Customer Reviews

The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy (Missing Mysteries)

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Hmm. Now, let me see. Was it the Earl of Burford in his collection-room with a candlestick? Or maybe it was Mrs. Peabody in her boudoir with one of her husband's weapons. Naw. More likely it was -- just who was it, anyway? I know! It was the Baroness out in the carpark with her trusty spanner.

For certain, there are laughs on every page--nearly every line, in fact, of this delectable, delicious parody of the classic 1930s-type English Country House Mysteries. Mr. Anderson has done his homework wonderfully well; the settings are absolutely spot-on, the characters a delightful mélange, and the plotting is, quite simply, to die for! And of course, someone does just that.

The twelfth Earl of Burford, current resident of Alderley, a medium-sized stately home, is Britain's foremost collector of firearms--all sizes, all kinds. For several years, he has been corresponding with Hiram Peabody, who is America's foremost collector. When the Peabodys decide to stop off in Britain for a look around, well, naturally, they would go visit the Earl and his Countess.

The earl has a daughter, Lady Geraldine and a younger brother, Richard Saunders, who has been making his way steadily upward in the diplomatic service. Into this family enclave comes Jane Clifton, a schoolfriend of Gerry's, Giles Deveraux, a retired Navy man, now writer who has been commissioned to do a book on stately homes, and a brace of diplomats from an unnamed Duchy on the continent. Richard and a gentleman from the HO are to negotiate a support treaty with the representatives of the small country.

Of course, Peabody has a secretary, and the care of Alderby is in the capable hands of Merryweather, the butler. And then, when her car has a sudden accident, the Baroness de la Roche is added to the mix, creating merry mayhem for all concerned. Well, maybe not merry for everyone. But for you, as reader, most assuredly. You can't go wrong with this slightly loopy and very loving modern-day look back at a treasured convention of the past. Clues, indeed. They're all over the place, just waiting for the 'not-at-all-sanguine' little gray (or whatever colored) cells of Inspector Wilkins to winnow them down to those precious few that will really solve the marvelous puzzle, even to the bloodstained egg cosy of the title! Simply amazing, and totally awesome!

The Affair of the Blood-Stained Egg Cosy is one of many mysteries whose plot centers around a house party. However, Affair is unusually creative, funny, and clever. Affair was written in 1975, and takes place in the 1930s, but its humor and wit is timeless. Walter Satterthwait's Escapade would seem to owe a debt to Affair, as there are several similar elements and plot points. However, Affair succeeds in all the areas in which Escapade failed. James Anderson's plot is complex but never feels ridiculously contrived, and does not base plot points around ignorant, mistaken assumptions about ballistics, as Satterthwait does. Anderson also does a much better job with his characterizations, and is better able to make key characters charming rather than unintentionally obnoxious. AFFAIR is a really delightful book. Now if only the sequel would be back in print!

Takes place in England during the 1930s.

This mystery is about a weekend country house party with murder and mayhem. There's espionage, a jewel thief, secret agents, blackmail, and guests who are not who you think they are. Inspector Wilkins rivals Poirot and James Anderson rivals Agatha Christie.

I found myself relaxing after the first chapter, knowing I was settling down to a good British mystery. I tried to deduce who the murderer was, but couldn't. And never did figure out the bloodstained cozy until it was revealed in the story line. When the Inspector finally revealed the murderer I was stunned.... This is how a mystery should be written!

Excellent read. I am looking forward to reading his second title "The Affair of the Mutilated Mink."

This book is far and away the best reading possible. I am an avid reader of the classic, country house murder mystery from Britain's golden age of mystery writing, and James Anderson just nails it here. Masterfully. He somehow combines complex plotting, excellent writing, and humor so that the story is both a suspenceful whodonit as well as an entertainment tour de force. You simply must buy this book.

To be more specific:

1) The setting: Alderly, the ancestral pile of the Earl of Burford. And an alarm system that makes entry or exit from Adderly impossible at night.

2) The time: 1930s.

3) The cast of characters: an eccentric peer, his stately wife, their spirited daughter, an "Honourable" on hard times, a beautiful but mysterious woman who fascinates, obscure dimplomats and foreign office men, a secretary of questionable skill, rich Americans carrying diamonds, an author of dubious intent, and Merryweather - the omniscent, ever-present, yet dignified butler.

4) The clue: a blood-stained egg cosy.

5) The plot: epsionage, jewel theft, murder, impersonation, a secret passageway, in fact everything but the kitchen sink. It's right on par with Agatha Chirstie's "The Secret of Chimney's."

How could this go wrong? It doesn't. It goes very right. And you will NOT figure out who the murderer is. Save some shipping and order this book with Anderson's other masterpiece "The Affair of the Mutilated Mink."

I'm not a big fan of the thrillers that populate most of the shelves in the mystery sections of bookstores, but I do really like classic whodunnits, parlour mysteries, Poirot-type stuff. And The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cozy fits the bill and then some. It's packed with almost a checklist of the stanadard tropes of the genre, but rather than feeling hackneyed, they come together to push things over the top, with an occasional sly wink at the conventions. Once I started, I could hardly put it down.

I believe another review referred to this book as a parody. In a way that's correct in that it's quite funny at times and a bit light hearted and over the top, but do not get the impression that it doesn't take its mysteries, their investigation, and eventual solution seriously. In no way is Bloodstained Egg Cozy ridiculing the genre. Most of the humor comes naturally from the delightfully witty and clever characters.

After finishing, I immediately ordered both follow-up books: The Affair of the Mutilated Mink and The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks which return us to Alderly and Wilkins, Gerry, Lord Burford, et al. They are both slightly less over the top, but still just as funny and enjoyable. All three are excellent and highly recommended.

Here is a convenient little mystery similar to some that you probably have already read, but most enjoyable. It fits nicely in the genre commonly known as the English Country House style of mystery.

I think that I have already said enough about this delightful story, but that will not stop me from rambling on. There is a get-together at the country house of a pompous Earl and his level-headed wife. The attendees to this soirée are totally incompatible socially. The Earl's brother is with the Foreign Office and he was looking for a remote place for some diplomatic negotiations which need to be carried on in strict confidence. He asked his brother if his home could be used. That brought on diplomats, interested security people, foreign ministers from the country of interest and some shady characters who would like to disrupt these talks (we do not know who these shady characters are until we get into the final chapters of the book). The daughter of the Earl asks an old friend to spend the weekend at that same house and the Earl himself invites some folks in. It seems that the Earl has an amazing firearm collection and he wants to show it off to some excruciatingly wealthy Texans (are there any other kind?) known for their own collection. The wife of the Texas couple has a fantastic diamond necklace which she insist upon wearing during the weekend.

You now have the setup for the weekend and can make some guesses by now. In the end, it is found that the house is now populated with thieves, espionage agents, jewel thieves, blackmailers, murderers and other characters who make perfect denizens of a mystery book. By the end of the book, nobody seems to be who we thought they were with their identities changing (sometimes more than once). The house has, of course, a library, drawing room, dressing rooms separate in each suite, a music room and naturally a secret passage.

During the course of the evening (actually early morning) of the crimes (yes that is a plural) the house is dark and nobody seems to be sleeping but moving surreptitiously down the corridors, stairways, breakfast room, picture gallery and the arms collection room.

I will stop here and say only one single thing more. The police investigator who shows up is somewhat of a cross between Hercule Poirot and Columbo.

Oh, yes! I almost forgot, there is that bloodstained egg cosy, but I have already said too much, you will have to discover that yourself.

I'm not usually a big fan of mysteries, but thanks to this book, I'm a new convert to the genre! Not too graphic, delightfully humorous, even a bit or romance--Everything I love! I simultaneously couldn't wait for it to end/didn't want it to end. I'm ordering the 2nd book now....

I found that the deeper I got into this book the more I enjoyed it. I would call it a murder mystery romp. It reminded me of the movie of Clue. A fun read.

Written in the style of the classic 1930s country house mysteries, this book is laugh-out-loud funny. It's full of intrigue, murder, blackmail, and robbery as almost every guest at the house party plot and counter-plot against each other. Inspector Wilkins, the local policeman who is not sanguine about his chances of catching the murderer, nevertheless untangles the intricate plot and takes his place alongside Hercule Poirot and Lord Peter Wimsey as a Golden Age detective.