Mrs. Pargeter's Principle

Starred review from June 22, 2015
Last seen in 1999’s Mrs. Pargeter’s Point of Honour, Mrs. Melita Pargeter is in top form in her long-overdue seventh outing. The late Mr. Pargeter, a thief, left his wealthy widow a little black book containing the names of the “Old Boys,” the people who were involved in his so-called business enterprises. At the funeral of one of them, Sir Normington Winthrop, held at the Abbey in London, a menacing stranger warns her not to approach Sir Normington’s widow. Her curiosity piqued, Mrs. Pargeter determines to learn more about the deceased. Truffler Mason, one of her husband’s former associates turned private investigator, provides assistance. She also seeks to lend financial assistance to any Old Boy dependents who may be hard up. Benevolent and optimistic, Mrs. Pargeter is able to turn a blind eye to the foibles of others as necessary. Brett’s customary wit and good humor abound. Agent: Michael Motley, Michael Motley Ltd. (U.K.).

December 16, 2013
The world of amateur dramatics provides the backdrop for British author Brett’s witty and intelligent 15th Fethering mystery (after 2012’s The Corpse on the Court). During a rehearsal of George Bernard Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple, the body of actor Ritchie Good is found dangling from the gallows on stage at Fethering’s St. Mary’s Hall, after someone substituted a real noose for the Velcro one designed for the production. Could Ritchie have committed suicide? Was his death somehow an accident? Once the police lose interest in the case, the victim’s wife asks Carole Seddon and Jude Nichol to investigate. The two amateur detectives discover that members of the acting company, all engaged in petty intrigues, had good reason for wanting Ritchie dead. Amid a series of skillfully placed red herrings, the action builds to a resolution that will catch most readers by surprise. The motive when finally revealed is hilarious.

July 1, 2015

After a hiatus of 17 years, Brett resumes this charming series about a crime boss's widow who makes amends by assisting her late husband's old colleagues. A funeral leads Mrs. Pargeter to confront murderous gunrunners and shifty politicians as well as a bride-to-be and a fiance with criminal intent. The coziest of cozy reads.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2015
Brett, awarded the Crime Writers' Association's Diamond Dagger Award last year for lifetime achievement, has created multiple mystery series, including the Fethering, Blotto and Twinks, Charles Paris, and Mrs. Pargeter series. Theatrical sleuth Charles Paris was resurrected in 2014 (after Brett rested him, as British out-of-work actors call it, in 1997). Now, Brett has revived his other departed amateur sleuth, Mrs. Pargeter, last seen in Mrs. Pargeter's Point of Honour in 1999. Mrs. Pargeter represents a special brand of cozy, more like P. G. Wodehouse than Agatha Christie, stories in which comedy and criminality bubble up together. Mrs. Pargeter is the widow of the director of a hugely successful, if criminal, enterprise that had skilled specialists, including forgers, locksmiths, and safecrackers, in its employ; these workers had names like Passport Pinkerton and Hedgeclipper Clinton. They all appear in the little black book Mr. Pargeter left his wife, and remain on call whenever she needs some special service. In this, the seventh in the series, Mrs. Pargeter wants to know what connection recently deceased Sir Normington Winthrop (whose name is in the black book) had to her husband. As she and her minions look into this matter, some threatening types get interested, as well, and a Pargeter operative, a thief turned vicar (Holy Smirke), is kidnapped from his tiny Norman church's vestry. It all adds up to great fun, a delightfully madcap romp.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)