The Biscuit Barrel Murder

by Geoffrey Start

Wispy Fescue runs a detective agency with his colleagues, Strangely Drye and Miss Wanda Cushway. They’ve had a few unlikely successes, but recently there’s been a conspicuous lack of wires looking for their services. If they’re ever to make a name for themselves, they need a high-profile case – and soon.

Wispy’s chance presents itself with the conviction of Miss Josephine Leighton, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Lewisham West, who is found guilty of murdering her fiancé in a preposterous miscarriage of justice. He and his colleagues are tasked with finding crucial evidence to overturn the conviction. Their mission takes them from Norfolk across England and over the Channel, and they take every opportunity to indulge in the local gastronomy on their travels.

With only thirteen days until the sentencing, can Wispy find the real killer and save Josephine from the hangman’s noose?

• ISBN10: 1915352584
• ISBN13: 9781915352583
• Publish Date: 28 January 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: The Book Guild Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Biscuit Barrel Murder is a jolly cosy mystery and ripping amateur sleuth adventure set in the early interwar golden age by debut author Geoffrey Start. Released 24th Jan 2023 by The Book Guild, it's 293 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

Although a modern production, there's an impressive verisimilitude and it truly reads as though it could've been written in 1920. The main protagonist is a minor noble, one Sir William "Wispy" Fescue who, along with his lady wife and a pair of friends manage to track down stolen prize cattle, works of art, and in the latest adventure, hopefully save a local well heeled young woman from the hangman's noose who's been convicted of murdering her fiancé, Viscount Thurmaston.

The whole is delightfully well written and all the moving parts function precisely as intended. Although it's not derivative, it *is* very much an homage to the beloved departed classicists of the Golden Age, specifically Marsh and Allingham. It even happens that head sleuth Wispy's wife is a recognised artist who has already been accepted at the Royal Academy exhibition and is in line for a potential second honour. 

There's a great deal of humour throughout, and much lighthearted banter. It's strongly foreshadowed that there's a potential series in the offing, and that's a wonderful prospect. 

Four and a half stars. Delightful fun.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.