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Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery #10
Season of Snows and Sins
If I were Scotland Yard, I might be that put-out with Henry Tibbet: He seems never to stay in England for more than about ten minutes, and he's always taking vacations! This time around, he and the ever-pleasant Emmy are holidaying in the Alps when a popular ski instructor gets it in the neck. Everybody in town is eager to point a finger - typically at the victim's wife, who is widely assumed to have had enough of his philandering. But Henry isn't sure, and sure enough, he is soon to be found poking his British bulldog's nose into a decidedly French scandale, turning up dirt on some of the swankiest swells on the mountain.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
39 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Moyes
62 books49 followersMoyes was born in Dublin on 19 January 1923 and was educated at Overstone girls' school in Northampton. She joined the WAAF in 1939. In 1946 Peter Ustinov hired her as technical assistant on his film School for Secrets. She became his personal assistant for the next eight years. In 1960 she wrote the screenplay for the film School for Scoundrels starring Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, and Alastair Sim. She married photographer John Moyes in 1951; they divorced in 1959. She later married James Haszard, a linguist at the International Monetary Fund in The Hague. She died at her home on the island of Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands) on 2 August 2000.
Her mystery novels feature C.I.D. Inspector Henry Tibbett. One of them, Who Saw Her Die (Many Deadly Returns in the US) was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1971. She also wrote several juveniles and short stories.
Series:
* Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery
Her mystery novels feature C.I.D. Inspector Henry Tibbett. One of them, Who Saw Her Die (Many Deadly Returns in the US) was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1971. She also wrote several juveniles and short stories.
Series:
* Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 26, 2022
This mystery is told through the view point of three of the women in the story, and through each view point you get various bits of information. The start is through Jane who is helped to land on her feet by friends and ends up getting caught up in the machinations of the world of rich and famous. Luckily the Tibbets come to visit and from then on, the truth will out!
I would say that it's a little more difficult to get all the information as the story isn't told through Henry's view point at all. So you would have to make a lot of guesses to figure out the full situation, which was quite an odd assortment of personalities. But it certainly is an interesting story, and one filled with a lot seaminess of humanity.
Would say that in general interesting, but not possibly Moyes best, in terms of plotting out a mystery. In terms of description and personalities it was great.
I would say that it's a little more difficult to get all the information as the story isn't told through Henry's view point at all. So you would have to make a lot of guesses to figure out the full situation, which was quite an odd assortment of personalities. But it certainly is an interesting story, and one filled with a lot seaminess of humanity.
Would say that in general interesting, but not possibly Moyes best, in terms of plotting out a mystery. In terms of description and personalities it was great.
August 8, 2013
A good mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, this story takes place in Switzerland and features Chief Superintendent of Scotland Yard Henry Tibbett and his wife Emily. When they go to visit a friend in Montarraz, they are drawn into the case of a young woman who was falsely accused and convicted of murdering her husband. They recognize her innocence and work hard to get her out of the convent where she is cloistered awaiting the birth of her baby and to save her from having to go to jail for a crime she did not commit. Good traditional fare from an excellent author.
September 27, 2023
Told entirely through women's voices, this mystery starts when widowed sculptor Jane Weston moves to a small Swiss village and decides to use an orphaned waitress as a model. Anne-Marie soon marries a handsome ski instructor, who is seduced by the glamorous lifestyle of the wealthy winter tourists. Fortunately, Jane's friends Henry and Emmy Tibbett have met Anne-Marie, and they question her guilt when she's convicted of killing her husband in a jealous rage.
August 7, 2011
Not the best by Moyes.
October 14, 2015
It started slowly, and at first I wasn't impressed. It really picked up halfway through, and ended up being a good read.
May 13, 2025
This was a good installment to the series and told entirely though three women in the story (one being Mrs. Emmy Tibbet). I liked it though it was a bit slow in the middle. I have two more in this series that I am interested in reading and then I'll bid Henry & Emmy adieu.
I read this through Kindle Unlimited. Recommended.
I read this through Kindle Unlimited. Recommended.
April 12, 2020
A Henry Tibbets mystery is always a treat for me, and sometimes they are hard to come by.
Patricia Moyes was very successful when these were published over 4 decades ago, but it has taken awhile for them to make a comeback.
British Chief Inspector Tibbets and his wife Emmy are invited to join an old friend in a small
town in Switzerland for Christmas - where the events are unfolding that will eventually lead to murder, although the Tibbets and their hostess Jane Weston don't know it.
Jane herself is privy to the entire tragedy as it unfolds, beginning with the happy marriage of an orphaned girl to a local boy, and when making the acquaintance of the wife of a very wealthy and influential Frenchman. Taking a personal interest in the young couple and also accepting the friendship of the wealthy and charming Sylvie and her set of friends, Jane has a foot in both the local village world and that of the rich and famous. She watches the marriage take a tragic turn, and doesn't realize how her own head is turned when she is invited to do a sculpture of a famous actress.
By the time the Tibbets come to visit again a handsome young ski instructor has been murdered and his pregnant wife Anne-Marie, the young orphan, is convicted, partly on Jane's reluctant testimony of timing.
Henry Tibbets is not so taken with the rich and powerful, and he suspects the victim's affair and infatuation with the well-known actress may have had started a chain of events that got him killed - and not by Anne-Marie.
With the help of his loyal wife Emmy, but without official sanction, Henry sets out to find the truth the matter.
I found the characterizations fascinating, from the most superficial and scheming, to the gullible and the innocent. Moyes really nails some of the most basic traits of humanity, from the worst to the best.
Meanwhile she came up with a great plot that leaves the reader uncertain as to who really murdered Robert until the very end.
Patricia Moyes was very successful when these were published over 4 decades ago, but it has taken awhile for them to make a comeback.
British Chief Inspector Tibbets and his wife Emmy are invited to join an old friend in a small
town in Switzerland for Christmas - where the events are unfolding that will eventually lead to murder, although the Tibbets and their hostess Jane Weston don't know it.
Jane herself is privy to the entire tragedy as it unfolds, beginning with the happy marriage of an orphaned girl to a local boy, and when making the acquaintance of the wife of a very wealthy and influential Frenchman. Taking a personal interest in the young couple and also accepting the friendship of the wealthy and charming Sylvie and her set of friends, Jane has a foot in both the local village world and that of the rich and famous. She watches the marriage take a tragic turn, and doesn't realize how her own head is turned when she is invited to do a sculpture of a famous actress.
By the time the Tibbets come to visit again a handsome young ski instructor has been murdered and his pregnant wife Anne-Marie, the young orphan, is convicted, partly on Jane's reluctant testimony of timing.
Henry Tibbets is not so taken with the rich and powerful, and he suspects the victim's affair and infatuation with the well-known actress may have had started a chain of events that got him killed - and not by Anne-Marie.
With the help of his loyal wife Emmy, but without official sanction, Henry sets out to find the truth the matter.
I found the characterizations fascinating, from the most superficial and scheming, to the gullible and the innocent. Moyes really nails some of the most basic traits of humanity, from the worst to the best.
Meanwhile she came up with a great plot that leaves the reader uncertain as to who really murdered Robert until the very end.
November 27, 2019
Not a cozy Christmas mystery as listed on some websites. Story takes place over a couple of years, and "Christmas" is mentioned on a few pages early on, but most of the action takes place in September. Interesting gimmick - there are three separate narrators who describe the events from three different perspectives.
Long plodding start with detailed descriptions of the people, the village, and the events leading up to the murder of a ski instructor and the conviction of his wife for the act. But perhaps the wrong person was convicted? Inspector Tibbett finally appears on page 51, and he seems to take an interest in the case because the poor girl just does not seem to be capable of murder. He takes over the investigation and goes to extraordinary lengths, traveling to and from Paris, interviewing various witnesses, and researching old case files, articles and reports. Although there are many twists, he figures out the true motives and culprits and solves the case.
Long plodding start with detailed descriptions of the people, the village, and the events leading up to the murder of a ski instructor and the conviction of his wife for the act. But perhaps the wrong person was convicted? Inspector Tibbett finally appears on page 51, and he seems to take an interest in the case because the poor girl just does not seem to be capable of murder. He takes over the investigation and goes to extraordinary lengths, traveling to and from Paris, interviewing various witnesses, and researching old case files, articles and reports. Although there are many twists, he figures out the true motives and culprits and solves the case.
April 30, 2025
🍷
Quite possibly the best entry in this series, certainly a contender. A tight, trenchant and intriguing tale told from multiple viewpoints (Jane, a friend of the Tibbetts, Emmy, Inspector Tibbett’s wife, and Sylvie, one of the dramatis personae in the whole sordid affair); this mechanism so often falls flat on its face, but Moyes makes it work wonderfully.
Jane’s opening turn sets up the entire story, Emmy fills in much of the development of the plot, Sylvia - via diary extract - shows us another side of the coin, and Jane’s final turn puts a satisfying cherry on the top of the whole thing. I’m halfway through reading (& often re-reading) this series, and this certainly makes the prospect of continuing quite attractive. Well done!
Quite possibly the best entry in this series, certainly a contender. A tight, trenchant and intriguing tale told from multiple viewpoints (Jane, a friend of the Tibbetts, Emmy, Inspector Tibbett’s wife, and Sylvie, one of the dramatis personae in the whole sordid affair); this mechanism so often falls flat on its face, but Moyes makes it work wonderfully.
Jane’s opening turn sets up the entire story, Emmy fills in much of the development of the plot, Sylvia - via diary extract - shows us another side of the coin, and Jane’s final turn puts a satisfying cherry on the top of the whole thing. I’m halfway through reading (& often re-reading) this series, and this certainly makes the prospect of continuing quite attractive. Well done!
August 31, 2024
A good series with a low key detective. But this one, about a possible miscarriage of justice in a Swiss ski resort, is told from multiple perspectives which makes it a little scattershot and slow as the successive characters get into the story. Anyway, an odd clique among the smart and politically connected set who may not be as nice as they seem, evil in fact. What seems like a simple murder among the working class turns into a scandal as Henry looks into things.
Also: I assume it’s a fact, but it seems incredible that once you got a French drivers license you never had to update the picture; I presume that’s changed!
Also: I assume it’s a fact, but it seems incredible that once you got a French drivers license you never had to update the picture; I presume that’s changed!
May 15, 2024
Henry and Emmy go to stay with their friend Jane, a sculptor living in a Swiss ski resort, and of course where Henry and Emmy go Murder cannot be far behind. A glamorous young ski instructor is murdered, and his wife Anne Marie appears to be the only suspect. But could that be a mistake? This one is narrated by three different women, Jane, Emmy, and the glamorous Sylvie. It’s quite a clever story with some interesting characters and I did not guess who the murderer was, which always pleases me.
April 17, 2018
An enjoyable mystery in the classic style. In this case, Tibbets enters the scene after someone has been convicted of a murder in Switzerland. He deduces (quite cleverly) that the convicted murderer did not do it. Now he must discover, as a mere tourist, who really did the deed.
September 8, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The second read for me in the Henry Tibbett series - #11 in the series. It's written from the point of view of 3 different characters and features international travel, chalets and posh people and houses and a brilliant plot twist at the end.
September 6, 2018
I did not guess this one up until the very end. Good mystery!
February 13, 2019
Money does not equal social class royalty. That is the clue to solving this mystery.
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December 22, 2020Early Bird Book Deal
July 29, 2021
Forgettable plot, didn’t feel like a crime novel. Too little snow and sin. If you’re looking for a good skiing whodunnit, read her first book.
August 28, 2021
i would love to visit some of these locations. As always, this slow twist and turn events captured my imagination and I was transported.
July 13, 2022
Read in Danish a long time ago.
February 24, 2012
This book is set right after Many Deadly Returns and again has a few irritating high-society types, but they do not play as large a role as in the previous book. The story is written from the point of view of 3 different people: Jane (friend of Emmy & Henry, currently living in Switzerland), Emmy, and Sylvie (a wealthy, politically connected French woman who has a vacation home near Jane). Each POV gives different insights. Jane and Emmy's stories proceed roughly chronologically, but Emmy's provides more insight into the mindset of Henry and the emotional side of Jane, while Jane's is primarily factual. Sylvie's is more like diary entries which bring in more of the personalities and underlying motives of the jet-set outsiders (her god-daughter Chantal; actress Giselle and her entourage).
Quote from Emmy: If Henry ever reads this, h'll make me rewrite that sentence. He has a passion for correct grammar, which I don't share. (Is it Emmy Tibbett or Patricia Moyes who this applies to?)
Quote from Sylvie, about to question Chantal: People like us don't talk to each other. We don't need to. We share a way of life, a complicated web of conventions which covers almost every situation, making speech unnecessary except as a decoration to life. This was different. There were no flip cliches to convey what I had to say to Chantal. At the time, you think "people like us" means wealthy Parisians, but in retrospect, I wonder if it meant something else.
This case is entirely unofficial - through discussion with Jane, Henry learns about an incident that appears to be a clear crime of passion, enacted by [the woman whose name I'm forgetting and the book has been returned - Jane was somewhat instrumental in their marriage coming about in the first place]. Jane herself unwittingly provided one of the damning pieces of evidence. But as Henry reads about the trial, he realizes that things don't add up. His curiosity and need for due process sets them off on an investigation that leads to true justice in the end.
Quote from Emmy: If Henry ever reads this, h'll make me rewrite that sentence. He has a passion for correct grammar, which I don't share. (Is it Emmy Tibbett or Patricia Moyes who this applies to?)
Quote from Sylvie, about to question Chantal: People like us don't talk to each other. We don't need to. We share a way of life, a complicated web of conventions which covers almost every situation, making speech unnecessary except as a decoration to life. This was different. There were no flip cliches to convey what I had to say to Chantal. At the time, you think "people like us" means wealthy Parisians, but in retrospect, I wonder if it meant something else.
This case is entirely unofficial - through discussion with Jane, Henry learns about an incident that appears to be a clear crime of passion, enacted by [the woman whose name I'm forgetting and the book has been returned - Jane was somewhat instrumental in their marriage coming about in the first place]. Jane herself unwittingly provided one of the damning pieces of evidence. But as Henry reads about the trial, he realizes that things don't add up. His curiosity and need for due process sets them off on an investigation that leads to true justice in the end.
January 21, 2017
When Jane Weston is unexpectedly widowed, she quickly discovers that her financial situation is rather bleak, so when a friend offers her the use of a house and a studio (Jane is a sculptor) in Switzerland, she accepts. She becomes interested in the local residents, especially a young girl named Anne-Marie. But when Jane begins skiing lessons, she meets Sylvie Claudet, a winter sports visitor; and when her English friends Henry and Emmy Tibbett visit, they are startled at the change in her.
The first portion of the story is narrated by Jane herself, then later portions by Emmy, with an intervening section taken from the diary of Sylvie Claudet. These different points of view provide an interesting element as each of them sees people differently. This is not your typical murder mystery, but is fascinating nonetheless. Highly recommended.
The first portion of the story is narrated by Jane herself, then later portions by Emmy, with an intervening section taken from the diary of Sylvie Claudet. These different points of view provide an interesting element as each of them sees people differently. This is not your typical murder mystery, but is fascinating nonetheless. Highly recommended.
July 13, 2022
I absolutely love this series. They remind me of the cozy mystery series set in the 1920s and 1930s , yet they are set in the 1960s/1970s. Inspector Henry Tibbet is a marvelous character and I enjoy how the author shows some, but not all of his deduction process. The setting is similar to the one used in the first book of this series, however, it is a totally different mystery. Great characters and story. The reveal was a total surprise to me, which makes reading the story more enjoyable. Will be reading all of the books in this series.
July 19, 2010
I had read this series a couple of decades ago, and was going to reread them before trading the books at a used bookstore. This book at least is a cut above the normal mystery, and better than I had remembered. There are very human elements in the characters in this relatively short book, as well as traditional British police work.
April 9, 2014
Had never read a novel set in Switzerland before, the story being intricately woven into the landscape with believable characters and a complicated puzzle to figure out. I finished this with a liking for the Tibbets, but a dislike for their friend "Jane"- idk, she seemed like a airhead, and ended up making more trouble for everyone all round.
May 28, 2015
While another suspense mystery, this one stands apart in its cleverness. For one thing, there is no murder until page 49. I greatly enjoyed this one. Read the older ones so libraries don't pitch them.
December 6, 2009
If you like your mysteries as puzzles to be solved and to have engaging, believable characters, Patricia Moyes Henry and Emmy Tibbett books are well worth exploring. Thoroughly satisfying.
May 21, 2021
Quite good and very enjoyable.
April 10, 2013
Enjoyed reading this short mystery set in the Swiss Alps.
November 2, 2024
Set in Switzerland, like several of Moyes' books. This time a small village, not Geneva. The murder victim had it coming, but did the police catch the right perpetrator? Henry and Emmy investigate.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews