The Convivial Codfish

Kelling & Bittersohn #5

by Charlotte MacLeod

Sarah Kelling and new husband Max Bittersohn are called in by Jeremy Kelling when his Great Chain of the Convivial Cod vanishes. The emblem represents his great achievement, the office of Exalted Chowderhead over the Annual Scrooge Day revels of the Comrades of the Convivial Codfish. When Jeremy falls victim to a seemingly vicious prank, the couple suspect murder.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Christmas, Humor, Crime

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Naturalized US Citizen

Also wrote as Alisa Craig

Charlotte MacLeod, born in New Brunswick, Canada, and a naturalized U.S. citizen, was the multi-award-winning author of over thirty acclaimed novels. Her series featuring detective Professor Peter Shandy, America's homegrown Hercule Poirot, delivers "generous dollops of...warmth, wit, and whimsy" (San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle). But fully a dozen novels star her popular husband-and-wife team of Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn. And her native Canada provides a backdrop for the amusing Grub-and-Stakers cozies written under the pseudonym Alisa Craig and the almost-police procedurals starring Madoc Rhys, RCMP. A cofounder and past president of the American Crime Writers League, she also edited the bestselling anthologies Mistletoe Mysteries and Christmas Stalkings.

Reviews

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Canadian Charlotte MacLeod, independent novels and all. Her series build on her personages and premises, which I consider a reward to chronology followers. Due to the unmatched intellect, verbosity, and whimsy that are her style, one must start at the beginning. Introductory novels are pitched perfectly, then zaniness unravels as her series go along. I shudder to think what newcomers make of “The Convival Codfish”, 1984; when I, a fan, found that a palatable balance of story content had tipped.

With exception of Peter Shandy, unique for being age 60, we love Charlotte’s novels for leading lady heroines. I like fresh switch-ups and the investigator husband, Max. But for Sarah to be nearly out of the book, only a wife to return to, was a downgrade. She might as well have been a smiling Laura Hardy from the 1930s. I knew Sarah’s & Max’s marriage would ring in changes but did not envision leaving the boarding house they owned. We managed to acquaint their beach residence in the previous novel. Cutting out the main Boston manor and loveable, familiar characters with it, stripped a lot of this series’ majesty.

I often say endings are pivotal but the introduction of this novel did me in. It alienated rather than hooked me to return to the series via unfamiliar characters, at a bizarre senior’s club; smacked with a wave of Convival Codfish vocabulary and rituals that there is no time to like, much less understand. The mystery and action on a private train got interesting and the motive was believable after all. But crimes appeared to be perpetuated out of jealousy for a club we don’t care about. Centre stage went to unlikeable strangers, rather than mysteriousness and familiar elements we love. I could only give volume 5, two stars.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

11/2025 - its been a few years, and I’m waiting on some requests from the library, so thought I’d revisit this Christmastime cozy mystery from the author’s Kelling & Bittersohn series. Still a fun, clever 4-star mystery for me, I do like these characters, and the 1980s Boston setting.

12/23 - fun to revisit this Christmas season mystery in Charlotte Macleod’s delightful clever and cozy Sarah Kelling & Max Bittersohn series. It is somewhat dated, being from the 70s or early 80s, but witty and charming - she was a smart lady with a whimsical gift for creating witty, clever dialogue and quirky characters. I appreciate her mysteries because she always makes me smile.

5/2018 - still a 3.5-4 Star reread for me, perfect for convalescing at home. Fun and funny!

2016 - A wonderful reread of an old favorite - I don't know which I enjoy more about Charlotte MacLeod's delightfully witty Kelling and Bittersohn mysteries, the wacky characters or the hilarious dialogue! They really remind me of the screwball comedies of the '30s and '40s - I can imagine Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn delivering the clever zingers! I think I'll have to dig out my other MacLeod favorite, the whimsical, charming Peter Shandy mysteries set at the mythical Balaclava Agricultural College in rural Massachusetts -good times, especially the first, Christmas-themed book, "Rest Ye Merry". Can't wait, it's become an annual holiday re-read tradition for me!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Convivial Codfish start with Sarah's Uncle Jem leading a meeting of crusty male elders who meet for a traditional meeting at Christmas that brings in Scrooge, Christmas Past and Present. There is a lot of bah humbugs uttered. Somehow the Convivial Codfish chain disappears from Uncle Jem's neck. He asks his niece's husband Max who is a private art investigator to look into it. Then an accident happens to Uncle Jem.

There is murder and mass poisoning following the above event. There were many suspects-all the members of the Convivial Codfish group. I had somewhat of a problem remembering who was who. When the murders were resolved, I did not have the crime solved until the author divulged it.

I enjoyed the earlier books in the series more. This book was mainly Max with Sarah appearing at the end of the day. I missed the boarders in the boarding house. When you read a Charlotte MacLeod book, you will read a book with humor and a original plot. This is not a cookie cutter series.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again this is more of a 3.5 star title. This is a take off on the classic closed room type of mystery that Christie made popular. Uncle Jem is the current leader of the Convivial Codfish and gets to wear the garish token that goes with the position. It is huge and bulky and likely noisy and somehow goes missing while Uncle Jem is carrying out his duties in a ceremony. Uncle Jem also has an accident later that leaves him unable to go on the annual train ride that turns into a huge disaster. Uncle Jem has exceptional eyesight and notices detail all too well. Did someone deliberately remove him from the train to carry out the malicious deed that take place? Max is deputized to figure this one out and he mostly carries the story. Although I miss the give and take between Max and Sarah, the story is a good one on many levels: good mystery, good characters, tight control of the story line (which sometimes wanders in this series) and enough empathy that you care about what happens. However, I am going to continue my housecleaning and toss this title with the rest of the series. I simply do not like it enough to have it taking up space in the house.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Kelling and her zany relatives star in this rollicking romp of a murder mystery. Mass poisoning on a private train excursion party gives Sarah and her husband, Max, a challenging puzzle to solve.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and twisted cozy mystery that kept me turning the pages. This one was all from Max's viewpoint as he did his most of his sleuthing on his own this time.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

YES, I READ ANOTHER CHARLOTTE MACLEOD MYSTERY! And what a title, THE CONVIVIAL CODFISH!!!--a colorful, unique mystery featuring the savvy couple Sarah Kelling and her new husband, the interantional art investigator, Max Bittersohn. As usual, Sarah's prominent Boston relatives provide another cousin who draws the newlyweds into a murder. (I'm so glad my family doesn't have this knack.) This time it's cousin Jem Kelling, the distinguished Exalted Chowderheadof this group of Codfish--older men who like to get together, drink a lot and act like fifteen-year-olds. Harmless enough--until one of this decides to murder...indescriminately. NO one can think why. Exciting moments. Scary moments. And then Max solves and unmasked the killer--literally. Highly recommend this and the other in the series!

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Jeremy Kelling is taking part in a fun day of seasonal ceremonies celebrating the codfish, his great chain of office is stolen. Tho his new nephew-in-law, PI Max Bittersohn, is unable to take Kelling seriously (a Scrooge Day?), cold-blooded mass mayhem is breaking out in high society, and a killer is abroad.

[Teddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one much better than the last couple of books! It has a much better pace with more "doing" and a lot less "thinking". It also doesn't have a big long explanation at the end. Maybe more books with Max as the central character are better! I hope this marks the author as getting better!

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

As fun as expected, although I could've done with a little more Sarah.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick locked-“room” (locked train) Christmas mystery, primarily featuring Max this time. Sarah is mostly back at the boarding house.

Tongue-in-cheek, zany Brahmin finery. This one wasn’t my fave due to the lack of Sarah.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot of Sarah in this book and I definitely felt her absence. Instead, the focus is Max as he infiltrates a Christmas party hosted by one of the men in the Comrades of the Convivial Codfish, Tom Tolbathy. He does it to help out one of Sarah’s many uncles, Jeremy. It seems that Jeremy, who is the current Exalted Chowderhead, lost the ceremonial chain at a recent Dickens Christmas Carol dinner. Jem can’t go to the party himself because he fell down the stairs at his house and broke his hip, very nearly his head. Max is sent in his place to see if he can recognize the chain. And he does but the party (on a train, by the way, so cool) goes horribly wrong when the train stops suddenly. Tom’s brother is found dead and the rest of the party starts failing, a result of poisoning.
Lots of big words which are great for vocabulary building and a good story but not fairly clued - even the last big hint is kept cloaked. And the relationship between Sarah and Max is one of the draws of the series but it was almost nonexistent in the book.

[moxieBK · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Convivial Codfish (#5) — Charlotte MacLeod (23 chapters) Oct. 21 - Nov. 1 , 2020

In this fifth book of the series, a mystery around the holidays has Max filling in for Jen after a suspicious fall puts him out of commission for an annual party with his chums. Jen has also been the victim of a theft from around his very neck in the form of a codfish necklace. At the annual event, taken place on a train, there is an accident that leaves two people dead and a lot of them very sick.

Max has to discover who was the saboteur and why they were targeting Jen and the train event.

This was not my favorite story in the series, and if it continues with Max being the solver of these mysteries, I may stop reading them. Sarah has always been the better protagonist because she isn’t a true detective the way Max is.

I hope the next book puts the spotlight back on Sarah. I miss the old characters from the earlier book a well. I’m not sure if this is there reason, but it also took me several extra days to get through the book. It didn’t read as fast as the earlier books.

Three stars.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | More farcical than the previous installment, which is a relief. | Again I was pretty sure of the culprit fairly early on, though in this case it wasn't due to carefully uncovered clues or narrative detecting, just the simplistic approach of "who would the author probably feel like making the murderer?" I did find it paced strangely, it seemed like Max was only just starting to investigate when I noticed the book was almost complete. My biggest enjoyment here is the comparative lack of constant speculation and crime reconstruction. Normally in MacLeod's books, every few chapters somebody muses to themselves for a couple pages about who might have done the deed, how, and why. So irritating, and it doesn't happen as much here.

[Kyrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whoa. In addition to all the interrelated people that the Kellings know, this particular edition was missing punctuation regularly. Suffice it to say, it was a challenge worthy of Max Bittersohn to figure out the paragraphs, much less the mystery.

It's a fast paced (it takes place over a couple days) mystery, beginning with trying to figure out who stole Uncle Jem's Codfish Chain, and ending with a track crash, a murder (and several more), and a lot of wordplay.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My most common mental statements while reading this book:

"Ha!" and "Who the devil is he?"

Very funny, as the whole series is, but good luck keeping track of who's who and trying to guess at a mystery when you aren't given the clues. I was disappointed to see so little of Sarah.

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does not disappoint. Another charming and witty mystery, with rich people behaving badly and our heroes being quite charming and exsaperated. Nice. DPL e book via total boox.

[ShanDizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncle Jem is a hoot!

[Susan Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun. I love this series.

[Margaret Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read. An old favorite. Still old. Still a favorite v

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrifty housewife lets nothing go to waste.

Of course, Charlotte MacLeod was never a housewife, but a career woman at a time when they were rare commodities. While working as a vice-president at a Boston advertising agency, she wrote some books and many short stories.

Two of her funniest short stories are "Rest You Merry" and "The Convivial Codfish." Oddly, both involve individuals (Professor Peter Shandy) or groups (The Comrades of the Convivial Codfish) who don't care much for Christmas festivities. Once she retired she used "Rest You Merry" as the basis for the first in the Peter Shandy mystery series and "The Convivial Codfish" as the fifth book in the Sarah Kelling/Max Bittersohn series.

Sarah and Max are married now (at long last) although the Kelling clan is still in shock that dear little Sarah replaced her first husband (a cousin, naturally) with a Jew who definitely isn't a cousin. Still, his specialty is investigating art thefts and that comes in handy when the sacred Great Chain (worn by the Exalted Chowderhead) disappears mysteriously.

Sarah's Uncle Jem has finally worked his way up the organizational ladder and been elected Exalted Chowderhead. It's an honor that's been long in coming and he couldn't be prouder. The Comrades have gathered to hold their annual Scrooge Day, which includes a lively competition for the Comrade who can produce the tackiest Christmas decoration. The game is on and it's take-no-prisoners time.

Needless to say, there are no females in the Convivial Comrades, but the ladies have been invited to the party held by two brothers (Tom and Wooter Tolbathy) which will involve everyone dressing up as railroad barons (and their ladies) of the late 1800's and taking a ride on the Tolbathy brother's private train. The champagne will flow freely and cavier will be provided by Tom Tolbathy, whose company imports the stuff.

Jem is horrified when he realizes that the Great Chain is missing, but he puts Max on the case and prepares to don his costume and enjoy the train ride. Sadly, he falls down the stairs and breaks a hip before he can glue on his false whiskers. And it wasn't an accident, either. Someone has greased the stairs, stopped the elevator from running, and put through a fake call to Uncle Jem telling him to come pick up his whiskers. Someone doesn't want Uncle Jem at the party. Who and why?

With Jem hospitalized, Max gallantly goes in his place, although the other comrades aren't too happy about it. Turns out it's a good thing he was there because all hell breaks loose and Max is one of the few who's sober enough to take charge. He doesn't like champagne and he doesn't like cavier. Which is very lucky for him since the cavier is poisoned.

First, the train comes to a quick halt, causing glasses, plates, and guests to fall all over the place. Wooter Tolbathy is driving the train and no one can figure out how he could possibly have made such a mistake. There's an explanation. He's dead, someone having karate chopped his windpipe. RIP Wooter.

Then the poisoned cavier starts to take effect and the police are busy removing distinguished Bostonians (all vomiting briskly) into ambulances. Some make it, but some don't. The local sheriff is happy to write it all off to an unfortunate accident, but Max puts a spanner into that theory. A murderer was on board and it HAS to be one of the Comrades, although murdering people isn't really that Convivial, is it?

Max must try to figure out why Jem's presence was unwanted and who was willing to kill a lot of people in order to bring about one convenient death. All he has to go by is Jem's description of the Comrades and what motives they might have had. In Jem's mind the murders are far less serious than the fact that if he doesn't get that damned Great Chain back, he'll lose his position as Exalted Chowderhead. Now THAT would be a tragedy!

It's hilarious. Jem is a corker and so are most of the Comrades. All are pushing old age and some are far past the push, so eye-witness accounts are unreliable to put it mildly. Still, Max forges on, determined to catch a killer and find the Great Chain for Sarah's Uncle Jem. Greater love hath no man for his wife than the man who's willing to deal with a bunch of antiquated Boston Brahmins to solve a mystery.

This is a fine series and I'm enjoying it so much.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah Kelling’s Uncle Jem is pleased to be the new Exalted Chowderhead of the Comrades of the Convivial Codfish, a private club that celebrates the art of the curmudgeon, especially during the festive season. He is put out when his Great Chain, emblem of his status, disappears while he is wearing it, and he urges Sarah’s husband Max Bittersohn to investigate. Shortly thereafter, he breaks his hip in a fall on the stairs, and as a result is unable to attend a holiday train ride with his fellow club members - a blessing, as it turns out, since someone is killed and the rest of the party felled by poison in the caviar. It is up to Max to sort through the elements and discover the culprit, if he himself is not next on the list….As one might expect from the title and brief summation above, “The Convivial Codfish” is quite a silly entry into the Sarah Kelling cozy mystery series, but it is one that I enjoyed much more than the previous book simply because the antics of the characters are so very silly indeed! I felt that Sarah was a bit sidelined here, which is a shame because I like her as a character, but peeking into the lives of some of the other Boston Brahmins was fun, and while the solution was slight, it was fairly clued. Mildly recommended.

[Kamas Kirian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the series. We got lots and lots of Max, but very little Sarah. It had me guessing who the culprit was up until the end. The story flowed well and there was plenty of action to keep my attention. But there wasn't a whole lot of meat to go with the potatoes as it were. I do like Max as a character.

I do have two complaints about the story. 1) Not enough Sarah. She was barely mentioned throughout the book, it was very much centered on Max. 2) The cast of characters, while interesting, was slightly too large. It was a bit of a pain to keep track of who was who. That may have been intentional as a way for the reader to sympathize with Max having to step in to replace Jem Kelling suddenly and not knowing who was who. Other than the ones we've already met (Max, Sarah, Jem) none of the new characters was all that fleshed out. They each had an obvious trait, but no real depth, nothing to make them remarkable as a character rather than a placeholder.

The eBook was formatted well with only a few minor spelling/punctuation flaws, most likely caused by a bad OCR. (Chair for chain, etc.)

[dnsyl57 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Convivial Codfish" is book #5 in the "Kelling & Bittersohn" mystery series by Charlotte MacLeod.

Jem Kelling is fit to be tied when the grand chain of the Comrades of the Convivial Codfish goes missing while he is wearing it at their annual Christmas gathering. Shortly after, he breaks his hip in a nasty fall that may well have been an attempt on his life. Laid up in the hospital, he asks Max to attend a holiday gathering on a train on the estate of one of the club members. This event also goes badly as several guests seem to have been poisoned. Who is behind all of this and why?

In this story, Sarah basically takes a back seat as Max does the vast amount of leg work and questioning of the club members, other guests and a few people who may have had contact.

There were so many interconnections by marriage, family relations and business connections, you almost needed a map to understand the ties between them all. A few of the characters were more suspicious than others but when it came down to it, the reveal was good.

As always, Ms. MacLeod wove a tightly woven plot, sprinkled with witty dialogue and interesting characters.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in 1984
Absolutely loony and so much fun! A long standing but small group of elderly men gather for a party train on a member's property, and not only does it become deadly (investigated by a Keystone Kops police chief), but it also highlights a recent theft and an *accident* which befell one of Sarah's favorite relatives. Enter her new husband, Max, who now becomes known only as Jem Kelling's nephew by marriage (despite being a well-respected art theft detective). Together and apart, they investigate the situation with lots of plot twists, red herrings, goofy characters, and lots of laughs. Loved this fun reread!
The narrator was adequate.

[Margaret A. Altemus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max solves this one

Sarah and Max are happily married and living next door to the boardinghouse. When Uncle Jem falls down his stairs and breaks his hip, both Max and Sarah suspect it isn’t an accident. And when Max takes Jem’s place to escort a lady friend to an exclusive dinner, the plot thickens with poison, murder, and a train accident.

As usual, the suspect list is long with multiple possibilities. My problem was keeping all the names straight. I read this over several days , so keeping track of every rich gentleman was a little hard. But I have enjoyed every one of the Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn mysteries and I will move on to number 6.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am tempted also to file this on my Cookery Shelf. But no.

It's an ingenious mystery. I didn't guess whodunit, and though I have read a lot of mysteries this was the first time for this particular kind of character for a perpetrator. Lots of interesting suspects, and enough time spent with each to really consider whether they had means, motive, and opportunity. It felt like one way or another, they all did!

And I would still love to grow autumn crocus in my garden.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Christmas party held by the Convivial Codfish drinking and jokester group is broken up by a train accident and a mass poisoning. Evidently clearing the decks for this, Sarah's Uncle Jem has been laid up in the hospital, and he sent his new nephew-in-law Max to the party in his place. Max's sharp eyes see things only Uncle Jem could have expected to see. Now he has to find out which of the Codfish members thinks murder is a great joke.

Read 2 times

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Charlotte MacLeod mysteries, and even though this wasn't my favorite in the series it was still a fun read.

I missed Sarah and the boarding house in this one. I think timing the switch in perspectives to right after her marriage was a little unfortunate. The train car was a fun scene, but the last third of the book was a lot of traveling between houses to interview people - which is oddly exhausting to read, even though you're not actually doing it.