Mrs Maginnes is Dead

by Maeve Sleibhin

Detective James Valour has a problem. After spending fruitless months trying to find the culprits of a passport falsification ring, he has been put on the case of the mysterious death of Mrs Maginnes, who was thrown off a cliff near Edinburgh. His attempts to solve this crime quickly and get back to the forgery case are frustrated by the dead Mrs Maginnes’s rampaging goat, along with her decision to bequeath a million pounds worth of Byzantine gold coins to whoever finds them, turning the whole town into the site of a treasure hunt. The main suspects are the five sisters living next door, who protest their innocence, but are determined to find the gold themselves and flee the country. They will stop at nothing to do so, soliciting the help of a Gypsy clairvoyant, Mrs Maginness’s bewildered tenant, Marxist transvestites, and, of course, passport forgers. Inspired by The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, one particular, smelly goat, and the unfortunate climate of Edinburgh, a lovely city that did nothing to deserve it.

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2018

About the author

Maeve Sleibhin is a 60 kg Saanen goat of exceptional style and grace, who travels the world peripatetically with her husband Billy and their three kids, none of whom share her enthusiasm for Aristotelian philosophy, but none of whom have as of yet been able to escape the iron grasp of its implacable logic. Impending adolescence promises to be somewhat climactic (and in this regard we have some concerns for the impact of her daughter, Sybille, on all variants of Aristotelian syllogisms and their adherents). While awaiting her impending doom, Maeve appreciates a good glass of wine, some cheese, and wilted flowers of all varieties.

Reviews

[Angelika Rust · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tiny warning first: If your mood tends towards a serious, life-altering read full of grandiose deep thoughts, leave Mrs. Maginnes for another day. Okay, given that there’s a goat on the cover you might have already guessed that. I may be wrong – I’m as prone to that as anyone else – but I suppose Maeve Sleibhin wrote this story with precisely one aim in mind: to make you laugh. Which doesn’t mean that this book is just a cheap and easy breeze-through. Quite the opposite.

Nonsense isn’t as easy to write as it looks, and there are authors out there who try too hard to be funny, and desperately cling to any joke until all you can do is roll your eyes and hope they’ll get on with it. Maeve Sleibhin is not one of them. Her nonsense actually does incorporate quite a few of those serious, deep thoughts I mentioned earlier, complete with a hefty dose of Shakespeare, complex human relationships, and superstitions. The plot – crime, mystery, treasure hunt and all – is borne on the fragile and powerful shoulders of characters ranging from down-to-earth to flamboyant, who show a remarkable set of motivations, dreams and desires, along with a great sense of dry humor.

There’s also the goat, who may or may not have something to do with the unfortunate Mrs. Maginnes’ recent demise, but either way definitely is a character of its own.

[Sharon Van Orman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which we have a regal goat, Elvis, a fortune and a fortune teller, a casket sans body which all culminate into a farce that would make Monty Python proud.

I don’t normally like books with narrators, they tend to get in the way of the story. But I have recently watched Good Omens in which Francis McDermott was the narrator. Somewhere along the way her voice insinuated itself. I found it rather amusing and soon discovered that even if I tried, her voice would be the narrator no matter what I may decide.

The book is wonderfully written, witty and easy to read. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Bad pun included.

[Roseann Ilstrup · Rating 1 out of 5]

WHAT?

I'm sorry but I was lost most of the time I was reading this book. I'm going to have to read it again. I just made it through the first time. I'm not sure if I can make it through again.

[Fran Macilvey]

I have wanted to read “Mrs Maginnes is Dead” since this novel first came to my notice at the HarperCollins on-line community, Authonomy. This novel has had a long gestation, and I'm pleased now to have found it.

"Mrs Maginnes is Dead" is the story of assorted Edinburgh characters - two of them deceased - a goat, and some gold groats that go missing. Add a support cast of glamorous sisters and the result is a whacky, unusual and wryly entertaining tale, part riddle, part fairy tale. Packed full with witty classical allusions, this is a highly original and rewarding debut. I do hope that the author has a sequel in mind. Highly recommended.

Fran Macilvey, author, “Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy”