A Rather Difficult Conundrum

by Geoffrey Start

Desperate to emerge from the shadow of his late father, Sir William Fescue – better known as Wispy – sets up his own detective agency in April 1920 along with his friend from the Western Front and fellow gourmand, Strangely, and feisty Oxford graduate and keen entomologist Miss Wanda Cushway.

Flushed with success of their first case in solving the murder of Viscount George Thurmaston, they are plunged headlong into a mission to find Florence, the missing daughter of shipbuilding magnate and ruthless businessman Sir Chester Eastoff.

Ransom notes and gruesome threats are delivered, sparking a race against time which takes Wispy, Strangely and Wanda across England, Scotland, Germany and France in planes, trains, and automobiles. Tracking down a kidnapper is hungry work, though, and they never miss an opportunity to indulge in the local gastronomy.

Will Florence be rescued in time? Will the real culprits be caught and brought to justice? And will Wispy and his agency achieve another success and solve this high-profile case, or was his father right all along?

• ISBN10: 1835740170
• ISBN13: 9781835740170
• Publish Date: 28 July 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: The Book Guild Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

A Rather Difficult Conundrum is a fun cozy historical mystery and the second amateur sleuth adventure featuring "Wispy" Fescue and his cohorts, set in the early interwar golden age by Geoffrey Start. Due out 28th July 2024 from The Book Guild, it's 320 pages and will be 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.

It's a modern effort, written and published currently, but there's a nice verisimilitude with 1920s classic mysteries and there's more than a soupcon of homage to PG Wodehouse, Marsh, and Allingham contained in it. 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 rescue the daughter of a shipping magnate before she comes a cropper.

The whole is delightfully well written and all the moving parts function precisely as intended. In another nod to Marsh, it happens that head sleuth Wispy's wife is a recognised artist who has already been accepted at the Royal Academy exhibition. (Shades of Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn).

There's a great deal of humour throughout, and much lighthearted banter. The author has a tendency toward internal monologue/commentary on pretty much every page, but the rhythm soon fades more or less into the background.

Four stars. Delightful very light fun.

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