Death at the Alma Mater (A St. Just Mystery) [Paperback]

G.M. Malliet (Author)

Book Description

Series: A St. Just Mystery | Publication Date: January 8, 2010

BOOK THREE IN THE AGATHA AWARD-WINNING SERIES

St. Michael's College, Cambridge, is prestigious, stately-and in frightful disrepair. To replenish its dwindling coffers, the College's Master holds a fundraising weekend for wealthy alums. But all goes awry when the glamorous-and despised-Lexy Laurant is found strangled on the grounds. There's a lengthy list of likely suspects: Lexy's debt-ridden Latino lover, her titled ex-husband who left her for another woman, and a garrulous oil-rich Texan with something to hide, among others. As Detective Chief Inspector St. Just weighs clashing egos, he discovers unsavory secrets . . . and a most shocking twist.

Accolades for the St. Just Mystery series:

Winner of the 2008 Agatha Award for Best First Novel

Silver medalist for the IPPY awards in the category of Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Finalist for 2009 Anthony and Macavity Awards

Chosen by Kirkus Reviews as a Best Book of 2008

 "Malliet's satirical take on the mystery scene is spot-on."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 "A real find for old-school mystery fans."—Booklist (starred review)

"An absolutely delicious skewering of the world of mystery publishing and its none-too-savory denizens, Death and the Lit Chick is even wittier and more skillfully constructed than her Agatha Award-winning Death of a Cozy Writer."—Denver Post

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Agatha-winner Malliet's witty third cozy to feature Det. Chief Insp. Arthur St. Just (after 2009's Death and the Lit Chick), potential benefactors to St. Michael's College at the University of Cambridge gather at St. Mike's for an alumni Open Weekend. When someone strangles Alexandra Lexy Laurant, the glamorous socialite ex-wife of another attendee, pompous writer Sir James Bassett, St. Just investigates. The Cambridgeshire policeman soon uncovers a host of suspects, including Geraldo Valentiano, Lexy's playboy honey; Gwennap Pengelly, a TV reporter desperate for a scoop; Augie Cramb, a dot-com millionaire; and American financier Karl Dunning and his complaining wife, Constance. Crime novelist Portia De'Ath, St. Just's girlfriend, who longs for crusty Arthur to be more romantic, provides invaluable help in sussing out the killer. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* The reader who hasn’t yet discovered Malliet’s St. Just Mystery series has a real treat in store. This third in the series is every bit as good as its predecessors (Death of a Cozy Writer, 2008, and Death of the Lit Chick, 2009). This time St. Just is back in Cambridgeshire, England, and the romance between him and author Portia De’Ath seems to be on the fast track. De’Ath is working on her thesis at St. Michael’s College, Cambridge, and is asked by the college master to help entertain a collection of wealthy alums attending a fund-raising weekend reunion. One of the alums is found murdered near the college boathouse, and the suspects seem to include every other alum in attendance, plus the college staff and students. Detective Chief Inspector St. Just and his assistant, Sergeant Fear, are called in to solve the crime. Malliet’s description of Cambridge college life, the various faculty, staff, students and alums, is spot-on and highly entertaining. The conceit of slyly naming some characters after an attribute associated with their occupation or character (St. Just the detective, Mary Goose the college chef, and Dr. Malenfant the pathologist, for example) is clever without being overdone. Longtime cozy fans will be reminded of golden age classics starring Dorothy Sayers’ Harriet Vane and Edmund Crispin’s Gervase Fen. Malliet’s writing is both smooth and elegant and her humor delicious. --Judy Coon

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Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK; 1 edition (January 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738719676
• ISBN-13: 978-0738719672
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am currently writing a new mystery series for Thomas Dunne/Minotaur Books. The first book in the series is WICKED AUTUMN and it will launch September 13, 2011. It features Max Tudor, former MI5 agent turned Anglican priest.

My books are affectionate send-ups of the traditional British mystery. Two of my previous books, Death and the Lit Chick (2009) and Death of a Cozy Writer (2008), were Anthony Award nominees. Death of a Cozy Writer also won an Agatha Award for Best First Novel, having first been completed with the aid of the Malice Domestic Grant. Kirkus Reviews named it one of the best books of 2008.

In addition to the Anthony Award, Death of a Cozy Writer was nominated for a Macavity for best first novel. It also was nominated for a Left Coast Crime/Hawaii 5-0 Award (best police procedural) and a David award, and won a Silver Medal IPPY (best mystery/thriller/suspense).

The second book in the St. Just series is Death and the Lit Chick (2009). Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine named Death and the Lit Chick one of the best paperback original mysteries of 2009.

The third book in the series is Death at the Alma Mater (2010).

Agatha Christie and other "Golden Age" authors have had a big influence on my writing. I am also a lifelong fan of the humor and graceful writing styles of Robert Barnard, Caroline Graham, and Martha Grimes.

More at http://GMMalliet.com/. I'm also on Facebook and Twitter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The third DCI St. Just novel is another winner!, December 24, 2009

By 

J. Lesley "(Judy)" (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death at the Alma Mater (A St. Just Mystery) (Paperback)

The third book in this marvelous mystery series finds Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just investigating a murder at St. Michael's College at Cambridge. The most unusual thing about this assortment of former students who have been invited back to St. Mike's is that they have all been very successful financially, but there is also a lot of past history tying these people together. Now the Master and the Bursar look to this weekend with the hope of convincing them to make much needed financial contributions. The old place is crumbling down and some serious repairs need to be made. Unfortunately, the guest list includes Sir James Bassett, his current wife India and his former wife Lexy Laurant. Everybody knows that combination can only spell trouble. When one of the potential donors is found murdered St. Just and Sergeant Fear must forsake their time off to find the culprit.

Once again a mystery by G. M. Malliet gives lovers of detective stories a really good, difficult mystery to solve while also including her trademark tongue in cheek presentation of the classic Golden Age novel. The plot of the story, the actual mystery, was very well done. I certainly did not foresee the twist presented at the end. There are appearances by Portia De'Ath (from Death and the Lit Chick: A St. Just Mystery - the second book in the series) who is supposed to be spending her summer at St. Mike's working on her thesis but is in reality getting more of her mystery novel written. The relationship between St. Just and Portia has progressed to an understanding between them, but St. Just is adamant about not allowing Portia to get involved in this investigation in order to protect her and keep his private life and his profession separate. I can't help but wonder if this author is going to be able to continue along that path for much longer. It just seems that these two characters are meant to investigate crimes together.

This was a very satisfying read for me. I enjoyed it very much and appreciate the growth I see in these characters from one book to the next. Even Sergeant Fear's darling little daughter Emma is back with her programming abilities for his cell phone. If you have not read either of the other two books in the series, don't worry, this is very definitely a stand alone book. Any spoofing of the "cozy" mystery or the standardized "police procedural" is done in a very gentle, warm way. I have read some criticism of the method this author chose in the "twist" at the end which I mentioned before. While I agree that it would probably not have been my choice for how the murder happened I can honestly say that it did not diminish my enjoyment of the book in any way. We get a list of the cast of characters, we get a diagram of the College grounds, we get chapters with honest-to-goodness titles, and we get a well plotted mystery. A cracking fine novel for me.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the others, July 12, 2010

By 

Book Lover "oneidabooks" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death at the Alma Mater (A St. Just Mystery) (Paperback)

I have to say that this book is nowhere near as good as the other two St. Just mysteries.
I agree with another reviewer who said some of the American characters are straight out of an Agatha Christie book-that's exactly what I thought when I was reading it.
Portia is becoming annoying too, almost as annoying as her last name.
As for how the murder was committed, that was so laughable and you could have driven a truck through the holes in the plot.
SPOILER ALERT!!
A blow-up doll? He never thought someone could actually see them both outside and join them? No one saw him dismantle the doll?
I'll definitely go to the library for the 4th installment of the St. Just mysteries . . . definitely not worth buying.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cozy Mystery, July 19, 2010

By 

Andrew G. Gembara "Uke Warrior" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Bravo, well written and forces one to drive through reading. Great book for an exciting evening mystery read. Author is very creative and challenges the reader to keep guessing "What's Next". Highly recommended reading for Mystery followers. AGG