Two wonderful mysteries from John Bude, both with an introduction by Martin Edwards
The Cornish Coast Murder
Never, even in his most optimistic moments, had he visualised a scene of this nature —himself in one arm-chair, a police officer in another, and between them a mystery.'
The Reverend Dodd spends his evenings reading detective novels by the fire while serving as the vicar of the sleepy Cornish village of Boscawen. However, God forbid that any real crimes ever take place in his seaside parish.
The vicar's tranquillity, however, is disturbed one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, a reclusive and irritable magistrate, is discovered at his home in Boscawen with a bullet through his head.
The complete lack of leads perplexes the neighbourhood police inspector. Fortunately for Inspector Bigswell, the Reverend Dodd is present and prepared to test his keen insight into the motivations of criminals.
A fishing village on Cornwall's Atlantic coast provides a vivid backdrop for this classic mystery from the height of British noir. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s, with an introduction be award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.
The Lake District Murder
The Lake District Murder opens with the discovery of a faceless body in an isolated garage, then follows Inspector Meredith through a complex investigation where every clue seems to lead only to another puzzle. Was this a bizarre suicide, or something more sinister? Why was the dead man apparently making plans to flee the country? And what does all this have to do with the newly discovered shady business dealings of the garage? All becomes clear in time, but not before John Bude has led readers through a rousing investigation, full of unexpected twists and turns, set against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District.