The Criminal C.O.D.: An Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mystery (Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mysteries) [Paperback]

Phoebe Atwood Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 1988 | Series: Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mysteries

A classic Phoebe Atwood Taylor mystery.

Something must have scared the wits out of Jane Lennox to make her run right in front of Asey Mayo in his brand new Porter Sixteen. Could that something have been the sight of a corpse? And could it have been the body of politically ambitious Henry Slocum? The answer would have to wait, for the corpse in the old salt loft had vanished from sight.

This one would prove to be a real challenge for the Codfish Sherlock as further sinister and hilarious developments upset the normally tranquil Quashnet Township.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Phoebe Atwood Taylor (1909-1976) lived in Boston and Cape Cod most of her life. Best known for the Asey Mayo series, including The Cape Cod Mystery, she was one of the first mystery writers to give a regional and rural rather than urban focus during the "golden age" of mystery writing. She is deceased.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Foul Play Press (April 19, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881501069
• ISBN-13: 978-0881501063
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #539,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Asey Goes It Alone, May 17, 2005

By 

Lorraine Talbot (Winsted,, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Criminal C.O.D.: An Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mystery (Asey Mayo Cape Cod Mysteries) (Paperback)

While I've never yet read an Atwood Taylor that I'd give less than 5 stars, this is one of my least favorites. Usually Asey has a quasi-Watston who is a middle-aged woman than accompanies him on his detecting, asks questions, and listens to his ideas. Most of the women in these stories are portrayed as sensible, even courageous. The story is also often told from their point of view.
In this book, the opening introduces a spoiled little rich girl who Asey nearly runs over. She's known for playing tricks, so he hardly believes her when she claims to have stumbled on a corpse.
Her mother is a woman who "takes up" a new interest from time to time and now she's taken up politics to the point of spending so much time with a younger politician that it has caused gossip. Minor female characters are Jenny, Asey's housekeeper and an aunt of the first victim.
Aside from no admirable women, it's still a good mystery with a first victim to wonder about within the first few pages. The body is later delivered to the Dr. as a large C.O.D. package wrapped in dry ice.
With some minor help from cousin Syd, Asey investigates on his own, even gets knocked on the head with a fry pan. And, of course, he figures it all out and exposes a surprise perpetrator at the end. I recommend this book for it's credible mystery.