Readers ask me two questions on the blog. The first sort, it’s about a detail from a book, and usually, I can’t answer them because I have a memory with more holes in it than Blackburn, Lancashire (thank you, Messrs Lennon & McCartney). To be honest, you’re lucky if I can remember a plot point from a book that I read a month ago.

The other question – and pretty much the only other question – I get asked is this:

“Will there be any more Brian Flynn reprints?”

And for a long time, the answer was no. First of all, Dean Street Press was out of action for a good while following Rupert Heath’s untimely passing. And then the answer was no because I wasn’t allowed to say yes. Well, now I’m allowed to say it – yes! Anthony Bathurst will back! Soonish…

I’ve been sitting on this for a while and I’ve been very good at not dropping hints. I’m kind of surprised that nobody noticed when the last three Flynn’s that I re-read for whatever reason I gave were books 38, 39 and 40. Twice I used the old “having trouble reading, so I went back to an old favourite” line and nobody seemed to twig.

No, dear reader, I read them again so that I could write the introductions for five new reprints coming in July from Dean Street Press – I could remember Men For Pieces and Black Agent so I didn’t give them a full re-read, as reviewing all five might have given the game away. What a cheeky scamp I am! So what’s on the way?

Five Anthony Bathurst mysteries, reprinted in high quality paperback editions with covers sourced, where possible, from the original dust jacket images. Each book also has an introduction written by me and, for the first time, I’ve written the blurbs too! The books in question are:

36 – Men For Pieces. In which Anthony Bathurst becomes convinced a murderer is on the loose because of a misplaced bathplug.

37 – Black Agent. In which you are sorely advised not to wear a certain yellow dress, as the last two people who did ended up somewhat dead.

38 – Where There Was Smoke. In which Anthony deciphers clues in two foodstuffs, namely cooked bacon rind and Alphabetti Spaghetti.

39 – And Cauldron Bubble. In which a murderer seems to have carelessly left their wig under a dead body.

40 – The Ring Of Innocent. In which Anthony has to decipher a dying message – “Innocent. Teaspoon.” – that puts Ellery Queen to shame.

Of course, you’ve currently got four months or so to wait, so what to do in the meantime? Well, there are thirty-five other Anthony Bathurst mysteries that are available to help pass the time until the new ones arrive. And if you need some recommendations, why not try these five?

3 – The Mystery Of The Peacock’s Eye. The one that started it all for me, and a stunning piece of misdirection. Winner of the Reprint Of The Year award for 2019.

8 – Murder En Route. In which a man is strangled while alone on the top deck of a bus.

15 – The Horn. A homage of sorts to Sherlock Holmes and The Speckled Band in particular in which the sound of a hunting horn heralds death.

23 – Black Edged. Flynn’s first inverted mystery (see also Such Bright Disguises) in which Bathurst finds himself up against an adversary as smart as he is.

28 – Glittering Prizes. In which a summoning of a group of intelligencia to “save the Empire” turns very nasty indeed.

Or indeed, any of the other thirty. What about The League Of Matthias? That doesn’t get enough love. Or The Padded Door with one of the brilliant “wow” moments that I’ve read? Or my personal favourite Tread Softly? Or…

If you want some more recommendations, I have written a Top Ten Of The First Twenty post that should keep you busy until July comes around. Set your alarms…