Death on the Riviera (Superintendent Meredith, #4) in Reading the Detectives

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Death on the Riviera (Superintendent Meredith, #4)

John Bude,

Martin Edwards (Contributor)

Start date: August 1, 2023

Finish date: August 31, 2023

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Jan 04, 2016 Susan rated it really liked it

The first trio of John Bude鈥檚 mysteries were set firmly on home ground; The Cornish Coast Murder, The Lake District Murder and The Sussex Downs Murder. However, in this later novel, he turns to the more exotic location of the French Riviera. First published in 1952, Bude was, at that time, an extremely successful author and responded to the wish of a public, tired by rationing and austerity, for sunshine and glamour.

Detective Inspector Meredith and Acting-Sergeant Freddy Strang are sent to the S The first trio of John Bude鈥檚 mysteries were set firmly on home ground; The Cornish Coast Murder, The Lake District Murder and The Sussex Downs Murder. However, in this later novel, he turns to the more exotic location of the French Riviera. First published in 1952, Bude was, at that time, an extremely successful author and responded to the wish of a public, tired by rationing and austerity, for sunshine and glamour.

Detective Inspector Meredith and Acting-Sergeant Freddy Strang are sent to the South of France to investigate a currency racket. The gang producing the counterfeit notes, which are flooding the Riviera, are said to be led by an Englishman, while 鈥淐halky鈥� Cobbett is rumoured to be the forger. On the way, Meredith and Strang meet Bill Dillon, who is also going to the Riviera, to visit the Villa Paloma; owned by wealthy widow, Nesta Hedderwick.

This book effortlessly weaves and intertwines the stories of the counterfeit inquiry with those of the inhabitants of the Villa Paloma. For Bill Dillon鈥檚 visit will lead, ultimately, to murder and both Meredith and Strang become involved 鈥� the young Freddy Strang not least because he falls in love with Dilys, the niece of Mrs Hedderwick. Other members of the household include Tony Shenton, Kitty Lindon and an artist called Paul Latour, who all have their secrets.

Although this novel is set in the early 1950鈥檚, it is clear that the war is all still too present 鈥� not only with Bude鈥檚 audience of readers, but on the scars it has physically left on the landscape. When Meredith and Strang first meet up with Bill Dillon, the men are trying to negotiate their way out of Dunkirk, with virtually all the roads destroyed and not a single road sign in evidence. Indeed, Dillon recalls being there as a soldier and those memories were all too close to most of the audience reading this book. However, although the war was touched on, what Bude gives us is an enjoyable mystery 鈥� with secrets galore, some organised crime and a rather touching love story. A good read for anyone who enjoys Golden Age crime novels.
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Sep 13, 2020 Anissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-borrowed-kindle-unlimited, mystery-suspense-crime, british-fiction-uk-ireland, 2020, british-library-crime-classics, summer-warm-getaway-mysteries

Another great mystery reissue by the British Library Crime Classics.

Detective Inspector Meredith accompanied by Acting-Sergent Freddy Strang are in the Riviera to track down a counterfeiter Tommy "Chalky" Cobbett. The police in Nice discovered counterfeit currency popping up with English tourists and it had Chalky's hallmarks. What unfolds for most of the book is a very engaging story surrounding the investigation of the counterfeit ring and trying to uncover the participants as the British and Another great mystery reissue by the British Library Crime Classics.

Detective Inspector Meredith accompanied by Acting-Sergent Freddy Strang are in the Riviera to track down a counterfeiter Tommy "Chalky" Cobbett. The police in Nice discovered counterfeit currency popping up with English tourists and it had Chalky's hallmarks. What unfolds for most of the book is a very engaging story surrounding the investigation of the counterfeit ring and trying to uncover the participants as the British and French police work the case. It was wonderful as a procedural and the characters were delightful. There's also a thread of the story of the inhabitants and goings-on at the Villa Paloma, home of Nesta Hdderwick. Nesta is a wealthy widow and living with her are her niece, Dilys, companion Miss Pilligrew and a couple of hangers-on, Paul Latour (self-proclaimed bohemian artist), Tony Shenton and Kitty Linden. There's also Bill Dillon, who initially meets Meredith and Strang at the outset on his way to the Riviera, he too comes to stay at Villa Paloma resulting in a bit of domestic upheaval.

This was a treat to puzzle out with the officers and their questions were my questions and they sometimes fell for red-herrings I did and other times asked the question that hadn't yet occurred to me. I was having so much fun with the counterfeit story that I forgot for a while that there's supposed to be a death/murder because of the title. Well, there's a great buildup to the counterfeit solution and then the death/murder takes place (around the 66% mark). I usually am annoyed by this circumstance but apparently if given another very engaging mystery to solve, I don't mind so much. The death/murder investigation is less intricate a plot but still enjoyable and that takes up the remainder of the book. The only criticism I had with this is that the gears shift so abruptly between the counterfeit ring and the death/murder that there is one thing left hanging. There's one character that is pivotal in the counterfeit ring that the story doesn't account for in the end. Everyone else involved is apprehended but (view spoiler) seems to have absconded and no one mentions pursuit of him again. I actually went back to reread because I thought I'd missed something. I hadn't. It's a weird omission in an otherwise tightly told story.

The characters were great whether I liked them or not and the plot tidy and well-paced. I couldn't have asked for much more in a mystery. I've read Bude's The Cheltenham Square Murder and as there are a few other Inspector Meredith mysteries in the BLCC collection, I look forward to more.

I almost forgot, this gave me two new crossword words: pip emma (for evening, afternoon i.e PM) and ack emma (for morning). Coming across this reminded me of Christie's Agatha Christie's "A Murder is Announced" where there are estranged siblings that had only been known as "Pip and Emma" which cause a wry eyebrow raises in the story but I completely didn't get while reading.

Recommended. ...more

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Jul 08, 2023 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, audiobook, kindle, tbr-with-gr-groups, detectives-23challenge

3.5 stars for this confounding mystery starring Inspector Meredith of Scotland Yard, ably assisted by young Sgt. Strang, who gets a romantic subplot. I don鈥檛 mind, as Bude doesn鈥檛 let the young lovers hijack the mystery.

Scotland Yard is sent to the Riviera to crack a counterfeiting ring; Meredith looks forward to nabbing a master forger suspected of running the ring. What follows is an interesting and frustrating (for our detectives and their French counterparts) case which eventually centers ar ...more

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Nov 15, 2015 Damaskcat rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A collection of people staying in a villa on the French Riviera might seem an unlikely venue for the crime detecting abilities of Inspector Meredith. He and Sergeant Strang have been sent to France in pursuit of a currency forger, Chalky Cobbett and with the assistance of the amiable Inspector Blampignon they find themselves investigating more than one crime.

I enjoyed reading this entertaining crime story. I thought it stood the test of time very well indeed and the crime committed would probabl ...more

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Jan 02, 2016 Damaskcat rated it really liked it

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Jan 30, 2016 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016reviews, reviewcopy

Did I enjoy reading John Bude's Death on the Riviera?! Yes! I might even go so far as to call it a gush-worthy read? Why? Purely because I found it hard to put down, and, just overall satisfying to read. Is it the best ever mystery novel? Probably not. But was it a joy to spend time with? Yes, very much.

Inspector Meredith (C.I.D) and Acting-Sergeant Freddy Strang head to Southern France in this mystery novel. They are teaming up with the local police to stop a gang of criminals from printing co ...more

1 like · Like · see review