At Death's Door

Idwal Meredith #2

by Robert Barnard

Benedict Cotteral, an elderly writer living out his last days at his son's home, receives a visit from his long-forgotten illegitimate daughter and becomes a suspect in her murder

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Aka Bernard Bastable.

Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.

Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.

Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.

Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.

Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.

Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.

Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace

Reviews

[Scoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one a lot. It took me a while to read though. It was like eating a really rich dessert; small bits are best.

The characters were really well developed. It was very masterful how he did that.

I figured out the main mystery very quickly. Some clues were a little too obvious. But that didn't affect my enjoyment of this book at all.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a few surprises in this mystery, but the murder of acclaimed actress Dame Myra Mason isn't one of them. She is a nasty piece of work, and wreaks havoc on her now-grown daughter, who has decided to research the life of her mother and the relationship with a famous author that led to her birth when Myra was young. There are plenty of people with motives, so Inspector Meredith has to painstakingly trace each one's movements on the evening in question. I loved the inspiration that comes to him while watching his teenage children playing Trivial Pursuit.

[Scoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one a lot. It took me a while to read though. It was like eating a really rich dessert; small bits are best.

The characters were really well developed. It was very masterful how he did that.

I figured out the main mystery very quickly. Some clues were a little too obvious. But that didn't affect my enjoyment of this book at all.

[Jeannine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barnard is so reliable. Believable and varied characters, red herrings galore, and a satisfying puzzle. A master of the traditional mystery.

[Hemavathy DM Suppiah-Devi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, old fashioned, whodunit. I could not put it down. Barnard has gained a new fan!

[Emg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barnard is always a delight, so witty and acute is his observations.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the way through, I felt this lacked a character whose company I could enjoy. Certainly the actress mother and daughter were vivid. Once the secrets were out, I was able to connect to the real people.

[Deb Saw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Barnard has redeemed himself. It's a clever little book that is a proper whodunnit with a clever sub-plot running through.

If you've never tried him, this is good but lost a point due to the lack of his trademark humour.

[Lisa Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty typical and predictable. This author's works seem very uneven. One of my favorite books this year was Barnard's Scandal in Belgravia. On the other hand this one was blah.

[LDuchess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, quick read. Ending a little deus ex machina....but OK. I like Barnard.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The usual enjoyable Barnard mystery with an unexpected twist at the end.