Death on the Riviera by John Bude

Death on the Riviera by John Bude ISBN-13: 9781464205699 Paperback: 250 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: March 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean. Along with Inspector Blampignon an amiable policeman from Nice, Meredith must trace the whereabouts of Chalky Cobbett, crook and forger.

Soon their interest centres on the Villa Paloma, the residence of Nesta Hedderwick, an eccentric Englishwoman, and her bohemian house guests among them her niece, an artist, and a playboy. Before long, it becomes evident that more than one of the occupants of the Villa Paloma has something to hide, and the stage is set for murder.

This classic crime novel from 1952 evokes all the sunlit glamour of life on the Riviera, and combines deft plotting with a dash of humour.


My Review:
Death on the Riviera is a mystery novel that was originally published in 1952. The first two-thirds of the story covered the hunt for the counterfeit currency criminals. Meredith's assistant spots some vital clues while mooning over a girl. The clever detectives put two and two together and work out who and how. Just as they begin the arrests, though, one of the criminals goes missing and appears to have been killed. Another man commits suicide. Some of the evidence doesn't make sense, so the detectives keep digging until they work out what really happened.

While there were clues and you can guess some things from those clues, the detectives tended to keep critical clues to themselves until they were ready to reveal how everything was done. It's a clever puzzle, though, and the characters were interesting and engaging. The romantic subplot added some fun humor.

There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this intriguing, enjoyable mystery.


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