The Cornish Coast Murder

by John Bude, Martin Edwards (Introduction)

Overview

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder

"The combination of bracing Cornish cliffs and seascapes with cozy interiors and a cerebral mystery makes this one of the most deservedly resurrected titles in the British Library Crime Classics series." —Booklist STARRED review

'Never, even in his most optimistic moments, had he visualised a scene of this nature—himself in one armchair, a police officer in another, and between them a mystery.'

The Reverend Dodd, vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen, spends his evenings reading detective stories by the fireside—but heaven forbid that the shadow of any real crime should ever fall across his seaside parish. The vicar's peace is shattered one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, a secretive and ill-tempered magistrate, is found at his house in Boscawen with a bullet through his head.

The local police inspector is baffled by the complete absence of clues. Luckily for Inspector Bigswell, the Reverend Dodd is on hand, and ready to put his keen understanding of the criminal mind to the test.

This classic mystery novel of the golden age of British crime fiction is set against the vividly described backdrop of a fishing village on Cornwall's Atlantic coast. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s with an introduction by award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781464206528
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Series:	British Library Crime Classics
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	849,707
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

JOHN BUDE was the pseudonym of Ernest Elmore (1901–1957), an author of the golden age of crime fiction. Elmore was a cofounder of the Crime Writers' Association, and worked in the theatre as a producer and director.

JOHN BUDE was the pseudonym of Ernest Elmore (1901–1957), an author of the golden age of crime fiction. Elmore was a cofounder of the Crime Writers' Association, and worked in the theatre as a producer and director.

Table of Contents

Introduction
 
1. Murder!
 
2. The Undrawn Curtains
 
3. The Puzzle of the Footprints
 
4. Strange Behaviour of Ruth Tregarthan
 
5. The Inspector Forms a Theory
 
6. The Missing Revolver
 
7. Conversation at the Vicarage
 
8. Was It Ronald Hardy?
 
9. Collaboration?
 
10. The Single Shot
 
11. Theft from the Body
 
12. The Open Window
 
13. Coroner’s Inquest
 
14. The Note
 
15. Cowper Makes a Statement
 
16. The Vicar Makes an Experiment
 
17. Enter Ronald Hardy
 
18. Perfect Alibi
 
19. Reunion
 
20. The Little Greystroke Tailor
 
21. The Mystery Solved
 
22. Confession
 
23. The Vicar Explains

Editorial Reviews

11/03/2014
Ernest Elmore (1901–57), under the pseudonym John Bude, takes readers to the Cornish village of Boscawen where the vicar, Reverend Dodd, a reader and fan of mystery stories, finds himself in the middle of an actual mystery. When Julius Tregarthan is found shot in the head, the local police are completely puzzled and are unable to find any clues in his house. Fortunately, they have Reverend Dodd to help them solve the mystery. Vivid descriptions of the Cornish coast, a realistic cast of characters, and a mesmerizing plot make this a timeless story that exhibits all the characteristics of a cozy mystery as appealing today as it was when originally published in 1935. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

The British Library has an interesting sideline in republishing neglected books by forgotten authors. This is the first of thirty detective stories by John Bude, a crime novelist not so much forgotten by contemporary readers as never heard of in the first place, which is a pity, because his books are good examples of the straightforward murder mysteries from the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of crime writing. . . . Bude’s books . . . are easy-reading period pieces that deserve to be revived.

Literary Review

John Bude is a welcome addition to an exciting explosion of classic crime reprints from a variety of independent presses and the British Library seems to be leading the way in discovering forgotten writers well worth reading. You’d do well to acquaint yourself with his entertaining mysteries.

Pretty Sinister Books

A very entertaining mystery, a fairly quick and enjoyable read. . . . It is good to have Bude’s work brought back into print.

Classic Mysteries blog

"The combination of bracing Cornish cliffs and seascapes with cozy interiors and a cerebral mystery makes this one of the most deservedly resurrected titles in the British Library Crime Classics series. With an introduction by modern British crime writer Martin Edwards." (starred review)

Booklist - Connie Fletcher

"I read this novel at one sitting. Can there be any higher recommendation than that?"

Eric Reed Mysteries - Mary Reed

It's a delightful mystery.

Bookloons - Mary Ann Smyth

A great summer read, which kept me hooked throughout.

NetGalley - Kirsty H

Yet another marvelous British Library Crime Classic!~~~This time a sleuthing Clergyman gets to the bottom of a murder mystery when the police are baffled.~~~Put me in mind of Father Brown mysteries.~~~Great read and very highly recommended.

NetGalley - Eileen Hall

I liked the main characters, though, so it was a fun read.

Genre Reviews - Deborah White

2016-07-19
The British Library Crime Classics’ latest blast from the past—this time more of a light squall—is this decorous, conscientiously plotted 1935 whodunit by pseudonymous Ernest Carpenter Elmore (1901-1957).The Rev. Dodd’s weekly session with his old friend Dr. Pendrill to sip sherry and argue about faith and reason is interrupted by some untimely news. Julius Tregarthan has been shot to death inside Greylings, the home he shared with his niece, Ruth, and his servants, Cowper and Mrs. Cowper. Whoever killed him, the vicar and the doctor conclude, must have been a rotten shot, for it took three widely spaced bullets to bring him down. Despite the tiny size of the coastal village of Boscawen, there’s no shortage of suspects, for nearly everyone Tregarthan knew—his distracted niece; her rumored sweetheart, local novelist Ronald Hardy; and the Cowpers—seems to have quarreled with him during the few days before his death. Although the evidence Inspector Bigswell turns up implicates one suspect after another, each new conversation discloses as much exculpatory as incriminating evidence, and even ne’er-do-well poacher Ned Salter is able to prove an unlikely alibi. How can the inspector account for the maze of footprints outside the room? What’s become of the murder weapon? And who is the mysterious “M.L.” who wrote to Tregarthan years ago refusing his money and vowing to keep mum? The inspector plows through layer after layer of evidence, but it’s the vicar who’ll carry off detecting honors. A golden-age mystery reminiscent of Freeman Wills Crofts and Ronald Knox that’s guaranteed to keep you guessing and second-guessing, though the final payoff falls well short of the buildup.

Kirkus Reviews