Lord Burford had some serious misgivings about hosting yet another house party at Alderley. After all, the previous two could, at best, be described as disastrous. But with family members travelling down for the funeral of an elderly relative, the Earl really had no choice but to offer accommodation. It did not take long for things to go wrong even before a body was found. For readers who want the twist in the tale to be as elegant as a well-tied cravat, it would be criminal to miss The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks.
Lord Burford had some misgivings about hosting another house party. At the last two parties, a couple of guests had been bumpedoff. But his guests need somewhere to stay, so he doesn't have much choice. Things soon start to go wrong.
The Earl of Burford hosts a collection of relatives who have arrived for the funeral of an elderly relative, but the murder of a guest (and potential blackmailer) embroils them all in Chief Inspector Wilkins's investigation.
'A triumph of ingenuity. Excellent escapism' Sunday Telegraph - The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg cozy The theft of the diamond necklace and the antique pistols might all be explained, but the body in the lake - that really was a puzzle. For Inspector Wilkins, it was going to take some intricate sleuthing to uncover who killed whom and why. - The Affair of the Mutilated Mink An impromtu Hollywood party at the Alderley country estateprove too much for the family's butler, Merryweather. And that's before the murder in the middle of the night... - The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks When Lord Burford reluctantly agrees to host his relatives at Alderley, he soon finds out that family can be murder. It isn't long before Inspector Wilkins has to be called in ... yet again. 'If you half-close your eyes you can almost smell Poirot or Miss Marple shuffling through the pages' Daily Sport
The Earl of Burford can't believe his luck; Rex Ransom, his favourite star from the 'talkies', and his hot-shot producer, Haggermeir, want to film their next feature at Alderley, the family's seventeenth-century country estate. Somewhat less enthusiastic is the Countess, who suddenly finds herself hosting an impromptu house party for the incoming Hollywood crowd. It's almost too much for poor Merryweather, the family's imperturbable butler, to cope with. And that's before there's a murder in the dead of night. By morning Inspector Wilkins of the Westshire Constabulary is cast in the unlikely role of hero, as he tiptoes through the evidence and endeavours to unravel the slightly batty, thoroughly baffling mystery.and work out just what a mutilated mink coat has to do with anything.
The theft of the diamond necklace and the antique pistols might all be explained, but the body in the lake is particularly puzzling. 'Don't expect me to solve anything,' Inspector Wilkins announces modestly when he arrives to sort out the unpleasantness. And at a gathering that includes English aristocracy, foreign agents in disguise, a ravishing baroness, a daring jewel thief, a Texan millionaire and, of course, the redoubtable butler, it would take some intricate sleuthing to uncover who killed whom and why. For whodunnit fans who prefer their villains to be nice and refined people, the sort who quote Shakespeare and knock off their nearest and dearest between rubbers of bridge, The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg cozy is a delectable treat.
A completely revised edition of the essential manual for dressing—and feeling—your very best, featuring Esquire's signature wit and humor and 200+ photos and illustrations Expert menswear and grooming advice for young and experienced professionals—from building a wardrobe and discerning clothing quality to self-expression through fashion Style is a way of speaking to the world. Like it or not, what you wear and how you wear it matters. In this best-selling guide from the editors of Esquire, you’ll learn how to hone your personal style—and even have some fun while you’re at it. In this pocket-sized handbook, style-minded individuals will find expert advice on how to: Buy suits and other formal wear for their immediate and long-term needs Navigate an increasingly dressed-down world while still looking your absolute best Accessorize and style your clothes to level up your outfits Choose the right clothes for all shapes and sizes and how to make grooming choices to look your best Play with previously gendered pieces like pearl necklaces and embrace genderless dressing trends Define menswears trends like Gorpcore, Normcore and Stealth Wealth and decide if they are worth investing in Determine quality and identify different fabrics and materials Care for you clothes so they last Build a wardrobe and signature style with foundational pieces (a white tee is a must) and standout pieces you love Throughout readers will find style icons—including classics like Frank Sinatra and George Clooney, and new tastemakers like Donald Glover, Travis Kelce, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Harry Styles, and ASAP Rocky—who demonstrate great taste and original personal expression. Visually bold with hundreds of photos and illustrations, this sophisticated reference book is the ideal gift for fashion enthusiasts.
HISTORICAL MYSTERIES. Included in this omnibus edition is The affair of the bloodstained egg cosy, Mutilated mink, and Thirty-nine cufflinks. A charming and quirky blend of Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse and Nancy Mitford. A delightful take on the 1930s country house mystery.
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE FINALIST • From the award-winning, internationally bestselling Spanish author of A Heart So White comes an immersive, provocative novel propelled by a seemingly random murder. "Sometimes startling, sometimes hilarious, and always intelligent ... Marías [has] a penetrating empathy."—The New York Times Book Review Each day before work María Dolz stops at the same café. There she finds herself drawn to a couple who is also there every morning. Observing their seemingly perfect life helps her escape the listlessness of her own. But when the man is brutally murdered and María approaches the widow to offer her condolences, what began as mere observation turns into an increasingly complicated entanglement. Invited into the widow's home, she meets—and falls in love with—a man who sheds disturbing new light on the crime. As María recounts this story, we are given a murder mystery brilliantly encased in a metaphysical enquiry, a novel that grapples with questions of love and death, chance and coincidence, and above all, with the slippery essence of the truth and how it is told.
Includes the stories “The Body” and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine A “hypnotic” (The New York Times Book Review) collection of four novellas—including the inspirations behind the films Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption—from Stephen King, bound together by the changing of seasons, each taking on the theme of a journey with strikingly different tones and characters. This gripping collection begins with “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” in which an unjustly imprisoned convict seeks a strange and startling revenge—the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award-nominee The Shawshank Redemption. Next is “Apt Pupil,” the inspiration for the film of the same name about top high school student Todd Bowden and his obsession with the dark and deadly past of an older man in town. In “The Body,” four rambunctious young boys plunge through the façade of a small town and come face-to-face with life, death, and intimations of their own mortality. This novella became the movie Stand By Me. Finally, a disgraced woman is determined to triumph over death in “The Breathing Method.” “The wondrous readability of his work, as well as the instant sense of communication with his characters, are what make Stephen King the consummate storyteller that he is,” hailed the Houston Chronicle about Different Seasons.
