James Anderson (1936 - 2007) was a British author who wrote humorous mysteries in the best Golden Age tradition. He pokes fun at the conventions of the "whodunits" and house party mysteries with glee and true appreciation for the classic mystery novel.
These books that take place at Alderly, the country home of the Earl of Burford during the 1930s.
The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy introduces us to Alderly. Jane Clifton journeys to Alderly for a respite after losing yet another job in London. While at Alderly with a house full of guests, the inevitable happens: some poor sap gets himself murdered. Jane along with a Secret Agent Man named Deveraux help solve the case.
But the best part of this book is the put-upon detective, Wilkins. He is the funniest, silliest, most original detective that I’ve ever encountered. He hates being a detective. All he ever wanted was to rise to uniformed sergeant. But due to his innate abilities and a whole lot of luck, as he would put it, he’s been promoted over and over, much to his consternation. In the end, he solves the case much to everyone’s surprise.
In The Affair of the Mutilated Mink, Wilkins again has to solve a murder at Alderly. This time a foreign film actress is found dead. Wilkins is so excited that Scotland Yard has been called in so he doesn’t have to investigate the murder. But the ‘brilliant’ Scotland Yard detective with all his bravado and charm is so thoroughly wrong about the crime that Wilkins must once step into the breach to solve the case.
The 3rd book in the series is The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks. The Earl is iffy about inviting visitors to Alderly since the murders but the Countess tells him everything will be alright, no need to worry. After all, the visitors are all family coming for a funeral. What could go wrong? Well, when one of the guests says she knows where all the family secrets are buried and is just waiting for the right moment to dig them up, she ends up murdered. The list of suspects is long. So Wilkins with a heavy sigh begins the investigation with all the mad-capped frivolity that filled the previous 2 books.
If you’re thinking, “Oh no, not another country house murder mystery!” I beg you to reconsider and give these three a try. It will rekindle your love for the simplicity of an intricate puzzle that only an exceptional detective can solve.
Detective Wilkins Mysteries
- The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy (1975)
- The Affair of the Mutilated Mink (1981)
- The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks (2003)
Publishers:
Poisoned Pen Press, Scottsdale.
