Friday’s Forgotten Book: Funeral of Figaro by Ellis Peters

Friday’s Forgotten Book: Funeral of Figaro by Ellis Peters

I am always a pushover for mysteries set in the theatre, and here’s another one. Funeral of Figaro by Ellis Peters (Morrow, 1964) is one of the few nonseries books released by Peters, best known for her Brother Cadfael historical mysteries. It is built around the...
Friday’s Forgotten Book: The Etruscan Net by Michael Gilbert

Friday’s Forgotten Book: The Etruscan Net by Michael Gilbert

The Etruscan Net by Michael Gilbert (Hodder & Stoughton, 1960), later released as The Family Tomb, is one of Gilbert’s stand-alone mysteries. There actually isn’t much mystery to it but there are some great characters to help the obvious plot unfold. Robert Broke...
Friday’s Forgotten Book: The Fugitive Pigeon by Donald Westlake

Friday’s Forgotten Book: The Fugitive Pigeon by Donald Westlake

The Fugitive Pigeon by Donald Westlake (Random House, 1965) is one of the MWA Grand Master’s comic mysteries. I’ve read Westlake’s Parker books, written under the name Richard Stark, and loved them, but never got around to his capers, of which there are many. This...
Friday’s Forgotten Book: The Cat Screams by Todd Downing

Friday’s Forgotten Book: The Cat Screams by Todd Downing

Todd Downing (1902-1974) published nine detective novels between 1933 and 1941 before abruptly abandoning writing altogether. Most of his books were set in Mexico; his series detective is U. S. Customs Agent Hugh Rennert. See more about Downing on the Golden Age of...