A Brush with Death: A Susie Mahl Mystery

by Ali Carter

Overview

‘A delicious new voice in crime writing... Excellent on the English aristocracy and written in a fine wry style.’ Daily Mail

‘Absorbing, charming and funny.’ Antonia Fraser

Agatha Christie meets Downton Abbey in this delightful new series introducing pet portraitist and amateur super-sleuth, Susie Mahl

In the village of Spire, murder is afoot. Rich landowner Alexander, 9th Earl of Greengrass is caught with his trousers down in the village graveyard before meeting a gruesome end.

Luckily Susie Mahl happens to be on hand. With her artist’s eye for detail and her curious nature she is soon on the scent of the murderer...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786072764
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	07/10/2018
Series:	A Pet Detective Mystery Series
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Ali Carter was born in Scotland and read art history at St Andrews. There followed an eclectic career in investment management, retail and technology; then in 2011 she had a catastrophic cycling accident. After major brain surgery and a long recovery, Ali set herself a challenge to walk alone from Canterbury to Rome, a three-month pilgrimage she wrote about in her book, An Accidental Jubilee by Alice Warrender. From then she decided to follow her passion and become a fine artist, specialising in oil paintings from life with an emphasis on colour. Ali works from her studio in East Sussex and also draws pet portraits to commission. A Brush with Death is her first novel.

What People are Saying About This

Foreword Reviews

‘Animal lovers, Anglophiles, and fans of humorous, socially observant whodunits will look forward to the next Susie Mahl mystery.’

Daily Mail

'A delicious new voice in crime writing... Excellent on the English aristocracy and written in a fine wry style.'

author of The Seven Ruth Dudley Edwards

'This is a crime novel for mystery fans sick of gore and sexual violence. Just curl up and lose yourself happily in this world of animals and toffs – closely observed by a beady-eyed artist turned amateur sleuth who realises all is not as innocent as it looks and is determined to do something about it.'

Piers Morgan

'A riveting, charming and very funny new crime series from the fabulously talented Ali Carter.'

author of The Robert Amiss Mysteries Ruth Dudley Edwards

'This is a crime novel for mystery fans sick of gore and sexual violence.Just curl up and lose yourself happily in this world of animals and toffs – closely observed by a beady-eyed artist turned amateur sleuth who realises all is not as innocent as it looks and is determined to do something about it.'

Antonia Fraser

'Absorbing, charming and funny, A Brush With Death heralds a fresh and welcome new voice in crime writing. Susie Mahl is also a welcome new detective: witty, warm and very inquisitive.'

Interviews

'The first book in a promising new series will remind you of Downton Abbey and Miss Marple, except that this Miss M is a pet portraitist with a penchant for rather expensive underwear, and it's purely for her own pleasure.'

Editorial Reviews

05/28/2018
One summer weekend, while visiting the Earl and Countess of Greengrass at Beckenstale Manor in Dorset, pet portrait artist Susie Mahl, the narrator of British author Carter’s auspicious debut, meets Ben and Antonia Codrington, who commission her to paint a picture of Situp, the couple’s deerhound. The day of her planned departure, on a walk with Situp in the village of Spire, Susie and the Codringtons come across a shocking scene—the 75-year-old earl lying dead just outside the local church, an apparent heart attack victim. Lady Greengrass asks Susie to stay, and one more night turns into several. When the police determine that the earl was murdered, Susie takes it on herself to identify the culprit. Susie pays close attention to the relationships among the Beckenstale residents, in particular the countess’s with her son and the wife she thinks beneath him. Surprising bequests from the earl’s will and arcane inheritance rules create complications. Animal lovers, Anglophiles, and fans of humorous, socially observant whodunits will look forward to the next Susie Mahl mystery. (July)

Publishers Weekly

'A riveting, charming and very funny new crime series from the fabulously talented Ali Carter.'

Piers Morgan

‘A Brush with Death is a perfectly English mystery, with an abundance of all the right jokes, details, and muddy dogs. Author Ali Carter’s first book is a lovely romp and shows promise for a wonderful tongue-in-cheek mystery series.’

Foreword Reviews

'The first book in a promising new series will remind you of Downton Abbey and Miss Marple, except that this Miss M is a pet portraitist with a penchant for rather expensive underwear, and it's purely for her own pleasure.'

Bookbag

‘Fans of country-house cozies will delight in this series debut.’

Booklist

'An entertaining read, and one that had me up to the wee small hours.'

Crimesquad

‘A Brush with Death is the first in a charming new series about pet portraitist and amateur sleuth Susie Mahl.’

Crime Reads

'A delicious new voice in crime writing... Excellent on the English aristocracy and written in a fine wry style.'

Daily Mail

'This is a crime novel for mystery fans sick of gore and sexual violence. Just curl up and lose yourself happily in this world of animals and toffs – closely observed by a beady-eyed artist turned amateur sleuth who realises all is not as innocent as it looks and is determined to do something about it.'

author of The Robert Amiss Mysteries Ruth Dudley Edwards

‘Carter is a fresh and welcome new voice in crime writing and Susie Mahl a very different new detective.’

Crime Review

'Brilliantly enjoyable; coolly observed.'

The Tablet

‘A Brush with Death is a charming and amusing murder mystery. It contains great character observations and is written with humour. She brings to life the world of the aristocracy and everything that goes with it. A pleasant change from the dark Norwegian Noir genre. It is definitely a book to take on holiday.’

Country Wives

'Absorbing, charming and funny, A Brush With Death heralds a fresh and welcome new voice in crime writing. Susie Mahl is also a welcome new detective: witty, warm and very inquisitive.'

Antonia Fraser

‘Fans of country-house cozies will delight in this series debut.’

Booklist

'A delicious new voice in crime writing... Excellent on the English aristocracy and written in a fine wry style.'

Daily Mail

06/01/2018
Susie Mahl's popularity as a pet portraitist means she's welcome at the homes of rich British landowners. She's staying in the village of Spire, when wealthy Alexander, Earl of Greengrass, is found dead in the church's graveyard. Alexander's widow, Diana, asks Susie to stay with her while they await the cause of death, and shockingly the police announce that the 75-year-old man was murdered. Susie's convinced she'll solve the case with the combination of her obsessive observation skills and her "nosy parker instincts." VERDICT As a contemporary homage to British Golden Age mysteries, this slow-paced debut mystery has an old-fashioned air; its rich details on the British leisure class may interest fans of Downton Abbey and G.M. Malliet's "Max Tudor" mysteries, but the egocentric amateur sleuth's fixation on her French lingerie seems out of place.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Library Journal

2018-04-16
An English pet portraitist uses her keen perspective to probe the mysterious death of one of her rich customers.Though she doesn't come from wealth herself, Susie Mahl is all too acquainted with what title, family, and some money bring. In her job as a pet portrait artist, she rubs elbows with many of Spire's oldest and most well-established families, whose word of mouth is vital to her business. She got the commission to paint Antonia Codrington's deerhound, Situp, through her well-received portrait of a dog named Harriet some years ago. And her mastery of the niceties has made her a regular feature at Beckenstale Manor, where Lord and Lady Greengrass—Alexander and Diana—Harriet's family, hold court. While getting to know Situp for his close-up, Susie is summoned to Diana's side when Alexander suddenly dies on the local church grounds. Diana seeks Susie's steadiness and support as she navigates the details of the will with her son and daughter-in-law, Arthur and Asquintha. Well understanding Diana's inability to speak her mind about Asquintha's fitness to take on the title and the responsibilities that will now fall on her as Diana's rule at Beckenstale comes to an end, Susie takes on the unusual role of ad hoc lady-in-waiting, navigating Diana's world while learning all about the associated help. Already overwhelmed by the minutiae of Alexander's will, Susie scarcely knows how to react when it comes out that Alexander's death may have been foul play. If only she can transition from pet portrait artist to detective, with an eye on both upstairs and downstairs, she may be the one who learns the truth about what happened to Alexander.The heroine's uniquely comprehensive view of both the wealthy and their help is squandered in a debut more interested in expounding the details of estate law than going beyond the predictable.

Kirkus Reviews

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