Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"An absorbing head-scratcher." --Booklist
In the seeming tranquility of Regency Square in Cheltenham live the diverse inhabitants of its ten houses. One summer's evening, the square's rivalries and allegiances are disrupted by a sudden and unusual death--an arrow to the head, shot through an open window at no. 6.
Unfortunately for the murderer, an invitation to visit had just been sent by the crime writer Aldous Barnet, staying with his sister at no. 8, to his friend Superintendent Meredith. Three days after his arrival, Meredith finds himself investigating the shocking murder two doors down. Six of the square's inhabitants are keen members of the Wellington Archery Club, but if Meredith thought that the case was going to be easy to solve, he was wrong...
The Cheltenham Square Murder is a classic example of how John Bude builds a drama within a very specific location. Here the Regency splendour of Cheltenham provides the perfect setting for a story in which appearances are certainly deceiving.
Industry Reviews
This is truly a wonderful book. I cannot say enough about it. The writing and use of language is superb and completely without flaws.--Joyce Fox "NetGalley " A good classic British whodunit. Good use of location and well written plot. Highly recommended to fans of the classic era.--Karen Kenyon "NetGalley " I really enjoyed The Cheltenham Square Murder, it was an entertaining, complex mystery, with all the charm of 1930s England, the time when this book was written. With a quick pace and a baffling plot, this locked room mystery, set in a small square in England, has several obvious suspects with several good motives and iron-clad alibis. Combined with the bonhomie between Long and Meredith (no inter-departmental rivalry here!) it was an exceptionally delightful and intriguing read.--Tam Mc "Goodreads " The Cheltenham Square Murder is an intriguing murder mystery of the gentle, cerebral variety. It is not fast paced the detective work could perhaps accurately be described as plodding but it is compelling. There is a real puzzle element to the murder that just demands to be cracked. It is a crime novel for those who enjoy unravelling complex plots, breaking seemingly airtight alibis and using the little grey cells to determine who is psychologically most likely to be a murderer.--Erin Britton "Nudge Books " Bude, a popular British mystery writer during the 1930s and beyond, crafted a number of impossible murder novels that the British Library has reissued as part of a flood of resurrected mysteries written during the Golden Age of Murder.... An absorbing head-scratcher.--Connie Fletcher "Booklist " I will definitely read more of these books in the future!--Matthew Barnes "NetGalley "
