Customer Reviews

Posted To Death: A Simon Kirby-Jones Mystery

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The cozy mystery is a rigid form, in that respect rather like a sonnet. The sub-class of English country village cozy mystery, then, might be likened to a Shakespearean sonnet or, in its more baroque form, a Spenserian sonnet. Rigidity of form, however, does not necessarily imply limitation or restriction. In the right hands, the sonnet and the cozy offer springboards for art, even genius.

In this series by Dean James, four published novels as I write, the author is plainly aware of the requirements of his chosen form and is amused by them. While offering them full obeisance, from time to time he is happy to give them a swift kick.

Cozies have tended in recent years to fall into niches: murder-solving caterers, booksellers, hoteliers, florists, undertakers, hairdressers, coffee shop owners, drycleaners, wedding planners, home handy women, even cozy bounty hunters. James gives us the niche to end all niches: the gay, partially closeted, southern, academic, expatriate, romance writing, English country village, reformed vampire, cozy mystery.

Judging by the reactions of previous reviewers of this novel and the others of the series, one either delightedly swallows this stuff whole or strains mightily at the smallest fragment. One reviewer snarls that, "the characters have the depth (but not the appeal) of graham crackers; the stereotypical British-isms are painful; the plot is so bad it should be staked through the heart". Another, in a frenzy of disdain says, "It is poorly executed and too clever by half." Now that, when you think about it, is a pretty good trick.

As for myself, I know full well that James's quaint English village of Snupperton-Mumsley exists on no portion of this mundane, sub-lunar world and his characters, from the appalling but oddly attractive Lady Prunella Blitherington down to the busy-body post mistress bear only the most casual resemblance to anyone who has ever drawn a breath of real air or grumbled at a tax bill. Nevertheless, I am entangled in their spell and have every intention of wolfing down every Snupperton-Mumsley tale that Dean James chooses to deliver.

Five stars for the guilty pleasure of it all.

Dame Agatha would have been right at home in the quaint but cozy English village of Snupperton Mumsley, but I don't know how she would have reacted to the village's latest resident, Simon Kirby-Jones. You see he's a little different. He's an American, but not your typical "ugly" American. He's a delightful Southern gentleman and renowned historian and biographer, who actually earns his keep by secretly churning out historical romances as Daphne Deepwood and hard-boiled female P.I. adventures as Dorinda Darington.

He's also gay, and to complicate matters even more, he just happens to be a vampire. Actually, he's far removed from the cliché "I vant to bite your neck" vampires of the typical horror film. It seems that medical science has finally discovered a cure for vampirism. It's a wonder drug that while it doesn't bring you back to life it does eliminate the rather unsavory aspects of being a vampire - the bloodsucking and becoming a crispy critter when exposed to sunlight. The only real drawback with the drug is the fact that drinking a cup of tea laced with garlic will usually prove fatal. And in this charming English village, that's a real possibility.

That's because all the inhabitants of Snupperton Mumsley have guilty little secrets. So when the village snoop and postmistress reveals that she has a play for the village church restoration affair that will reveal all the hidden secrets of the villagers, it comes as no surprise when she is discovered murdered. That's when Simon decides to use his vampire capabilities and mystery writing skills to solve the murder. That is if the murderer doesn't discover his hidden little secret.

Simon Kirby-Jones is a refreshing twist to the traditional English cozy, cup-of-tea murder mystery sleuth. Dean James has created a witty and totally original concept for a mystery series. I found it totally enjoyable, and since I do believe in vampires and things that go bump in the night I'm looking forward to Simon's next odyssey in Snupperton Mumsley.

Posted to Death is a both send-up and an homage to the traditional English cozy. Your first clues that James is having you on are the names of the people and places used - Lady Blitherington and Colonel Athelstan Clitheroe are just two of the characters who live in the quaint little town of Snupperton Mumsley. Your next clue is that our hero, Simon Kirby-Jones, is a gay vampire. Sounds fun, doesn't it? But it is an homage to the cozy because James has included the requisite elements of a cozy and has written a good mystery instead of just a spoof.

Posted to Death is set in modern day, and vampires like Kirby-Jones are now able to walk secretly among us during the day due to the miracles of modern medicine. So Kirby-Jones is following his dream and has relocated from the U.S. to Snupperton Mumsley, where he is trying to become a member of the close-knit community. When the snoopy postmistress is murdered, our hero decides that, due to his more-than-human attributes, he is the logical choice to investigate the crime. Our hero proceeds to do what every amateur detective does - he snoops, he encourages gossip, he goes to dinners and teas to meet the locals, and he slowly gathers enough information about the locals to solve the crime.

He also swoons over the dishy vicar and tries not to smile so broadly that his fangs are visible. This book is interesting because it is intelligent, catty, campy, and fun, all at the same time. It is such a funny premise and I am interested to see where James takes it in the books that follow.

Favorite character? Kirby-Jones. Did I guess it? He got me! I followed a lovely red herring right up to the big unmasking before realizing I was on the wrong horse. It was beautiful. Will I read another? Yes.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at [...]

The book was very entertaining. It's full of quirks and twists that are unexpected. On the whole, a very enjoyable read.

The newest member of the quirky English village of Snupperton Mumsley is Simon Kirby-Jones, an American author of bodice rippers and mysteries (under pseudonyms). Simon is also gay and a vampire but thanks to advances in modern medicine, he is able to hide his condition from the rest of humanity. By taking two pills daily, he can walk in sunlight, eat and drink food, and has no need for human blood.

Simon takes immediately to village life and is delighted to discover another vampire, Jane Hardwick, living in the village. The two bond immediately and when the local postmistress is murdered, the pair embarks on their own investigation to uncover the culprit. They find that everyone had a reason to hate the gossipy women who threatened to expose their secrets via a play that she wrote for a local dramatic society production. As Simon closes in on the killer, he finds his own "undead" life in jeopardy.

POSTED TO DEATH is a cozy mystery that puts down home Lone Star charm (Simon is a Texan) in an old-fashioned English village within a realistic slight bite sleuth tale. Dean James has captured the essence of village life in such a manner that readers can enjoy the story line without taking it overly seriously. The hero is admirable, lovable and as eccentric as the rest of the locals, which is the main reason he and Snupperton Mumsley are made for each other and the audience.

Harriet Klausner

Dr. Simon Kirby-Jones, an American recently moved to the quaint English village of Snupperton Mumsley, is a man of many secrets. A successful author of respected histories, Simon also churns out best-selling historical romances and a popular series of mysteries, which he publishes pseudonymously. He is also gay, which, if not exactly a secret, is a piece of information he imagines would alarm the straight-laced but nonetheless dishy local vicar. Most interesting, however, is the fact that everything Simon does, from cranking out genre fiction to mooning over married clerics, he does posthumously: young Dr. Kirby-Jones, as it happens, is a vampire.

It being wise for vampires to cultivate good relations with their neighbors, Simon immerses himself upon his arrival in Snupperton Mumsley in various local civic projects. He joins the Church Restoration Fund Committee, for example, and becomes interested in the Snupperton Mumsley Amateur Dramatic Society's rancorous debate over the selection of a new play. These activities allow Simon to become acquainted with the village's more civic-minded residents--the snobbish aristocrat Lady Prunella Blitherington (nee Ragsbottom), for example, the Miss Marple-ish Jane Hardwick, the poorly coiffed and abrasive postmistress Abigail Winterton.

It is less difficult than one might suppose for Simon to blend in with the locals, as medical advances have, in his world, taken the bite out of vampirism. The pills Simon takes twice daily mean that he needn't avoid sunlight--though he is careful to wear sunglasses--or suck the blood of unwilling donors for his daily sustenance. As a newly minted vampire, Simon has in fact never had to engage in traditional vampire activities, and he finds the whole blood-sucking, burying-oneself-in-cemeteries business a bit disgusting. Indeed, apart from a few small differences, Simon is indistinguishable from humans: his hearing is inhumanly acute, he cannot ingest garlic and live to tell about it, he can get by on very little sleep. The last of these is a boon as far as literary productivity goes, and it comes in handy as well when Simon turns to late-night sleuthing after a Snupperton Mumsley-ite is murdered.

Dean James' first Simon Kirby-Jones mystery is a delightful romp of a novel, but it is a disappointment that the author has elected to effectively defang his protagonist. The book would have been much more fun if Simon had had to satisfy his vampiric appetites at least occasionally, fussily wiping the blood from his lips, perhaps, as he returns after the hunt to the drawing rooms of polite society. As it is, Simon's interests are informed less by his vampirism than by the more mundane fact of his homosexuality. Nonetheless, James' clever cozy is definitely worth a read.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

Although offbeat (and that is a plus in my book), Dean James' mysteries are well-plotted, with consistent characterizations from book to book. Enjoyable and challenging, with characters you can care about.

After moving to a small English village, novelist Simon Kirby-Jones is asked to join the Church Restoration Fund Committee. During the committee meeting he discovers that there are disturbing undercurrents and rumors of a tell-all play. When the author of the play, Abigail Winterton, is found strangled he decides to investigate. I thought this was a charming novel with a good solid mystery to back it up. Simon is one of the most original characters to hit the mystery scene. He is witty, clever and debonair, and oh yes...he is a vampire. The only unbelievable part of this book was that he met not one but three gorgeous, single available men within days of moving to Snupperton:)

This book is a fun cozy mystery set in England. The main character is a vampire, but don't think Dracula. This is a fun vampire whose unseemly cravings are controlled by those marvelous little pills. Something different for the cozy lover.

I started reading this series thinking that I would be putting it down and returning it to the library before I could finish the first chapter. So far the other few books written about vampires have been beyond a bore to me so this book would have to prove itself and fast for me to get to the end.
Let me just say this lovely romp in merry old England with Simon Kirby-Jones has done more than I could have imagined. I enjoyed the imagination of Dean James in writing this book. The fun characters and his whimsical way of entertaining the reader. The originality of Simon and his updated vampirical lifestyle.
I can only give this book the highest recommendation for all cozy mystery lovers out there.
One of the best and most fun books ever!