13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh, joy! They're back! The Burfords, that is . . ., December 13, 2003
39 is a strangely provocative number. One of the great mystery/suspense classics of all time is "The Thirty-Nine Steps" by John Buchan. And then, one must also consider the great comedian, Jack Benny, who, having arrived at the age of 39, liked it so much, he stayed there for the next 39+ years, bless his heart.
James Anderson has once again adroitly combined mystery with comedy in his newest British country houseparty mystery novel, "The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks". Even after such a long hiatus from the first two books in the series-some twenty years or so-this one never misses a beat, picking up where the others left off-at Alderley, of course.
Alderley is a 17th Century Westshire stately home in the days when a stately home was still the family home; in this case the Earl and Countess of Burford (George and Lavinia) and their rather flapperish and head-strong daughter, Gerry.
Having suffered from 'unfortunate incidents' during two previous houseparties, the Earl is understandably hesitant to host any more such gatherings, but the death of an elderly cousin-by-marriage-the Honourable Mrs. Florrie Saunders-forces his hand. She is to be buried at Alderley, and as all the principal mourners are mentioned in her will, there is almost no way for them not to be invited to the house for a brief time afterwards.
Of course, plans are always made to go astray, and so they do. Clara, daughter-in-law of the deceased takes exception to the will, and declares her intention to reveal the secrets she knows about those present. She has, after all, been making a tidy living for herself using such tactics for some time now. Before she can do so, however, she is found in her bed. Murdered. Scattered around the floor of her room are-39 cufflinks. Why are they there? What do they mean? And why 39?
Fortunately for the Earl (and for the readers) Detective Chief Inspector Wilkins is assigned to the case, and carefully, painstakingly, he and his minions set out to resolve the riddle of the cufflinks. In the best tradition of the country house murder, each guest is thought to be the guilty one, only to be declared 'improbable' or 'incapable' or 'otherwise occupied' at the time in question, in spite of the finally-revealed 'secrets'.
Among the guests (a wonderfully eccentric stereotypical gathering) are Agatha and Dorothy, the step-daughters of the murdered Clara, and granddaughters of Florrie, plus four great nephews, one great niece and two great-great nieces. Among them are an MP, a King's Counsel and his empty-headed but beautiful blonde daughter, a Jeevesian type young man about town, reduced to selling motorcars to earn a living, a fashion editor from New York, come home to London to make her way, and of course-the Burfords, complete with butler, Merryweather.
Gracefully written, this intricately plotted homage to the two great doyennes of British mystery-Christie and Sayers-will tickle your funny-bone while engaging your little grey cells in this entertaining romp. We can but hope that the author will not make us wait so many years for our next visit to the wonderful Alderley.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
WONDERUFL 1930S FLAIR AND A GOOD MYSTERY, June 4, 2004
The Earl and the Lady are cultured . . . and evidently cursed. Each time they have a house party, a house guest is murdered. The rumor stems from the Eighth Earl and the words of an angry gypsy. Curse or not, having guests in Alderley, his 17th-century county home, is far from the Earl's mind, until Aunt Florrie dies. With the funeral taking place on the property, the lawyer requests the use of Alderley to read the will. Much against the Earl's approval, a will reading turns into a stayover, and soon, a murder.
Aunt Florrie likes talking about her funeral plans with her companion, Jean. She has changed her will and knows her time is most likely near; after all, she's ninety-six. Florrie promises that everyone will be remembered in her will, in some way or another. Florrie also warns Jean not to conjure her up in a séance . . . although she believes it wouldn't take one for her to reappear at Alderley. It was one of the most exciting places she's visited. Someone who does reappear at Alderley is Detective Chief Inspector Wilkins, once a victim is found.
Anderson seems to be a perfectionist when it comes to setting up a mystery. In the first nine chapters, family members are brought up by the aunt, then the reader is updated on each member's life. It's an entertaining overview of Florrie's relatives, and just the beginning of the layers and twists.
I read and enjoyed Anderson's last two British mysteries. They were hard to solve and carried that wonderful 1930's flair. Anderson has a wonderful gift of conjuring up the Thirties era in his characters and their surroundings. However, for me, The _Affair of the 39 Cufflinks_ didn't quite have that locked-door effect that Anderson's first two mysteries did, but the mystery was still complicated enough. _The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks_ is definitely another entertaining read. I highly recommended it, as well as _The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cozy_ and _The Affair of the Mutilated Mink_.
Brenda @ MyShelf.Com
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic who-done-it, December 26, 2003
Every time the Earl and Countess throw a house party, somebody prominent gets murdered and the whole affair becomes a media event. Lord and Lady Burford have not sponsored a social event in their Carolean mansion Alderley in over six months, but when a distant relative asks, they agree to have the reading of a will read in their home and have the heirs stay overnight.
When the will is read Clara Saunders is furious that she is left with only 100 pounds and she believes that the other beneficiaries conspired against her. She threatens to reveal their dark secrets before retiring for the night. Hours later, she screams; when the houseguests go to investigate, they find Claire smothered to death. Since the alarm was already set, and there is no evidence of an intruder, the killer must be one of the guests. The police have to discover who had a secret they would kill to keep quiet.
James Anderson has written another fantastic who-done-it that takes readers in Great Depression England inside a comedy of manners who-done-it. The characters (police, suspects, and servants) are eccentric in an endearing way and readers will hope that the killer is not somebody they like. Fans of British closed door cozies will want to read this delightfully funny historical mystery.
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