Thrillers & Suspense
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Death on the Riviera (British Library Crime Classics)
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"There are occasional splashes of witty dialogue and luscious descriptions of the French Riviera; also, every suspect has at least one guilty secret." ―Publishers Weekly
When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards―out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean. Along with Inspector Blampignon―an amiable policeman from Nice―Meredith must trace the whereabouts of Chalky Cobbett, crook and forger.
Soon their interest centres on the Villa Paloma, the residence of Nesta Hedderwick, an eccentric Englishwoman, and her bohemian house guests―among them her niece, an artist, and a playboy. Before long, it becomes evident that more than one of the occupants of the Villa Paloma has something to hide, and the stage is set for murder.
This classic crime novel from 1952 evokes all the sunlit glamour of life on the Riviera, and combines deft plotting with a dash of humour. This is the first edition to have been published in more than sixty years and follows the rediscovery of Bude's long-neglected detective writing by the British Library.
"There are occasional splashes of witty dialogue and luscious descriptions of the French Riviera; also, every suspect has at least one guilty secret." ―Publishers Weekly
When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards―out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean. Along with Inspector Blampignon―an amiable policeman from Nice―Meredith must trace the whereabouts of Chalky Cobbett, crook and forger.
Soon their interest centres on the Villa Paloma, the residence of Nesta Hedderwick, an eccentric Englishwoman, and her bohemian house guests―among them her niece, an artist, and a playboy. Before long, it becomes evident that more than one of the occupants of the Villa Paloma has something to hide, and the stage is set for murder.
This classic crime novel from 1952 evokes all the sunlit glamour of life on the Riviera, and combines deft plotting with a dash of humour. This is the first edition to have been published in more than sixty years and follows the rediscovery of Bude's long-neglected detective writing by the British Library.
Editorial Reviews
Death on the Riviera by John Bude is a multi-branched mystery that starts out as a search for a counterfeit money maker, extends to the inhabitants of a villa in Riviera, and spawns a murder mystery and some romance along the way. Detective Inspector Meredith and Sergeant Strang have been sent from England to the French Riviera to track down an expert forger. When they arrive, they find their French counterpart, Inspector Blampignon, investigating cigarette smugglers. Working together, the three find their attention focused on the Villa Paloma and the assorted guests and residents of owner, Englishwoman Nesta Hedderwick....Bude keeps this astonishing number of cases, sometimes seeming to overlap and sometimes looking wholly separate, running smoothly. All three of the main detectives and the occasional other police investigators work with painstaking care to sort out the threads and resolve the cases. The characters vary in their depth: Meredith and Strang are the most fully developed and the rest enough to fill their roles without becoming caricatures; the most important part here is the mystery, which has enough variety to keep anyone reading. Bude plays fair with his readers: Looking backward, it is possible to track every step and clue that leads to the conclusions....Death on the Riviera is published by Poisoned Pen Press as part of their release of the British Crime Library books, rediscovered titles from the time between the wars. It has been sixty years since this book was published, and that is sixty years too long....The book is perfect for readers who love Agatha Christie but who have already read through her oeuvre, or for those who enjoy her work but want a slightly different take on the same kind of puzzle....Death on the Riviera comes out 1, 2016. Pre-order from Amazon or Powell's. (NetGalley)
Did I enjoy reading John Bude's Death on the Riviera?! Yes! I might even go so far as to call it a gush-worthy read? Why? Purely because I found it hard to put down, and, just overall satisfying to read. Is it the best ever mystery novel? Probably not. But was it a joy to spend time with? Yes, very much....Inspector Meredith (C.I.D) and Acting-Sergeant Freddy Strang head to Southern France in this mystery novel. They are teaming up with the local police to stop a gang of criminals from printing counterfeit money and introducing it into the currency. The prime suspect--the leader of the gang--is English. But though it is late in coming--very, very late in coming--this one is a murder mystery as well. So there are at least two 'big' stories going on in this delightful golden-age detective novel....Why did I find it so delightful? Probably for me, the number one reason is the characters and characterization as shown off so well in t...
Did I enjoy reading John Bude's Death on the Riviera?! Yes! I might even go so far as to call it a gush-worthy read? Why? Purely because I found it hard to put down, and, just overall satisfying to read. Is it the best ever mystery novel? Probably not. But was it a joy to spend time with? Yes, very much....Inspector Meredith (C.I.D) and Acting-Sergeant Freddy Strang head to Southern France in this mystery novel. They are teaming up with the local police to stop a gang of criminals from printing counterfeit money and introducing it into the currency. The prime suspect--the leader of the gang--is English. But though it is late in coming--very, very late in coming--this one is a murder mystery as well. So there are at least two 'big' stories going on in this delightful golden-age detective novel....Why did I find it so delightful? Probably for me, the number one reason is the characters and characterization as shown off so well in t...
Readers Top Reviews
Kindle Kindle marg
For fans of the genre, the entire British Library Crime Classics is a delight. Forensics are all but non-existent and story development relies on character, plot, and deduction. This offering was particularly charming and caught the essence of post World War II France, in addition to providing a licely mystery.
Rob
Exciting and fast paced murder mystery. Easy to read and beautifully written. I can wait for the British Library to unearth and print more work of this outstanding author.
L. Young
I had never heard of John Bude, but was attracted to the locale of this mystery set on the French Riviera. What a delightful discovery! A beautiful villa, a cast of interesting characters, two mysteries and a romance all rolled into one. The plot moved quickly. I look forward to reading other mysteries by this author.
Nick Morgan
I love these British Golden Age mysteries, back when the world seemed a little more charming and a little less chaotic, and 'tecs with energy and a little imagination could do what it takes a whole lot of DNA testing to accomplish now. Sure the cliches are rampant, but that's because their popularity caused them to be emulated and enduring. This book about a louche proto-artists' colony in the sunshine is not Bude's best, but it's still a great deal of fun, if you can get past the occasionally patronizing and simplistic views of the British on holiday.
Island Girl
You can't beat classic British mysteries, in my opinion. The characters are better developed. The story lines are more complex and intriguing. And the vocabulary is so much more expansive than modern literature. I thoroughly enjoyed the French Riviera setting also. This is my first book by this author. Looking forward to reading more.
