G.M. Malliet

Newly returned from investigating a murder in Monkslip-super-Mare, handsome Max Tudor wants nothing more than to settle back into his predictable routine as vicar of St. Edwold's Church in the village of Nether Monkslip. But the flow of his sermon on Bathsheba is interrupted when the lady of the local manor house is found in a suicide pact with her young lover. Lady Duxter's husband rallies quickly from the double tragedy - too quickly, it is murmured in the village. Lord Duxter has already offered his manor house to a motley crew of writers, including Max's wife Awena, for his writers' retreat, and he insists the show must go on. But when a young girl goes missing and a crime writer becomes a target, DCI Cotton asks Max to lend his MI5 expertise to the investigation. Many suspects emerge as the scope of the investigation widens beyond the writers to villagers who had crossed swords with the insufferably smug crime author. But Max begins to wonder: was the attack on the writer only part of a broader conspiracy of silence? Praise for G. M. Malliet: 'G.M. Malliet has brought the village cosy into the twenty first century.' Charles Todd 'There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth... Malliet delivers all that.' New York Times Book Review 'G. M. Malliet has crafted the English village of our dreams.' Charlaine Harris

In Prior's Wood

Even though Max's calling led him to become a vicar, his past life as a spy catches up with him . . . Max receives the call for help when the body of glamorous film star Margot Browne is washed ashore at Monkslip-super-Mare. George, his former boss in the secret service, tells Max a former colleague, Patrice Logan, has asked MI5 for help - particularly, Max's help. It's a perfect 'closed circle' murder since victim Margot must have been killed by one of the group of actors, stylists, scriptwriters and other hangers-on aboard the yacht they were cruising on. Patrice suspects the yacht's owner, a playboy film director she's been keeping tabs on for smuggling, but Max isn't so sure. Max and DCI Cotton interview the suspects as they lounge about on one of the luxury hotels dotting the waterfront. Tipped by the playboy director, Max uncovers the truth about the star's life and death. But would Margot kill - or be killed - to keep her lurid past firmly in the past? Praise for G.M. Malliet: 'Rarely have I read descriptions that have left me gasping, in both their hilarity and their painful truth.' Louise Penny 'G.M. Malliet has brought the village cosy into the twenty first century.' Charles Todd 'There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth... Malliet delivers all that.' New York Times Book Review

Devil's Breath

Book 3 in the Agatha Award-Winning Series St. Michael's College, Cambridge, is prestigious, stately-and in frightful disrepair. To replenish its dwindling coffers, the College's Master holds a fundraising weekend for wealthy alums. But all goes awry when the glamorous—and despised—Lexy Laurant is found strangled on the grounds. There's a lengthy list of likely suspects: Lexy's debt-ridden Latino lover, her titled ex-husband who left her for another woman, and a garrulous oil-rich Texan with something to hide, among others. As Detective Chief Inspector St. Just weighs clashing egos, he discovers unsavory secrets...and a most shocking twist. Praise: "This third in the series is every bit as good as its predecessors. Longtime cozy fans will be reminded of Golden Age classics starring Dorothy Sayers' Harriet Vane and Edmund Crispin's Gervase Fen."—Booklist (starred review) "G.M. Malliet presents a meticulous novel with sophistication and uncomplicated restraint. She keeps mystery fans guessing without thrusting overwhelming or unnecessary detail into her well-researched scenes."—ForeWord "Fans of Dorothy Sayers's novels and other Golden Age British mysteries will enjoy this contemporary salute, which even includes the traditional gathering of suspects at the end when the detective reveals all."—Library Journal "A witty third cozy."—Publishers Weekly "It certainly shouldn't be missed."—Reviewing the Evidence

Death at the Alma Mater

A humorous cozy set in the picturesque surroundings of Cornwall starring Cambridge DCI Arthur St. Just and his fiance Portia De'Ath. To celebrate their engagement, DCI Arthur St. Just and Portia De'Ath visit the quiet village of Maidsfell in Cornwall. Upon arriving they find the villagers in an uproar over plans to redevelop the local seafront. The fishermen want to build a new slipway to aid their business, but many residents worry it will spoil the view for the tourists who help drive the economy. After a heated village meeting on the issue, St. Just overhears an argument involving Lord Bodwally - an unpopular aristocrat staunchly opposed to the plans. Later, Bodwally's lifeless body is discovered. It's murder. Although Bodwally was disliked, who'd go so far as to kill him? St. Just, although an outsider from Cambridge, feels compelled to help local authorities investigate. Is Bodwally's death linked to the seafront, his suspect business dealings, or a secret from the past? One thing is certain, the fallout threatens to change Maidsfell forever . . .

Death in Cornwall

Book 2 in the Agatha Award-Winning Series Cold-blooded murder is, like, totally un-cool As the wildly successful darling of the publishing industry, chick lit mystery writer Kimberlee Kalder is the guest of honor at an exclusive writers' conference at Dalmorton Castle in Scotland. But jealousy and resentment are soon replaced with shock when Kimberlee is found dead at the bottom of the castle's bottle dungeon. Who didn't want to see prima donna Kimberlee brutally extinguished like one of her ill-fated characters? It's up to Detective Chief Inspector St. Just to track down the true killer in a castle full of cagey mystery connoisseurs who live and breathe malicious murder and artful alibis... Praise: Named a Best Book of 2009 by Deadly Pleasures "[In] her superior second cozy, Malliet's satirical take on the mystery scene is spot-on."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Malliet excels at stylish writing very reminiscent of the golden age of British mysteries. A real find for old-school mystery fans."—Booklist (starred review) "An absolutely delicious skewering of the world of mystery publishing and its none-too-savory denizens, Death and the Lit Chick is even wittier and more skillfully constructed than her Agatha Award-winning Death of a Cozy Writer."—Denver Post "Delicious. Malliet is laugh-out-loud funny in describing the cadre of crime writers encountered by the sometimes-flustered St. Just."—Mystery Scene "An entertaining diversion"—Kirkus Reviews "A good choice for readers who enjoy intelligent cozies and traditional mysteries."—Library Journal "Readers who enjoy all things British, as well as a good whodunit, will find these novels just the ticket."—Free Lance-Star "The writing is A+—smooth, clever (in the good sense) and a pleasure to read."—Cozy Library "Death and the Lit Chick shows why classics never go out of style...Malliet belongs on your bookshelf."—Reviewing the Evidence "Malliet's old-fashioned style is reminiscent of the traditional whodunits of the past... but with a distinctly humorous flair. The book is a clever mystery as well as a witty satire." —Vickie Britton at Suite 101

Death and the Lit Chick

Wildly successful chick lit mystery writer Kimberlee Kalder is the guest of honour at an exclusive writers’ conference at Dalmorton Castle in Scotland. But the fun ends when Kimberlee is found dead at the bottom of the castle’s bottle dungeon. Who didn’t want to see prima donna Kimberlee brutally extinguished like one of her ill-fated characters? It’s up to Detective Chief Inspector St. Just to track down the true killer in a castle full of cagey mystery connoisseurs who live and breathe malicious murder and artful alibis . . .

Winner of the 2008 Agatha Award for Best First Novel From deep in the heart of his eighteenth century English manor, millionaire Sir Adrian Beauclerk-Fisk writes mystery novels and torments his four spoiled children with threats of disinheritance. Tiring of this device, the portly patriarch decides to weave a malicious twist into his well-worn plot. Gathering them all together for a family dinner, he announces his latest blow—a secret elopement with the beautiful Violet...who was once suspected of murdering her husband. Within hours, eldest son and appointed heir Ruthven is found cleaved to death by a medieval mace. Since Ruthven is generally hated, no one seems too surprised or upset—least of all his cold-blooded wife Lillian. When Detective Chief Inspector St. Just is brought in to investigate, he meets with a deadly calm that goes beyond the usual English reserve. And soon Sir Adrian himself is found slumped over his writing desk—an ornate knife thrust into his heart. Trapped amid leering gargoyles and stone walls, every member of the family is a likely suspect. Using a little Cornish brusqueness and brawn, can St. Just find the killer before the next-in-line to the family fortune ends up dead? Death of a Cozy Writer was chosen by Kirkus Reviews as a Best Book of 2008, nominated for a Left Coast Crime award (the Hawaii Five-O for best police procedural), short-listed for the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery, nominated for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the David G. Sasher, Sr. Award for Best Mystery Novel. Praise: "Fans of English detective work will welcome Malliet's droll debut, the first in a new series."—Publishers Weekly "Malliet's debut combines devices from Christie and Clue to keep you guessing until the dramatic denouement."—Kirkus Reviews "Malliet's skillful debut demonstrates the sophistication one would expect of a much more established writer. I'm looking forward to her next genre-bender, Death and the Lit Chick."—Mystery Scene "Almost every sentence is a polished, malicious gem, reminiscent of Robert Barnard...the book is perfect for the lover of the classical detective story or the fan of great sentences."—Deadly Pleasures "In her series debut, Malliet, who won a Malice Domestic Grant to write this novel, lays the foundation for an Agatha Christie—like murder mystery."—Library Journal "An affectionate homage to the Golden Age of British crime fiction by a skilled writer rapidly attracting attention."—The Sherbrook Record "This tale cleverly adds modern touches to an Agatha Christie style classic house mystery."—Mystery Women Magazine "Wicked, witty and full of treats!"—Peter Lovesey, recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Crime Writer's Association and Malice Domestic "The traditional British cozy is alive and well. Delicious. I was hooked from the first paragraph."—Rhys Bowen, award-winning author of Her Royal Spyness "Death of a Cozy Writer is a romp, a classic tale of family dysfunction in a moody and often humourous English country house setting."—Louise Penny, author of the award-winning Armand Gamache series of murder mysteries "The connections made by St. Just are nothing short of Sherlock Holmes at his most coherent. A most excellent first mystery!"—Midwest Book Review

Death of a Cozy Writer

Beg, borrow . . . or kill! St. Michael’s College, Cambridge, is prestigious, stately – and in frightful disrepair. To replenish its dwindling coffers, the College’s Master holds a fundraising weekend for wealthy alums. But all goes awry when the glamorous – and despised – Lexy Laurant is found strangled on the grounds. There’s a lengthy list of likely suspects: Lexy’s debt-ridden Latino lover, her titled ex-husband who left her for another woman, and a garrulous oil-rich Texan with something to hide, among others. As Detective Chief Inspector St. Just weighs clashing egos, he discovers unsavoury secrets . . . and a shocking twist.

Something sinister is stirring at Totleigh Hall, the imposing manor house dominating the village of Nether Monkslip. Usually, the lord and lady of the manor are absent for most of the year, but this year they have been in residence for some weeks now, and the villagers are hoping for a return to the good old days, when the lord of the manor sprinkled benefits across the village like fairy dust, building roads and repairing bridges and donating money to the upkeep of St Edwold's, while hosting splendid dinners at the Hall to which the vicar and the village doctor were invited by right and tradition. Max Tudor's own invitation comes as a welcome novelty; it will be his first time meeting the famous family that once held sway in the area. The fact that they were famous for their eccentricities only adds to their appeal for the Anglican priest. But before he has time to starch his clerical collar and organize a babysitter, a sudden and suspicious death intervenes, and the handsome vicar's talent for sorting through clues to solve a murder is once again called into play... Praise for G.M. Malliet: 'Rarely have I read descriptions that have left me gasping, in both their hilarity and their painful truth.' Louise Penny 'G.M. Malliet has brought the village cosy into the twenty first century... Wicked Autumn is a refreshing read for everyone who loves a really good murder.' Charles Todd 'There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth... Malliet delivers all that.' New York Times Book Review

The Haunted Season

Max Tudor has adapted well to his post as vicar of St Edwold's in the idyllic village of Nether Monkslip. The quiet village seems the perfect home for Max, who has fled a harrowing past as an MI5 agent. Now he has sound a measure of peace among urban escapees and yoga practitioners, artists and crafters and New Agers. But this new-found serenity is quickly shattered when the highly vocal and unpopular president of the Women's Institute turns up dead at the Harvest Fayre. The death looks like an accident but Max's training as a former agent kicks in, and before long he suspects foul play... In Wicked Autumn, G M Malliet serves up an irresistible English village - deliciously skewered - a flawed but engaging protagonist and a brilliantly modern version of the traditional locked room mystery. Praise for G.M.Maillet's Max Tudor series: 'G M Malliet has brought the village cosy into the twenty first century... Wicked Autumn is a refreshing read for everyone who loves a really good murder.'Charles Todd.

Wicked Autumn

Lord Lislelivet has a talent for making enemies – so not even his wife is surprised when it emerges someone has tried to poison him. What is surprising is that the poison is discovered in a fruitcake made by the Handmaids of St Lucy of Monksbury Abbey. The powerful lord complains to his local bishop who asks Father Max Tudor, vicar of Nether Monkslip and former M!5 agent, to investigate. But the bishop has an additional concern: allegations have been made that the nuns have mishandled funds raised by wealthy Americans to expand their guesthouse. And now those irate patrons have descended on the abbey, along with Lord Lislelivet, to do some sleuthing of their own. And just as Max comes to believe the poisoning was accidental, a body is discovered in the cloister well... Praise for G M Malliet ‘A superb novel, a wonderful read.’ Louise Penny ‘G M Malliet has brought the village cosy into the twenty first century... Wicked Autumn is a refreshing read for everyone who loves a really good murder.’ Charles Todd ‘There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth... Malliet delivers all that.’ New York Times Book Review

A Demon Summer

In A Fatal Winter, Max Tudor, Anglican priest, former MI5 agent and village heart throb, investigates two deaths at Chedrow Castle. But his growing attraction to Awena Owen complicates his case, as does the recent arrival at Chedrow Castle of a raucous group of long-lost, greedy relatives, any one of whom has a motive for murder. With a bucolic village setting and glamorous priest doing the sleuthing, the books in this series are destined to become instant classics! Praise for G.M.Maillet's Max Tudor series: 'Rarely have I read descriptions that have left me gasping, in both their hilarity and their painful truth.' Louise Penny. 'There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth . . . Malliet delivers all that.' New York Times.

G.M. Malliet

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