Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
101st out of 180 books
—
115 voters
Death in Cyprus (Death in... #3)
by
M.M. Kaye
Twenty-year-old Amanda Derrington is on an extended cruise with her uncle when she decides to make a short side trip to the sun-washed island of Cyprus. But even before the ship arrives in port, there is a suspicious death. Once the passengers reach the island, it soon becomes clear that the death was in fact an act of murder. What Amanda had meant to be a pleasant excursi...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
February 10th 2001
by Minotaur Books
(first published 1956)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
621)
Rating Clarification: 3.5 stars
M.M. Kaye's 6 book "Death in..." murder mystery series takes the reader to the island of Cyrus, circa late 1940's/early 1950's. Sheltered orphan Amanda Derington is eager to see the world, so when her straightlaced Uncle Oswin asks her to visit one of his far-flung business concerns, Amanda jumps at the chance. But she can't even set foot on the fabled island before death comes calling and reaps one of the passangers on board the S.S. Orantares, the ship Amanda boo...more
M.M. Kaye's 6 book "Death in..." murder mystery series takes the reader to the island of Cyrus, circa late 1940's/early 1950's. Sheltered orphan Amanda Derington is eager to see the world, so when her straightlaced Uncle Oswin asks her to visit one of his far-flung business concerns, Amanda jumps at the chance. But she can't even set foot on the fabled island before death comes calling and reaps one of the passangers on board the S.S. Orantares, the ship Amanda boo...more
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Back in 1949, while my husband's regiment was stationed in Egypt, and we were living in an army quarter at Fayid in what was then known as the "Suez Canal Zone", a friend and I decided to spend a painting holiday in Cyprus....We stayed in the enchanting house in Kyrenia that I have described in this story, and the plot was practically handed to me on a plate by a curious series of incidents that occurred during our stay....I must have been aware that the Cyprus I was living in and...more
Back in 1949, while my husband's regiment was stationed in Egypt, and we were living in an army quarter at Fayid in what was then known as the "Suez Canal Zone", a friend and I decided to spend a painting holiday in Cyprus....We stayed in the enchanting house in Kyrenia that I have described in this story, and the plot was practically handed to me on a plate by a curious series of incidents that occurred during our stay....I must have been aware that the Cyprus I was living in and...more
Kaye writes a psuedo-series of books called Death in... (Kenya, Cyprus, Andamans, etc) and I love the classic formula of the British, romantic, suspenseful mystery. Each book has different characters & a unique setting, but here's the gist: a young British girl, usually an orphan, is travelling alone to an exotic locale where she falls in with a group that includes Brits, a token American or two, a few military officers, and the bohemian artist or whoever. Someone is murdered and in the end...more
I picked this up while I was on the waiting list at the library for one of the author's other books, The Far Pavilions. I love mysteries and especially ones set in interesting locations. I found this mystery to be very reminiscent of Agatha Christie.
My one issue with the book was with the main character of Amanda. While she grew on me, I think her inner-dialogue seemed somewhat contrived. Despite that, I will definitely read more of the author's mysteries and I really can't wait to read The Far...more
My one issue with the book was with the main character of Amanda. While she grew on me, I think her inner-dialogue seemed somewhat contrived. Despite that, I will definitely read more of the author's mysteries and I really can't wait to read The Far...more
I enjoyed all of Kaye's Death in... books. The most interesting thing about them is that they were written as contemporary novels and republished later with no editing. The forward of each tells the background of how she came to write them. This one has background on the politics of Cyprus before the war started with hints that trouble is coming. The descriptions are wonderful, the names of places beautiful. The mystery is interesting. Creepy!
Inspired by a line from a poem, Amanda Derington decides to visit Cyprus. But when a fellow passenger dies in her cabin on the voyage there, her pleasant journey turns into a nightmare. It soon becomes clear that it was no accident, but rather, murder. And Amanda can't help but be swept up in the middle of it.
A delightful read. An Agatha Christie-like plot with great characterization and a splendid setting. Definitely recommended.
A delightful read. An Agatha Christie-like plot with great characterization and a splendid setting. Definitely recommended.
A murder mystery set on the island of Cyprus. Most amazing thing about the book was re-reading certain scenes after finishing the book and marvelling at the dexterity of the author.
More here:
http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2013/0...
More here:
http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2013/0...
This was an enjoyable mystery with a hint of romance, good escape reading. I particularly enjoyed the warm setting at this cold time of the year. Phrases like “sun-baked earth”, “the relentless sun”, and “the warm moonlight” warmed me up!
This is my favorite of Kaye's mysteries. It is wonderfully romantic, and it is the one I would most like to see made into a film -- but who would I cast? The setting alone is breathtaking. The characters and conflicts are strangely contemporary,even though its publication is quite a bit earlier. But for this reader, to have the protagonist masquerade as an artist who quotes Lovelace with the woman he's attracted to is pretty darn exciting. Incomparable escapist fare.
From 1956, M.M. Kaye was an early entrent into a mystery sub-genre that no longer survives -- the point of view of a woman who nearly comes to harm, but is rescued by a romantic hero. The contrivances to accomplish the task don't stand up well in today's world.
No one does atmosphere as well as M. M. Kaye and I liked the twists in his mystery. However, Amanda and Steve come across as not-so-good versions of Miranda and Simon from "Death in Berlin". Their romance just doesn't work so well for me.
A fun romp - which is a bizarre thing to say about a whodunnit, but this series are very light hearted whodunnits with a dash of very british stiff upper lip romance thrown in. Excellent way to spend a lazy Saturday.
Brilliantly written - a thoroughly engaging novel with a quite unexpected ending. Recommended to anyone and everyone who loves a good thriller!! M. M. Kaye creates that most pity-worthy characters.
Enjoyed the historical novel/mystery. Kaye does a fantastic job of describing people and places.as The mystery is well developed and not till the end do you sense who, what and why.
This is my favorite novel in the series. The writing is fantastic, truly evocative. God, I cast this as a film with myself in the lead and Jeremy Northam as my love interest, hahaha. Really exhilarating and fun!
Rereading this "Death" series by a great author. Very good stories set in the "colonial" days of Britain. Lots of local details and mores of high class British characters.
A wonderful mystery! M.M. Kaye created a delightful mystery that held me in suspense until the end. I'm looking forward to tackling more of her books soon.
If you are a fan of MM Kaye - please read the books do not listen to them - the voices of the narrators do nothing for the novel!
A friend suggested a read a book set on Cyprus since I was traveling there. Started it on the plane over.
I've read four books in this series now, and I'm still not tired of them. I love M. M. Kaye's style of writing, her characters, her locations and the solutions to her murder plots. The answer never fails to blind-side me (especially in Death In Kashmir and Death In Kenya, in fact I have yet to be able to figure out the culprit in one of her books. And there are always great side characters thrown in, which make things all the more interesting. There are two left in the series for me to read, and...more
A murder mystery/romance novel based in the late 1940's was really an enjoyable read but for some reason that I can't quite point out took me much longer than normal to read. maybe it's because the book itself was written in the 1940's and the writing style was a bit different but it really was a great book with an interesting plot.
I read The Far Pavilions probably about 30 years ago. So when I came across these and recognized the author's name, I immediately checked them out. They didn't disappoint me.
I like how she includes forwards/introductions in all her books, describing how she was influenced to write the stories. They are historical mystery stories, yet when she came up with the ideas, they were current time! Amazing to have lived such a life.
There were some funny lines, and a variety of characters, but I was so tired of Amanda's frightened stuttering. "I--I don't know. Wh--why?" There was far too much of that. And the preposterous episodes where her hair kept saving her from being killed -- oh, brother! I enjoyed the descriptions of Cyprus, though. It's a light, fun read, but the plot is a bit ridiculous.
Ok, I admit I've read this book many times before. But I really like M.M. Kaye. She usually sets her books around WWII or shortly thereafter and always has good character development. I enjoy her use of descriptive phraseology also. A quick and easy read but really fun!
Great mystery in another interesting place that makes you want to travel.
I read this book a long time ago and loved it. It's a book I'll reread.
Anytime a book makes me look up a poem, it must be good.
May 22, 2013
Celeste
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
M. M. Kaye(Mary Margaret) was born in India and spent her early childhood and much of her early-married life there. Her family ties with the country are strong: her grandfather, father, brother and husband all served the British Raj. After India's independence, her husband, Major-General Goff Hamilton of Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (the famous Indian Army regiment featured in The Far Pavi...more
More about M.M. Kaye...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jun 28, 2011 02:36pm