22 December 2016
The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy
by James Anderson (not the cricketer).
Review by Tim Marshall
The book is published by Allison and Busby Ltd and has all the elements one would expect from an old-fashioned detective yarn. The events take place in Alderly, a country house (possibly a minor stately home) which has extensive grounds and a lake. The house also has a secret passage which is shown to any guest who wishes to have a look. The house is owned by the Earl of Burford who lives there with his wife, Lavinia, and their daughter, Lady Geraldine Saunders.
For various reasons, an extensive cast of characters assembles there one week-end. The dramatis personae are set out in a list at the front of the book and include a Texan millionaire, Hiram S Peabody and his wife, a foreign diplomat, two representatives of the British Foreign Office and a French adventuress. The Texan millionaire is an obsessive collector of guns and firearms of all kinds and he has been invited to stay at Alderly in order to examine and admire the rival collection of the Earl of Burford.
The butler Merryweather is an old retainer.
There are strange goings on during the night and it transpires that most, if not all, of the guests, for different reasons, leave their bedrooms and skulk around in the dark. The secret passage plays a part, as does the modern and efficient burglar alarm.
When a murder is committed, the self-deprecating Detective Inspector Wilkins arrives to solve the crime(s).
There are so many strands and threads involving international intrigue and the relationships between the guests that it is impossible to summarise them and would spoil the fun.
D.I. Wilkins solves the crime and all the loose ends (of which there are many) are neatly tied up.
The plots are quite complicated and intertwined, so the reader has to pay attention, but it is worth the effort. It is a pity that no-one has thought of dramatising the book. There is an American element which would appeal to a US audience and there is a mixture of “Downton Abbey” and Agatha Christie. Surely an unbeatable combination!
James Anderson has written two other whodunits set at Alderly: “The Affair of the Mutilated Mink” and “The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks” so there are two more of his books to enjoy.
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