The inhabitants of Regency Square in Cheltenham are horrified when one of their number is killed, especially when the murder weapon is a bow and arrow. It is one thing to read about violent crimes in the newspapers, quite another when it happens in their own square and they could become suspects. Investigation unearths many secrets concealed by the respectable residents of Regency Square, but it is not until another death occurs that we can discover the truth behind the killings.

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.” So thinks the Reverend Dodd—vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen and a reader of detective novels—when an actual mystery unexpectedly lands on his doorstep in The Cornish Coast Murder. Julius Tregarthan, a secretive and ill-tempered magistrate, is found at his house in Boscawen, shot through the head—and the...

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 h...

John Rother drives away from Chalklands Farm in Sussex for a short vacation - and promptly disappears. His car turns up - with bloodstains - but there is no sign of John Rother - unless, of course, those stains are a sign of foul play. Enter Superintendent Meredith - and the sinister discovery of human bones at Chalklands. Superintendent Meredith comes to the not unreasonable conclusion that he is probably investigating a murder.

Counterfeit currency is circulating on the French Riviera and it's suspected that an Englishman is behind the crime, so DI Meredith is sent along with acting-Sergeant Strang to trace the whereabouts of Chalky Corbett. It isn't long before their interest settles on the Villa Poloma, home of an eccentric expatriate Englishwoman, Nesta Hedderwick and her band of bohemian house guests as a simple task of apprehending a forger turns into a murder investigation.

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of MurderTwo mysteries of the kind John Bude does best, with well-drawn and authentic period settings and a satisfying whodunit structure, following the traditional rules and style of the Golden Age of the genre.Death in White Pyjamas: At the country home of Sam Richardson, a group of actors have gathered along with their somewhat sinister producer Basil Barnes, and a...

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 tranquility, however, is disturbed one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, a reclusive...

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 tranquility, however, is disturbed one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, a reclusive a...

Two of John Bude's finest Golden Age mysteries return to the limelight. In Death in White Pyjamas a theatre-owner, a 'slightly sinister' producer, a burgeoning playwright and a cast of ego-driven actors have gathered at a country home to read through a script. But before the production reaches the stage, one of their number is found murdered in the grounds wearing what seems to be somebody else's white pyjamas. And in Death Knows No Calendar, detective fiction enthusiast Major Tom Boddy is...

With some trepidation Nigel Derry approaches the country house of his enigmatic and unpredictable aunt Gwenny for an Easter holiday visit. After a tense few days in which her guests' interactions range from awkward dinners to a knife fight, a disgruntled aunt Gwenny departs for Europe. Receiving a telegram from Le Touquet inviting him to join Gwenny in the south of France, Nigel finds himself on a vacation cut short by murder as a cold shadow of suspicion eclipses the sunny beauty of the C...

The Reverend Dodd, vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen, spends his evenings reading detective stories by the fireside – but heaven forbid that the shadow of any real crime should ever fall across his seaside parish. But the vicar's peace is shattered one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, an ill-tempered magistrate, is found at his house in Boscawen with a bullet through his head. The local police inspector is baffled by the lack of clues. Suspicion seems to fall on Tregarthan...

In the seeming tranquility of Regency Square in Cheltenham live the diverse inhabitants of its ten houses. One summer's evening, the square's rivalries and allegiances are disrupted by a sudden and unusual death – an arrow to the head, shot through an open window at no. 6. Unfortunately for the murderer, an invitation to visit had just been sent by the crime writer Aldous Barnet, staying with his sister at no. 8, to his friend Superintendent Meredith. Three days after his arrival, Meredith...