Murder at Madingley Grange
A gripping murder mystery from the creator of the Midsomer Murders series
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2.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Murder comes to Madingley Grange when a game goes horribly wrong.
From the creator of the Midsomer Murders series which began with The Killings at Badger's Drift comes a standalone murder mystery novel that will shock you and intrigue you.
'Simply the best detective writers since Agatha Christie' The Sunday Times
When a failed entrepreneur is temporarily left in charge of his aunt's huge gothic home, he knows he must be able to make a profit from it somehow. Murder, he decides, is the only way to do it. For Madingley Grange is the perfect venue for a 1930s murder-mystery weekend and Simon Hannaford - with the reluctant help of his long-suffering sister - soon hatches a plan for money-spinning mayhem.
From the conservatory to the claret cellar, the clues are carefully sprinkled. But when the guests arrive it is obvious that the game won't be going as planned. Not one of the visitors is willing to play the victim. And when a body does appear, it hardly takes Hercule Poirot to guess it is not a volunteer. Now the game really begins . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A game of murder in an English country house appears headed for the real thing in this lumbering attempt at a romp. Simon Hannaford and his sister Laurie are left in charge of their aunt's estate near Oxford while she travels abroad; to settle some debts, Simon decides to sponsor a murder-mystery weekend for well-paying guests. Those who sign on include mystery aficionado Derek Gregory; his wife, Sheila; and snooty Mrs. Laetitia Saville with her daughter Rosemary, who are appalled by the wealthy but common gypsy family Gibbs--Fred, Vi and Mother Gibbs. It soon appears that everyone at Madingley Grange has arrived with ulterior motives, including the temp-service staff who are casing the place with an eye to burglary. When Derek is chosen victim, much to his voluble distaste, and then is found actually murdered the next day, Simon and Laurie's problems really begin. While Graham ( Death of a Hollow Man ) does give us the outline of a classic country house mystery, this is not Wodehouse-meets-Christie material, lacking the essential wit and complexity of both masters. Mystery Guild alternate.
