Who ever tires of the zany British country house murder?

"But Lavinia, I don't want people staying here," said the Earl. "After the last two house parties, we agreed no more."

"This wouldn't be a house party, George, it's nine guests for one night."

"But the last two times we've had people here it's been disastrous."

"This is quite different. These people are family, not spies and jewel thieves and blackmailers and film stars. And when one occupies an historic house such as Alderley, one cannot shut its doors, because of a few unfortunate incidents."

Lord Burford's misgivings were understandable. After all, the "unfortunate incidents" had been murders. But these people were travelling a long way for the funeral of an elderly relative. There was nowhere else for them to stay in the village, so the Earl really had to offer them accommodations at Alderley, the Burfords' Carolean mansion.

Things started to go wrong when one of guests claimed she had knowledge that would ruin the others' reputations. But nobody took that seriously.

Until, that is, she was found murdered...

Lord Burford had never been so relieved as when Chief Inspector Wilkins arrived. Again!

The Affair of the 39 Cuff Links, lighthearted sequel to The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy and The Affair of the Mutilated Mink, delighfully captures the atmosphere of the 1930s country-house mystery.

Reviews

"Poisoned Pen Press of Scottsdale, Arizona, is another small press that is providing quality mysteries overlooked or ignored by the major houses. Yet, James Anderson's "The Affair of the 39 Cuff Links" (Poisoned Pen Press, 320 pages, $24.95) is a vastly different kind of book from anything Akashic Press is doing. It's a shamelessly affectionate send-up of those classic house-party mysteries of the 1930s which at the same time manages to pay homage to the Golden Age of detective fiction." -The Denver Post

It's a real joy to pick up a book like this in an age where clueless reviewers unwittingly demean the mystery field by proclaiming that such and such author has managed to "transcend the genre" (whatever that means) by exposing the darker side of the human condition. That's great, if you can pull it off, and we're all for it, in limited amounts, but sometimes we yearn for the days when murder mysteries were just plain fun to read.

Anderson understands that need better than any other modern mystery writer. Twenty-odd years ago, he almost single-handedly rekindled an interest in the classic detective story when Avon published his first two Golden Age send-ups as paperback originals. When Poisoned Pen Press reissued those two wonderful titles, The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy ($11.95) and The Affair of the Mutilated Mink ($14.95), a whole new generation of readers fell in love with the English house-party mystery, prompting Anderson to reprise his short-lived series.

And what a delight it is. Given the disastrous events that took place at two earlier parties, you would think that the Earl of Burford would know better than to invite the nine people who are named in the will of the late Honourable Mrs. Florence Saunders to spend the night. One of the guests promptly announces that she knows something that another of the other guests would like kept secret and before you can say Agatha Christie, she's dead and the services of Chief Inspector Wilkins are once again needed. Oh joy, oh what lovely, lovely fun.

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"Many of us learned to love mysteries thanks to the English country house murder. It's a classic -- or a cliche: the big, often isolated, house, the resident aristocrats, their servants and assorted guests. It's a formula that has been abused, but that doesn't mean it should be discarded. The fact that you had a piece of stale cake last week doesn't mean you'll never enjoy dessert again. So I couldn't help a frisson of excitement when I saw this title, a contemporary re-creation of a 1930s story.

We are at Alderly, the historic home of the Earl of Burford, his wife, Lavinia, and daughter Gerry. The occasion is the death of an elderlyrelative, who will be buried in the family plot. As a result, a sundry collection of relatives gather at Alderly for the reading of the will and -- gasp! -- an unpleasant woman ends up dead.

There are plenty of suspects, as several people had reason to dislike the victim. Gerry, the very essence of modern young woman, cannot resist giving the long-suffering Chief Inspector Wilkins a hand in the detecting department.

No doubt this sounds as if you'd read it a dozen times before. But if it's an imitation, it's very skillfully done, and all the loose ends are credibly tied up (yes, even the 39 cufflinks). Read it and have fun." -- Roberta Alexander, Contra Costa Times (4/11/04)

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"The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks is a delightful, traditional English country house mystery. It's chock full of possible suspects - the obligatory Earl and his Lady, a lawyer, an MP, the daughter of the house, the dizzy blonde, and various other charming but suspicious characters, including the very proper butler.

When a cantankerous blackmailing stepmother is smothered, the game's afoot (we encounter the deceased old woman, Florrie, only briefly before she meets her maker). Alderly, the country house, is the scene of the reading of the will, with everyone gathered in high expectations of inheriting gobs of money. Each suspect seems to have a secret they would not like divulged. Would they kill to prevent that from happening?" --BookLoons

The plodding but intelligent police detective Wilkins applies his skills to winkle out the murderer before the guests are permitted to leave Alderly to return to their homes. This is the third in a series by James Anderson and it's a fun read. I can just imagine the enjoyment the author had in writing The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks.

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"Anderson has created the perfect group for a

delightful romp. And romp they do through

a lighthearted tale of family feuds, practical

jokes, lies and a myriad of tantalizing clues sure to entertain anyone who enjoys traditional puzzlers."

- Publishers Weekly