems to be a theme of all the people on board." The plot becomes complicated; the relationships among some of the passengers, convoluted; and the murderer's identity and motivation, a bit of a reach. Perhaps all murder is as difficult to trace the dots.
March 5, 2023
Definitely one I carried on reading only to find the solution. The book felt like a third-rate copy of Agatha Christie, complete with all her common mistakes but without her talent for disguising implausibilities. A retired MI5 agent, now a vicar, is asked to informally help the police deal with a murder of a faded film star on a famous film director's yacht, and then a subsequent murder. No. MI5 are not detectives, they don't investigate murders, counter-intelligence is something quite different. No. The police don't want informal help from outsiders, they would strongly object if some higher authority tried to impose that upon them. The rest of the characters were similarly implausile cardboard figures.
The solution was in itself disappointing, having exactly the same weakness as in Agatha Christie's 'One Two Buckle my shoe', that the murder originally intended was done to conceal facts which were on public record, albeit obscure, anyway. The killer had beeen making money from using a false identity, and killed someone who knew who they really were (the other murder being of someone who overheard the plot). However the detective was able to work this out by tracking down existing records which, once scrutinised, revealed all. Anyone else could have done the same, and given the money and the celebrity scandals involved it was hard to see why no-one had, years earlier. If the killer had the slightest sense they would have destroyed those records earlier, not planned to murder anyone (and presumably everyone) who looked them up.
The solution was in itself disappointing, having exactly the same weakness as in Agatha Christie's 'One Two Buckle my shoe', that the murder originally intended was done to conceal facts which were on public record, albeit obscure, anyway. The killer had beeen making money from using a false identity, and killed someone who knew who they really were (the other murder being of someone who overheard the plot). However the detective was able to work this out by tracking down existing records which, once scrutinised, revealed all. Anyone else could have done the same, and given the money and the celebrity scandals involved it was hard to see why no-one had, years earlier. If the killer had the slightest sense they would have destroyed those records earlier, not planned to murder anyone (and presumably everyone) who looked them up.
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