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A Murder to Die For #1
A Murder to Die For
How do you solve a murder when hundreds of wannabe detectives all have the same goal? Every year, fans from all over the world descend upon a tiny, picturesque English village to celebrate the life of the enigmatic author Agnes Crabbe and her fictional lady detective, Miss Millicent Cutter. Crabbe fans are quite obsessive; the majority turn up to the festival dressed as Miss Cutter. Spats between rival fan clubs are not uncommon. But when one of the most prominent superfans is murdered on the first day of the festival, the police find themselves trying to solve a crime in which the victim, witnesses, almost everyone in the village, and even the murderer are all dressed as Miss Cutter. And most of them are also trying to solve the murder. In this darkly comic farce, the worlds of classic detective fiction and real-life homicide investigation come crashing together with hilarious—and occasionally messy—results.
331 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2018
13 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Stevyn Colgan
17 books61 followersAuthor, illustrator, songwriter and public speaker. 'QI' elf, 'Museum of Curiosity' goblin, Cornish Pisky and tea aficionado. Ex-chef, ex-copper, occasionally X-rated.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 1, 2022
A mish mash of mayhem and madness. An ambitious rebellion against rules. A maverick writer against the murder mystery establishment. A truly laugh out loud crazy read. Just to be clear: we don't laugh about the horrendous murders. We laugh about how the cases were solved. Uproariously so!
We're in Scotland. A small village hosted the 120th birthday festival of their only famous resident, Agnes Crabbe, who in the late 1800s wrote her own version of murder mysteries, which she stipulated in her will, could only be published in the 20th century. Packed and sealed in a trunk, the lawyers office upheld her request. They never knew what was in the trunk until it was finally opened. When her twenty something novels finally saw the light of day, and publication, she became an instant sensation all over the world. And as with all these successful authors, her fans, in this case her 'scholars' (they so despise the word fans), streamed into the village once a year to celebrate her genius in the Agnes Crabbe Murder-Mystery Festival.
Paraphrased: Her prose was too scandalous; full of grim realism; her middle-aged heroine, Miss Millicent Cutter, far too promiscuous for the repressed sensibilities of polite 1920s society.
She was the only genius ever to be born in the village of Nasely. This area of Scotland turned pastures into meat, and ... left little room for genius to flourish. The Storytellers had no brave or bawdy tales to tell. The balladeers had no folk heroes, no rogues or wild rovers to sing about, and the county's most popular folk song ─ 'Go to Hell!' ─ describes the death by diet-induced stroke of a gluttonous murderer. South Herewardshire would have to wait until the end of the nineteenth century before anyone that could be regarded as historically significant appeared, and, even then, Agnes Crabbe would not achieve that fame until she had been dead more than half a century.
This particular festival turned out to be different. All the Millies, as usual dressed up as their favorite character, Millicent Cutter, endured a horrendous incident when a famous author is found brutally murdered, and a prior road accident already claimed two other distinguished women. On top of that, three other prominent guests disappeared. The police, who came from a neighboring village, had to handle their first murder case in decades, but as things bizarrely progressed, just about every specialist unit of the British police forced had to pinch in. The problem was, all possible suspects, like the rest of the festival, were costumed up, wearing some sort of 'flapper' dress, with the trademark double string of pearls with which Miss Cutter daringly lassoed guns, whipped villains across the face or scattered across the floor to make her enemies slip and tumble.
Savidge, the burger man, had it the worst of all. Long lines of inebriated, quarrelsome, bad-tempered 'scholars' lined up at his van for food and they despised each other. They did not buy much. They were too busy complaining: is the beef organic? Is the coffee Fairtrade? Are the eggs in the mayonnaise free-range? Did he have gluten-free buns? Was there a reduced-sugar ketchup option? Did he use vegetarian cheese on his veggie burgers? Could he guarantee a total absence of nuts? ...
When Esme Handibode and Brenda Tradescant went at each other, since they both claimed to be the most learnt scholar of the magnificent Agnes Crabbe, and after he already swallowed too many of his pills to control his temper and blood pressure to remain passive, he became the 'kryptonic for publicans' by trying to defuse the argument for saying: " You're all obsessed. For fuck's sake, she was only a writer."
Uhoh. His words got wings. Rumours spread quickly through the crowd of Millie-lookalikes, who stood in line. yes.... wildfire. Like Chinese whispers, the flying words became '... said she was only a writer. Only a writer!'...; '... had the audacity to suggest that she was a terrible writer...'; '...claimed that her stories are dreadful and that she couldn't write for toffee...'; '... said she was a talentless hack...'
Suffice to say, it would become Savidge's darkest hour, or so he thought.... And, as yet, he wasn't even the main item on the murder to die for-menu that fateful weekend ...
As folklore has it: The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Yes, mark these words.
Did I mention that this was an uproariously, insanely, bizarrely funny murder mystery?
Remember Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther), or P.G.Wodehouse?
This experience reminded me of the Pegramville Murder Mystery Festival in
Bubba and the Mysterious Murder Note (Bubba Snoddy, #4) by C.L. Bevill.
Five stars for the entertainment value alone. The rest of this story is a pure blissful bonus.
******
Says the author:
Stevyn Colgan:
'A Murder to Die for' is the culmination of several things: firstly, the fact that I was a cop for 30 years; secondly that I love classic murder-mysteries and classic British comedy films; and, thirdly, a desire to write a comic novel as so few are being written these days. We've lost P G Wodehouse, Stella Gibbons, Tom Sharpe, Sue Townsend, David Nobbs, Kingsley Amis, George MacDonald Fraser and so many more and the bookshelves are missing great comedies and farces. I knew that I could get some great comedy from the clash of cultures between procedurally led modern police officers and cosy-loving murder-mystery fans, especially if I set them off all trying to solve the same crime. The icing on the cake was when I witnessed inter-fan group rivalries at the San Diego Comicon; so I set 'Murder' at a crime fiction convention. Inspiration can come from many directions at once
Author's Bio
We're in Scotland. A small village hosted the 120th birthday festival of their only famous resident, Agnes Crabbe, who in the late 1800s wrote her own version of murder mysteries, which she stipulated in her will, could only be published in the 20th century. Packed and sealed in a trunk, the lawyers office upheld her request. They never knew what was in the trunk until it was finally opened. When her twenty something novels finally saw the light of day, and publication, she became an instant sensation all over the world. And as with all these successful authors, her fans, in this case her 'scholars' (they so despise the word fans), streamed into the village once a year to celebrate her genius in the Agnes Crabbe Murder-Mystery Festival.
Paraphrased: Her prose was too scandalous; full of grim realism; her middle-aged heroine, Miss Millicent Cutter, far too promiscuous for the repressed sensibilities of polite 1920s society.
She was the only genius ever to be born in the village of Nasely. This area of Scotland turned pastures into meat, and ... left little room for genius to flourish. The Storytellers had no brave or bawdy tales to tell. The balladeers had no folk heroes, no rogues or wild rovers to sing about, and the county's most popular folk song ─ 'Go to Hell!' ─ describes the death by diet-induced stroke of a gluttonous murderer. South Herewardshire would have to wait until the end of the nineteenth century before anyone that could be regarded as historically significant appeared, and, even then, Agnes Crabbe would not achieve that fame until she had been dead more than half a century.
This particular festival turned out to be different. All the Millies, as usual dressed up as their favorite character, Millicent Cutter, endured a horrendous incident when a famous author is found brutally murdered, and a prior road accident already claimed two other distinguished women. On top of that, three other prominent guests disappeared. The police, who came from a neighboring village, had to handle their first murder case in decades, but as things bizarrely progressed, just about every specialist unit of the British police forced had to pinch in. The problem was, all possible suspects, like the rest of the festival, were costumed up, wearing some sort of 'flapper' dress, with the trademark double string of pearls with which Miss Cutter daringly lassoed guns, whipped villains across the face or scattered across the floor to make her enemies slip and tumble.
Savidge, the burger man, had it the worst of all. Long lines of inebriated, quarrelsome, bad-tempered 'scholars' lined up at his van for food and they despised each other. They did not buy much. They were too busy complaining: is the beef organic? Is the coffee Fairtrade? Are the eggs in the mayonnaise free-range? Did he have gluten-free buns? Was there a reduced-sugar ketchup option? Did he use vegetarian cheese on his veggie burgers? Could he guarantee a total absence of nuts? ...
When Esme Handibode and Brenda Tradescant went at each other, since they both claimed to be the most learnt scholar of the magnificent Agnes Crabbe, and after he already swallowed too many of his pills to control his temper and blood pressure to remain passive, he became the 'kryptonic for publicans' by trying to defuse the argument for saying: " You're all obsessed. For fuck's sake, she was only a writer."
Uhoh. His words got wings. Rumours spread quickly through the crowd of Millie-lookalikes, who stood in line. yes.... wildfire. Like Chinese whispers, the flying words became '... said she was only a writer. Only a writer!'...; '... had the audacity to suggest that she was a terrible writer...'; '...claimed that her stories are dreadful and that she couldn't write for toffee...'; '... said she was a talentless hack...'
Suffice to say, it would become Savidge's darkest hour, or so he thought.... And, as yet, he wasn't even the main item on the murder to die for-menu that fateful weekend ...
As folklore has it: The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Yes, mark these words.
Did I mention that this was an uproariously, insanely, bizarrely funny murder mystery?
Remember Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther), or P.G.Wodehouse?
This experience reminded me of the Pegramville Murder Mystery Festival in
Bubba and the Mysterious Murder Note (Bubba Snoddy, #4) by C.L. Bevill.
Five stars for the entertainment value alone. The rest of this story is a pure blissful bonus.
******
Says the author:
Stevyn Colgan:
'A Murder to Die for' is the culmination of several things: firstly, the fact that I was a cop for 30 years; secondly that I love classic murder-mysteries and classic British comedy films; and, thirdly, a desire to write a comic novel as so few are being written these days. We've lost P G Wodehouse, Stella Gibbons, Tom Sharpe, Sue Townsend, David Nobbs, Kingsley Amis, George MacDonald Fraser and so many more and the bookshelves are missing great comedies and farces. I knew that I could get some great comedy from the clash of cultures between procedurally led modern police officers and cosy-loving murder-mystery fans, especially if I set them off all trying to solve the same crime. The icing on the cake was when I witnessed inter-fan group rivalries at the San Diego Comicon; so I set 'Murder' at a crime fiction convention. Inspiration can come from many directions at once
Author's Bio
December 11, 2017
Reader, I wet myself!
No, seriously. This well crafted comedic murder mystery novel really had me laughing out loud with delight in many places and, on occasions, just slightly losing sphincter control. The “Millies” — the fans of the cult crime author who lie at the heart of this quintessentially British Set piece, being of the same age as myself — would completely understand.
The proposition of this book is attractive before you even open it. A most gruesome murder takes place during the annual festival held by fans of murder mysteries. The police, finding clues are scarce, have the extra complication of a village full of middle age women and the odd scattering of cross-dressed men (all in similar costumes) prowling the scene trying to solve it as well. Red herrings abound. Love blooms in unlikely circumstances. There are pure “keystone cops” moments. All of it is blended expertly by the author into a story that draws you in from the outset, very visually described and with with magnificent comic timing.
Five stars!
No, seriously. This well crafted comedic murder mystery novel really had me laughing out loud with delight in many places and, on occasions, just slightly losing sphincter control. The “Millies” — the fans of the cult crime author who lie at the heart of this quintessentially British Set piece, being of the same age as myself — would completely understand.
The proposition of this book is attractive before you even open it. A most gruesome murder takes place during the annual festival held by fans of murder mysteries. The police, finding clues are scarce, have the extra complication of a village full of middle age women and the odd scattering of cross-dressed men (all in similar costumes) prowling the scene trying to solve it as well. Red herrings abound. Love blooms in unlikely circumstances. There are pure “keystone cops” moments. All of it is blended expertly by the author into a story that draws you in from the outset, very visually described and with with magnificent comic timing.
Five stars!
August 12, 2022
A Murder to Die For was a delight to read from start to finish. It presents a wonderful look at the British obsession with murder mysteries and detective fiction, and at the same time is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. The author, Stevyn Colgan, is an ex-police officer so you know you are in safe hands when it comes to his humorous insights on deduction vs. investigation, but he skilfully and wittily critiques the detective fiction genre while at the same time writing a novel that stands out in that field.
If you have ever read or watched Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple, Inspector Morse, Grantchester, A Touch of Frost, Dalziel and Pascoe, Murder She Wrote, or any number of alternatives, then pick up this book and give it a go; you will not be disappointed.
If you have ever read or watched Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple, Inspector Morse, Grantchester, A Touch of Frost, Dalziel and Pascoe, Murder She Wrote, or any number of alternatives, then pick up this book and give it a go; you will not be disappointed.
December 23, 2017
‘This is all so complicated,’said Molly Wilderspin. ‘It’s like a really bad murder-mystery novel.’
'Appalling,’ agreed Esme Handibode. ‘It doesn’t follow the rules at all.’
'And that’s why none of your amateur detective Millies would ever have solved this case,’ said Shunter. ‘Murder investigation isn’t some romanticised game. Real life is nasty and vicious and cruel and maddeningly random. As I said before, there are no rules.’
I am feeling a bit of a Christmas grinch writing this when all of the other reviews to date are 5 stars and I was also one of the crowdfunders of the novel on Unbound, but this disappointed me.
Colgan does set things up nicely with his creation of Agnes Crabbe, an author from the golden days of detective fiction, but whose rather racy tales about her heroine, Millicent Cutter, were only made public, at her bequest, at the turn of the millennium, decades after her death.
Crueller social commentators called the canon ‘a curious coupling of Jackie and Wilkie Collins’ but no one could argue that the formula didn’t engage with the fans. The factors that had made Agnes Crabbe unprintable in her lifetime were now her biggest selling point.
And the setting for the murder mystery, amongst a convention of impassioned fans of the books and, inevitably in the 2010s, the TV series, makes for an amusing setting, if a rather easy target for Colgan’s humour.
But he rather professes to subvert the classic genre - he even boasts in the afterword of having tried to break all of Ronald Knox’s famous rules, for example with a gratuitous half-Chinese character at one point. Colgan is a policeman by background and the opening quote includes a sentiment repeated several times in the novel by Shunter, himself an ex DI, that real-life is much messier than detective fiction/Tv series would suggest. But other than debunking some ‘myths’ (did anyone actually think there was a national dental record register?) Colgan’s story doesn’t prove that at all. Instead he has chosen to break the boundaries of genre by producing genre squared - a completely ludicrous story: . Which left me feeling rather unsatisfied: some light comedy aside, this is, as the opening quote confesses, simply a ridiculous murder-mystery novel.
Perhaps my bar was sinply set too high, as the reference to Knox’s rules, even the gratuitous Chinese character, draws an obvious comparison to one of the novels of 2017, the Goldsmiths shortlisted and Republic of Consciousness longlisted Playing Possum by Kevin Davey. There we have a novel that really pays tribute to the golden age of detective fiction, but so much more besides (most obviously the life and poetry of TS Eliot), and completely reinvents the genre. So despite my crowdfunding, I would strongly recommend reading that instead.
'Appalling,’ agreed Esme Handibode. ‘It doesn’t follow the rules at all.’
'And that’s why none of your amateur detective Millies would ever have solved this case,’ said Shunter. ‘Murder investigation isn’t some romanticised game. Real life is nasty and vicious and cruel and maddeningly random. As I said before, there are no rules.’
I am feeling a bit of a Christmas grinch writing this when all of the other reviews to date are 5 stars and I was also one of the crowdfunders of the novel on Unbound, but this disappointed me.
Colgan does set things up nicely with his creation of Agnes Crabbe, an author from the golden days of detective fiction, but whose rather racy tales about her heroine, Millicent Cutter, were only made public, at her bequest, at the turn of the millennium, decades after her death.
Crueller social commentators called the canon ‘a curious coupling of Jackie and Wilkie Collins’ but no one could argue that the formula didn’t engage with the fans. The factors that had made Agnes Crabbe unprintable in her lifetime were now her biggest selling point.
And the setting for the murder mystery, amongst a convention of impassioned fans of the books and, inevitably in the 2010s, the TV series, makes for an amusing setting, if a rather easy target for Colgan’s humour.
But he rather professes to subvert the classic genre - he even boasts in the afterword of having tried to break all of Ronald Knox’s famous rules, for example with a gratuitous half-Chinese character at one point. Colgan is a policeman by background and the opening quote includes a sentiment repeated several times in the novel by Shunter, himself an ex DI, that real-life is much messier than detective fiction/Tv series would suggest. But other than debunking some ‘myths’ (did anyone actually think there was a national dental record register?) Colgan’s story doesn’t prove that at all. Instead he has chosen to break the boundaries of genre by producing genre squared - a completely ludicrous story: . Which left me feeling rather unsatisfied: some light comedy aside, this is, as the opening quote confesses, simply a ridiculous murder-mystery novel.
Perhaps my bar was sinply set too high, as the reference to Knox’s rules, even the gratuitous Chinese character, draws an obvious comparison to one of the novels of 2017, the Goldsmiths shortlisted and Republic of Consciousness longlisted Playing Possum by Kevin Davey. There we have a novel that really pays tribute to the golden age of detective fiction, but so much more besides (most obviously the life and poetry of TS Eliot), and completely reinvents the genre. So despite my crowdfunding, I would strongly recommend reading that instead.
February 11, 2018
Ex-cop and comedy writer, Stevyn Colgan, is a maverick - and he refuses to play by ‘the rules’...
‘A Murder to Die For’ is a fun, subversive murder mystery novel set at a murder-mystery festival, written from the heart, and a must for any fan of PG Wodehouse, David Nobbs, Tom Sharpe and Keith Waterhouse.
The book is, in part, a comedy, a mystery, a romance, and a critique of TV’s ‘Murder, She Wrote’.
But perhaps the biggest mystery of all is how the author managed to turn out such a perfectly-crafted mystery novel over the course of a couple of wet afternoons in April...
‘A Murder to Die For’ is a thing of joy - and, accordingly, I’m off to set up a DI Blount Appreciation Society.
(And it’ll be the best ever DI Blount Appreciation Society.)
‘A Murder to Die For’ is a fun, subversive murder mystery novel set at a murder-mystery festival, written from the heart, and a must for any fan of PG Wodehouse, David Nobbs, Tom Sharpe and Keith Waterhouse.
The book is, in part, a comedy, a mystery, a romance, and a critique of TV’s ‘Murder, She Wrote’.
But perhaps the biggest mystery of all is how the author managed to turn out such a perfectly-crafted mystery novel over the course of a couple of wet afternoons in April...
‘A Murder to Die For’ is a thing of joy - and, accordingly, I’m off to set up a DI Blount Appreciation Society.
(And it’ll be the best ever DI Blount Appreciation Society.)
December 8, 2023
3.5/5 stars
An absolute pandemonium.
Note: As a huge murder mystery/cosy mystery fan, I HATED the ending but was quickly put in my place as I realized that was the whole point.
An absolute pandemonium.
Note: As a huge murder mystery/cosy mystery fan, I HATED the ending but was quickly put in my place as I realized that was the whole point.
December 20, 2017
I am a wary kind of fellow. I approach new books a little like one approaches a tiger, I can never tire of looking at them or admiring them, but to actually engage with it may cause me to be sorely disappointed (or lose an arm, leg or head). I have so often been brave with my book buying choices and bought on a whim, only to read the first couple of pages, subconsciously kick myself in the nuts, before placing the book on one of my groaning shelves never to be opened again. I am glad to say that this has not been my experience with the excellent 'A Murder to Die For' by the fantastic Mr Colgan.
I bought the book before it came out, supporting it in it's Unbound crowdfunding campaign and being eager, throughout its progress, to finally getting my grubby hands on a copy. Last week it finally hit my doormat, and I found myself to be caught in a moment. I stared at the parcel, the parcel stared at me. I knew what lay inside the cardboard packaging, and was instantly frozen in terror. 'What if it was a disappointment?', 'What if I had spent the better part of six months waiting for something which would lay unread on my bookshelf?'
In an instance of bravery rarely seen in my household, I dived upon the package hungrily tearing it off and uncovering the books beautiful cover. My wife poked her head out of the kitchen and asked what the postman had delivered, I responded with a smile alone and took myself to the living room.
Two hours, and six chapters later I emerged, my smile even wider. What Stevyn has created here is the stuff of future Christmas TV legend, the kind of story which, as I read it, I could imagine sat in front of the fire, sherry in hand, laughing my merry Christmas arse off at.
It is rare that I find a book that makes me laugh out loud, usually it may happen once per very good book. With A Murder to Die For' it happened on more occasions than my aging memory can recall. There is something quite cosy and warm about spending time in a quintessentially English Village where bloody murder takes place. But wait... this is no Midsomer, by any stretch of the imagination. Imagine instead, if you will, a village filled with characters lovingly crafted each with the ability to draw a smile from even the most hardened of faces. Add to this mix an army of bizarre women and men dressed in identical Flapper costumes, and perhaps you can start to see, in your minds eye, the kind of madness which comes to the village of Nasely.
I have intentionally not given away anything of plot or happenings. That dear future reader is for you to discover and enjoy for yourself, and discover it you will. I would, in my sternest tone urge you to invest in a copy of this wonderful book. Indulge, discover and treat yourself.
I bought the book before it came out, supporting it in it's Unbound crowdfunding campaign and being eager, throughout its progress, to finally getting my grubby hands on a copy. Last week it finally hit my doormat, and I found myself to be caught in a moment. I stared at the parcel, the parcel stared at me. I knew what lay inside the cardboard packaging, and was instantly frozen in terror. 'What if it was a disappointment?', 'What if I had spent the better part of six months waiting for something which would lay unread on my bookshelf?'
In an instance of bravery rarely seen in my household, I dived upon the package hungrily tearing it off and uncovering the books beautiful cover. My wife poked her head out of the kitchen and asked what the postman had delivered, I responded with a smile alone and took myself to the living room.
Two hours, and six chapters later I emerged, my smile even wider. What Stevyn has created here is the stuff of future Christmas TV legend, the kind of story which, as I read it, I could imagine sat in front of the fire, sherry in hand, laughing my merry Christmas arse off at.
It is rare that I find a book that makes me laugh out loud, usually it may happen once per very good book. With A Murder to Die For' it happened on more occasions than my aging memory can recall. There is something quite cosy and warm about spending time in a quintessentially English Village where bloody murder takes place. But wait... this is no Midsomer, by any stretch of the imagination. Imagine instead, if you will, a village filled with characters lovingly crafted each with the ability to draw a smile from even the most hardened of faces. Add to this mix an army of bizarre women and men dressed in identical Flapper costumes, and perhaps you can start to see, in your minds eye, the kind of madness which comes to the village of Nasely.
I have intentionally not given away anything of plot or happenings. That dear future reader is for you to discover and enjoy for yourself, and discover it you will. I would, in my sternest tone urge you to invest in a copy of this wonderful book. Indulge, discover and treat yourself.
February 12, 2018
I really had to read this book as I'm mentioned in it.... all good so don't get worried.... but I'm glad I did... sooo funny in so many ways, if you're a who dunnit fan then I implore you to get stuck in.... the character names alone will set you laughing out loud... The sheer improbability of it all is overwhelming, you really have to find out what sense there is to made of the mystery. I just loved the police attempts to understand what really couldn't be understood. So if you're off to the beach for a week... bring this little gem.... btw... see you in Gerry's bar... I'm buying.... jus sayin...
April 2, 2018
A hilarious village type murder mystery, everything about this book was my cup of tea. I've had a good giggle while reading this, almost guessed the 'who dunit' so all round a winner.
June 14, 2020
This book is right up my street. If you love Midsomer Murders style murder mysteries this is great
December 30, 2017
‘Fictional murder is so much less stressful than the real thing,’ said the director. ‘At least you can schedule it.’
At the heart of Stevyn Colgan’s very funny novel is a tension that gives it bite. Colgan – a former police officer of 30 years standing – knows very well that the conventions of the so-called ‘cosy’ murder mystery are fantasy, but he loves them all the same. In this confident fictional debut, he plays reality and the unreal off each other, and the result is almost always a laugh.
To make a couple of odious comparisons, there’s a touch of Midsomer Murders here (Neil Dudgeon provides a cover quote), and also perhaps of Hot Fuzz. But there are two things that really make it stand alone. The first is some really deft character comedy: DI Blount is a monstrous creation that I like to imagine has his origins in the real-life scramble for promotion up the ranks that must exist in the police force; there’s also a surprising love story between two characters that is as sweet as it is comical. The other thing is the comedy set pieces. Early on, there’s a struggle between a burger van owner with anger management issues and a rugby player in drag with will have half the readership wincing while they laugh; and then there’s a stake out at a vicarage towards the end that recalls some of the funniest stuff in Chris Morris’s Four Lions.
Highly recommended entertainment for a winter’s afternoon or a summer evening.
At the heart of Stevyn Colgan’s very funny novel is a tension that gives it bite. Colgan – a former police officer of 30 years standing – knows very well that the conventions of the so-called ‘cosy’ murder mystery are fantasy, but he loves them all the same. In this confident fictional debut, he plays reality and the unreal off each other, and the result is almost always a laugh.
To make a couple of odious comparisons, there’s a touch of Midsomer Murders here (Neil Dudgeon provides a cover quote), and also perhaps of Hot Fuzz. But there are two things that really make it stand alone. The first is some really deft character comedy: DI Blount is a monstrous creation that I like to imagine has his origins in the real-life scramble for promotion up the ranks that must exist in the police force; there’s also a surprising love story between two characters that is as sweet as it is comical. The other thing is the comedy set pieces. Early on, there’s a struggle between a burger van owner with anger management issues and a rugby player in drag with will have half the readership wincing while they laugh; and then there’s a stake out at a vicarage towards the end that recalls some of the funniest stuff in Chris Morris’s Four Lions.
Highly recommended entertainment for a winter’s afternoon or a summer evening.
December 29, 2017
A debut novel to die for, more like.
There were so many things to admire in Stevyn Colgan's knockabout farce of a whodunit. From the very first page, the author played with the tropes of the golden age murder mystery. It is very clear that the author loves these books and has read and digested very many of them. I would like to say that A Murder to Die For was a book I couldn't put down, but I had to. I wanted to enjoy the laugh out loud moments properly. The clever plotting stands on its own as a whodunit and I wish I could detail some of the clever jokes aimed at the insider (okay, dedicated Agatha Christie et al fans), but I'm afraid almost all of them would involve a spoiler. Suffice to say reading about a possible updating of Murder She Wrote meant putting the book down for a moment or two.
This clever, funny, human updating of the classic murder mystery is perhaps the book Mr Colgan has always been destined to write: I found echoes of the philosophical ideas explored in Connect-o-scope and Why Did The Policeman in his novel.
Funny, thought-provoking and a rollicking-read. Unbound produces another gem. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys being entertained by a novel.
I understand a sequel is in the offing. I can't wait.
There were so many things to admire in Stevyn Colgan's knockabout farce of a whodunit. From the very first page, the author played with the tropes of the golden age murder mystery. It is very clear that the author loves these books and has read and digested very many of them. I would like to say that A Murder to Die For was a book I couldn't put down, but I had to. I wanted to enjoy the laugh out loud moments properly. The clever plotting stands on its own as a whodunit and I wish I could detail some of the clever jokes aimed at the insider (okay, dedicated Agatha Christie et al fans), but I'm afraid almost all of them would involve a spoiler. Suffice to say reading about a possible updating of Murder She Wrote meant putting the book down for a moment or two.
This clever, funny, human updating of the classic murder mystery is perhaps the book Mr Colgan has always been destined to write: I found echoes of the philosophical ideas explored in Connect-o-scope and Why Did The Policeman in his novel.
Funny, thought-provoking and a rollicking-read. Unbound produces another gem. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys being entertained by a novel.
I understand a sequel is in the offing. I can't wait.
December 15, 2017
When hundreds of fans descend on a small village to celebrate the life and works of its most famous author, the excitement is tangible. But this turns out to be no ordinary literary festival. Rival fan groups clash and their leaders begin to drop like flies as the body count rises. Police are hindered in their investigations by the many amateur detectives attending the Festival who think they are born to solve the crime. Add to the mix a Detective Inspector who has a point to prove and revenge on his mind and the stage is set for chaos and farce to ensue.
Stevyn Colgan draws on his 30 years experience as a policeman and 10 years as a researcher for QI to weave a plot of intrigue, deception, humour, romance and downright incompetence. He proves that he is an excellent story teller and writer and you find yourself being drawn ever deeper into the plot as you move from scene to scene, encountering several red herrings along the way. This is, indeed, a very well crafted debut novel. Colgan carefully leads the reader towards a clever and surprising conclusion in this wonderful ‘whodunnit’ that will keep you guessing right to the very end.
Stevyn Colgan draws on his 30 years experience as a policeman and 10 years as a researcher for QI to weave a plot of intrigue, deception, humour, romance and downright incompetence. He proves that he is an excellent story teller and writer and you find yourself being drawn ever deeper into the plot as you move from scene to scene, encountering several red herrings along the way. This is, indeed, a very well crafted debut novel. Colgan carefully leads the reader towards a clever and surprising conclusion in this wonderful ‘whodunnit’ that will keep you guessing right to the very end.
February 24, 2018
An absolute treat, from the fantastic cover onwards. Funny, fast-paced and farcical, A Murder to Die For is a fond tribute to the Golden Age of murder mysteries. Crucially, it never takes itself too seriously, but also never descends (within the conventions of the genre) into utter implausibility. Smashing stuff.
February 28, 2018
Yeah it was good fun in parts but it seemed to ramble on and on and i kinda lost interest by the second half, could have been half the length for me, the kidnap interested me enough to keep reading.
April 20, 2018
This is a hilarious comic crime novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. The setting is a fictional village in a fictional county where a weekend of events is being held to celebrate the life and career of Agnes Crabbe, a celebrated author of crime novels in the mold of Agatha Christie. I'm pretty sure that there was an episode of Midsomer Murders with this plot but as it is in some ways a send-up of the TV series, it is not really surprising. With the village full of middle aged women, all dressed as Crabbe's fictional sleuth, Millicent Cutter, ( a dead ringer for Phryne Fisher) a gruesome murder takes place, and all the fans, dressed as their favourite heroine rush to find clues to solve the mystery. Many plot twists are designed to thwart the reader who hopes to solve it themselves . The humour includes sly digs at well known crime novels and LOL passages of farce. Don't skip the Afterword where the author describes how the book came to be written.
April 1, 2018
Personally, I found ”A Murder to Die For” a fun read. It is in a sense a tribute to the Golden Age crime mysteries like Agatha Christie (I guess there is a reason why the celebrated fictional author is named Agnes Crabbe), but the novel also makes a bit fun of mystery novels as well. A deduction in a mystery novel is quite different from real life investigation, which is even pointed out in the novel by one of the characters.
If you’re in search for a mystery novel that has a bit of humour, feel free to pick up this novel.
If you’re in search for a mystery novel that has a bit of humour, feel free to pick up this novel.
April 8, 2018
This is a laugh-out-loud romp through a literary murder mystery festival involving, ahem, a real murder. I thoroughly enjoyed Colgan's wry humour, teasing out of the whodunnit, and the locale of a village life under threat. His take on the folly of human nature, the competitive streak in us all, and his laid back retired police officer were believable and engaging. My only challenge was keeping track of all the Millies. Can't wait to see this on the screen one day.
September 14, 2021
What fun! I was laughing out loud towards the end.
August 13, 2020
This classic murder mystery novel with lots of humour peppered throughout made a nice change from the thriller & crime novels that I usually go for. I enjoyed the insights about modern detective work from the ex-police author, even if these were sometimes used to explain away some of the more ridiculous plot twists. I really liked how unpredictable and light-hearted this book is, and as the friend who lent it to me said in her review, it’s definitely one for any Midsomer Murders fans!
May 25, 2018
Tom Sharpe meets Agatha Christie. Actually I’ve no idea as I’ve never read an Agatha Christie (I know, I know) but I’ve read (and laughed) my way through most of Tom Sharpe’s excellent oeuvre and with his collection of grotesques, his audacious twists and abundant belly laughs Stevyn Colgan is every bit up to scratch. An amusing, entertaining and in some ways enlightening read. Highly recommended!
February 25, 2018
To start my review, I'm going to completely ignore the story and focus on the writing itself - from about half way down the first page, I really knew I was going to enjoy reading this book. It usually takes a little while to judge this but the writing in the book was a pleasure to read from the start. I've read a number of Stevyn's non fiction books before and this had the same clear style that draws you in, I'm not sure what exactly it is about his writing but it works for me and I'm looking forward to his next book just for this!
The story itself was good fun with situations that reminded me a little of PG Wodehouse and characters that reminded me of Tom Sharpe. There were a few good laughs in there, in amongst a lot of hints that had me trying to guess who the killer was up until the reveal - this, I guess, is the idea with any good whodunnit.
I really got the feeling of authenticity with some of the descriptions of careful, methodical detective work - I guess an ex police officer would have a better insight into this than most. In addition to this, Stevyn's wide range of knowledge also comes across throughout the book - don't be surprised to learn a few things by the end.
You can tell Stevyn really had fun with the character names and I can only hope Rula Lenska checks some of the names with him before recording the audiobook version of A Murder to Die For! One name actually kept niggling away at me because I can think of quite a few different ways to pronounce it - how would you pronounce Tradescant?
This book literally states the rules a whodunnit should follow and then has a good go at smashing the lot of them - I'm not sure how some whodunnit purists (I'm sure they exist!) will take this and it could be a risky strategy but it didn't reduce my enjoyment of the book.
I'm generally pretty stingy with my ratings and only give five stars to something that really stands out as a classic - I'm not sure I would call this a classic but it was such good fun to read that I can't really not give it the full five stars!
If I had to say anything negative about this book, it might just be to suggest that the expression "I thought that only happened in movies", or sentences along those lines, were used a few too many times.
The story itself was good fun with situations that reminded me a little of PG Wodehouse and characters that reminded me of Tom Sharpe. There were a few good laughs in there, in amongst a lot of hints that had me trying to guess who the killer was up until the reveal - this, I guess, is the idea with any good whodunnit.
I really got the feeling of authenticity with some of the descriptions of careful, methodical detective work - I guess an ex police officer would have a better insight into this than most. In addition to this, Stevyn's wide range of knowledge also comes across throughout the book - don't be surprised to learn a few things by the end.
You can tell Stevyn really had fun with the character names and I can only hope Rula Lenska checks some of the names with him before recording the audiobook version of A Murder to Die For! One name actually kept niggling away at me because I can think of quite a few different ways to pronounce it - how would you pronounce Tradescant?
This book literally states the rules a whodunnit should follow and then has a good go at smashing the lot of them - I'm not sure how some whodunnit purists (I'm sure they exist!) will take this and it could be a risky strategy but it didn't reduce my enjoyment of the book.
I'm generally pretty stingy with my ratings and only give five stars to something that really stands out as a classic - I'm not sure I would call this a classic but it was such good fun to read that I can't really not give it the full five stars!
If I had to say anything negative about this book, it might just be to suggest that the expression "I thought that only happened in movies", or sentences along those lines, were used a few too many times.
December 31, 2017
I was super excited for this book because Mr. Colgan is a local writer and he’s even been a guest speaker at a writing workshop of mine. This release came out through Unbound, which is a pretty innovative new publisher, and so I pledged some cash to support the book in exchange for a pre-release copy, which is why I’m able to read this now and why you’ll have to wait.
Sucks to be you, ’cause this is a cracker. It’s basically a fun take on the classic cozy detective novel, and I love cozy detectives and have even written my own, which is due for release in 2018. But this takes that a step further, satirising detective novels while simultaneously being one. It gets super meta, and I liked that.
Basically, the book is about a murder that happens during a festival held each year in honour of fictitious crime writer Agnes Crabbe. Her fans flock to the small village of Nasely and dress up as her characters, attending talks and hobnobbing with the actors who play her characters on the TV adaptation. Unfortunately, in this particular year, a real-life murder takes place – and the subsequent investigation fills up the majority of the narrative. But I won’t talk about that because, you know, spoilers.
What’s great about this is that it gets the balance just right, making me laugh as a reader whilst simultaneously delivering a plot that kept me gripped until the end. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to both die-hard murder mystery fans and to people who only ever read “funny” books. Hell, I’d recommend it to anyone, but if Agatha Christie and the other Queens of Crime are your jam then this is sure to give you the warm fuzzies. But if it is your jam, don’t eat it. It might be poisoned.
Sucks to be you, ’cause this is a cracker. It’s basically a fun take on the classic cozy detective novel, and I love cozy detectives and have even written my own, which is due for release in 2018. But this takes that a step further, satirising detective novels while simultaneously being one. It gets super meta, and I liked that.
Basically, the book is about a murder that happens during a festival held each year in honour of fictitious crime writer Agnes Crabbe. Her fans flock to the small village of Nasely and dress up as her characters, attending talks and hobnobbing with the actors who play her characters on the TV adaptation. Unfortunately, in this particular year, a real-life murder takes place – and the subsequent investigation fills up the majority of the narrative. But I won’t talk about that because, you know, spoilers.
What’s great about this is that it gets the balance just right, making me laugh as a reader whilst simultaneously delivering a plot that kept me gripped until the end. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to both die-hard murder mystery fans and to people who only ever read “funny” books. Hell, I’d recommend it to anyone, but if Agatha Christie and the other Queens of Crime are your jam then this is sure to give you the warm fuzzies. But if it is your jam, don’t eat it. It might be poisoned.
January 27, 2018
A Murder To Die For (AMTDF) strikes you straight out with the delightful cover-art by Neil Gower the village scene brings to mind the opening credits of Joan Hicksons Marple.
The story concerns Herewardshire's #1 crime fiction author Mrs Agnes Crabbe, writing in the Golden Age of Crime Fiction about her creation Ms Millicent Cutter, and the modern day book festival that has been created in her home town of Nasely to celebrate the success and fame she and her books have achieved long after Mrs Crabbe died.
The festival is a buzz with rumours that news related to Agnes Crabbe is to be revealed that very week by the trustees of her estate.
But lo, on the morning of the reveal, the trustees are missing and a body is found in the village hall.
So far so murder mystery, but what follows over the next 300+ pages is far from ordinary - it is a heady mixture of murder mystery, bawdy comedy and high farce that at times left me laughing so hard I had to stop reading to catch my breath and wipe my eyes.
Imagine if you will that Tom Sharpe wrote a Poirot, or Jeeves & Wooster met up with Tommy & Tuppence then you are part way to imagining just how funny this book really is ...
really? Tom Sharpe!, PG Wodehouse! ... really? YES really!
sometimes you come across a book where the pages just turn themselves - this is such a book
sometimes you need a read that takes you away from everything thats happening in the real world - this is such a book
BUY THIS BOOK, you won't regret it
I suppose I should declare, in the interests of openness, that you will find my name in this book - once in the list of supporters and once in the authors list of thanks.
neverless
BUY THIS BOOK! it's brilliant!
The story concerns Herewardshire's #1 crime fiction author Mrs Agnes Crabbe, writing in the Golden Age of Crime Fiction about her creation Ms Millicent Cutter, and the modern day book festival that has been created in her home town of Nasely to celebrate the success and fame she and her books have achieved long after Mrs Crabbe died.
The festival is a buzz with rumours that news related to Agnes Crabbe is to be revealed that very week by the trustees of her estate.
But lo, on the morning of the reveal, the trustees are missing and a body is found in the village hall.
So far so murder mystery, but what follows over the next 300+ pages is far from ordinary - it is a heady mixture of murder mystery, bawdy comedy and high farce that at times left me laughing so hard I had to stop reading to catch my breath and wipe my eyes.
Imagine if you will that Tom Sharpe wrote a Poirot, or Jeeves & Wooster met up with Tommy & Tuppence then you are part way to imagining just how funny this book really is ...
really? Tom Sharpe!, PG Wodehouse! ... really? YES really!
sometimes you come across a book where the pages just turn themselves - this is such a book
sometimes you need a read that takes you away from everything thats happening in the real world - this is such a book
BUY THIS BOOK, you won't regret it
I suppose I should declare, in the interests of openness, that you will find my name in this book - once in the list of supporters and once in the authors list of thanks.
neverless
BUY THIS BOOK! it's brilliant!
March 3, 2018
Browsing Unbound is a dangerous thing – fantastic books just waiting to be supported, written and enjoyed. One such was A Murder to Die For by Stevyn Colgan. I already follow Stevyn on Twitter, so it wasn’t a stretch to back a book which I knew already would be funny but, alongside this, it is also a well-plotted an affectionate nod to Agatha Christie and her ilk.
Starting out with a literal bang, any readers who have ever been to a convention will recognise some of the characters in this book – from those who have a passing interest in the subject, right through to the die-hard fans and having an army of cosplayers, any of whom could be the killer is an interesting device.
This book is clever in that it pokes fun at the Agatha Christie-type books, while also being one and having a solid mystery plot. Alongside this, it’s actually very, very funny, playing with the cosy mystery stereotype and – despite mentions of mobile phones etc – you could well imagine the setting to be timeless, especially with an army of 1920s flappers storming around Nasely trying to solve a murder.
As with all of the Unbound books I have backed, it is brilliantly produced with, as above, beautiful cover art and as a benefit to those of us who backed it, our edition is on heavier paper stock and has foiled lettering – and you know how I love foil…
I enjoyed A Murder to Die For so much that I have already backed the second book in this series, The Diabolical Club, and I would urge you to do so too.
Starting out with a literal bang, any readers who have ever been to a convention will recognise some of the characters in this book – from those who have a passing interest in the subject, right through to the die-hard fans and having an army of cosplayers, any of whom could be the killer is an interesting device.
This book is clever in that it pokes fun at the Agatha Christie-type books, while also being one and having a solid mystery plot. Alongside this, it’s actually very, very funny, playing with the cosy mystery stereotype and – despite mentions of mobile phones etc – you could well imagine the setting to be timeless, especially with an army of 1920s flappers storming around Nasely trying to solve a murder.
As with all of the Unbound books I have backed, it is brilliantly produced with, as above, beautiful cover art and as a benefit to those of us who backed it, our edition is on heavier paper stock and has foiled lettering – and you know how I love foil…
I enjoyed A Murder to Die For so much that I have already backed the second book in this series, The Diabolical Club, and I would urge you to do so too.
July 20, 2018
=A joyous and oh-so-British farce=
If you like your cosy crime served with a healthy side order of quirk and tongues firmly wedged into cheeks, this is the book for you. I don’t know quite how to describe it – it’s sort of Miss Marple After Dark meets Midsomer Murders, with a flavour of Hot Fuzz thrown in. Suffice it to say I whizzed through it in a couple of days, and it kept me guessing (and laughing) right to the end.
The inspired premise involves a village full of Millies – fans of fictional flapper detective Millicent Cutler – as they descend upon picturesque Nasely for their annual festival. There’s been a murder. But when the victim and all the suspects are dressed as Millicent Cutler, the police detective on the case is an epic bungler, and a hundred amateur detectives all want to solve the crime for themselves, it’s never going to be an open-and-shut case. Enter reluctant ex-copper Frank Shunter…
If you enjoy black humour and a whodunnit that’ll keep you turning the pages, I highly recommend A Murder to Die For.
If you like your cosy crime served with a healthy side order of quirk and tongues firmly wedged into cheeks, this is the book for you. I don’t know quite how to describe it – it’s sort of Miss Marple After Dark meets Midsomer Murders, with a flavour of Hot Fuzz thrown in. Suffice it to say I whizzed through it in a couple of days, and it kept me guessing (and laughing) right to the end.
The inspired premise involves a village full of Millies – fans of fictional flapper detective Millicent Cutler – as they descend upon picturesque Nasely for their annual festival. There’s been a murder. But when the victim and all the suspects are dressed as Millicent Cutler, the police detective on the case is an epic bungler, and a hundred amateur detectives all want to solve the crime for themselves, it’s never going to be an open-and-shut case. Enter reluctant ex-copper Frank Shunter…
If you enjoy black humour and a whodunnit that’ll keep you turning the pages, I highly recommend A Murder to Die For.
February 19, 2018
Aside from Mr Conan Doyle, I do not think I've ever read a murder mystery as they're not my cup of tea. However, if I do read another one, it will likely be one written by Mr Colgan who excels in this novel in delivering a rich cast of memorable characters, an engaging sense of page-turnability and a brilliant sense of humour. His writing itself is witty and intelligent, and he brings Nasely to life in all its vivid, chaotic glory. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy A Murder to Die For as much as I have and would heartily recommend it.
February 1, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It made me laugh a lot. So many wonderful characters and brilliantly farcical scenarios! I'm very much looking forward to the sequel. Mr. Colgan writes with fun, fluidity and panache. Highly recommended.
February 4, 2018
Murder at a murder mystery festival, of course, the investigation is a farce. This book is an entertaining page turner. The characters are very human and through them the story pays homage to murder mystery whilst staying contemporary. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
December 20, 2017
Great fun and well written - a who dunnit that's too close to home and breaks all the rules!
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