Synopses & Reviews
Billed as “the ugliest case that Carolus Deene ever chose to investigate,” Leo Bruces Death of a Bovver Boy finds the redoubtable schoolmaster-turned-detective involved in yet another mystery murder—this time among teenage outcasts and skinheads in rural 1970s England.
When Caroluss housekeeper, stoic Mrs. Stick, announces one evening that her husband has seen the naked body of a youth lying in “a peculiar hunched-up position” in a ditch beside the road, his hair shorn and his wrists slashed, Carolus knows that he has, at last, met the supreme challenge to test his powers of deduction. And this is just the beginning: from this point on, the detective is involved in a lively series of adventures infiltrating Englands provincial underworld and gaining insight into the dead boys unhappy background and surroundings. A rude collection of thugs and punks become involved in the search for the murderer; all are equally dangerous and each might be to blame. Only through his ingenuity and determination to persevere—despite all the forces urging him to the contrary—does Carolus finally solve the mystery.
This is one of Leo Bruces grittiest novels, giving the reader an insight into the milieu of rebellious 1970s England, a world where prejudice was the order of the day and hostility and violence were the only means of survival.
Review
“Typical of [Leo Bruces] polished style are those mysteries solved by Carolus Deene, a haughty history schoolmaster whose ratiocinative instincts quicken in atmospheric settings.” —New York Times Book Review on the Carolus Deene series
Synopsis
Master crime fiction writer Bruce wrote the majority of these stories for the London Evening Standard newspaper, where they appeared between 1950 – 1956. As an exponent of the classic detective novel in its purest form, Bruce is unquestionably in the front rank. Readers can see his extraordinary gift for mystery in these 28 stories, many of which feature the ever popular sleuth Sgt. Beef. The stories are deft and telling, skillfully narrated with economy and point. The best are worthy additions to the canon, elegant, clever and satisfying. “A real treasure trove for devotees of the classic British mystery.” –
Cleveland Plain DealerSynopsis
Murder in Miniature and Other Stories
Leo Bruce
Compiled with an Introduction by B.A. Pike
“The stories are all witty and often perverse.” – Washington Post
“Puzzle fiends who enjoy banging their heads against a good riddle should enjoy (this book) … As cunning as they are economical, these brisk little narratives illustrate clever ways to shed a spouse and ingenious methods for the premature collection of an inheritance.” – Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
Master crime writer Leo Bruce wrote the majority of these tales for the London Evening Standard newspaper, where they appeared between 1950 and 1956. As an exponent of the classic detective novel in its purest form, Bruce is unquestionably in the front rank. These stories complete the oeuvre of a major detective novelist. We can see Bruce’s gift for entertaining dialogue at its peak in this collection. Readers can see his extraordinary gift for mystery: -- he teases, tangles and contrives with cunning. Even the slightest of the stories is deft and telling, skillfully narrated with economy and point. The best are worthy additions to the canon, elegant, clever and satisfying.
There are twenty-eight stories in this book, only two of which were previously collected: ten feature Sergeant Beef, eight feature Sergeant Grebe, and ten have no series character. They add to our knowledge of Sergeant Beef, one of the most colorful of fictional detectives (and one whose full-length cases are too few in number); the introduce a an unexpected second detective, the astute and and resourceful policeman Sergeant Grebe; and they offer a last chance to encounter anew their author’s characteristic wit and ingenuity. Few writers so adroitly avoid the formulaic quality of crime writing by the variety and vitality of their characters.
In praise of Leo Bruce:
“Bruce has a superior eye for detail – his characters are gloriously original.” – New York Daily News
“A real treasure trove for devotees of the classic British mystery.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Leo Bruce has done it again, giving readers a classic mystery where logic reigns, crime doesn’t pay, and the butler didn’t do it.” Kathleen Silvassy, United Press International
“These books are superb examples of classic British mystery.” Newgate Callendar, New York Times Book Review
“ A positive delight awaits readers who have not encountered Sergeant Beef.” Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
Of the 28 stories that comprise this book, only two were previously collected. Ten stories feature the popular sleuth Sgt Beef, eight stories feature Sgt Grebe, and ten stories have no series character. The stories were written in the 1950s for newspapers, but readers will recognize Bruce's gift for entertaining dialogue and characterization. There are brilliant passages in this book, and if mystery fans can only read a few pages a night before going to bed, this is the ultimate night stand book. As the New York Times said, these are "brisk little narratives." Bruce is indeed the pre-eminent author of the classic detective novel, and readers of this story collection will not be disappointed.
Synopsis
As an exponent of the classic detective novel in its pure form, Leo Bruce is unquestionably in the front rank. These stories complete the oeuvre of a major detective novelist. Here Bruce's gift for entertaining dialogue is at its peak, and so is his extraordinary gift for mystery: he teases, tangles and contrives with cunning. Even the slightest of the stories is deft and telling, skillfully narrated, with economy and point. The best are worthy additions to the canon, elegant, clever and satisfying. All but one story in this collection were written for the London Evening Standard, where they appeared between 1950 and 1956. This collection contains twenty-eight stories, only two of which have been previously collected: ten feature Sergeant Beef, eight feature Sergeant Grebe and ten have no series character. They add to our knowledge of Sergeant Beef, one of the most colorful of fictional detectives (and one whose full-length cases are too few in number); they introduce an unexpected second detective, the astute and resourceful policeman, Sergeant Grebe; and they offer a last chance to encounter anew their author's characteristic wit and ingenuity. Few writers so adroitly avoid the formulaic quality of crime writing by the variety and vitality of their characters.
About the Author
Leo Bruce is the nom de plume of Rupert Croft-Cooke, who wrote some 125 mysteries, biographies and memoirs. He died in 1980. There are twenty-two mysteries featuring Deene, of which Academy Chicago has already published eleven. Death at Hallows End starts the new hardcover series. The remaining novels will be published over the next several seasons. First published in 1964, Death at Hallows End—like all Carolus Deene novels—appears in the U.S. for the first time under an American imprint. Vincent Panella has been a reporter and freelance magazine writer. He teaches writing at Vermont Law School.