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Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery #7
Murder Fantastical
The Manciples have always been known to their neighbors as the most eccentric family in the charming village of Cregwall. But nothing has ever started the local tongues wagging so much as when the body of Raymond Mason, who recently has taken a mysterious interest in buying the Manciple estate, is found lying in the Manciple driveway with a bullet hole in his forehead. The local authorities quickly call in Chief Inspector Henry Tibbett, who, almost in spite of himself, finds that he is charmed by the Manciples, who apparently will go to any extreme -- even murder -- to save their ancestral home.
253 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
70 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Moyes
63 books50 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 54 reviews
July 29, 2024
I have just found a new favorite detective thanks to Cindy Rollins at The Literary Life podcast. This story is so very British and with hilarious eccentric characters. I loved every twist and turn. The reveal at the end was genius. Henry Tibbett of Scotland Yard is thoughtful, intelligent, with an intuitive “nose” that I really enjoyed. Time to go back to book one and dive into the whole series!
January 8, 2019
When the Manciples' annoying nouveau riche neighbor is found shot in their driveway under mysterious circumstances, there's nothing for the Chief Constable to do but to call in Scotland Yard. After all, he's George Manciple's best friend, and the family is--well, eccentric. Fortunately, the Yard sends Henry Tibbetts, whose wife is a school friend of the local doctor, and who comes along for the ride. It doesn't take Henry too long to figure out how the neighbor died, though he doesn't explain it right away, because he begins to think that something even more sinister is going on below the surface. Extremely funny, with just a dab of tragedy at the ending.
July 18, 2019
"The Manciples have always been known to their neighbors as the most eccentric family in the charming village of Cregwall. But nothing has ever started the local tongues wagging so much as when the body of Raymond Mason, who recently has taken a mysterious interest in buying the Manciple estate, is found lying in the Manciple driveway with a bullet hole in his forehead. The local authorities quickly call in Chief Inspector Henry Tibbett, who, almost in spite of himself, finds that he is charmed by the Manciples, who apparently will go to any extreme -- even murder -- to save their ancestral home."
~~back cover
This is a lovely little mystery, mostly due to the Manicple eccentricities, which are scatterbrained and delightful. As the plot continues to wind around George, Edwin, Violet, Aunt Dora and Maud, it becomes less and less murderous and more and more will-o'-the-wisp -- that is, until the second murder takes place, which infuriates Henry Tibbett, and leads him and his famous "nose" on the path to solving the riddles. If you're an English cozy fan, this will gladden your heart and tickle your funny bone.
~~back cover
This is a lovely little mystery, mostly due to the Manicple eccentricities, which are scatterbrained and delightful. As the plot continues to wind around George, Edwin, Violet, Aunt Dora and Maud, it becomes less and less murderous and more and more will-o'-the-wisp -- that is, until the second murder takes place, which infuriates Henry Tibbett, and leads him and his famous "nose" on the path to solving the riddles. If you're an English cozy fan, this will gladden your heart and tickle your funny bone.
July 23, 2017
Somehow, although I have read eight other books by Moyes, I did not see her as a comic writer. There are pleasant bits of humor in every book I have read, but not laugh out loud funny. This mystery is very amusing. Moyes has created a English eccentric family that did have me laughing out loud. The mystery is a bit weird and maybe forced, but the Manciples are worth every moment that Henry Tibbett spends on the crime.
I highly recommend this police procedural.
I highly recommend this police procedural.
August 31, 2023
Der 1967 geschriebene Kriminalroman ist der siebte in einer Reihe um den Scotland-Yard-Inspektor Henry Tibbett. Die Übersetzung ins Deutsche besorge Manfred Allié im Jahre 1992. Ich glaube, daß ich das Buch seither ungelesen im Regal stehen hatte; jedenfalls waren mir Story und Personen fremd. Angesichts der ziemlich skurrilen Personen, die diesen Kriminalroman bevölkern, schließe ich daraus, daß dies meine erste Lektüre war.
Die Geschichte führt uns in ein englisches Dorf mit Herrensitzen, Landadeligen und zugezogenen Neureichen und erzählt etwas umständlich eine verwickelte Geschichte. Charmant-humorvoll und in Maßen spannend handelt es sich dabei um eine gute Unterhaltungslektüre.
Die Geschichte führt uns in ein englisches Dorf mit Herrensitzen, Landadeligen und zugezogenen Neureichen und erzählt etwas umständlich eine verwickelte Geschichte. Charmant-humorvoll und in Maßen spannend handelt es sich dabei um eine gute Unterhaltungslektüre.
December 28, 2023
Patricia Moyes was a practitioner of the traditional English mystery with a focus on the solution and Chicago Tribune as “the writer who put the ‘who’ back in the whodunit.” Her Inspector Henry Tibbett is described as a man easily overlooked--"mild-looking, sandy-haired" and "middle-aged"--but his mild appearance allows him to follow his "nose" for clues without unduly ruffling any feathers along the way.
the characters rather than the crime itself and psychology of its villain. She was dubbed early on by Vivian Mort of the
However, as cozy as Moyes's stories tend to be, she occasionally makes me think of Michael Innes. Most of her plots are fairly straight-forward, traditional mysteries, but every once in a while she, like Innes in some of his more fantastic plots (see The Open House and The Weight of the Evidence), seems to take us for a ride down Alice's rabbit hole. Murder Fantastical (1967) is aptly named--for a more fantastic bunch of characters would be hard to come by. The book is worth it for the description of Bishop Manciple’s visit to a new neighbor to borrow some margarine. He arrives dressed in “an old-fashioned bathing costume... Wellington boots... carrying a flowered Japanese sunshade, a clarinet, and a string bag” while on his way to the river for a swim and a little musical practice.
The Manciples have always been known in the village of Cregwall as a very eccentric family indeed. From Great Aunt Dora, who at ninety-plus is interested in the astral manifestations of animals, to the cryptic Edwin Manciple, clarinet-playing and crossword-loving former Bishop of Bugolaland to Major George Manciple himself who loves to take potshots on his private shooting range using a home-made clay pigeon flinger of his own design, they each have their quirks and fancies. And after one conversation with any of the Manciple clan one can't help but think that the citizens of Wonderland would feel right at home at the Manciple tea table.
Tibbett is brought into the case when Raymond Mason is shot through the forehead in the Manciple driveway. Sir John Adamson, Chief Constable, and Major Manciple both feel that the situation calls for the Yard instead of local constabulary. Mason, a social-climbing bookmaker who had recently moved into the neighborhood, had set his sights on buying the Manciple estate and when turned down flat (no matter how much money he offered for it) had begun making a nuisance of himself. He had tried to get the Major's shooting range shut down as a public nuisance; he had taken the Major to court over a long disused right-of-way; he had paid unwelcome court to Maude Manciple--the youngest and most beautiful of the family. The village, while remaining loyal to their favorite wacky family and refusing to comment directly to the police, are quite certain that the Major has accidentally shot Mason in an over-exuberant bit of shooting on his range.
Tibbett's famous nose, however, leads him to suspect that this solutions will not satisfy all the questions raised by the puzzle. His search for the truth will take him through the secret files of the British government, a letter from a long-dead physician, and a hunt for a missing book of Homer. And, although he tries to arrange a happy ending for Maude, he finds that sometimes the standard happy ending isn't what one might think.
This is a fun, humorous and very cozy take on the police procedural. Yes, we're following Inspector Tibbett around, but the focus isn't on tracking down clues in the conventional way or gathering up evidence to sen to the lab. The focus of the story is on Tibbett's interactions with the Manciples and various other characters connected with the crime. A very interesting character study and a delightful read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
the characters rather than the crime itself and psychology of its villain. She was dubbed early on by Vivian Mort of the
However, as cozy as Moyes's stories tend to be, she occasionally makes me think of Michael Innes. Most of her plots are fairly straight-forward, traditional mysteries, but every once in a while she, like Innes in some of his more fantastic plots (see The Open House and The Weight of the Evidence), seems to take us for a ride down Alice's rabbit hole. Murder Fantastical (1967) is aptly named--for a more fantastic bunch of characters would be hard to come by. The book is worth it for the description of Bishop Manciple’s visit to a new neighbor to borrow some margarine. He arrives dressed in “an old-fashioned bathing costume... Wellington boots... carrying a flowered Japanese sunshade, a clarinet, and a string bag” while on his way to the river for a swim and a little musical practice.
The Manciples have always been known in the village of Cregwall as a very eccentric family indeed. From Great Aunt Dora, who at ninety-plus is interested in the astral manifestations of animals, to the cryptic Edwin Manciple, clarinet-playing and crossword-loving former Bishop of Bugolaland to Major George Manciple himself who loves to take potshots on his private shooting range using a home-made clay pigeon flinger of his own design, they each have their quirks and fancies. And after one conversation with any of the Manciple clan one can't help but think that the citizens of Wonderland would feel right at home at the Manciple tea table.
Tibbett is brought into the case when Raymond Mason is shot through the forehead in the Manciple driveway. Sir John Adamson, Chief Constable, and Major Manciple both feel that the situation calls for the Yard instead of local constabulary. Mason, a social-climbing bookmaker who had recently moved into the neighborhood, had set his sights on buying the Manciple estate and when turned down flat (no matter how much money he offered for it) had begun making a nuisance of himself. He had tried to get the Major's shooting range shut down as a public nuisance; he had taken the Major to court over a long disused right-of-way; he had paid unwelcome court to Maude Manciple--the youngest and most beautiful of the family. The village, while remaining loyal to their favorite wacky family and refusing to comment directly to the police, are quite certain that the Major has accidentally shot Mason in an over-exuberant bit of shooting on his range.
Tibbett's famous nose, however, leads him to suspect that this solutions will not satisfy all the questions raised by the puzzle. His search for the truth will take him through the secret files of the British government, a letter from a long-dead physician, and a hunt for a missing book of Homer. And, although he tries to arrange a happy ending for Maude, he finds that sometimes the standard happy ending isn't what one might think.
This is a fun, humorous and very cozy take on the police procedural. Yes, we're following Inspector Tibbett around, but the focus isn't on tracking down clues in the conventional way or gathering up evidence to sen to the lab. The focus of the story is on Tibbett's interactions with the Manciples and various other characters connected with the crime. A very interesting character study and a delightful read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
October 2, 2020
Quite enjoyable mystery. Henry and Emmy stay in a small English village this time while Henry is investigating the death of an annoying man on Manciple family property. yes, the Manciples are definitely over-the-top, quite funny, but mostly endearing. The eventual resolution of the mysterious deaths (yes, more than one) rather surprised me. I will deifnitely go ahead and read another in the series.
May 19, 2009
Apparently one in a string of books that center around Inspector Henry Tibbett, Chief Superintendent of Scotland Yard, "Murder Fantastical" introduces The Manciple family, known eccentrics in the village of Cregwell who call in Tibbett to help them save their family home; It appears that the body of Raymond Mason, a social-climbing bookie with a mysterious interest in purchasing the Manciple estate, has been found dead in their driveway, from a bullet hole in his forehead. While the town sympathizes, as no one really liked Mason anyway, Tibbett must sift through George's determination to BE the chief suspect, Violet's chasing down every thought that comes to her mind, the Bishop's cryptic crossword-speak, and Aunt Dora's whistling hearing aid to find out who the real culprit is before anyone else gets hurt.
This was your typical 'British mystery', and I am a fan of this genre, but this book was even better than I had expected. Funny, charming, and cleverly written, I was completely charmed by these characters, and will certainly look for other "Inspector Tibbett mysteries" to read in my future.
This was your typical 'British mystery', and I am a fan of this genre, but this book was even better than I had expected. Funny, charming, and cleverly written, I was completely charmed by these characters, and will certainly look for other "Inspector Tibbett mysteries" to read in my future.
February 18, 2013
Even a line like "I am the Bishop of Bugolaland and I want half a pound of margarine!" doesn't do justice to the full development of the oddball side of the story. Even the oddball side is by no means shallow: Inspector Tibbett maintains throughout that the Manciples are not at all cracked, though they are certainly an experience. There are serious sides to the story as well, making for a well-rounded story, and one that definitely keeps you guessing.
The resolution does seem to come out of left field, but it would not have seemed so at the time the book was published, in 1967, when such affairs, and related matters, were often in the news. If you'd like a pointer that will make this aspect of the plot seem a bit more timely, read the hidden text below. It's just a distant hint, and I don't think it's a really a spoiler at all, just an indirect pointer toward the perspective of the times. As such, it may increase your enjoyment of the book.
The resolution does seem to come out of left field, but it would not have seemed so at the time the book was published, in 1967, when such affairs, and related matters, were often in the news. If you'd like a pointer that will make this aspect of the plot seem a bit more timely, read the hidden text below. It's just a distant hint, and I don't think it's a really a spoiler at all, just an indirect pointer toward the perspective of the times. As such, it may increase your enjoyment of the book.
September 11, 2007
Henry Tibbett meets the Manciple family for the first time in investigating the murder of Raymond Mason. Mason, a bookie, had made it big and wanted entry into country society. He was determined to buy the Manciple home, Cregwell Grange. But the owner, Major George Manciple, will not sell. So when Mason is shot leaving the Manciple home, the villagers don't have to look very far for the murderer. Not that they don't sympathize, since none of them like Mason either. But Tibbett still has to get to the bottom of it all. It's not easy, since the Manciples have their own ideas of conversation and he has a hard time even getting an account of the murder, with George seeming determined to be considered chief suspect, Violet chasing every thought that comes into her mind, Aunt Dora refusing to wear her hearing aid, and the Bishop treating everything as a crossword puzzle.
This is the funniest of the Tibbett books. I love the Manciple family. They come back later in Twice in a Blue Moon and I must say, they age very well. I love this one.
This is the funniest of the Tibbett books. I love the Manciple family. They come back later in Twice in a Blue Moon and I must say, they age very well. I love this one.
September 13, 2016
Having seen Patricia Moyes on panels at several mystery conventions over the years, I wish I had taken the time to read her work while she was still alive. I was delighted to see the wonderful sense of humor she displayed in person come through in this book. I laughed out loud frequently from the moment the Bishop of Bugolaland is introduced to the rest of the dotty British Manciple family. I don't think there is any way the reader could figure out the solution to the mysteries, but never mind, the ride itself is fun. This was my first sampling of Ms. Moyes' work and I plan to read much more.
September 5, 2022
Fantastical indeed as a country house murder turns into something more complicated including another death, post colonial politics, and a riot at the village fete. The death of a bookie who wants to be a country gentleman takes Tibbett into the country where he encounters an extremely eccentric family whose mansion the bookie wanted to buy. The characterizations are all quite good. Like all Golden Age English mysteries it’s as much a social satire, comedy of manners as a crime story. The family is just a little too over the top ditzy though so 3.9 stars.
June 26, 2023
A–:
Laugh-out-loud hysterical. Particularly when Tibbett is first introduced to the batty Manciples. It's a real feat that Moyes manages to blend eccentric whimsy into a thoroughly reasoned whodunit without it ever feeling tiresome or unnecessary. The refusal to commit to a romantic happy ending is wonderfully modern, too.
Laugh-out-loud hysterical. Particularly when Tibbett is first introduced to the batty Manciples. It's a real feat that Moyes manages to blend eccentric whimsy into a thoroughly reasoned whodunit without it ever feeling tiresome or unnecessary. The refusal to commit to a romantic happy ending is wonderfully modern, too.
April 24, 2021
Hilarious and convoluted, like Agatha Christie crossed with P.G. Wodehouse.
March 16, 2016
I enjoyed this book right away. It had interesting characters and puzzles galore for me to ponder.
January 7, 2020
MURDER FANTASTICAL, Patricia Moyes, 1967
The Manciple family once lorded it over their tiny English village, but those days are gone. The family hangs on to what's left of their estate, commanded by their deceased ancestor to never sell. They once welcomed Raymond Mason into their village, a bookie who had made his fortune and is now trying to live as a wealthy landowner. But Mason took it into his head to try to buy the Manciple estate, and refuses to take the family's firm 'no' for an answer, starting a campaign to force the Manciples to sell by various means of dirty tricks and making complaints against them to the local police force and village council. So when Mason is mysteriously shot dead in the Manciples driveway, the village bobby is looking for someone else to handle this case. Scotland Yard is called in, and Inspector Henry Tibbett is sent to look into the case. He finds the Manciple family to be so eccentric that it is nearly impossible to get a rational story out of any of them. Two of them are brilliant physicists, so brilliant that no one else can even understand them. Although Tibbett is certainly enjoying his interaction with the Manciples, how in the world is he to solve what happened?
Even though this was written in the 60s, it reads like a Golden Age mystery. Tibbett's absurd conversations with the various Manciples, as well as their outrageous actions, make for a rather comic romp throughout the investigation. The Manciples are charming and frustrating, the head of the family both innocent and stubborn. The ending of the book was crazy chaos at the village fete held on the mansion's grounds, totally satisfying and in keeping with the zany tone of the book.
The Manciple family once lorded it over their tiny English village, but those days are gone. The family hangs on to what's left of their estate, commanded by their deceased ancestor to never sell. They once welcomed Raymond Mason into their village, a bookie who had made his fortune and is now trying to live as a wealthy landowner. But Mason took it into his head to try to buy the Manciple estate, and refuses to take the family's firm 'no' for an answer, starting a campaign to force the Manciples to sell by various means of dirty tricks and making complaints against them to the local police force and village council. So when Mason is mysteriously shot dead in the Manciples driveway, the village bobby is looking for someone else to handle this case. Scotland Yard is called in, and Inspector Henry Tibbett is sent to look into the case. He finds the Manciple family to be so eccentric that it is nearly impossible to get a rational story out of any of them. Two of them are brilliant physicists, so brilliant that no one else can even understand them. Although Tibbett is certainly enjoying his interaction with the Manciples, how in the world is he to solve what happened?
Even though this was written in the 60s, it reads like a Golden Age mystery. Tibbett's absurd conversations with the various Manciples, as well as their outrageous actions, make for a rather comic romp throughout the investigation. The Manciples are charming and frustrating, the head of the family both innocent and stubborn. The ending of the book was crazy chaos at the village fete held on the mansion's grounds, totally satisfying and in keeping with the zany tone of the book.
November 22, 2024
One cannot help liking a book in which a retired missionary in need of a kitchen ingredient approaches a new neighbor and the following dialogue ensues:
"I am the bishop of Bugolaland and I want half a pound of margarine"
"And I am a poached egg and I want a piece of toast."
When RaymondMason is shot in the driveway of Cregwell Grange, home of the eccentric Manciple clan, and a gun is found in the bushes nearby, it is clear that is not a hunting accident, nor a mishap on George Manciple's firing range. Mason, a self-made bookmaker with social pretensions, had recently bought the Cregwell Lodge, but had been aiming to get his hands on the bigger Cregwell Grange.
Henry Tibbett of Scotland Yard is brought in, and as usual in this series, he brings his wife Emily along, to pick up the local gossip. Tibbett has to work his way through a series of possible motives for murder - simple dislike? blackmail? jealousy? - and the talkative, scatterbrained Manciples don't make his task any easier.
This delightful romp includes : a leather-bound copy of the Iliad, a missing gun, a communist revolutionary, a clarinet-playing bishop, an atomic research center, a village fete, and descriptions of the fictional Bugolaland.
A fun read.
"I am the bishop of Bugolaland and I want half a pound of margarine"
"And I am a poached egg and I want a piece of toast."
When RaymondMason is shot in the driveway of Cregwell Grange, home of the eccentric Manciple clan, and a gun is found in the bushes nearby, it is clear that is not a hunting accident, nor a mishap on George Manciple's firing range. Mason, a self-made bookmaker with social pretensions, had recently bought the Cregwell Lodge, but had been aiming to get his hands on the bigger Cregwell Grange.
Henry Tibbett of Scotland Yard is brought in, and as usual in this series, he brings his wife Emily along, to pick up the local gossip. Tibbett has to work his way through a series of possible motives for murder - simple dislike? blackmail? jealousy? - and the talkative, scatterbrained Manciples don't make his task any easier.
This delightful romp includes : a leather-bound copy of the Iliad, a missing gun, a communist revolutionary, a clarinet-playing bishop, an atomic research center, a village fete, and descriptions of the fictional Bugolaland.
A fun read.
November 10, 2024
This was quite good. As the cover blurb stated, the Manciple family was quite eccentric and a force to reckon with. When sudden death (murder?) strikes, it’s up to Chief Superintendent Henry Tibbett of Scotland Yard to make that determination, and if murder, to identify and arrest the killer. Patricia Moyes’ mysteries would never be classified as “cozies” but when set in the countryside as this one is, they cerainly are “English village mysteries.”
And huzzah for that, the reading is pleasant and easy, the depictions of village life quite alluring if a bit closed (to outsiders), and the wide variety of characters living there give plenty of scope for weaving a good story. Moyes does just that.
And huzzah for that, the reading is pleasant and easy, the depictions of village life quite alluring if a bit closed (to outsiders), and the wide variety of characters living there give plenty of scope for weaving a good story. Moyes does just that.
May 12, 2024
Henry Tibbett is called in to investigate the death of Raymond Mason, who was shot outside the home of the eccentric Manciple family. Accident, murder or suicide? As Henry tries to find out, he gets tangled up in the affairs of the Manciples, and uncovers another possible mystery. This one is quite amusing, the Manciples are a bit exaggeratedly eccentric, but the climax at the fete is hilarious. The books ends on a rather disappointing note though, I had thought the character in question too intelligent to behave like that. Still, apart from that it is an entertaining and quite clever story.
April 4, 2018
It was fun to open this library book and see that it had a pocket in the front left from the old check out system. The book itself is from the second printing published in December 1967 so is a bit over 50 years old and clearly has been read by many people.
Murder Fantastical was a pleasant diversion. The characters are ridiculous caricatures but the mystery itself is engaging so I enjoyed the distraction from the real world.
Murder Fantastical was a pleasant diversion. The characters are ridiculous caricatures but the mystery itself is engaging so I enjoyed the distraction from the real world.
October 7, 2023
I don’t know about the murder, but the cast of characters is definitely fantastical in an annoying way. Screwball comedy meets “classic” cozy murder mystery. So screwball, in fact, that I kept expecting Groucho Marx and his brothers to come marching through the Manciple mansion tooting horns and waggling eyebrows. Not for me. Give me the yin/yang of Dorothy Sayers’ Wimsey novels, with their balanced darkness/wit, or even Agatha Christie, god help me, rather than this nonsense. DNF.
February 18, 2024
The end of these books is a sudden drop
I hate to be an American audience, but I don’t like the way the author just stops the book after the bad guy is discovered. I would prefer some cleaning up. Perhaps Henry speaks with his wife Emmy about the case. I don’t know. Something. I knew the bad guy was the bad guy early on. I just didn’t know the bad originated. It was clever. I will keep reading the series.
I hate to be an American audience, but I don’t like the way the author just stops the book after the bad guy is discovered. I would prefer some cleaning up. Perhaps Henry speaks with his wife Emmy about the case. I don’t know. Something. I knew the bad guy was the bad guy early on. I just didn’t know the bad originated. It was clever. I will keep reading the series.
June 22, 2025
Excellent detective fiction. This is my first Patricia Moyes novel and it won't be my last. The whole series centers around Detective Henry Tibbet of Scotland Yard. He is a great detective and I enjoyed the characters. This particular family where the death happened is very eccentric and entertaining. I did not figure out the mystery part; it was well done.
July 2, 2020
I loved this book. A satisfying mystery in the "charming, eccentric families" subgenre. I was reminded of "Surfeit of Lampreys" by Ngaio Marsh. The village setting was superbly done and I found myself laughing out more than once.
December 3, 2020
Early Bird Book Deal | When I first read the series, I did so out of order, so I met the Manciples through Six Letter Word for Death. The series can be read out of order, but I do recommend reading this book before that one, as they're an eccentric family and need a full book to understand.
May 11, 2021
Wonderfully funny country house mystery.
Shades of Agatha Christie: village fêtes, country vicars and oddball characters interspersed with ruthless and cold blooded murderers. Good book
Shades of Agatha Christie: village fêtes, country vicars and oddball characters interspersed with ruthless and cold blooded murderers. Good book
May 30, 2021
This one was excellent.
But really the last couple pages...idiot woman. How can she not care about espionage in her country. I hope the author is wrong to think a woman like her would do that.
But really the last couple pages...idiot woman. How can she not care about espionage in her country. I hope the author is wrong to think a woman like her would do that.
February 14, 2024
A solid 4 stars. A great inspector Tibbett mystery. There is so much fun in this story, which focuses on a murder that takes place on the doorstep of the Manciple family home. A good plot but it's the characters that steal the show here.
April 7, 2018
Just what a British mystery should be, a brilliant detective, a, puzzling plot, and satisfying ending.
April 17, 2019
Patricia Moyes is my new crush.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews