A Mysterious Affair of Style: A Sequel (Evadne Mount Mystery 2) Book

"A Mysterious Affair of Style", Gilbert Adair's affectionate homage to Agatha Christie and the golden age of detective fiction, is the second book in the Evadne Mount trilogy of whodunits.

"A Mysterious Affair of Style" is set in post-war London and at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. Evadne Mount and her trusty sleuthing companion Chief Inspector Trubshawe [formerly of Scotland Yard] are visiting the Studios to watch the shooting of a film intended to re-launch the silver screen career of Cora Rutherford, an aging star and old friend of Evadne's. While filming a scene which involves her drinking a glass of Champagne, Cora Rutherford is poisoned.

It quickly becomes clear to the police that, although a fair number of people had the means and opportunity to kill Cora Rutherford, none of the identified suspects actually has a motive for doing so. Fortunately, eccentric amateur sleuth Evadne Mount is on hand to dig into the past of the victim and help identify the culprit.

"A Mysterious Affair of Style" is another excellent whodunit from Gilbert Adair which has a delightfully twisting plot that should keep readers guessing until the end. Evadne Mount is on fine form here and, although I'm sure she would be rather awful to encounter in real life, she is a perfect amateur sleuth. I love the way that Adair has Evadne Mount as the President of the Detection Club and expresses her worries that, despite having published 20 successful detective novels, she will be forever trapped in Agatha Christie's shadow [Mount even has a long-running stage play called The Tourist Trap!]. Of course, Evadne Mount doesn't work alone and here she is aided once again by the dear Trubshawe and for the first time young detective Calvert. The three make a great team and it is only through a combination of their efforts that the crime is solved.

Gilbert Adair's Evadne Mount mysteries are delightfully charming and devilishly clever detective novels. I would recommend this book for readers who love the cosy mysteries of the golden age, humorous detective stories in general and those who love to spot pop-culture references.

London 1946: An actress is murdered not just on camera but in full view of a crowded film set. Only six people had an opportunity to administer the poison yet not one of them had a conceivable motive.