Death On A Quiet Day

From a British Golden Age author “in a class by himself among detective story writers,” Scotland Yard Inspector Appleby helps a student solve a murder (The Times Literary Supplement). On holiday in the English countryside with his fellow university students, young David Henchman sets out alone for a hike across the moor. But instead of finding tranquil solitude, he stumbles upon a dead body. At first, David suspects suicide—until he spots a stranger on the moor. At the sound of gunfire, David flees for his life. Once Inspector Appleby heads to the moors, it seems as if Scotland Yard’s most respected detective might have the matter in hand. But things go south when Appleby discovers the corpse on the moor has been swapped with another dead body. With the investigation underway, are Appleby and David bound to become victims of some perilous game? Praise for Michael Innes and the Inspector Appleby series “Wickedly witty.” —Daily Mail “As farfetched and literary as Sayers.” —The Cambridge Companion to Crime Fiction

"A final bombshell will leave readers shocked in this brutal, dark, gripping, and sometimes touching tale that is Spencer at her very best. A must-read" - Booklist Starred Review A nameless victim. An unknown killer. An impossible case for Monika Paniatowski. Before she can even begin to track down the killer of the old woman dumped by the lonely canal, Monika Paniatowski needs to find out who she is - and no one seems to know. Even when her daughter Louisa provides the vital clue, it only makes life more difficult, because the Chief Constable - intent on making Paniatowski's life difficult - refused to let her follow the obvious trail. And it is not until there is a second, even more brutal, murder, that Paniatowski realises she will have to call on the help of her old mentor, ex-DCI Charlie Woodend.

Certain settings have long been a common element in British mystery and detective fiction: the quaint village; the country manor; the seaside resort; the streets of London. More than simply providing background, physical setting--in particular the city of London and the British seashore--takes on an added dimension, in a sense becoming a player in the mysteries, one that symbolizes, intensifies, and illuminates aspects of the British mystery novel. The first section examines 18 British mystery novels set in the city of London; the second covers 15 novels set by the sea. The novels span the twentieth century; among the authors whose works are included are Agatha Christie, Graham Greene, G.K. Chesterton and P.D. James. The book includes a short biography and listing of primary works for the authors covered, and appendices offer suggested fiction utilizing the two settings, and critical nonfiction covering the genre.

A guide to series fiction lists popular series, identifies novels by character, and offers guidance on the order in which to read unnumbered series.

A bibliography of various mystery novels published between November 1976 and Fall 1992.

Michael K. Rosenow investigates working people's beliefs, rituals of dying, and the politics of death by honing in on three overarching questions: How did workers, their families, and their communities experience death? Did various identities of class, race, gender, and religion coalesce to form distinct cultures of death for working people? And how did people's attitudes toward death reflect notions of who mattered in U.S. society? Drawing from an eclectic array of sources ranging from Andrew Carnegie to grave markers in Chicago's potter's field, Rosenow portrays the complex political, social, and cultural relationships that fueled the United States' industrial ascent. The result is an undertaking that adds emotional depth to existing history while challenging our understanding of modes of cultural transmission.