Inspector Mallett Books In Publication Order
- Tenant for Death (1937)
- Death is No Sportsman (1938)
- Suicide Excepted (1939)
Inspector Mallett and Francis Pettigrew Books In Publication Order
- Tragedy at Law (1942)
- He Should Have Died Hereafter aka Untimely Death (1958)
Francis Pettigrew Books In Publication Order
- With a Bare Bodkin (1946)
- When the Wind Blows aka The Wind Blows Death (1949)
- That Yew Tree’s Shade aka Death Walks the Woods (1954)
Collections In Publication Order
- Death Among Friends and Other Detective Stories (1959)
Standalone Novels In Publication Order
- The Magic Bottle (1946)
- An English Murder (1951)
Inspector Mallett Book Covers
Inspector Mallett and Francis Pettigrew Book Covers
Francis Pettigrew Book Covers
Collections Book Covers
Standalone Novels Book Covers
Cyril Hare Books Overview
Tenant for Death
An Inspector Mallett mystery Daylesford Gardens, South Kensington, is an unlikely address for the discovery of death by strangulation. Even more unusual is that the house does not belong to the deceased financier. In the meantime, the mysterious tenant, Colin James, has disappeared. Inspector Mallett of Scotland Yard is brought in to unravel a complicated trail.
Death is No Sportsman
Originally published in 1938, Death is No Sportsman is an early novel by Cyril Hare, one of the best loved Golden Age crime writers. The banks of the river Didder in the summertime seem, at first glance, idyllic: the sun is shining and the trout are rising. But then the body of a local landowner is discovered, and the peaceful surface of the countryside is shattered. It soon becomes apparent that there are quite a few local people who disliked the deceased man, but which one of them actually murdered him? Inspector White, always deeply suspicious of the country, is brought in from Scotland Yard. Although quick to disentangle the complex relationships linking the suspects and the victim, it is only by mastering the subtleties of fly fishing that he uncovers the evidence to lead him to the killer. Lovers of crime novels and fishing alike will delight in Hare’s ingenious mystery, and the Daily Mail enthused upon original publication that ‘the identity of the murderer is really a surprise’.
Suicide Excepted
An Inspector Mallett mystery, originally published in 1939, by one of the best loved Golden Age crime writers, Cyril Hare. Inspector Mallett’s stay at the country house hotel of Pendlebury Old Hall has been a disappointment. Room, food and service have been a letdown and he eagerly anticipates the end of his holiday. His last trial is to sit and listen when an elderly and boorish man, whose family once owned the house, joins his table. The next day the man is dead and Mallett unwittingly finds himself investigating the suspicious ‘suicide’. ‘Adroit in its manipulation…
and distinguished by a plot twister which I’ll wager Christie wishes she’d thought of.’ New York Times ‘Mr Hare’s controlled ingenuity and lively, sardonic characterization put Suicide Excepted in a very high class.’ Observer
He Should Have Died Hereafter aka Untimely Death
An Inspector Mallett mystery Francis Pettigrew is holidaying with his wife, Eleanor, in Exmoor when the past returns to haunt him. When he stumbles over a body on a remote hill on the moor, it brings back his childhood memory and nightmares of discovering a corpse in the exact same spot. This time around though the body mysteriously disappears…
With a Bare Bodkin
A Francis Pettigrew mystery, originally published in 1946. England is in the grip of the Second World War and the Blitz has forced the evacuation of various government offices from London. Francis Pettigrew, an unsuccessful barrister and amateur detective, accompanies his ministry to the distant seaside resort of Marsett Bay where the civil servants must make the best of their temporary home. In this strange atmosphere, Pettigrew begins to fall in love with his secretary, Miss Brown, who is also being courted by a widowed man who is much older than her. Bored and restless, the ministers start playing a light hearted game of ‘plan the perfect murder’ to pass the time. Pettigrew, caught up in his love for Miss Brown, remains detached from the silliness until a real murder happens, and he is drawn into solving the mystery. ‘One of the best detective stories published for a long time.’ Spectator
When the Wind Blows aka The Wind Blows Death
A Francis Pettigrew mystery Who murdered solo violinist Lucy Carless during a concert by the Markshire Orchestra? There are several suspects, any one of whom might have strangled her with a silk stocking. Lawyer, Franics Pettigrew, as reluctant honorary treasurer to the Markshire Orchestral Society, finds himself caught up with assisting the police in their investigations.
That Yew Tree’s Shade aka Death Walks the Woods
The Yew Tree’s Shade originally published in 1954 is a Frances Pettigrew mystery, and was published in the US as Death Walks the Woods. Francis Pettigrew, a former barrister and sometimes amateur detective, is plucked out of what promises to be a peaceful retirement in the Home Counties to deputise for the County Court judge. The proceedings offer him some unexpected insights into the lives of the new neighbours that he has until now only observed through his field glas*ses. When the body of a penniless widow known for her good works is found on Yew Hill, a famous local beauty spot, Pettigrew is drawn into the case as a witness. Despite his best efforts to leave the inquiry to the police, it is he, with the unconscious help of a teenage boy, who puts the finishing touches on the solution. ‘Cyril Hare’s style is easy and fluent, and his books are eminently readable…
A great novelist.’ Spectator
Death Among Friends and Other Detective Stories
These thirty stories, selected and introduced by Michael Gilbert, are concerned with murder, criminal acts and the law and can be dipped into in any order. The Rivals contains a real puzzle; Name of Smith features a judge’s summing up and a murder; The Story of Hermione has a criminal who escapes altogether. The law is the linking thread, along with Cyril Hare’s ingeniousness.
An English Murder
A classic detective story from one of the best loved Golden Age crime writers, Cyril Hare, originally published in 1951. The setting of An English Murder seems, at first, to be a very conventional one. A group of family and friends come together for Christmas at a country house, Warbeck Hall. The house is owned by Lord Warbeck, a dying and impoverished peer who wants to be among loved ones for what he thinks will be his last Christmas. The holiday decorations are up and snow is falling fast outside. The guests range from the Lord’s difficult son to a visiting Czech historian. There is, of course, a faithful butler and his ambitious daughter. But when the murders begin, there is nothing at all conventional about them or the manner of their detection. This ingenious detective story gleefully plays with all of our expectations about what an ‘English murder’ might be and offers enough twists and turns to keep us reading into the night. ‘Of Cyril Hare’s detective stories my only complaint is, that they are too infrequent.’ Tatler
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