Dean James
Posted to Death (2002)
Author: Dean James
Genre: Mystery (Amateur detective/Cozy)
Plot Summary:
The gay American vampire historian (and romance and mystery writer) Dr. Simon Kirby-Jones has just moved to the quaint English village of Snupperton Mumsley. Thanks to the miracles of modern medicine, many of Simon's vampiric traits, such as death by sunlight and the need to feast on blood, are no longer issues and he can function in society as any other living being. Eager to get settled in his new surroundings, Simon joins several of Snupperton Mumsley's fundraising groups. While attending his first meeting at the local church, he notes that there is tension among several of the most influential members of the committee, especially those who also belong to the Snupperton Mumsley Amateur Dramatic Society, or SMADS. The Lady Prunella Blitherington proposes a play written by her son Giles as the season's fundraiser, but she finds resistance from Abigail Winterton, the nosy postmistress, who proposes another play but refuses to reveal the playwright or the plot. The next mor
ning, Abigail Winterton is found dead in her post office kitchen. The gossip begins and Simon Kirby-Jones uses his charming personality and his new-comer status to uncover possible motives for the murder of Abigail Winterton.
Geographical Setting: Snupperton Mumsley (fictional English village)
Time Period: Present day (2002)
Series: Simon Kirby-Jones mysteries #1
Appeal Characteristics:
Humorous and light in tone, this mystery has a cast of interesting and quirky villagers and, of course, Simon himself is not your average amateur sleuth, but it is a fresh twist on the traditional cozy English village mystery. Simon, who writes biographies as well as historical romances as Daphne Deepwood and hard-boiled mysteries as Dorinda Darlington, is clever, witty, a bit gullible, and he often makes allusions to popular authors such as Agatha Christie. James uses short chapters and little cliffhangers to keep you reading.
Read-alikes: If the quaint English village cozy is what you're looking for, there are other titles in the Simon Kirby-Jones series: Faked to Death (2003), Decorated to Death (2004), and Baked to Death (2005). Then try Agatha Christie's novels featuring Miss Jane Marple for more of the quaint English cozy (Simon alludes to Miss Marple on more than one occasion). The first is The Murder at the Vicarage (1930). M.C. Beaton's novels featuring retired businesswoman Agatha Raisin are humorous English cozies and the series begins with Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (1992). If Great Britain is the desired setting, then try Rhys Bowen's cozy mystery series featuring Constable Evan Evans in Wales; the first is Evans Above (1997). While not so cozy, Mark Richard Zubro's Tom and Scott mysteries feature a gay amateur detective duo; the first is A Simple Suburban Murder (1989). And there are other (not so cozy) mysterie
s where the detective is a vampire: the Vampire Files series by P.N. Elrod starts with Bloodlist (1990).
Red Flags: None
|top|
|
