Right. January is finally over – that was fun, wasn’t it? My thoughts are with my US friends – well, all of my friends, wherever they are – only another three years, 51 weeks of this.
But while we should not turn a blind eye to what is happening, we also need to get on with things – and what better to get on with than the Puzzly for January 2017. Yes, it’s Book Of The Month time – oh, and if The Donald is reading this, books are those papery things that you see other people reading. Why don’t you try it sometime?
Anyway, on with the show. Ten books this month, so not a bad haul. They were:
Pinehurst (aka Dr Priestley Investigates) by John Rhode
Big disappointment – an early-ish Rhode, but pretty dreadful unfortunately…
Death In The Dentist’s Chair by Molly Thynne
A decent rediscovery from the Golden Age – a classic-style mystery.
The Mystery Of The Peacock’s Eye by Brian Flynn
Another lost classic from the Golden Age – very lost in this case…
Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson
A transatlantic flat swap turns into a nightmare for one woman – has she moved into a killer’s apartment? A page-turning new release.
The Case Of The Tudor Queen by Christopher Bush
Yet another lost classic, but a bit of a disappointment. An actress is found poisoned, while posed as her most famous role.
An evocative thriller set in Australia with a strong whodunit plot underpinning the story.
Suspects – Nine by E R Punshon
Another outing for Bobby Owen as he tries to recover a stolen hat and stumbles over a murder in the wilds of Essex.
The Ten Teacups by Carter Dickson
Another run at the classic mystery with the stunning set-up and the horribly contrived solution…
The Case Of The Black Twenty-Two by Brian Flynn
Another case from the author that nobody seems to know anything about – some clever ideas, but not as strong as The Mystery Of The Peacock’s Eye.
Our Jubilee Is Death by Leo Bruce
My first encounter with Bruce’s second detective, Carolus Deene – not bad, but with a very dull collection of suspects.
So what takes the Puzzly this month? Well, I’m very tempted to give it to The Dry, an extremely strong thriller-mystery with a vibrant setting – definitely worth checking out – but for the most impact, I’m going to go
for The Mystery Of The Peacock’s Eye by Brian Flynn. I know next to nothing about the author, but this was a cracking (if ever so slightly silly) mystery that had me looking in completely the wrong direction. But The Dry was such a close second place, it gets the background for this year, simply because I still can’t find a cover image for Peacock’s Eye…
UPDATE: Many thanks to Santosh who found an image of the cover on Abebooks. And what a wonderful cover it is! But go and read The Dry anyway…
Next month, more of the same, basically…
In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel 
“… I still can’t find a cover image for Peacock’s Eye…”
Well, there is a cover image at https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=17598113076
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Many thanks.
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It’s great to hear about obscure GAD authors and even better when they’re really good. What would you say my chances were of getting a reasonably priced Flynn novel?
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The cheapest copy is at amazon.co.uk at 17.50 pounds plus shipping. They have only one used copy !
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Great month Doctor! I’m reading The Trespasser by contemporary crime author Tana French at the moment, strikes me you may enjoy it. Going to go on a hunt for Flynn now on my next London bookshop walk, will let you know if anything ever comes up!
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