Death of Jezebel features her recurring character Inspector Cockrill, a rumpled, unassuming detective. Like the Shakespearean “wise fool,” he makes outlandish observations and watches the chaos rattle around among the suspects.
REVIEW: Death of a Bookseller
The author, Bernard J. Farmer, was a Metropolitan police officer himself and had a penchant for book collecting, so the hero of this novel reflects the author quite a bit.
REVIEW: Murder After Christmas
First published in 1944 (the same year it is set), it intertwines the reality of Britain at war and a delightfully unserious tone. Amidst food rations, petrol shortages, and city evacuees are hidden mince-pies, vapid couples, and a doddering lawyer.
REVIEW: These Names Make Clues
Chief Inspector MacDonald is invited to an unusual party. Each guest is sent around the country estate with cryptic clues, full of puzzles and puns, to unravel, which will lead them to the next clue. Unfortunately for the players, a brief electrical outage reveals a dead body in the telephone room.
REVIEW: Two-Way Murder
The cast of village characters becomes a network of suspects, amateur detectives, and gossips — each trying to piece together the events of the evening.